Mark 3

The Man with the Paralyzed Hand

1 Now He entered the synagogue again, and a man was there who had a paralyzed hand.

2 In order to accuse Him, they were watching Him closely to see whether He would heal him on the Sabbath.

3 He told the man with the paralyzed hand, "Stand before us." ^[a]

4 Then He said to them, "Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do evil, to save life or to kill?" But they were silent.

5 After looking around at them with anger and sorrow at the hardness of their hearts, He told the man, "Stretch out your hand." So he stretched it out, and his hand was restored.

6 Immediately the Pharisees went out and started plotting with the Herodians against Him, how they might destroy Him.

Ministering to the Multitude

7 Jesus departed with His disciples to the sea, and a great multitude followed from Galilee, Judea,

8 Jerusalem, Idumea, beyond the Jordan, and around Tyre and Sidon. The great multitude came to Him because they heard about everything He was doing.

9 Then He told His disciples to have a small boat ready for Him, so the crowd would not crush Him.

10 Since He had healed many, all who had diseases were pressing toward Him to touch Him.

11 Whenever the unclean spirits saw Him, those possessed fell down before Him and cried out, "You are the Son of God!"

12 And He would strongly warn them not to make Him known.

The 12 Apostles

13 Then He went up the mountain and summoned those He wanted, and they came to Him.

14 He also appointed 12-He also named them apostles^[b]-to be with Him, to send them out to preach,

15 and to have authority to^[c] drive out demons.

16 He appointed the Twelve:^[d] To Simon, He gave the name Peter;

17 and to James the son of Zebedee, and to his brother John, He gave the name "Boanerges" (that is, "Sons of Thunder");

18 Andrew; Philip and Bartholomew; Matthew and Thomas; James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus; Simon the Zealot,^[e]

19 and Judas Iscariot,^[f] who also betrayed Him.

A House Divided

20 Then He went home, and the crowd gathered again so that they were not even able to eat.^[g]

21 When His family heard this, they set out to restrain Him, because they said, "He's out of His mind."^[h]

22 The scribes who had come down from Jerusalem said, "He has Beelzebul in Him!" and, "He drives out demons by the ruler of the demons!"

23 So He summoned them and spoke to them in parables: "How can Satan drive out Satan?

24 If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand.

25 If a house is divided against itself, that house cannot stand.

26 And if Satan rebels against himself and is divided, he cannot stand but is finished! ^[i]

27 "On the other hand, no one can enter a strong man's house and rob his possessions unless he first ties up the strong man. Then he will rob his house.

28 I assure you: People will be forgiven for all sins ^[j] and whatever blasphemies they may blaspheme.

29 But whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is guilty of an eternal sin" ^[k]-

30 because they were saying, "He has an unclean spirit."

True Relationships

31 Then His mother and His brothers came, and standing outside, they sent [word] to Him and called Him.

32 A crowd was sitting around Him and told Him, "Look, Your mother, Your brothers, and Your sisters^[l] are outside asking for You."

33 He replied to them, "Who are My mother and My brothers?"

34 And looking about at those who were sitting in a circle around Him, He said, "Here are My mother and My brothers!

35 Whoever does the will of God is My brother and sister and mother."

Mark 3 Commentary

Chapter 3

The withered hand healed. (1-5) The people resort to Christ. (6-12) The apostles called. (13-21) The blasphemy of the scribes. (22-30) Christ's relatives. (31-35)

Verses 1-5 This man's case was piteous; he had a withered hand, which disabled him from working for his living; and those that are so, are the most proper objects of charity. Let those be helped that cannot help themselves. But stubborn infidels, when they can say nothing against the truth, yet will not yield. We hear what is said amiss, and see what is done amiss; but Christ looks at the root of bitterness in the heart, the blindness and hardness of that, and is grieved. Let hard-hearted sinners tremble to think of the anger with which he will look upon them shortly, when the day of his wrath comes. The great healing day now is the sabbath, and the healing place the house of prayer; but the healing power is of Christ. The gospel command is like that recorded here: though our hands are withered, yet, if we will not stretch them out, it is our own fault that we are not healed. But if we are healed, Christ, his power and grace, must have all the glory.

Verses 6-12 All our sicknesses and calamities spring from the anger of God against our sins. Their removal, or the making them blessings to us, was purchased to us by the blood of Christ. But the plagues and diseases of our souls, of our hearts, are chiefly to be dreaded; and He can heal them also by a word. May more and more press to Christ to be healed of these plagues, and to be delivered from the enemies of their souls.

Verses 13-21 Christ calls whom he will; for his grace is his own. He had called the apostles to separate themselves from the crowd, and they came unto him. He now gave them power to heal sicknesses, and to cast out devils. May the Lord send forth more and more of those who have been with him, and have learned of him to preach his gospel, to be instruments in his blessed work. Those whose hearts are enlarged in the work of God, can easily bear with what is inconvenient to themselves, and will rather lose a meal than an opportunity of doing good. Those who go on with zeal in the work of God, must expect hinderances, both from the hatred of enemies, and mistaken affections of friends, and need to guard against both.

Verses 22-30 It was plain that the doctrine of Christ had a direct tendency to break the devil's power; and it was as plain, that casting of him out of the bodies of people, confirmed that doctrine; therefore Satan could not support such a design. Christ gave an awful warning against speaking such dangerous words. It is true the gospel promises, because Christ has purchased, forgiveness for the greatest sins and sinners; but by this sin, they would oppose the gifts of the Holy Ghost after Christ's ascension. Such is the enmity of the heart, that unconverted men pretend believers are doing Satan's work, when sinners are brought to repentance and newness of life.

Verses 31-35 It is a great comfort to all true Christians, that they are dearer to Christ than mother, brother, or sister as such, merely as relations in the flesh would have been, even had they been holy. Blessed be God, this great and gracious privilege is ours even now; for though Christ's bodily presence cannot be enjoyed by us, his spiritual presence is not denied us.

Footnotes

• [a]. Lit Rise up in the middle
• [b]. Other mss omit He also named them apostles
• [c]. Other mss add heal diseases, and to
• [d]. Other mss omit He appointed the Twelve
• [e]. Lit the Cananaean
• [f]. Iscariot probably "a man of Kerioth," a town in Judea.
• [g]. Lit eat bread, or eat a meal
• [h]. Jn 7:5
• [i]. Lit but he has an end
• [j]. Lit All things will be forgiven the sons of men
• [k]. Other mss read is subject to eternal judgment
• [l]. Other mss omit and Your sisters