Mark 3
3
A Man with a Withered Hand. 1#Here Jesus is again depicted in conflict with his adversaries over the question of sabbath-day observance. His opponents were already ill disposed toward him because they regarded Jesus as a violator of the sabbath. Jesus’ question Is it lawful to do good on the sabbath rather than to do evil? places the matter in the broader theological context outside the casuistry of the scribes. The answer is obvious. Jesus heals the man with the withered hand in the sight of all and reduces his opponents to silence; cf. Jn 5:17–18. Again he entered the synagogue.#Mt 12:9–14; Lk 6:6–11. There was a man there who had a withered hand. 2They watched him closely to see if he would cure him on the sabbath so that they might accuse him. 3He said to the man with the withered hand, “Come up here before us.” 4Then he said to them, “Is it lawful to do good on the sabbath rather than to do evil, to save life rather than to destroy it?” But they remained silent. 5Looking around at them with anger and grieved at their hardness of heart, he said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” He stretched it out and his hand was restored.#Lk 14:4. 6#In reporting the plot of the Pharisees and Herodians to put Jesus to death after this series of conflicts in Galilee, Mark uses a pattern that recurs in his account of later controversies in Jerusalem (Mk 11:17–18; 12:13–17). The help of the Herodians, supporters of Herod Antipas, tetrarch of Galilee and Perea, is needed to take action against Jesus. Both series of conflicts point to their gravity and to the impending passion of Jesus. The Pharisees went out and immediately took counsel with the Herodians against him to put him to death.
The Mercy of Jesus. 7#This overview of the Galilean ministry manifests the power of Jesus to draw people to himself through his teaching and deeds of power. The crowds of Jews from many regions surround Jesus (Mk 3:7–12). This phenomenon prepares the way for creating a new people of Israel. The choice and mission of the Twelve is the prelude (Mk 3:13–19). Jesus withdrew toward the sea with his disciples.#Mt 4:23–25; 12:15; Lk 6:17–19. A large number of people [followed] from Galilee and from Judea. 8Hearing what he was doing, a large number of people came to him also from Jerusalem, from Idumea, from beyond the Jordan, and from the neighborhood of Tyre and Sidon. 9He told his disciples to have a boat ready for him because of the crowd, so that they would not crush him. 10He had cured many and, as a result, those who had diseases were pressing upon him to touch him.#5:30. 11#See note on Mk 1:24–25. And whenever unclean spirits saw him they would fall down before him and shout, “You are the Son of God.”#1:34; Lk 4:41. 12He warned them sternly not to make him known.
The Mission of the Twelve. 13#Mt 10:1–4; Lk 6:12–16. He went up the mountain#He went up the mountain: here and elsewhere the mountain is associated with solemn moments and acts in the mission and self-revelation of Jesus (Mk 6:46; 9:2–8; 13:3). Jesus acts with authority as he summoned those whom he wanted and they came to him. and summoned those whom he wanted and they came to him. 14#6:7. He appointed twelve [whom he also named apostles] that they might be with him#He appointed twelve [whom he also named apostles] that they might be with him: literally “he made,” i.e., instituted them as apostles to extend his messianic mission through them (Mk 6:7–13). See notes on Mt 10:1 and 10:2–4. and he might send them forth to preach 15and to have authority to drive out demons: 16#Simon, whom he named Peter: Mark indicates that Simon’s name was changed on this occasion. Peter is first in all lists of the apostles (Mt 10:2; Lk 6:14; Acts 1:13; cf. 1 Cor 15:5–8). [he appointed the twelve:] Simon, whom he named Peter; 17James, son of Zebedee, and John the brother of James, whom he named Boanerges, that is, sons of thunder;#Mt 16:18; Jn 1:42. 18Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James the son of Alphaeus; Thaddeus, Simon the Cananean, 19and Judas Iscariot who betrayed him.
Blasphemy of the Scribes. 20#Within the narrative of the coming of Jesus’ relatives (Mk 3:20–21) is inserted the account of the unbelieving scribes from Jerusalem who attributed Jesus’ power over demons to Beelzebul (Mk 3:22–30); see note on Mk 5:21–43. There were those even among the relatives of Jesus who disbelieved and regarded Jesus as out of his mind (Mk 3:21). Against this background, Jesus is informed of the arrival of his mother and brothers [and sisters] (Mk 3:32). He responds by showing that not family ties but doing God’s will (Mk 3:35) is decisive in the kingdom; cf. note on Mt 12:46–50. He came home.#He came home: cf. Mk 2:1–2 and see note on Mk 2:15. Again [the] crowd gathered, making it impossible for them even to eat.#2:2. 21When his relatives heard of this they set out to seize him, for they said, “He is out of his mind.”#Jn 10:20. 22The scribes who had come from Jerusalem said, “He is possessed by Beelzebul,”#By Beelzebul: see note on Mt 10:25. Two accusations are leveled against Jesus: (1) that he is possessed by an unclean spirit and (2) by the prince of demons he drives out demons. Jesus answers the second charge by a parable (Mk 3:24–27) and responds to the first charge in Mk 3:28–29. and “By the prince of demons he drives out demons.”#Mt 12:24–32; Lk 11:15–22; 12:10.
Jesus and Beelzebul. 23Summoning them, he began to speak to them in parables, “How can Satan drive out Satan? 24If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. 25And if a house is divided against itself, that house will not be able to stand. 26And if Satan has risen up against himself and is divided, he cannot stand; that is the end of him. 27But no one can enter a strong man’s house to plunder his property unless he first ties up the strong man. Then he can plunder his house. 28Amen, I say to you, all sins and all blasphemies that people utter will be forgiven them.#Lk 12:10. 29But whoever blasphemes against the holy Spirit#Whoever blasphemes against the holy Spirit: this sin is called an everlasting sin because it attributes to Satan, who is the power of evil, what is actually the work of the holy Spirit, namely, victory over the demons. will never have forgiveness, but is guilty of an everlasting sin.” 30For they had said, “He has an unclean spirit.”
Jesus and His Family. 31#Mt 12:46–50; Lk 8:19–21. His mother and his brothers arrived. Standing outside they sent word to him and called him. 32A crowd seated around him told him, “Your mother and your brothers#Your brothers: see note on Mk 6:3. [and your sisters] are outside asking for you.” 33But he said to them in reply, “Who are my mother and [my] brothers?” 34And looking around at those seated in the circle he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers. 35[For] whoever does the will of God is my brother and sister and mother.”
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Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Inc
Mark 3
3
A Man with a Withered Hand
1 # For ver. 1-6, see Matt. 12:9-14; Luke 6:6-11 Again #ch. 1:29he entered the synagogue, and a man was there with a withered hand. 2And #Luke 14:1; 20:20; [Luke 11:54; John 8:6]they watched Jesus,#3:2 Greek him to see whether he would heal him on the Sabbath, so that they might accuse him. 3And he said to the man with the withered hand, “Come here.” 4And he said to them, #[Luke 14:3]“Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do harm, to save life or to kill?” But they were silent. 5And he #ver. 34; ch. 5:32; 10:23; [ch. 10:21] looked around at them with anger, grieved at #ch. 6:52; Rom. 11:25; Eph. 4:18 their hardness of heart, and said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” #[1 Kgs. 13:4]He stretched it out, and his hand was restored. 6#See Matt. 12:14 The Pharisees went out and immediately #See Matt. 12:14 held counsel with #ch. 12:13; Matt. 22:16; [ch. 8:15]the Herodians against him, how to destroy him.
A Great Crowd Follows Jesus
7 #
Matt. 12:15 Jesus withdrew with his disciples to the sea, and #Matt. 4:25; Luke 6:17a great crowd followed, from Galilee and Judea 8and Jerusalem and #Isa. 34:5; Ezek. 35:15 Idumea and from beyond the Jordan and from around #See Matt. 11:21Tyre and Sidon. When the great crowd heard all that he was doing, they came to him. 9And he told his disciples to #ch. 6:32, 45 (Gk.); 8:10 (Gk.) have a boat ready for him because of the crowd, lest they #ch. 5:24, 31crush him, 10for #See Matt. 4:23 he had healed many, so that all who had #ch. 5:29, 34 diseases pressed around him #ch. 6:56; Matt. 9:20, 21; 14:36; Luke 6:19to touch him. 11#ch. 1:26, 34; Luke 4:41 And whenever the unclean spirits saw him, they #Luke 8:28 fell down before him and cried out, “You are #See Matt. 14:33the Son of God.” 12And #See Matt. 12:16he strictly ordered them not to make him known.
The Twelve Apostles
13 #
Matt. 10:1; Luke 6:12, 13; [ch. 6:7-13; Luke 9:1, 2] And he went up on the mountain and called to him those #John 13:18; 15:16, 19whom he desired, and they came to him. 14#[See ver. 13 above]And he appointed twelve (whom he also named apostles) so that they might be with him and he might send them out to preach 15#[See ver. 13 above]and have authority to cast out demons. 16He appointed the twelve: #For ver. 16-19, see Matt. 10:2-4; Luke 6:14-16; Acts 1:13 Simon (to whom #Matt. 16:18; John 1:42he gave the name Peter); 17#Matt. 4:21James the son of Zebedee and John the brother of James (to whom he gave the name Boanerges, that is, Sons of Thunder); 18Andrew, and Philip, and Bartholomew, and #Matt. 9:9Matthew, and Thomas, and James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus, and Simon the Zealot,#3:18 Greek kananaios, meaning zealot 19and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him.
20Then he went #ch. 7:17; 9:28 home, and the crowd gathered again, #ch. 6:31so that they could not even eat. 21#[John 7:5] And when #[ver. 31] his family heard it, they went out to seize him, for they were saying, “He #2 Cor. 5:13; [John 10:20; Acts 26:24]is out of his mind.”
Blasphemy Against the Holy Spirit
22And #ch. 7:1; Matt. 15:1 the scribes who came down from Jerusalem were saying, #Matt. 9:34; 12:24; Luke 11:15; [Matt. 10:25]; See John 7:20“He is possessed by Beelzebul,” and “by the prince of demons he casts out the demons.” 23#For ver. 23-27, see Matt. 12:25-29; Luke 11:17-22And he called them to him and said to them in parables, “How can Satan cast out Satan? 24If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. 25And if a house is divided against itself, that house will not be able to stand. 26And if Satan has risen up against himself and is divided, he cannot stand, but is coming to an end. 27But #Isa. 49:24 no one can enter a strong man’s house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man. #[Isa. 53:12]Then indeed he may plunder his house.
28 # For ver. 28-30, see Matt. 12:31, 32; [Luke 12:10; Heb. 6:4-6; 10:26; 1 John 5:16] “Truly, I say to you, all sins will be forgiven the children of man, and whatever blasphemies they utter, 29but whoever #[Acts 7:51; Heb. 10:29]blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is guilty of an eternal sin”— 30for they were saying, “He has an unclean spirit.”
Jesus’ Mother and Brothers
31 # For ver. 31-35, see Matt. 12:46-50; Luke 8:19-21 And his mother and his #ch. 6:3; Matt. 13:55; John 2:12; 7:3, 5, 10; Acts 1:14; 1 Cor. 9:5; Gal. 1:19brothers came, and standing outside they sent to him and called him. 32And a crowd was sitting around him, and they said to him, “Your mother and your brothers#3:32 Other manuscripts add and your sisters are outside, seeking you.” 33And he answered them, “Who are my mother and my brothers?” 34And #ver. 5looking about at those who sat around him, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers! 35#[John 15:14; Heb. 2:11] For whoever #Matt. 7:21; [Luke 11:28]does the will of God, he is my brother and sister and mother.”
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