Mark 3

Healing on the Sabbath (Mark 3:1-6)

Jesus leaves and, on another Sabbath, enters the local synagogue. Among those attending was a man with a withered hand. The Pharisees saw this as an opportunity to rebut Jesus's recent points. They watched for Jesus to heal the man. In their view, healing was the “work” of a prophet, and a man could not work on the Sabbath, particularly in his regular occupation. The Pharisees sought proof that Jesus was willing to violate their Sabbath rules.

After asking the man to stand up, Jesus asked whether good could be done on the Sabbath day or if it was a day to cause harm. Was it allowed to save a life on the Sabbath or to kill?

When they refused to answer, Jesus told the man to stretch out his hand, and it became whole. This left the Pharisees in a conundrum. First, neither the command nor the man’s response constituted work as the Pharisees defined it. Second, the power to heal must have come from God. This implies that what Jesus said about doing good, which was not forbidden on the Sabbath, must be true. It also implies that his arguments from earlier that day also had God’s approval. Any objection they might raise would put them in the position of condemning God.

Instead of admitting they were wrong, the Pharisees left and began plotting with the Herodians how they might destroy Jesus. The Herodians were supporters of King Herod. Thus, opposition against Jesus spread from religious leaders to secular leaders. The reason is simple: without the support of the government, they would not be able to legally put Jesus to death, which was their ultimate goal.

Multitudes Healed (Mark 3:7-12)

Jesus left Jerusalem and continued to heal people as he wandered. Some were healed by merely touching him. This, too, is notable. How many so-called faith healers of today can heal without any active participation? He drew crowds from Israel, but Gentiles joined them from regions surrounding Israel. Sometimes, he preached from a boat so the crowds would not press in on him as he spoke.

As he did so, he asked those healed not to announce who he was. For some, it was a matter of demons crying out, testimony that Jesus was not interested in receiving. However, Jesus did not seek confrontation with the Jewish leaders. Though they sought his life, Jesus peaceably withdrew and continued his work. Nor was he fulfilling the expectations of the Jews, who saw their Messiah as a war leader who would stir up Israel and lead them in a battle against the hated Gentile conquerors – Rome.

In the confrontation, Jesus wounded the Pharisees’ pride because it was the only way to shake them out of their complacency and make them aware of their sins. Rubbing salt into the wound with repeated conflicts would not improve the situation, so he withdrew, not from fear, but to give the Pharisees a chance to turn around.

His treatment of the Pharisees illustrated what Paul stated Christians should do for the wayward (Galatians 6:1-2; II Timothy 2:24-26). Jesus and Paul appeared weak and timid in their teachings because of their gentle approach. Still, they had boldness and strength because of the truth they presented (II Corinthians 10:1). All that can be done is done for the sake of saving a person (I Corinthians 9:22). Not to allow the weak in faith to remain weak, but to encourage them and give them a chance to grow strong (Romans 15:1-7; I Thessalonians 5:14).

It was the gentle treatment of the hostile Jews that would win the Gentiles over to God. Jesus would conquer the Gentile world, but not through warfare.

The Selection of the Twelve (Mark 3:13-19)

After spending a night praying on a mountain, Jesus called his disciples to himself and selected twelve of them to be his apostles. The word “apostle” means “an ambassador or a delegate sent on a mission.” Jesus had many disciples, but twelve were selected to be sent out on a special mission—to preach and perform miracles. Matthew also lists the twelve apostles in Matthew 10:2-4, though his list is connected with another event. Another list is also found in Acts 1:13.

The men selected were:

• Simon, whom Jesus had nicknamed Peter, was Andrew’s brother.
• Andrew, Simon’s brother.
• James, the brother of John and a son of Zebedee. Jesus nicknames him and his brother the Sons of Thunder (Boanerges).
• John, the brother of James and a son of Zebedee. Jesus nicknames him and his brother the Sons of Thunder (Boanerges).
• Philip
• Bartholomew
• Matthew, who is also known as Levi.
• Thomas
• James, the son of Alphaeus
• Simon, who was known as the Zealot. Some translations mistakenly render it “Canaanite,” a slight variation in the spelling of the actual kananites.
• Judas, the son of James. He is also known as Lebbaeus and, more commonly, Thaddaeus.
• Judas Iscariot, who eventually betrays Jesus.

An Accusation by the Scribes (Mark 3:20-30)

Returning home to Capernaum, the crowd was so large that there wasn’t room or time to eat. Jesus’ own friends, or possibly his own family (Mark 3:21), took it upon themselves to rescue Jesus from himself. They thought Jesus had gotten carried away by the events and that it had gone to his head. A mere carpenter’s son from a small town shouldn’t be so sought after.

Scribes from Jerusalem took it upon themselves to tell people that Jesus’ power to do miracles was coming from Satan and not from God. Beelzebub means “lord of the flies” and harks back to the days of Babylon when people thought they could understand the minds of the gods by watching how the flies swarmed around a sacrifice. Since this was idolatry, the name became one of Satan’s many names.

Jesus points out that the accusation doesn’t make sense. Why would Satan work against himself by having Jesus cast out his own demons? If Satan was fighting against himself, he was too weak to stand.

Instead, if someone wants to overcome a strong opponent, he first binds him, and then he can plunder his house. Jesus is on the attack, trying to free people from Satan’s dominion (see Matthew 16:18). To do this, Satan’s power must be hindered.

The accusation that Jesus was doing miracles by the power of Satan was blasphemous because it attributed a clear operation of God to Satan. Jesus warns that blasphemy can be forgiven, but it won't be forgiven when a person chooses to blaspheme the Holy Spirit. It is not that God doesn’t want to forgive such a sin (II Peter 3:9), but that such a person has turned so far against God that he will never return (Hebrews 6:4-6).

Jesus’ Family (Mark 3:31-35)

The crowds following Jesus had become so great that when Mary and her children approached, they could not get close to Jesus. Word was passed to Jesus that they were waiting outside to see him.

Jesus responds interestingly. Taking a mundane event, he turns it into an opportunity to teach an important principle. He asks who his mother and brothers are. The seeming callousness of the question would have grabbed everyone’s attention. He then responds that his family is already with him. His family is those who listen and do the will of God. It is the same point he made several times in the sermon on the mount. Merely knowing God’s Word is not enough. A person must apply it to his life to be pleasing to God.

These verses are difficult ones for Roman Catholics, for they mention that Jesus had brothers. Mark 6:3 gives a list of their names and also mentions that Jesus had sisters as well. The common response is to claim that the Greek word for “brothers,” adelphos, can also mean “cousin.” The problem is that in Jesus’ closing statement, he says, “For whoever does the will of My Father in heaven is My brother and sister and mother” (Mark 3:35). The word for “sister,” Adelphe, is not used to indicate a cousin. Using brother, sister, and mother together shows that Jesus discusses near relations.

It is sometimes argued that these siblings were Joseph’s children from a prior marriage. However, one must assume what is not said anywhere in the Scriptures to draw this conclusion. There is no mention of Joseph being married before, let alone having children before he married Mary. A second problem is that Jesus was only the adopted son of Joseph. If Joseph had children by another woman, they would not technically be Jesus’ brothers or sisters. But if these siblings shared the same mother, then they would be related.