Jesus has recently had a dispute with the Pharisees over the use of the Sabbath. Now another dispute arises, based on another healing.
Mark 3: 1-6, Shriveled hand restored on the Sabbath
Another time he went into the synagogue, and a man with a shriveled hand was there. Some of them were looking for a reason to accuse Jesus, so they watched him closely to see if he would heal him on the Sabbath.
Jesus said to the man with the shriveled hand, "Stand up in front of everyone." Then Jesus asked them, "Which is lawful on the Sabbath: to do good or to do evil, to save life or to kill?" But they remained silent.
He looked around at them in anger and, deeply distressed at their stubborn hearts, said to the man, "Stretch out your hand." He stretched it out, and his hand was completely restored. Then the Pharisees went out and began to plot with the Herodians how they might kill Jesus.
Mark 3: 1-6, Shriveled hand restored on the Sabbath
Another time he went into the synagogue, and a man with a shriveled hand was there. Some of them were looking for a reason to accuse Jesus, so they watched him closely to see if he would heal him on the Sabbath.
Jesus said to the man with the shriveled hand, "Stand up in front of everyone." Then Jesus asked them, "Which is lawful on the Sabbath: to do good or to do evil, to save life or to kill?" But they remained silent.
He looked around at them in anger and, deeply distressed at their stubborn hearts, said to the man, "Stretch out your hand." He stretched it out, and his hand was completely restored. Then the Pharisees went out and began to plot with the Herodians how they might kill Jesus.
Why is Jesus' angry? He seems surprised.
Note the response of the Pharisees. They have no concern about the disabled man but only worry about their religious laws being obeyed.
The Herodians are religious leaders (possibly Pharisees) working for Herod. They have sold out to the political process, trading religion for power. The gospel will display both the Herodians and the more general Pharisees as corrupt.
The Herodians are religious leaders (possibly Pharisees) working for Herod. They have sold out to the political process, trading religion for power. The gospel will display both the Herodians and the more general Pharisees as corrupt.
Mark 3: 7-12, Healing people with evil spirits
Jesus withdrew with his disciples to the lake, and a large crowd from Galilee followed. When they heard all he was doing, many people came to him from Judea, Jerusalem, Idumea, and the regions across the Jordan and around Tyre and Sidon. Because of the crowd he told his disciples to have a small boat ready for him, to keep the people from crowding him. For he had healed many, so that those with diseases were pushing forward to touch him.
Whenever the evil spirits saw him, they fell down before him and cried out, "You are the Son of God." But he gave them strict orders not to tell who he was.
Jesus withdrew with his disciples to the lake, and a large crowd from Galilee followed. When they heard all he was doing, many people came to him from Judea, Jerusalem, Idumea, and the regions across the Jordan and around Tyre and Sidon. Because of the crowd he told his disciples to have a small boat ready for him, to keep the people from crowding him. For he had healed many, so that those with diseases were pushing forward to touch him.
Whenever the evil spirits saw him, they fell down before him and cried out, "You are the Son of God." But he gave them strict orders not to tell who he was.
Why are the crowds coming? The people are coming from a significantly large reason, some traveling a hundred miles or more in a time when such travels would take more than a week.
What is the reason for the boat? (Mark says very little in the way of explanation.)
To think about: Why does Jesus give these strict orders to keep quiet? Jesus repeatedly tries to suppress the news of his healings. Why?
Mark 3: 13-19, Appointing 12
Jesus went up on a mountainside and called to him those he wanted, and they came to him. He appointed twelve--designating them apostles --that they might be with him and that he might send them out to preach and to have authority to drive out demons.
These are the twelve he appointed: Simon (to whom he gave the name Peter); James son of Zebedee and his brother John (to them he gave the name Boanerges, which means Sons of Thunder); Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James son of Alphaeus, Thaddaeus, Simon the Zealot and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him.
Jesus went up on a mountainside and called to him those he wanted, and they came to him. He appointed twelve--designating them apostles --that they might be with him and that he might send them out to preach and to have authority to drive out demons.
These are the twelve he appointed: Simon (to whom he gave the name Peter); James son of Zebedee and his brother John (to them he gave the name Boanerges, which means Sons of Thunder); Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James son of Alphaeus, Thaddaeus, Simon the Zealot and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him.
Jesus has just appointed twelve men to be his followers, his disciples. Why 12? (The number has Old Testament significance.)
From the NIV footnotes on verse 14: Some ancient manuscripts do not have "designating them apostles"; that explanatory phrase may have been added later by a scribe.
Mark 3: 20-30, Beelzebub and blasphemy against the Holy Spirit
Then Jesus entered a house, and again a crowd gathered, so that he and his disciples were not even able to eat. When his family heard about this, they went to take charge of him, for they said, "He is out of his mind."
And the teachers of the law who came down from Jerusalem said, "He is possessed by Beelzebub! By the prince of demons he is driving out demons."
So Jesus called them and spoke to them in parables: "How can Satan drive out Satan? If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. If a house is divided against itself, that house cannot stand. And if Satan opposes himself and is divided, he cannot stand; his end has come. In fact, no one can enter a strong man's house and carry off his possessions unless he first ties up the strong man. Then he can rob his house.
"I tell you the truth, all the sins and blasphemies of men will be forgiven them. But whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven; he is guilty of an eternal sin."
He said this because they were saying, "He has an evil spirit."
Then Jesus entered a house, and again a crowd gathered, so that he and his disciples were not even able to eat. When his family heard about this, they went to take charge of him, for they said, "He is out of his mind."
And the teachers of the law who came down from Jerusalem said, "He is possessed by Beelzebub! By the prince of demons he is driving out demons."
So Jesus called them and spoke to them in parables: "How can Satan drive out Satan? If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. If a house is divided against itself, that house cannot stand. And if Satan opposes himself and is divided, he cannot stand; his end has come. In fact, no one can enter a strong man's house and carry off his possessions unless he first ties up the strong man. Then he can rob his house.
"I tell you the truth, all the sins and blasphemies of men will be forgiven them. But whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven; he is guilty of an eternal sin."
He said this because they were saying, "He has an evil spirit."
There are several forms of rejection of Jesus here. What are they?
Beelzebub is an old Jewish term for Satan, probably associated with the Canaanite god Baal.
Couldn’t Satan fool people by pretending to be on the wrong side, by driving out demons? (I don’t completely understand Jesus’ answer.)
Mark 3: 31-35, Family
Then Jesus' mother and brothers arrived. Standing outside, they sent someone in to call him. A crowd was sitting around him, and they told him, "Your mother and brothers are outside looking for you."
"Who are my mother and my brothers?" he asked. Then he looked at those seated in a circle around him and said, "Here are my mother and my brothers! Whoever does God's will is my brother and sister and mother."
Then Jesus' mother and brothers arrived. Standing outside, they sent someone in to call him. A crowd was sitting around him, and they told him, "Your mother and brothers are outside looking for you."
"Who are my mother and my brothers?" he asked. Then he looked at those seated in a circle around him and said, "Here are my mother and my brothers! Whoever does God's will is my brother and sister and mother."
This passage began with Jesus choosing twelve special followers, "apostles" (or "sent ones".) It ends with Jesus making a statement about his real priorities, his true "family". It is clear that at this time Jesus's family is not supportive of him.
I've often wondered about Jesus's parable about Satan here too. I'd think it a fairly simple ruse to get a couple of demons to collude so that it looks like one demon possessed person is casting out a demon from another. But I think there may be two parts to this: 1) the terms of Jesus's actions of casting out the demons, consistently acting on behalf of advancing the Kingdom of God; 2) the scale of the havoc he's wreaking on the house of Satan the strong man.
ReplyDeleteYes, I think this is a good explanation. Jesus has done a lot of damage to "Satan's house" at this point and his actions of clearly intended to advance the Kingdom of God.
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