Mark 3:1-4:34

Christian Standard Bible

3 Jesus^(A) entered the synagogue^(B) again, and a man was there who had a shriveled^(C) hand. ² In order to accuse^(D) him, they were watching him closely^(E) to see whether he would heal^(F) him on the Sabbath.^{(G) 3} He told the man with the shriveled hand, “Stand before us.” ⁴ Then he said to them, “Is it lawful^(H) to do good^(I) on the Sabbath or to do evil,^(J) to save life^(K) or to kill?”^(L) But they were silent.^{(M) 5} After looking around at them with anger,^(N) he was grieved at the hardness^(O) of their hearts and told the man, “Stretch out your hand.” So he stretched it out, and his hand was restored.^{(P) 6} Immediately the Pharisees^(Q) went out and started plotting^(R) with the Herodians^(S) against him, how they might kill^(T) him.

Ministering to the Multitude

⁷ Jesus^(U) departed with his disciples to the sea, and a large crowd followed from Galilee,^(V) and a large crowd followed from Judea,^{(W) 8} 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. ⁹ Then he told his disciples to have a small boat^(AB) ready for him, so that the crowd wouldn’t 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, they 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 Twelve Apostles

¹³ Jesus^(AK) went up the mountain^(AL) and summoned those he wanted, and they came to him. ¹⁴ He appointed twelve, whom he also named apostles,^[a](AM) to be with him, to send them out to preach,^{(AN) 15} and to have authority to^[b] drive out demons. ¹⁶ He appointed the Twelve:^[c](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, ¹⁹ and Judas Iscariot,^(AZ) who also betrayed him.

A House Divided

²⁰ Jesus entered a house, and the crowd gathered again so that they were not even able to eat.^{[d] 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 is possessed by Beelzebul,”^(BD) 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 opposes himself and is divided, he cannot stand but is finished. ²⁷ But no one can enter a strong man’s house and plunder his possessions unless he first ties up^(BN) the strong man. Then he can plunder his house.

²⁸ “Truly I tell you, people will be forgiven for all sins and whatever blasphemies^(BO) they utter. ²⁹ But whoever blasphemes^(BP) against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness,^(BQ) but is guilty^(BR) of an eternal sin”^[e](BS)— ³⁰ because they were saying, “He has an unclean spirit.”^(BT)

True Relationships

³¹ His^(BU) 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^[f] are outside asking for you.”

³³ He replied to them, “Who are my mother and my brothers?” ³⁴ Looking at those 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.”

The Parable of the Sower

4 Again^(CA) he began to teach^(CB) by the sea, and a very large crowd gathered around him. So he got into a boat on the sea and sat down, while the whole crowd was by the sea on the shore. ² He taught them many things in parables,^(CC) and in his teaching^(CD) he said to them, ³ “Listen! Consider the sower who went out to sow.^{(CE) 4} As he sowed, some seed fell along the path,^(CF) and the birds came and devoured^(CG) it. ⁵ Other seed fell on rocky ground where it didn’t have much soil, and it grew up quickly,^(CH) since the soil wasn’t deep. ⁶ When the sun came up, it was scorched, and since it had no root, it withered away.^{(CI) 7} Other seed fell among thorns, and the thorns came up and choked it, and it didn’t produce fruit. ⁸ Still other seed fell on good ground and it grew up, producing fruit that increased^(CJ) thirty, sixty, and a hundred times.”^{(CK) 9} Then he said, “Let anyone who has ears to hear listen.”^(CL)

Why Jesus Used Parables

¹⁰ When he was alone, those around him with the Twelve^(CM) asked him about the parables.^{(CN) 11} He answered them, “The secret^(CO) of the kingdom of God^(CP) has been given to you, but to those outside,^(CQ) everything comes in parables ¹² so that

The Parable of the Sower Explained

¹³ Then^(CT) he said to them, “Don’t you understand this parable?^(CU) How then will you understand all of the parables? ¹⁴ The sower sows^(CV) the word.^{(CW) 15} Some are like the word sown on the path.^(CX) When they hear, immediately Satan^(CY) comes and takes away the word^(CZ) sown in them.^{[i] 16} And others are like seed sown on rocky ground. When they hear the word, immediately they receive it with joy.^{(DA) 17} But they have no root; they are short-lived. When distress^(DB) or persecution comes because of the word, they immediately fall away.^{(DC) 18} Others are like seed sown among thorns; these are the ones who hear the word, ¹⁹ but the worries^(DD) of this age,^(DE) the deceitfulness^[j](DF) of wealth,^(DG) and the desires^(DH) for other things enter in and choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful.^{(DI) 20} And those like seed sown on good ground hear the word,^(DJ) welcome it, and produce fruit^(DK) thirty, sixty, and a hundred times what was sown.”

Using Your Light

²¹ He^(DL) also said to them, “Is a lamp brought in to be put under a basket or under a bed?^(DM) Isn’t it to be put on a lampstand?^{(DN) 22} For there is nothing hidden that will not be revealed,^(DO) and nothing concealed that will not be brought to light. ²³ If anyone has ears to hear, let him listen.”^{(DP) 24} And he said to them, “Pay attention to what you hear. By the measure^(DQ) you use,^(DR) it will be measured to you—and more will be added^(DS) to you. ²⁵ For whoever has, more will be given to him, and whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him.”^(DT)

The Parable of the Growing Seed

²⁶ “The kingdom of God^(DU) is like this,” he said. “A man scatters seed on the ground. ²⁷ He sleeps^(DV) and rises^(DW) night^(DX) and day; the seed sprouts and grows, although he doesn’t know how. ²⁸ The soil produces a crop^(DY) by itself—first the blade, then the head, and then the full grain^(DZ) on the head. ²⁹ As soon as the crop is ready, he sends for the sickle,^(EA) because the harvest^(EB) has come.”

The Parable of the Mustard Seed

³⁰ And^(EC) he said, “With what can we compare the kingdom of God,^(ED) or what parable^(EE) can we use to describe it? ³¹ It’s like a mustard seed^(EF) that, when sown upon the soil, is the smallest of all the seeds on the ground. ³² And when sown,^(EG) it comes up and grows taller than all the garden plants,^(EH) and produces large branches, so that the birds of the sky^(EI) can nest in its shade.”

Using Parables

³³ He was speaking the word^(EJ) to them with many parables^(EK) like these, as they were able to understand.^{(EL) 34} He did not speak to them without a parable. Privately, however, he explained everything to his own disciples.^(EM)