Mark 3

1 And he entered again into the synagogue; and there was there a man having his hand dried up.

2 And they watched him if he would heal him on the sabbath, that they might accuse him.

3 And he says to the man who had his hand dried up, Rise up [and come] into the midst.

4 And he says 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 And looking round upon them with anger, distressed at the hardening of their heart, he says to the man, Stretch out thy hand. And he stretched [it] out, and his hand was restored.

6 And the Pharisees going out straightway with the Herodians took counsel against him, how they might destroy him.

7 And Jesus withdrew with his disciples to the sea; and a great multitude from Galilee followed him, and from Judaea,

8 and from Jerusalem, and from Idumaea and beyond the Jordan; and they of around Tyre and Sidon, a great multitude, having heard what things he did, came to him.

9 And he spoke to his disciples, in order that a little ship should wait upon him on account of the crowd, that they might not press upon him.

10 For he healed many, so that they beset him that they might touch him, as many as had plagues.

11 And the unclean spirits, when they beheld him, fell down before him, and cried saying, *Thou* art the Son of God.

12 And he rebuked them much, that they might not make him manifest.

13 And he goes up into the mountain, and calls whom he himself would, and they went to him.

14 And he appointed twelve that they might be with him, and that he might send them to preach,

15 and to have power [to heal diseases, and] to cast out demons.

16 And he gave to Simon the surname of Peter;

17 and James the [son] of Zebedee, and John the brother of James, and he gave them the surname of Boanerges, that is, Sons of thunder;

18 and Andrew, and Philip, and Bartholomew, and Matthew, and Thomas, and James the [son] of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus, and Simon the Cananaean,

19 and Judas Iscariote, who also delivered him up. And they come to [the] house.

20 And again a crowd comes together, so that they cannot even eat bread.

21 And his relatives having heard [of it] went out to lay hold on him, for they said, He is out of his mind.

22 And the scribes who had come down from Jerusalem said, He has Beelzebub, and, By the prince of the demons he casts out demons.

23 And having called them to [him], he said to them in parables, How can Satan cast out Satan?

24 And if a kingdom has become divided against itself, that kingdom cannot subsist.

25 And if a house has become divided against itself, that house cannot subsist.

26 And if Satan rise up against himself, and is divided, he cannot subsist, but has an end.

27 But no one can, having entered into his house, plunder the goods of the strong [man] unless he first bind the strong [man], and then he will plunder his house.

28 Verily I say unto you, that all sins shall be forgiven to the sons of men, and all the injurious speeches [with] which they may speak injuriously;

29 but whosoever shall speak injuriously against the Holy Spirit, to eternity has no forgiveness; but lies under the guilt of an everlasting sin;

30 -- because they said, He has an unclean spirit.

31 And his brethren and his mother come, and standing without sent to him calling him.

32 And a crowd sat around him. And they said to him, Behold, thy mother and thy brethren seek thee without.

33 And he answered them, saying, Who is my mother or my brethren?

34 And looking around in a circuit at those that were sitting around him, he says, Behold my mother and my brethren:

35 for whosoever shall do the will of God, *he* 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]. The Greek word is found here only. It is questioned whether it means 'sympathizing grief' (as LXX, Ps. 69.20;) or 'deep grief.' There is, I apprehend, sorrow for, with an intensive force in it; not sympathy, which is feeling with, but feeling what a state they were in, with grief for it.
• [b]. The word is used also for a council, Acts 25.12. It may be more in this sense here, but a private one.
• [c]. The mountain in contrast with the plain: see Note, Matt. 5.1.
• [d]. Exousia: see Note, Matt. 10.1.
• [e]. Or 'Zealot,' Cananaean being the Hebrew for 'zealot.'
• [f]. Lit. 'in the power of.' En: see Matt. 3.11, Note c.
• [g]. Lit. 'whatever the.'