The Gospels · Chapter 3 of 16

Mark 3

Jesus heals a man with a withered hand on the sabbath, and his enemies begin plotting to destroy him. Great crowds follow, and unclean spirits confess him Son of God. He appoints twelve apostles to be with him and to preach. When scribes accuse him of casting out demons by Satan, he refutes them and warns of blaspheming the Spirit, and he redefines his true family as those who do God's will.

What happens in Mark 3

In the synagogue Jesus faces a man with a withered hand while opponents watch to accuse him. He asks whether it is lawful to do good or evil on the sabbath, and, grieved at their hardness, heals the hand. The Pharisees at once conspire with the Herodians to kill him. Jesus withdraws to the sea, where huge crowds press to touch him, and unclean spirits fall crying that he is the Son of God, though he silences them. On a mountain he appoints twelve to be with him and to be sent to preach and cast out demons, including Simon he names Peter and Judas the betrayer.

When scribes say he casts out demons by Beelzebub, Jesus answers that a kingdom divided cannot stand and that he binds the strong man. He warns that blasphemy against the Holy Ghost has no forgiveness. Told his mother and brothers seek him, he declares that whoever does God's will is his family.

Mark 3 in context

Mark continues his rapid account of Jesus's early Galilean ministry and the hardening opposition it provokes. The sabbath healing is the fifth conflict in a row, and it turns deadly, with Pharisees and Herodians, usually rivals, uniting to plot his death.

The appointment of the twelve marks a decisive step, forming the nucleus of the renewed people of God. Charges of madness and demonic power came even from his own family and from Jerusalem's scribes, showing how widely he was misjudged.

Main themes of Mark 3

Mark 3 (KJV)

1And he entered again into the synagogue; and there was a man there which had a withered hand. 2And they watched him, whether he would heal him on the sabbath day; that they might accuse him. 3And he saith unto the man which had the withered hand, Stand forth. 4And he saith unto them, Is it lawful to do good on the sabbath days, or to do evil? to save life, or to kill? But they held their peace. 5And when he had looked round about on them with anger, being grieved for the hardness of their hearts, he saith unto the man, Stretch forth thine hand. And he stretched it out: and his hand was restored whole as the other. 6And the Pharisees went forth, and straightway took counsel with the Herodians against him, how they might destroy him. 7But Jesus withdrew himself with his disciples to the sea: and a great multitude from Galilee followed him, and from Judaea, 8And from Jerusalem, and from Idumaea, and from beyond Jordan; and they about Tyre and Sidon, a great multitude, when they had heard what great things he did, came unto him. 9And he spake to his disciples, that a small ship should wait on him because of the multitude, lest they should throng him. 10For he had healed many; insomuch that they pressed upon him for to touch him, as many as had plagues. 11And unclean spirits, when they saw him, fell down before him, and cried, saying, Thou art the Son of God. 12And he straitly charged them that they should not make him known. 13And he goeth up into a mountain, and calleth unto him whom he would: and they came unto him. 14And he ordained twelve, that they should be with him, and that he might send them forth to preach, 15And to have power to heal sicknesses, and to cast out devils: 16And Simon he surnamed Peter; 17And James the son of Zebedee, and John the brother of James; and he surnamed them Boanerges, which is, The sons of thunder: 18And Andrew, and Philip, and Bartholomew, and Matthew, and Thomas, and James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus, and Simon the Canaanite, 19And Judas Iscariot, which also betrayed him: and they went into an house. 20And the multitude cometh together again, so that they could not so much as eat bread. 21And when his friends heard of it, they went out to lay hold on him: for they said, He is beside himself. 22And the scribes which came down from Jerusalem said, He hath Beelzebub, and by the prince of the devils casteth he out devils. 23And he called them unto him, and said unto them in parables, How can Satan cast out Satan? 24And if a kingdom be divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. 25And if a house be divided against itself, that house cannot stand. 26And if Satan rise up against himself, and be divided, he cannot stand, but hath an end. 27No man can enter into a strong man’s house, and spoil his goods, except he will first bind the strong man; and then he will spoil his house. 28Verily I say unto you, All sins shall be forgiven unto the sons of men, and blasphemies wherewith soever they shall blaspheme: 29But he that shall blaspheme against the Holy Ghost hath never forgiveness, but is in danger of eternal damnation: 30Because they said, He hath an unclean spirit. 31There came then his brethren and his mother, and, standing without, sent unto him, calling him. 32And the multitude sat about him, and they said unto him, Behold, thy mother and thy brethren without seek for thee. 33And he answered them, saying, Who is my mother, or my brethren? 34And he looked round about on them which sat about him, and said, Behold my mother and my brethren! 35For whosoever shall do the will of God, the same is my brother, and my sister, and mother.

Verses to carry from Mark 3

“And when he had looked round about on them with anger, being grieved for the hardness of their hearts, he saith unto the man, Stretch forth thine hand. And he stretched it out: and his hand was restored whole as the other.”Mark 3:5

“And he ordained twelve, that they should be with him, and that he might send them forth to preach,”Mark 3:14

“For whosoever shall do the will of God, the same is my brother, and my sister, and mother.”Mark 3:35

Reflection

Jesus was misjudged by enemies, by scribes, even by his own family, yet he kept doing good and gathering a new family around the will of God. Being close to him is measured not by blood or religion but by doing the Father's will. Do you merely watch him, or do you come to be with him and belong?

A prayer from Mark 3