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MARK 3
Haystack Commentary
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==Mark 3:1-6:
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And they watched him, whether he would heal him on the sabbath day; that they might accuse him.
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 sabbath days, or to do evil? to save life, or to kill? But they held their peace. 5 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 And the Pharisees went forth, and straightway took counsel with the Herodians against him, how they might destroy him. |
The story of the man with the withered hand (Mark 3:1-6) appears to repeat the same message about the Sabbath because it is the climax of a series of conflicts designed to escalate the tension between Jesus and the religious authorities.
While it echoes the previous story of the disciples plucking grain (Mark 2:23-28), it serves several distinct narrative and theological purposes in Mark’s Gospel. This story is the final of five consecutive "controversy stories" in Mark 2 and 3. By repeating the Sabbath theme, Mark shows that the Pharisees' opposition has shifted from mere questioning to a murderous conspiracy. The first Sabbath story (plucking grain) focused on satisfying hunger, a physical need. The withered hand story raises the stakes to a moral level, asking if the Sabbath is for "doing good or doing harm, to save life or to kill". In the first story, Jesus declares himself "Lord even of the Sabbath". In this second story, he demonstrates that lordship through a public, miraculous act that shames his accusers. The repetition highlights the Pharisees' growing "hardness of heart". Despite seeing another miracle, they do not change their minds; instead, they immediately begin plotting with the Herodians to destroy him. By healing a "withered" (dried up) hand, Jesus illustrates that the true purpose of the Sabbath is restoration—bringing life back to what was dead or shriveled—rather than just following ritual prohibitions. These linked resources detail the progression of Sabbath controversies in Mark's Gospel, highlighting Jesus' authority and the Pharisees' opposition has shifted from mere questioning to a murderous conspiracy. The first Sabbath story (plucking grain) focused on satisfying hunger, a physical need. The withered hand story raises the stakes to a moral level, asking if the Sabbath is for "doing good or doing harm, to save life or to kill". In the first story, Jesus declares himself "Lord even of the Sabbath". In this second story, he demonstrates that lordship through a public, miraculous act that shames his accusers. The repetition highlights the Pharisees' growing "hardness of heart". Despite seeing another miracle, they do not change their minds; instead, they immediately begin plotting with the Herodians to destroy him. By healing a "withered" (dried up) hand, Jesus illustrates that the true purpose of the Sabbath is restoration—bringing life back to what was dead or shriveled—rather than just following ritual prohibitions. |
==Mark 3:5-6:
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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 And the Pharisees went forth, and straightway took counsel with the Herodians against him, how they might destroy him. |
Jesus healing a man with a withered hand on the Sabbath, evoking anger and grief at the Pharisees' hard hearts. Immediately, the Pharisees plotted with the Herodians to destroy/kill Jesus. This event highlights the conflict between legalism and Jesus' compassion. This is one of the few places in the Gospels where Jesus is explicitly described as feeling anger. His anger was coupled with deep grief or distress over the "hardness" or stubbornness of the hearts of the religious leaders.
In Matthew 23:2-33 “The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses' seat, (3) so do and observe whatever they tell you, but not the works they do. For they preach, but do not practice. (4) They tie up heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on people's shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to move them with their finger. Jesus dresses them down in the rest of this passage for their grievous hypocracy with woe after woe. They do all their deeds to be seen by others. (13) “But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you shut the kingdom of heaven in people's faces. For you neither enter yourselves nor allow those who would enter to go in. (15) Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you travel across sea and land to make a single proselyte, and when he becomes a proselyte, you make him twice as much a child of hell as yourselves. (16) “Woe to you, blind guides, who say, ‘If anyone swears by the temple, it is nothing, but if anyone swears by the gold of the temple, he is bound by his oath.’ etc. etc. and concludes by calling them (33) You serpents, you brood of vipers, how are you to escape being sentenced to hell? |
==Mark 3:7-22:
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.
9 And he spake to his disciples, that a small ship should wait on him because of the multitude, lest they should throng him.
10 For he had healed many; insomuch that they pressed upon him for to touch him, as many as had plagues.
11 And unclean 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 would: and they came unto him.
14 And he ordained twelve, that they should be with him, and that he might send them forth to preach,
15 And to have power to heal sicknesses, and to cast out devils:
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 thunder:
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 went into an house.
20 And the multitude cometh together again, so that they could not so much as eat bread.
21 And when his friends heard of it, they went out to lay hold on him: for they said, He is beside 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.
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.
9 And he spake to his disciples, that a small ship should wait on him because of the multitude, lest they should throng him.
10 For he had healed many; insomuch that they pressed upon him for to touch him, as many as had plagues.
11 And unclean 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 would: and they came unto him.
14 And he ordained twelve, that they should be with him, and that he might send them forth to preach,
15 And to have power to heal sicknesses, and to cast out devils:
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 thunder:
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 went into an house.
20 And the multitude cometh together again, so that they could not so much as eat bread.
21 And when his friends heard of it, they went out to lay hold on him: for they said, He is beside 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.
==Mark 3:23-26:
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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. |
Let us look at Satan's inventory. Let us take a walk round the devil's armory. I believe we shall see as many pieces of armor in it as ever were stored in the Tower of London. 1. Ignorance is a main piece of this armor. For what are we by nature but altogether ignorant of God, ignorant of ourselves, ignorant of truth, ignorant of salvation, ignorant of everything which it is for our peace to know? This ignorance Satan deepens, as the word of God describes, by blinding the eyes and hardening the heart—"In whom the god of this world has blinded the minds of those who believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them." (2 Cor. 4:4.) Satan blinds the eyes, and fosters the darkness and deep seated ignorance of the human heart. And by this ignorance of God, of his holy law, of his pure character, of his dread perfections, of his eternal wrath and vengeance, does the prince of darkness, brooding with baleful wings over the heart, keep possession of the citadel. 2. Unbelief is another piece of Satan's armor; and by this he keeps strong possession of the palace. Unbelief is the very essence of our fallen nature; unbelief doubts every part and portion of God's word; unbelief presents an impenetrable barrier against the entrance of truth; unbelief is the shield which, if grace does not prevent it, will quench every arrow of conviction. 3. Impenitency is another piece of this Satanic armor. The thorough inability of man to feel any sorrow for sin; the obduracy of his mind, which neither the promises of the gospel can soften, nor threatenings terrify; the hardness of heart whereby he stands firm against everything in God's word which has a tendency to melt and overcome, is indeed one of the strongest and stoutest pieces of this infernal armory. By this obduracy does Satan rule and reign—by this he turns aside every weapon; and this he opposes to every threatening directed against the ungodly. 4. Enmity against God and godliness, that breath of the carnal mind, that essence of man's fallen nature, that noisome savor which steams perpetually from his corrupt heart against divine things—enmity to God and his ways, enmity to Christ and his person, enmity to the truth in all its branches, enmity to that which humbles, breaks down, and lays low—this is another part of Satan's armor whereby he keeps possession of the citadel. 5. Self-esteem and self-complacency, is another piece of this armor. Man has such lofty thoughts of himself, indulges in such vanity and self-exaltation, is so unwilling to see himself as God has described him, that he will stoutly deny God's testimony against his state and condition as a fallen creature. 6. Pride—the very essence of Satan, the very element in which he lives, that which caused his downfall, and has become his ruling passion—by this piece of armor does Satan also keep possession of the citadel of the human heart. It is he who continually instils vain notions of man's importance, who swells and puffs him up with arrogant opinions of his strength, wisdom, and righteousness. By acting upon this pride that dwells in man's bosom, he teaches him to abhor that humbling gospel which the word of God sets forth. By these and other pieces of armor, does "the strong man armed" keep possession of the citadel. He is armed at every point; he watches every outlet; wherever he sees a breach likely to be made, there he brings up his armor to maintain safe possession. The "strong man armed" keeps his palace in thousands and millions of the human race; and in this state thousands and millions descend into the chambers of death. There he reigns in all his infernal glory; there he rides triumphant over ruined millions; there he gluts his vengeance by feeding upon the blood and bones of countless myriads of victims; and there he appeases his hellish thirst, his enmity against God, by devouring whole nations at one morsel, and trampling down millions upon millions in the gulf of eternal woe. -----J. C. Philpot; Aug 9, 1848 |
We all know how painful it is to have our conduct misunderstood and misrepresented, when we are doing right. It is a trial which our Lord Jesus Christ had to endure continually, all through His earthly ministry. We have an instance in the passage before us. The "Scribes who came down from Jerusalem" saw the miracles which He worked. They could not deny their reality. What then did they do? They accused our blessed Savior of being in league and union with the devil. They said, "He has Beelzebub, and by the prince of the devils casts he out devils."
In our Lord's answer to this wicked accusation, there are expressions which deserve special attention. Let us see what lessons they contain for our use.
We ought to notice, in the first place, how great is the evil of dissension and divisions.
This is a lesson which is strongly brought out in the beginning of our Lord's reply to the scribes. He shows the absurdity of supposing that Satan would "cast out Satan," and so help to destroy his own power. He appeals to the notorious fact, which even his enemies must allow, that there can be no strength where there is division. "If a kingdom be divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand."
This truth is one which does not receive sufficient consideration. On no point has the abuse of the right of private judgment produced so much evil. The divisions of Christians are one great cause of the weakness of the visible church. They often absorb energy, time, and power, which might have been well bestowed on better things. They furnish the infidel with a prime argument against the truth of Christianity. They help the devil. Satan indeed is the chief promoter of religious divisions. If he cannot extinguish Christianity, he labors to make Christians quarrel with one another, and to set every man's hand against his neighbor. None knows better than the devil, that "to divide is to conquer."
Let us resolve, so far as in us lies, to avoid all differences, dissensions, and disputes in religion. Let us loathe and abhor them as the plague of the churches. We cannot be too jealous about all saving truths. But it is easy to mistake morbid scrupulosity for conscientiousness, and zeal about mere trifles for zeal about the truth. Nothing justifies separation from a church but the separation of that church from the Gospel. Let us be ready to concede much, and make many sacrifices for the sake of unity and peace.
We ought to notice, in the second place, what a glorious declaration our Lord makes in these verses about the forgiveness of sins. He says, "I assure you that any sin can be forgiven, including blasphemy." --JC Ryle Commentaries
In our Lord's answer to this wicked accusation, there are expressions which deserve special attention. Let us see what lessons they contain for our use.
We ought to notice, in the first place, how great is the evil of dissension and divisions.
This is a lesson which is strongly brought out in the beginning of our Lord's reply to the scribes. He shows the absurdity of supposing that Satan would "cast out Satan," and so help to destroy his own power. He appeals to the notorious fact, which even his enemies must allow, that there can be no strength where there is division. "If a kingdom be divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand."
This truth is one which does not receive sufficient consideration. On no point has the abuse of the right of private judgment produced so much evil. The divisions of Christians are one great cause of the weakness of the visible church. They often absorb energy, time, and power, which might have been well bestowed on better things. They furnish the infidel with a prime argument against the truth of Christianity. They help the devil. Satan indeed is the chief promoter of religious divisions. If he cannot extinguish Christianity, he labors to make Christians quarrel with one another, and to set every man's hand against his neighbor. None knows better than the devil, that "to divide is to conquer."
Let us resolve, so far as in us lies, to avoid all differences, dissensions, and disputes in religion. Let us loathe and abhor them as the plague of the churches. We cannot be too jealous about all saving truths. But it is easy to mistake morbid scrupulosity for conscientiousness, and zeal about mere trifles for zeal about the truth. Nothing justifies separation from a church but the separation of that church from the Gospel. Let us be ready to concede much, and make many sacrifices for the sake of unity and peace.
We ought to notice, in the second place, what a glorious declaration our Lord makes in these verses about the forgiveness of sins. He says, "I assure you that any sin can be forgiven, including blasphemy." --JC Ryle Commentaries
==Mark 3:27:
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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.
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God told us two things: He said first of all before you can take a city you've got to discover the nature of the strongman and determine the nature of the prince of power over that city and find the key to breaking his power. But then the second thing is that God said was this: The extent of the ministry is determined by the degree that you become the message. You may be able to speak about things that you dnt know, but you'll never be able to communicate things that you're not experiencing. God said to us out of that: "Be the message!" Jesus Christ was not the messenger. He was the message.
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==Mark 3:28-35:
Verily I say unto you, All sins shall be forgiven unto the sons of men, and blasphemies wherewith soever they shall blaspheme:
29 But he that shall blaspheme against the Holy Ghost hath never forgiveness, but is in danger of eternal damnation.
30 Because they said, He hath an unclean spirit.
31 There came then his brethren and his mother, and, standing without, 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 will of God, the same is my brother, and my sister, and mother.
29 But he that shall blaspheme against the Holy Ghost hath never forgiveness, but is in danger of eternal damnation.
30 Because they said, He hath an unclean spirit.
31 There came then his brethren and his mother, and, standing without, 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 will of God, the same is my brother, and my sister, and mother.