Mark Chapter Three
Discussions with Scribes and Pharisees, 2 and 3
About Healing on the Sabbath, 3:1-6.
(Matt. 12:9-14; Luke 6:6-11.)
1, 2. And they watched him.—The people were assembled in the synagogue for worship. A man with a withered hand was present when Jesus came in. They watched him to see whether, according to his custom, he would heal the man, or decline to do so through respect for the Sabbath-day. Luke, more minute in his description, tells us that it was the man's right hand that was withered—a more serious affliction than if it had been the left. Matthew also tells us that "they asked him, saying, Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath-day? that they might accuse him;" from which we infer that they were fearful lest he might not notice the man, and so, by propounding the question, they caused him to look around and see if any one there needed healing.
3. he saith to the man.—Both Mark and Luke represent that before answering the question propounded, Jesus said to the man, "Stand forth," and thus caused him to stand up in full view of all the people, so as to make more striking what he then proceeded to say and do.
4. Is it lawful.—In answer to their question as given by Matthew, "Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath-day," he puts to them the question, "Is it lawful to do good on the Sabbath-day, or to do evil? To save life, or to kill?" To heal this man would be doing good; it would be making alive. To pass him by, having the power to heal him—a power given for the purpose of being thus exercised—would be doing evil, to kill where he might make alive. He must do one or the other, and he calls on them to say which. They refused to answer, because the only answer they could give would condemn themselves. Matthew reports an additional argument which comes in at this point: "What man shall there be among you, that shall have one sheep, and if it fall into a pit on the Sabbath-day, will he not lay hold on it and lift it out? How much then is a man better than a sheep?" (Matt. 12:11, 12.) To neither of these questions did they give an answer.
5. with anger.—Anger mingled with grief—"being grieved for the hardness of their hearts." Anger, when rightly directed and controlled, is not a sinful feeling; but it is a dangerous one, because it is very likely to end in sinful speech or action: hence the admonition of Paul, "Be angry and sin not. Let not the sun go down on your wrath." In this case Jesus showed anger only in his look: there was none in his words.
he saith to the man.—He first, according to Matthew (Matt. 12:12, 13), answered his own questions and the argument which they contained, by saying, "Wherefore, it is lawful to do well on the Sabbath-days." Then he saith to the man, "Stretch forth thy hand." He did so, and it was restored.
6. took counsel.—They took counsel not as to whether they should destroy him, but as to "how they might destroy him." They took the Herodians, the political partisans of Herod, into their confidence, because they were looking to Herod as the effective instrument for the destruction of Jesus. He had already shown his aptitude for such work by the manner in which he had disposed of John, and now they want his services again. Unlike Jesus, who was angry and sinned not, they were angry and sinned. Their malignity, provoked by so slight a cause, would amaze us, did not history furnish so many examples of men who sought the destruction of those by whom their erroneous teachings were exposed.
The Great Multitudes, 7-12.
(Matt. 12:15-21)
7. Jesus withdrew.—On the contrast here presented between Jesus and his enemies, see the note on Matt. 12:15.
7, 8. a great multitude.—Mark here states more fully than it is elsewhere stated, the places whence came the multitudes who followed Jesus. Galilee, of course, was largely represented, and so it seems were Judea and Jerusalem. The two visits which Jesus had made to Jerusalem since his baptism (see John 2:13; 5:1), had gained him a few disciples there, and had greatly excited both his friends and his foes. As a consequence, both parties naturally sought every opportunity for visiting Galilee, that they might see and hear more. Some had come from Idumea, the Edom of the Old Testament, which lay south of Judea; others, from beyond Jordan—that is, from the populous region which stretched away from the eastern bank of the Jordan to the Arabian desert; and others, from Tyre and Sidon, the ancient capitals of Phoenicia. Thus, from all the surrounding countries, and from some quite distant regions, were men assembled around Jesus at this particular juncture. They came, says Mark, "when they had heard what great things he did." They came at great expense of time and money, that they might see and hear and judge for themselves.
9. that a small ship.—The pressure of the people to get near him often caused discomfort to him, confusion among themselves, and indistinct hearing of his speeches. The small ship enabled him to place a narrow strip of water between him and them, thus removing all occasion for their crowding one another, and securing that quietness which is necessary to thoughtful attention.
10. pressed upon him to touch him.—Here is an additional reason for procuring the boat. Too eager to await his pleasure, or to wait for one another, the diseased would press upon him, and against each other, in the struggle to touch him and be healed. Much unsanctified noise and strife were prevented by the use of the "little ship."
11. And unclean spirits.—Here again the evil spirits are called "unclean" (comp note on 1:23); they fall down before Jesus, as usual; they acknowledge his divinity with a loud voice; they are rebuked for making him known; and they are expelled from their victims.
The Twelve Chosen, 13-19.
(Matt. 10:1-4; Luke 6:12-16)
13. and calleth to him.—Jesus went up into the mountain the previous night, as we learn from Luke (Luke 6:12), and after remaining there all night in prayer, called to him whom he would in the morning. He probably made the call through one of them as a messenger to the others.
14, 15. he ordained twelve.—We must not associate with the word "ordain" in this place, any of the ceremonials of a modern, or even of an ancient ordination. The original is ποιέω (to make), sometimes used in the sense of appoint; e. g., Acts 2:36; Heb. 3:2; Rev. 1:6. He simply "appointed twelve, that they should be with him, and that he might send them forth to preach." They were to be with him except when he would send them forth, and when sent forth, the work which they were to do is expressed in the three words, "preach," "heal sicknesses," "and cast out demons." From the critics it appears that "to heal sicknesses" is probably an interpolation here, but we know from the parallel passages that the words were spoken by Jesus, whether reported by Mark or not. (See Matt. 10:1; Luke 9:1.)
16. he surnamed Peter.—Mark chooses to mention here a fact which occurred when Simon was first led into the presence of Jesus by his brother Andrew; for it was then that he surnamed him Cephas, which is the same as Petros (πέτρος) in Greek and Peter in English. (John 1:42.)
17. Boanerges.—This surname of the sons of Zebedee may have been given, as Simon's was, at an earlier period, or it may have been given at this time. They were called "sons of thunder," on account of their stormy and destructive temper. A striking manifestation of it is mentioned by Luke. When a Samaritan village in which Jesus desired to lodge, refused to receive him, James and John proposed to call down fire from heaven and burn up the inhabitants. (Luke 9:51-56.) On another occasion, a man was found casting out demons, and because he was not of the immediate followers of Jesus, John ordered him to abandon his benevolent and miraculous work. The early death of James, and our scant knowledge of him, leave us without data as to any change in his disposition; but the lovely temper of John in his old age, shows that the transforming power of the gospel wrought a great change in him. Great as this change was, however, a slight muttering of the old thunder was heard when John came to speak of such men as Diotrephes, and certain false teachers who went about not bearing the doctrine of Christ. (See 2 John 10, 11; 3 John 9, 10.)
18. and Andrew.—Matthew and Luke both name Andrew in connection with his brother Simon Peter; but Mark names James and John with Peter, and puts Andrew next, in company with Philip. He was doubtless led to this arrangement by the fact that Peter was more intimate officially with James and John, than with Andrew, and that Jesus bestowed on the three special honors in which Andrew did not have a part. (Comp. Mark 9:2; 14:33.)
Thaddeus.—Matthew styles this apostle, "Lebbaeus, whose surname was Thaddaeus" (10:3); Mark calls him by his surname alone; while Luke uses neither of these names, but calls him "Judas the brother of James" (Luke 6:16; Acts 1:13); and John calls him "Judas, not Iscariot." As Matthew was the earliest, and John the latest of the four writers, we infer that the man was known in earlier life as Lebbaeus, surnamed Thaddaeus; but that late in life he came to be known exclusively by the name Judas.
For remarks on other names in the list, see the notes on Matthew 10:2-4.
Alarm of His Friends, 20, 21
20. so much as eat bread.—Great must have been the importunity of the afflicted, and the eagerness of all to come near to Jesus, when he and his disciples could not so much as eat bread on their account. Neither by entering some dwelling, nor by retiring to the desert, could they secure the privacy necessary for eating a common meal.
21. his friends.—These were his mother and his brothers, as appears from verses 31, 32, below. They did not think him actually insane, but they supposed that he was borne away by the enthusiasm which possessed him into a reckless disregard of his personal safety: for they foresaw the conflict with the religious leaders and the military authorities, in which his present course would involve him. The probability is that Mary's faith was in advance of that of the brothers, but she naturally sympathized with them in their fears for the personal safety of her son.
About Casting Out Demons, 22-30.
(Matt. 12:22-37; Luke 11:14-23)
22. which came from Jerusalem.—Matthew gives the fullest report of this discussion, but Mark here furnishes an item which Matthew omits. It was not some of the enemies of Jesus in Galilee, but shrewd and cultivated scribes from Jerusalem, who suggested that he cast out demons by the power of Beelzebub.
23-29.—The discussion contained in these verses is fully treated in the notes on Matthew 12:24-32.
30. because they said.—This verse is appended by Mark to the Savior's speech about the unpardonable sin, to show why he made that speech, and to state explicitly the unpardonable sin which they had committed—the sin of saying concerning Jesus, "He hath an unclean spirit." This was, indeed, a sin against the Son, but chiefly against the Spirit, because it was classing the Holy Spirit with unclean spirits; and this was the blasphemy against the Holy Spirit of which they were guilty.
About His Brothers and Mother, 31-35.
(Matt. 12:46-50; Luke 8:19-21)
31. then came his brethren.—The previous statement about his friends coming out to lay hold of him (21) seems to have reference to their starting from home, or from some place of consultation, for this purpose; while the present remark refers to their arrival at the outskirts of the crowd which surrounded him. They "sent to him, calling him," because, as Luke explains (8:19), "they could not get to him for the press."
32. sat about him.—He was still in the house (Luke 3:19, 31), and the people were seated around him so compactly that no one could pass through. All the available space within hearing distance was packed with the quiet throng. When some one, perhaps a person near the door, spoke out and said, "Thy mother and thy brethren without seek thee," the people may have expected him to go, and they may have thought that it was his duty to go.
33-35. For remarks on hip reply, see the notes on Matthew 12:48-50.
Argument of Section 3
There are three facts set forth in the preceding section, which have an important bearing on the claims of Jesus. The first is the fact that he had authority to forgive sins. This was demonstrated in the case of the paralytic (Mark 2:1-12), and it is the one fact which proves Jesus adapted to the highest demands of human salvation. Sins being forgiven, all other blessings follow as a consequence.
In the second place, it is shown that his conduct as a man was irreproachable. He was attacked in reference to the company he kept (Mark 2:13-17); in reference to his neglect of fasting (2:18-22); and in reference to Sabbath-keeping (Mark 2:23-28; 3:1-6); but in all these matters he vindicated his conduct, and put his accusers to shame. That they made no more serious attacks on his conduct, proves that they could not, and that in morals he was irreproachable.
In the third place, it was demonstrated by his discussion with the Jerusalem scribes, that the power by which he cast out demons, and, a fortiori, the power by which his other miracles were wrought, was not, as they alleged, satanic, but divine. Finally, his answer to the people, in reference to the call of his mother and his brothers, is in perfect keeping with the character and position which the text assigns him. It is a singular infatuation which has led the Roman Catholic Church to attribute to Jesus even in heaven, a subserviency to his mother which he so expressly repudiated while on earth.
The New Testament Commentary: Vol. I - Matthew and Mark.
About Healing on the Sabbath, 3:1-6.
(Matt. 12:9-14; Luke 6:6-11.)
1, 2. And they watched him.—The people were assembled in the synagogue for worship. A man with a withered hand was present when Jesus came in. They watched him to see whether, according to his custom, he would heal the man, or decline to do so through respect for the Sabbath-day. Luke, more minute in his description, tells us that it was the man's right hand that was withered—a more serious affliction than if it had been the left. Matthew also tells us that "they asked him, saying, Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath-day? that they might accuse him;" from which we infer that they were fearful lest he might not notice the man, and so, by propounding the question, they caused him to look around and see if any one there needed healing.
3. he saith to the man.—Both Mark and Luke represent that before answering the question propounded, Jesus said to the man, "Stand forth," and thus caused him to stand up in full view of all the people, so as to make more striking what he then proceeded to say and do.
4. Is it lawful.—In answer to their question as given by Matthew, "Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath-day," he puts to them the question, "Is it lawful to do good on the Sabbath-day, or to do evil? To save life, or to kill?" To heal this man would be doing good; it would be making alive. To pass him by, having the power to heal him—a power given for the purpose of being thus exercised—would be doing evil, to kill where he might make alive. He must do one or the other, and he calls on them to say which. They refused to answer, because the only answer they could give would condemn themselves. Matthew reports an additional argument which comes in at this point: "What man shall there be among you, that shall have one sheep, and if it fall into a pit on the Sabbath-day, will he not lay hold on it and lift it out? How much then is a man better than a sheep?" (Matt. 12:11, 12.) To neither of these questions did they give an answer.
5. with anger.—Anger mingled with grief—"being grieved for the hardness of their hearts." Anger, when rightly directed and controlled, is not a sinful feeling; but it is a dangerous one, because it is very likely to end in sinful speech or action: hence the admonition of Paul, "Be angry and sin not. Let not the sun go down on your wrath." In this case Jesus showed anger only in his look: there was none in his words.
he saith to the man.—He first, according to Matthew (Matt. 12:12, 13), answered his own questions and the argument which they contained, by saying, "Wherefore, it is lawful to do well on the Sabbath-days." Then he saith to the man, "Stretch forth thy hand." He did so, and it was restored.
6. took counsel.—They took counsel not as to whether they should destroy him, but as to "how they might destroy him." They took the Herodians, the political partisans of Herod, into their confidence, because they were looking to Herod as the effective instrument for the destruction of Jesus. He had already shown his aptitude for such work by the manner in which he had disposed of John, and now they want his services again. Unlike Jesus, who was angry and sinned not, they were angry and sinned. Their malignity, provoked by so slight a cause, would amaze us, did not history furnish so many examples of men who sought the destruction of those by whom their erroneous teachings were exposed.
The Great Multitudes, 7-12.
(Matt. 12:15-21)
7. Jesus withdrew.—On the contrast here presented between Jesus and his enemies, see the note on Matt. 12:15.
7, 8. a great multitude.—Mark here states more fully than it is elsewhere stated, the places whence came the multitudes who followed Jesus. Galilee, of course, was largely represented, and so it seems were Judea and Jerusalem. The two visits which Jesus had made to Jerusalem since his baptism (see John 2:13; 5:1), had gained him a few disciples there, and had greatly excited both his friends and his foes. As a consequence, both parties naturally sought every opportunity for visiting Galilee, that they might see and hear more. Some had come from Idumea, the Edom of the Old Testament, which lay south of Judea; others, from beyond Jordan—that is, from the populous region which stretched away from the eastern bank of the Jordan to the Arabian desert; and others, from Tyre and Sidon, the ancient capitals of Phoenicia. Thus, from all the surrounding countries, and from some quite distant regions, were men assembled around Jesus at this particular juncture. They came, says Mark, "when they had heard what great things he did." They came at great expense of time and money, that they might see and hear and judge for themselves.
9. that a small ship.—The pressure of the people to get near him often caused discomfort to him, confusion among themselves, and indistinct hearing of his speeches. The small ship enabled him to place a narrow strip of water between him and them, thus removing all occasion for their crowding one another, and securing that quietness which is necessary to thoughtful attention.
10. pressed upon him to touch him.—Here is an additional reason for procuring the boat. Too eager to await his pleasure, or to wait for one another, the diseased would press upon him, and against each other, in the struggle to touch him and be healed. Much unsanctified noise and strife were prevented by the use of the "little ship."
11. And unclean spirits.—Here again the evil spirits are called "unclean" (comp note on 1:23); they fall down before Jesus, as usual; they acknowledge his divinity with a loud voice; they are rebuked for making him known; and they are expelled from their victims.
The Twelve Chosen, 13-19.
(Matt. 10:1-4; Luke 6:12-16)
13. and calleth to him.—Jesus went up into the mountain the previous night, as we learn from Luke (Luke 6:12), and after remaining there all night in prayer, called to him whom he would in the morning. He probably made the call through one of them as a messenger to the others.
14, 15. he ordained twelve.—We must not associate with the word "ordain" in this place, any of the ceremonials of a modern, or even of an ancient ordination. The original is ποιέω (to make), sometimes used in the sense of appoint; e. g., Acts 2:36; Heb. 3:2; Rev. 1:6. He simply "appointed twelve, that they should be with him, and that he might send them forth to preach." They were to be with him except when he would send them forth, and when sent forth, the work which they were to do is expressed in the three words, "preach," "heal sicknesses," "and cast out demons." From the critics it appears that "to heal sicknesses" is probably an interpolation here, but we know from the parallel passages that the words were spoken by Jesus, whether reported by Mark or not. (See Matt. 10:1; Luke 9:1.)
16. he surnamed Peter.—Mark chooses to mention here a fact which occurred when Simon was first led into the presence of Jesus by his brother Andrew; for it was then that he surnamed him Cephas, which is the same as Petros (πέτρος) in Greek and Peter in English. (John 1:42.)
17. Boanerges.—This surname of the sons of Zebedee may have been given, as Simon's was, at an earlier period, or it may have been given at this time. They were called "sons of thunder," on account of their stormy and destructive temper. A striking manifestation of it is mentioned by Luke. When a Samaritan village in which Jesus desired to lodge, refused to receive him, James and John proposed to call down fire from heaven and burn up the inhabitants. (Luke 9:51-56.) On another occasion, a man was found casting out demons, and because he was not of the immediate followers of Jesus, John ordered him to abandon his benevolent and miraculous work. The early death of James, and our scant knowledge of him, leave us without data as to any change in his disposition; but the lovely temper of John in his old age, shows that the transforming power of the gospel wrought a great change in him. Great as this change was, however, a slight muttering of the old thunder was heard when John came to speak of such men as Diotrephes, and certain false teachers who went about not bearing the doctrine of Christ. (See 2 John 10, 11; 3 John 9, 10.)
18. and Andrew.—Matthew and Luke both name Andrew in connection with his brother Simon Peter; but Mark names James and John with Peter, and puts Andrew next, in company with Philip. He was doubtless led to this arrangement by the fact that Peter was more intimate officially with James and John, than with Andrew, and that Jesus bestowed on the three special honors in which Andrew did not have a part. (Comp. Mark 9:2; 14:33.)
Thaddeus.—Matthew styles this apostle, "Lebbaeus, whose surname was Thaddaeus" (10:3); Mark calls him by his surname alone; while Luke uses neither of these names, but calls him "Judas the brother of James" (Luke 6:16; Acts 1:13); and John calls him "Judas, not Iscariot." As Matthew was the earliest, and John the latest of the four writers, we infer that the man was known in earlier life as Lebbaeus, surnamed Thaddaeus; but that late in life he came to be known exclusively by the name Judas.
For remarks on other names in the list, see the notes on Matthew 10:2-4.
Alarm of His Friends, 20, 21
20. so much as eat bread.—Great must have been the importunity of the afflicted, and the eagerness of all to come near to Jesus, when he and his disciples could not so much as eat bread on their account. Neither by entering some dwelling, nor by retiring to the desert, could they secure the privacy necessary for eating a common meal.
21. his friends.—These were his mother and his brothers, as appears from verses 31, 32, below. They did not think him actually insane, but they supposed that he was borne away by the enthusiasm which possessed him into a reckless disregard of his personal safety: for they foresaw the conflict with the religious leaders and the military authorities, in which his present course would involve him. The probability is that Mary's faith was in advance of that of the brothers, but she naturally sympathized with them in their fears for the personal safety of her son.
About Casting Out Demons, 22-30.
(Matt. 12:22-37; Luke 11:14-23)
22. which came from Jerusalem.—Matthew gives the fullest report of this discussion, but Mark here furnishes an item which Matthew omits. It was not some of the enemies of Jesus in Galilee, but shrewd and cultivated scribes from Jerusalem, who suggested that he cast out demons by the power of Beelzebub.
23-29.—The discussion contained in these verses is fully treated in the notes on Matthew 12:24-32.
30. because they said.—This verse is appended by Mark to the Savior's speech about the unpardonable sin, to show why he made that speech, and to state explicitly the unpardonable sin which they had committed—the sin of saying concerning Jesus, "He hath an unclean spirit." This was, indeed, a sin against the Son, but chiefly against the Spirit, because it was classing the Holy Spirit with unclean spirits; and this was the blasphemy against the Holy Spirit of which they were guilty.
About His Brothers and Mother, 31-35.
(Matt. 12:46-50; Luke 8:19-21)
31. then came his brethren.—The previous statement about his friends coming out to lay hold of him (21) seems to have reference to their starting from home, or from some place of consultation, for this purpose; while the present remark refers to their arrival at the outskirts of the crowd which surrounded him. They "sent to him, calling him," because, as Luke explains (8:19), "they could not get to him for the press."
32. sat about him.—He was still in the house (Luke 3:19, 31), and the people were seated around him so compactly that no one could pass through. All the available space within hearing distance was packed with the quiet throng. When some one, perhaps a person near the door, spoke out and said, "Thy mother and thy brethren without seek thee," the people may have expected him to go, and they may have thought that it was his duty to go.
33-35. For remarks on hip reply, see the notes on Matthew 12:48-50.
Argument of Section 3
There are three facts set forth in the preceding section, which have an important bearing on the claims of Jesus. The first is the fact that he had authority to forgive sins. This was demonstrated in the case of the paralytic (Mark 2:1-12), and it is the one fact which proves Jesus adapted to the highest demands of human salvation. Sins being forgiven, all other blessings follow as a consequence.
In the second place, it is shown that his conduct as a man was irreproachable. He was attacked in reference to the company he kept (Mark 2:13-17); in reference to his neglect of fasting (2:18-22); and in reference to Sabbath-keeping (Mark 2:23-28; 3:1-6); but in all these matters he vindicated his conduct, and put his accusers to shame. That they made no more serious attacks on his conduct, proves that they could not, and that in morals he was irreproachable.
In the third place, it was demonstrated by his discussion with the Jerusalem scribes, that the power by which he cast out demons, and, a fortiori, the power by which his other miracles were wrought, was not, as they alleged, satanic, but divine. Finally, his answer to the people, in reference to the call of his mother and his brothers, is in perfect keeping with the character and position which the text assigns him. It is a singular infatuation which has led the Roman Catholic Church to attribute to Jesus even in heaven, a subserviency to his mother which he so expressly repudiated while on earth.
The New Testament Commentary: Vol. I - Matthew and Mark.