Healing on the Sabbath
Study note
The Pharisees watch Jesus closely in the synagogue, hoping to catch him healing on the Sabbath. Jesus confronts their hardness of heart by asking whether it is lawful to do good or evil on the Sabbath, exposing the absurdity of opposing compassion in the name of religion. His anger and grief at their spiritual blindness reveal his deep emotion. The healing of the man's withered hand provokes the Pharisees to conspire with the Herodians to destroy Jesus, an unlikely alliance showing the depth of their hostility.
1 Jesus went into the synagogue again, and there was a man there whose hand was shriveled up and useless. And he entered again into the synagogue; and there was a man there which had a withered hand.
2 The religious leaders kept their eyes on Jesus to see if he would heal the man on the Sabbath. They were hoping to catch him doing something they could accuse him of. And they watched him, whether he would heal him on the sabbath day; that they might accuse him.
3 Jesus told the man with the damaged hand, "Come up here where everyone can see you." And he saith unto the man which had the withered hand, Stand forth.
4 Then he turned to the religious leaders and asked, "On the Sabbath, is it right to do something good for someone, or to do something harmful? To rescue a life, or to let it be destroyed?" Nobody said a word. And 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.
5 Jesus looked around at all of them, feeling both angry and heartbroken because they refused to care. He told the man, "Hold out your hand." The man stretched it out, and it was completely normal again. 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.
6 The Pharisees left right away. They started making plans with the Herodians to get rid of Jesus. And the Pharisees went forth, and straightway took counsel with the Herodians against him, how they might destroy him.
Crowds Follow Jesus
Study note
As opposition grows from the religious leaders, enormous crowds flock to Jesus from every direction, including regions far beyond Galilee. The sheer press of people seeking healing forces Jesus to teach from a boat. Unclean spirits continue to recognize him as the Son of God, but Jesus strictly silences them, maintaining control over the revelation of his identity and resisting any premature or distorted proclamation of his messiahship.
7 Jesus and his disciples headed toward the lake. An enormous crowd from Galilee tagged along, and people also came from Judaea, But Jesus withdrew himself with his disciples to the sea: and a great multitude from Galilee followed him, and from Judæa,
8 Jerusalem, Idumaea, the area east of the Jordan, and the region around Tyre and Sidon. This massive crowd appeared because they had heard about the amazing things he was doing. And from Jerusalem, and from Idumæa, 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.
9 Jesus asked his disciples to keep a small boat ready for him so he would not get crushed by all the people pressing in. And he spake to his disciples, that a small ship should wait on him because of the multitude, lest they should throng him.
10 He had healed so many people that everyone who was sick kept pushing forward. They were all trying to touch him. For he had healed many; insomuch that they pressed upon him for to touch him, as many as had plagues.
11 Every time evil spirits saw Jesus, they threw themselves on the ground in front of him and screamed, "You are the Son of God!" And unclean spirits, when they saw him, fell down before him, and cried, saying, Thou art the Son of God.
12 But Jesus ordered them firmly not to tell anyone who he was. And he straitly charged them that they should not make him known.
Appointing the Twelve Apostles
Study note
Jesus ascends a mountain and selects twelve men to be his closest companions, forming a new community that symbolically represents the twelve tribes of Israel being reconstituted. Their threefold purpose is to be with Jesus, to preach, and to have authority over demons. The list includes Simon Peter, the Sons of Thunder, and Judas Iscariot, whose eventual betrayal is noted with stark brevity. This appointment marks the formal beginning of a new people of God.
13 Then Jesus climbed up a mountain and invited certain people to join him. They came to him, And he goeth up into a mountain, and calleth unto him whom he would: and they came unto him.
14 and he chose twelve of them. He wanted them to stay close to him, and he planned to send them out to share his message. And he ordained twelve, that they should be with him, and that he might send them forth to preach,
15 He also gave them the power to heal people and to drive out demons. And to have power to heal sicknesses, and to cast out devils:
16 Simon was one of the twelve, and Jesus gave him the new name Peter. And Simon he surnamed Peter;
17 He also chose James and his brother John, the sons of Zebedee. He nicknamed them Boanerges, which means "The Sons of Thunder." And James the son of Zebedee, and John the brother of James; and he surnamed them Boanerges, which is, The sons of thunder:
18 The others in the twelve were Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James the son of Alphaeus, Thaddaeus, Simon the Canaanite, And Andrew, and Philip, and Bartholomew, and Matthew, and Thomas, and James the son of Alphæus, and Thaddæus, and Simon the Canaanite,
19 and Judas Iscariot, who would later turn against Jesus and betray him. After this, they went into a house. And Judas Iscariot, which also betrayed him: and they went into an house.
Jesus and Beelzebub
Study note
When Jesus' own family thinks he has lost his mind and scribes from Jerusalem accuse him of casting out demons by Satan's power, Jesus responds with devastating logic: a kingdom divided against itself cannot stand. He then teaches the parable of binding the strong man, implying that he is the one who has invaded Satan's domain and is plundering his possessions. The warning about blasphemy against the Holy Spirit is the most solemn statement in Mark: to persistently attribute the Spirit's work to Satan places a person beyond the reach of forgiveness.
20 Another crowd gathered, and it got so packed that Jesus and his disciples could not even sit down to eat. And the multitude cometh together again, so that they could not so much as eat bread.
21 When his family heard what was going on, they headed out to take charge of him because they thought he had lost his mind. And when his friends heard of it, they went out to lay hold on him: for they said, He is beside himself.
22 Meanwhile, some scribes who had traveled down from Jerusalem were saying, "He is possessed by Beelzebub! He uses the power of the prince of demons to cast out demons." And the scribes which came down from Jerusalem said, He hath Beelzebub, and by the prince of the devils casteth he out devils.
23 So Jesus called them over and said, "Think about this. How could Satan be fighting against himself?" And he called them unto him, and said unto them in parables, How can Satan cast out Satan?
24 "A kingdom that fights against itself will fall apart." And if a kingdom be divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand.
25 "A family that fights against itself will break apart." And if a house be divided against itself, that house cannot stand.
26 "So if Satan has turned on himself and is fighting his own forces, he is finished. That would be the end of him." And if Satan rise up against himself, and be divided, he cannot stand, but hath an end.
27 "Nobody can break into a powerful man's house and steal his things unless they overpower him first. Tie him up, and then you can take whatever you want." No 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.
28 "Truly, every sin people commit and every terrible thing they say against God can be forgiven." Verily I say unto you, All sins shall be forgiven unto the sons of men, and blasphemies wherewith soever they shall blaspheme:
29 "But anyone who speaks against the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven. That person carries that guilt forever." But he that shall blaspheme against the Holy Ghost hath never forgiveness, but is in danger of eternal damnation:
30 Jesus said this because they were claiming he had an evil spirit inside him. Because they said, He hath an unclean spirit.
The True Family of Jesus
Study note
When Jesus' mother and brothers arrive seeking him, he uses the moment to redefine family in terms of spiritual obedience rather than biological ties. Looking at those seated around him, he declares that whoever does the will of God is his brother, sister, and mother. This radical redefinition establishes that belonging to Jesus' family comes through faithful discipleship, not birth or social standing.
31 Then his mother and brothers appeared. They stayed outside the house and sent someone in to get him. There came then his brethren and his mother, and, standing without, sent unto him, calling him.
32 A crowd was sitting in a circle around Jesus. Someone told him, "Your mother and your brothers are outside looking for you." And the multitude sat about him, and they said unto him, Behold, thy mother and thy brethren without seek for thee.
33 Jesus replied, "Who truly is my mother? Who are my brothers?" And he answered them, saying, Who is my mother, or my brethren?
34 He looked at the faces of the people sitting around him and declared, "Right here -- these are my mother and my brothers!" And he looked round about on them which sat about him, and said, Behold my mother and my brethren!
35 "Anyone who does what God wants is my brother and my sister and my mother." For whosoever shall do the will of God, the same is my brother, and my sister, and mother.