New Testament Commentary - Mark 3

by Don R. Hender

Scriptural Text [& Editorial]	Commentary & Explanation	Footnotes ~ References ~ JST
CHAPTER 3 Jesus heals on the Sabbath day—He chooses and ordains the Twelve Apostles—He asks: Can Satan cast out Satan?—Jesus speaks of blasphemy against the Holy Ghost, and identifies those who believe as his family.
1 AND he entered again into the synagogue; and there was a man there which had a withered hand. 2 And they ^awatched him, whether he would heal him on the sabbath day; that they might accuse him.		1^a D&C 128:20; 2^a Mark 9:2 (2-13); Luke 9:29 (28-36); John 1:14; 2 Pet. 1:16 (16-19); TG Jesus Christ, Glory of;
3 And he saith unto the man which had the withered hand, Stand forth. 4 And he saith unto them, Is it lawful to do good on the ^asabbath days, or to do evil? to save life, or to kill? But they ^bheld their peace. 5 And when he had looked round about on them with ^aanger^a, being grieved for the ^bhardness 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.	5^a looked round about on them with anger Who would deny one who is afflected to be healed? Whose heart would withhold blessings from another who is in need? It is but the meanness of an unfeeling heart which would prevent God's blessings from coming unto the children of men. It is this righteous anger of indignation towards such mean and unfeeling men who for to make themselves to rule over the people would see to the withholding of the blessings of God from one of his children. But how often have we been so guilty over this matter and that of so withholding the blessings of others over some trivial just so as to hold our supposed position over them? Are we so different from those Pharisees and Jews would pretend to a matter of doctrine to so withhold that which might be ministered for the relief of men? I am afraid that I have to submit that we often are. We rationalize against the poor, the aflected, the sick and the needy in order that we do not administer relief unto them for any number of imagined excuses. We ought to look to ourselves rather than to hold such judgments of others. Unto the least of this ~ unto ME.	1^a D&C 128:20; 2^a Mark 9:2 (2-13); Luke 9:29 (28-36); John 1:14; 2 Pet. 1:16 (16-19); TG Jesus Christ, Glory of;
6 And the Pharisees went forth, and straightway took ^acounsel with the Herodians against him, how they might destroy him. 7 But Jesus withdrew himself with his disciples to the sea: and a great multitude from Galilee followed him, and from Judaea, 8 And 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.		1^a D&C 128:20; 2^a Mark 9:2 (2-13); Luke 9:29 (28-36); John 1:14; 2 Pet. 1:16 (16-19); TG Jesus Christ, Glory of;
9 And he spake to his disciples, that a small ^aship should wait on him because of the multitude, lest they should throng him. 10 For he had healed many; insomuch that they ^apressed upon him for to touch him, as many as had plagues.
11 And ^aunclean spirits, when they saw him, fell down before him, and cried, saying, Thou art the Son of God. 12 And he straitly charged them that they should not make him known.
13 And he goeth up into a mountain, and calleth unto him whom he ^awould: and they came unto him. 14 And he ^aordained twelve, that they should be with him, and that he might send them forth to ^bpreach, 15 And to have ^apower to heal ^bsicknesses, and to cast out ^cdevils:
The Names of the Twelve Apostes Simon Peter, James and John Boanerges sons of Zebedee, Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James bar Alphaeus, Thaddaeus, Simon the Canaanite and Judas Iscariot.
16 And Simon he surnamed Peter; 17 And James the son of Zebedee, and John the brother of James; and he surnamed them Boanerges, which is, The sons of ^athunder: 18 And Andrew, and Philip, and Bartholomew, and Matthew, and Thomas, and James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus, and Simon the Canaanite, 19 And Judas Iscariot, which also betrayed him: and they ^awent into an house.
20 And the multitude cometh together again, so that they could not so much as ^aeat bread. 21 And when his friends heard of it, they went out to lay hold on him: for they said, He is ^abeside himself.
22 ¶ And the scribes which came down from Jerusalem said, He hath Beelzebub, and by the prince of the devils casteth he out devils. 23 And he called them unto him, and said unto them in parables, How can Satan cast out Satan?
24 And if a kingdom be divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. 25 And if a house be divided against itself, that house cannot stand. 26 And if Satan rise up against himself, and be divided, he cannot stand, but hath an end. 27 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 ^aVerily I say unto you, All sins shall be forgiven unto the sons of men, and blasphemies ^bwherewith soever they shall blaspheme: 29 But he that shall ^ablaspheme against the Holy Ghost hath never ^bforgiveness, but is in danger of ^ceternal damnation: 30 Because they said, He hath an unclean spirit.
31 ¶ There came then his ^abrethren and his mother, and, standing ^bwithout, sent unto him, calling him. 32 And the multitude sat about him, and they said unto him, Behold, thy mother and thy brethren without seek for thee.
33 And he answered them, saying, Who is my mother, or my brethren? 34 And he looked round about on them which sat about him, and said, Behold my mother and my brethren! 35 For whosoever shall do the ^awill of God, the same is my brother, and my sister, and mother.