Mark 3

And he entered again into the synagogue; and there was a man there which had a withered hand.

And they watched him, whether he would heal him on the sabbath day; that they might accuse him.

And he saith unto the man which had the withered hand, Stand forth.

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.

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.

And the Pharisees went forth, and straightway took counsel with the Herodians against him, how they might destroy him.

But Jesus withdrew himself with his disciples to the sea: and a great multitude from Galilee followed him, and from Judaea,

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.

And he spake to his disciples, that a small ship should wait on him because of the multitude, lest they should throng him.

For he had healed many; insomuch that they pressed upon him for to touch him, as many as had plagues.

And unclean spirits, when they saw him, fell down before him, and cried, saying, Thou art the Son of God.

And he straitly charged them that they should not make him known.

And he goeth up into a mountain, and calleth unto him whom he would: and they came unto him.

And he ordained twelve, that they should be with him, and that he might send them forth to preach,

And to have power to heal sicknesses, and to cast out devils:

And Simon he surnamed Peter;

And James the son of Zebedee, and John the brother of James; and he surnamed them Boanerges, which is, The sons of thunder:

And Andrew, and Philip, and Bartholomew, and Matthew, and Thomas, and James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus, and Simon the Canaanite,

And Judas Iscariot, which also betrayed him: and they went into an house.

And the multitude cometh together again, so that they could not so much as eat bread.

And when his friends heard of it, they went out to lay hold on him: for they said, He is beside himself.

And the scribes which came down from Jerusalem said, He hath Beelzebub, and by the prince of the devils casteth he out devils.

And he called them unto him, and said unto them in parables, How can Satan cast out Satan?

And if a kingdom be divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand.

And if a house be divided against itself, that house cannot stand.

And if Satan rise up against himself, and be divided, he cannot stand, but hath an end.

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.

Verily I say unto you, All sins shall be forgiven unto the sons of men, and blasphemies wherewith soever they shall blaspheme:

But he that shall blaspheme against the Holy Ghost hath never forgiveness, but is in danger of eternal damnation:

Because they said, He hath an unclean spirit.

There came then his brethren and his mother, and, standing without, sent unto him, calling him.

And the multitude sat about him, and they said unto him, Behold, thy mother and thy brethren without seek for thee.

And he answered them, saying, Who is my mother, or my brethren?

And he looked round about on them which sat about him, and said, Behold my mother and my brethren!

For whosoever shall do the will of God, the same is my brother, and my sister, and mother.

What does Mark 3:2 mean?

Explanation

Mark 3:2 describes an event where Jesus is being closely observed by the Pharisees on the Sabbath day to see if he would heal a man with a withered hand, thus potentially breaking the strict Sabbath laws of rest.

This verse shows the Pharisees' intent to find grounds to accuse Jesus of wrongdoing. They were less concerned with the welfare of the man in need of healing and more focused on upholding the letter of the law and trapping Jesus in what they perceived as an act of disobedience to the law.

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Historical Context

During the time of Jesus, the Sabbath was regarded as a holy day of rest according to Jewish law, as commanded in the Old Testament (Exodus 20:8-11).

On the Sabbath, no work was to be done by anyone within the community.

The Pharisees, a Jewish sect known for strict adherence to the law, had created an extensive list of prohibited activities to ensure the sanctity of the Sabbath was maintained.

Any action perceived as 'work' could be grounds for legal action and punishment.

Theological Insights

Different theological traditions interpret this passage in varying ways:

Traditional Jewish Perspective: It would have seen Jesus’ actions as potentially violating the Sabbath unless there was a life-threatening situation, which the withered hand may not have constituted.
Christian Perspective: This story is often seen as a critique of legalism.

Jesus prioritizes compassion and mercy over strict adherence to religious rules.

It shows Jesus as Lord of the Sabbath, bringing a deeper understanding to the law's intent.

Catholic Perspective: In line with the broader Christian interpretation and emphasizes the spirit of the law over its letter.

The church sees Jesus' actions as affirming the love and healing that should characterize the Sabbath.

Practical Applications

This verse can teach modern readers the importance of placing human need and compassion above legalistic interpretations of rules and traditions. It encourages a thoughtful approach to religious observance that uplifts and heals rather than oppresses or does harm.

Cross-References

Luke 14:1-6: Jesus heals on the Sabbath, asking the Pharisees if it's lawful to heal on the holy day.
Matthew 12:10-12: Jesus questioned about healing on the Sabbath and responds by teaching about doing good on the Sabbath.
Exodus 20:8-11: The commandment regarding the Sabbath day and its sanctity, a central issue in the Gospel accounts.
Isaiah 58:6-11: A prophecy that emphasizes the kind of fasting or sabbath-keeping God prefers, which is to loose the chains of injustice.

Language Study

Key words in the original Greek text of Mark 3:2 include:

"Watched" (paratēreō): This means to observe carefully or to spy.

It denotes a close, critical observation with a negative connotation.

"Heal" (therapeuō): To cure, heal, or restore to health.

In the context of the Sabbath, the question was whether healing constituted work.

"Sabbath" (sabbaton): The day of rest, the seventh day of the week, which in Jewish law was set aside as holy and thus stringent rules applied.

Cultural and Religious Comparisons

Hellenistic Healing Myths: Greco-Roman culture had gods associated with healing like Asclepius, but performing healings on specific days was not a focus of contention as seen here.
Ancient Mesopotamia: Their myths don't directly parallel the Jewish concept of the Sabbath; however, they had days dedicated to their gods where certain activities were restricted or encouraged.

Scientific Perspectives

While the scientific perspective doesn't directly impact the interpretation of this verse, one could discuss how modern medicine does not adhere to restrictions based on days of the week.

The ethical priority is to provide immediate care irrespective of timing, which aligns with the perspective Jesus demonstrates here.

Commentaries

Matthew Henry's Commentary: Emphasizes the hypocrisy and malice of the observers, highlighting Jesus' understanding of the hardness of their hearts.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary: Discusses the confrontational setting, pointing out that Jesus knew their thoughts and was demonstrating His authority over the Sabbath.
The Expositor's Bible Commentary: Focuses on the tension between Jesus and the religious leaders and Jesus’ purpose in bringing healing and restoration on the Sabbath.

Mark 3

Mark 3

What does Mark 3:2 mean?

Explanation

Top Rated Mark Books

Historical Context

Theological Insights

Practical Applications

Cross-References

Language Study

Cultural and Religious Comparisons

Scientific Perspectives

Commentaries

Want more context?

What does Mark 3:2 mean?

Explanation

Top Rated Mark Books

Historical Context

Theological Insights

Practical Applications

Cross-References

Language Study

Cultural and Religious Comparisons

Scientific Perspectives

Commentaries

Want more context?