The Man with the Paralyzed Hand

Now(A) He entered the synagogue(B) again, and a man was there who had a paralyzed(C) hand. In order to accuse(D) Him, they were watching Him closely(E) to see whether He would heal(F) him on the Sabbath.(G) He told the man with the paralyzed hand, “Stand before us.”[a] Then He said to them, “Is it lawful(H) on the Sabbath to do what is good(I) or to do what is evil,(J) to save life(K) or to kill?”(L) But they were silent.(M) After looking around at them with anger(N) and sorrow at the hardness(O) of their hearts, He told the man, “Stretch out your hand.” So he stretched it out, and his hand was restored.(P) Immediately the Pharisees(Q) went out and started plotting(R) with the Herodians(S) against Him, how they might destroy(T) Him.

Ministering to the Multitude

Jesus(U) departed with His disciples to the sea, and a large crowd followed from Galilee,(V) Judea,(W) Jerusalem,(X) Idumea, beyond the Jordan,(Y) and around Tyre(Z) and Sidon.(AA) The large crowd came to Him because they heard about everything He was doing. Then He told His disciples to have a small boat(AB) ready for Him, so the crowd would not crush Him. 10 Since He had healed(AC) many, all who had diseases were pressing toward Him to touch(AD) Him. 11 Whenever the unclean(AE) spirits(AF) saw Him, those possessed fell down(AG) before Him and cried out, “You are the Son of God!”(AH) 12 And He would strongly warn(AI) them not to make Him known.(AJ)

The 12 Apostles

13 Then(AK) He went up the mountain(AL) and summoned those He wanted, and they came to Him. 14 He also appointed 12—He also named them apostles[b](AM)—to be with Him, to send them out to preach,(AN) 15 and to have authority to[c] drive out demons.

16 He appointed the Twelve:[d](AO)

To Simon,(AP) He gave the name Peter;(AQ)
17 and to James(AR) the son of Zebedee,(AS)
and to his brother John,(AT)
He gave the name “Boanerges”
(that is, “Sons of Thunder”(AU));
18 Andrew;(AV)
Philip(AW) and Bartholomew;
Matthew(AX) and Thomas;(AY)
James the son of Alphaeus,
and Thaddaeus;
Simon the Zealot,[e]
19 and Judas Iscariot,[f](AZ)
who also betrayed Him.

A House Divided

20 Then He went home, and the crowd gathered again so that they were not even able to eat.[g] 21 When His family(BA) heard this, they set out to restrain Him, because they said, “He’s out of His mind.”(BB)

22 The scribes(BC) who had come down from Jerusalem said, “He has Beelzebul(BD) in Him!” and, “He drives out(BE) demons(BF) by the ruler(BG) of the demons!”(BH)

23 So He summoned(BI) them and spoke to them in parables:(BJ) “How can Satan(BK) drive out Satan?(BL) 24 If a kingdom(BM) is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. 25 If a house is divided against itself, that house cannot stand. 26 And if Satan rebels against himself and is divided, he cannot stand but is finished![h]

27 “On the other hand, no one can enter a strong man’s house and rob his possessions unless he first ties up(BN) the strong man. Then he will rob his house. 28 I assure you: People will be forgiven for all sins[i] and whatever blasphemies(BO) they may blaspheme. 29 But whoever blasphemes(BP) against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness,(BQ) but is guilty(BR) of an eternal sin”[j](BS) 30 because they were saying, “He has an unclean spirit.”(BT)

True Relationships

31 Then(BU) His mother(BV) and His brothers(BW) came, and standing outside, they sent word to Him and called Him. 32 A crowd was sitting around Him and told Him, “Look, Your mother, Your brothers,(BX) and Your sisters[k] are outside asking for You.”

33 He replied to them, “Who are My mother and My brothers?” 34 And looking about at those who were sitting in a circle around Him, He said, “Here are My mother and My brothers!(BY) 35 Whoever does the will of God(BZ) is My brother and sister and mother.”

Footnotes

  1. Mark 3:3 Lit Rise up in the middle
  2. Mark 3:14 Other mss omit He also named them apostles
  3. Mark 3:15 Other mss add heal diseases, and to
  4. Mark 3:16 Other mss omit He appointed the Twelve
  5. Mark 3:18 Lit the Cananaean
  6. Mark 3:19 Iscariot is probably “a man of Kerioth,” a town in Judea.
  7. Mark 3:20 Or eat a meal; lit eat bread
  8. Mark 3:26 Lit but he has an end
  9. Mark 3:28 Lit All things will be forgiven the sons of men
  10. Mark 3:29 Other mss read is subject to eternal judgment
  11. Mark 3:32 Other mss omit and Your sisters

While in Capernaum Jesus went over to the synagogue again, and noticed a man there with a deformed hand.

Since it was the Sabbath, Jesus’ enemies watched him closely. Would he heal the man’s hand? If he did, they planned to arrest him!

Jesus asked the man to come and stand in front of the congregation. Then turning to his enemies he asked, “Is it all right to do kind deeds on Sabbath days? Or is this a day for doing harm? Is it a day to save lives or to destroy them?” But they wouldn’t answer him. Looking around at them angrily, for he was deeply disturbed by their indifference to human need, he said to the man, “Reach out your hand.” He did, and instantly his hand was healed!

At once the Pharisees[a] went away and met with the Herodians to discuss plans for killing Jesus.

7-8 Meanwhile, Jesus and his disciples withdrew to the beach, followed by a huge crowd from all over Galilee, Judea, Jerusalem, Idumea, from beyond the Jordan River, and even from as far away as Tyre and Sidon. For the news about his miracles had spread far and wide and vast numbers came to see him for themselves.

He instructed his disciples to bring around a boat and to have it standing ready to rescue him in case he was crowded off the beach. 10 For there had been many healings that day and as a result great numbers of sick people were crowding around him, trying to touch him.

11 And whenever those possessed by demons caught sight of him they would fall down before him shrieking, “You are the Son of God!” 12 But he strictly warned them not to make him known.

13 Afterwards he went up into the hills and summoned certain ones he chose, inviting them to come and join him there; and they did. 14-15 Then he selected twelve of them to be his regular companions and to go out to preach and to cast out demons. 16-19 These are the names of the twelve he chose: Simon (he renamed him “Peter”), James and John (the sons of Zebedee, but Jesus called them “Sons of Thunder”), Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James (the son of Alphaeus), Thaddaeus, Simon (a member of a political party advocating violent overthrow of the Roman government), Judas Iscariot (who later betrayed him).

20 When he returned to the house where he was staying, the crowds began to gather again, and soon it was so full of visitors that he couldn’t even find time to eat. 21 When his friends heard what was happening, they came to try to take him home with them.

“He’s out of his mind,” they said.

22 But the Jewish teachers of religion who had arrived from Jerusalem said, “His trouble is that he’s possessed by Satan, king of demons. That’s why demons obey him.”

23 Jesus summoned these men and asked them (using proverbs they all understood), “How can Satan cast out Satan? 24 A kingdom divided against itself will collapse. 25 A home filled with strife and division destroys itself. 26 And if Satan is fighting against himself, how can he accomplish anything? He would never survive. 27 Satan must be bound before his demons are cast out,[b] just as a strong man must be tied up before his house can be ransacked and his property robbed.

28 “I solemnly declare that any sin of man can be forgiven, even blasphemy against me; 29 but blasphemy against the Holy Spirit can never be forgiven. It is an eternal sin.”

30 He told them this because they were saying he did his miracles by Satan’s power instead of acknowledging it was by the Holy Spirit’s power.[c]

31-32 Now his mother and brothers arrived at the crowded house where he was teaching, and they sent word for him to come out and talk with them. “Your mother and brothers are outside and want to see you,” he was told.

33 He replied, “Who is my mother? Who are my brothers?” 34 Looking at those around him he said, “These are my mother and brothers! 35 Anyone who does God’s will is my brother, and my sister, and my mother.”

Footnotes

  1. Mark 3:6 Pharisees, a religious sect of the Jews. Herodians, a pro-Roman political party.
  2. Mark 3:27 cast out, implied.
  3. Mark 3:30 instead of acknowledging it was by the Holy Spirit’s power, implied.