Mark Chapter 3
1 He entered again into a synagogue; and a man was there whose hand was withered.
2 They were watching Him {to see} if He would heal him on the Sabbath, so that they might accuse Him.
3 He *said to the man with the withered hand, "Get up and come forward!"
12 And He earnestly warned them not to tell who He was.
13 And He *went up on the mountain and *summoned those whom He Himself wanted, and they came to Him.
14 And He appointed twelve, so that they would be with Him and that He {could} send them out to preach,
15 and to have authority to cast out the demons.
16 And He appointed the twelve: Simon (to whom He gave the name Peter),
19 and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed Him.
23 And He called them to Himself and began speaking to them in parables, "How can Satan cast out Satan?
24 "If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand.
25 "If a house is divided against itself, that house will not be able to stand.
26 "If Satan has risen up against himself and is divided, he cannot stand, but he is finished!
30 because they were saying, "He has an unclean spirit."
33 Answering them, He *said, "Who are My mother and My brothers?"
34 Looking about at those who were sitting around Him, He *said, "Behold My mother and My brothers!
35 "For whoever does the will of God, he is My brother and sister and mother."

| < Mark Chapter 2 |
Matthew Henry's Bible commentary for Mark Chapter 3...
The withered hand healed. (1-5) The people resort to Christ. (6-12) The apostles called. (13-21) The blasphemy of the scribes. (22-30) Christ's relatives. (31-35)1-5 This man's case was piteous; he had a withered hand, which disabled him from working for his living; and those that are so, are the most proper objects of charity. Let those be helped that cannot help themselves. But stubborn infidels, when they can say nothing against the truth, yet will not yield. We hear what is said amiss, and see what is done amiss; but Christ looks at the root of bitterness in the heart, the blindness and hardness of that, and is grieved. Let hard-hearted sinners tremble to think of the anger with which he will look upon them shortly, when the day of his wrath comes. The great healing day now is the sabbath, and the healing place the house of prayer; but the healing power is of Christ. The gospel command is like that recorded here: though our hands are withered, yet, if we will not stretch them out, it is our own fault that we are not healed. But if we are healed, Christ, his power and grace, must have all the glory. 6-12 All our sicknesses and calamities spring from the anger of God against our sins. Their removal, or the making them blessings to us, was purchased to us by the blood of Christ. But the plagues and diseases of our souls, of our hearts, are chiefly to be dreaded; and He can heal them also by a word. May more and more press to Christ to be healed of these plagues, and to be delivered from the enemies of their souls. 13-21 Christ calls whom he will; for his grace is his own. He had called the apostles to separate themselves from the crowd, and they came unto him. He now gave them power to heal sicknesses, and to cast out devils. May the Lord send forth more and more of those who have been with him, and have learned of him to preach his gospel, to be instruments in his blessed work. Those whose hearts are enlarged in the work of God, can easily bear with what is inconvenient to themselves, and will rather lose a meal than an opportunity of doing good. Those who go on with zeal in the work of God, must expect hinderances, both from the hatred of enemies, and mistaken affections of friends, and need to guard against both. 22-30 It was plain that the doctrine of Christ had a direct tendency to break the devil's power; and it was as plain, that casting of him out of the bodies of people, confirmed that doctrine; therefore Satan could not support such a design. Christ gave an awful warning against speaking such dangerous words. It is true the gospel promises, because Christ has purchased, forgiveness for the greatest sins and sinners; but by this sin, they would oppose the gifts of the Holy Ghost after Christ's ascension. Such is the enmity of the heart, that unconverted men pretend believers are doing Satan's work, when sinners are brought to repentance and newness of life. 31-35 It is a great comfort to all true Christians, that they are dearer to Christ than mother, brother, or sister as such, merely as relations in the flesh would have been, even had they been holy. Blessed be God, this great and gracious privilege is ours even now; for though Christ's bodily presence cannot be enjoyed by us, his spiritual presence is not denied us.
sharon's comment on 5/15/2012, 12:52am...
Only sin not forgiven is blasphemy speaking against the HolySpirit and who is my mother my brother and my sister he says it plainly those that do the will of my Father
Richard H's comment about verse 29 on 4/20/2012, 2:49am...
Mark 3:29 can be a worrisome and fearful scripture. I am a born-again believer in Jesus Christ and I can\'t imagine that anyone{esp.a Christian} could intentionally and with malice blaspheme against the Holy Spirit. I know that at times I have sinned and failed to follow God\'s will and perhaps have ignored His internal guidance, however I have never heard His actual voice and therefore I have never actually ignored His voice. To blaspheme is to vocally condemn with conviction and malice the Holy Spirit. To simply ignore God\'s influence and guidance as administered by the Holy Spirit is not by my understanding to be blasphemy. I feel that only a lost person who is completely and malevolently influenced by Satan,{the master blasphemer}, would have the ability to utter blasphemy with conviction against the Holy Spirit.
As for Christians, how can it be possible for a child of God with the indwelling of the Holy Spirit to commit blasphemy against that which indwells in the believer? I do not think it is possible and the misinterpretation of this scripture can lead the Christian who is challenged and struggling with sin, and spiritual strongholds, that there is a possibility that he/she has committed the \"unforgivably sin\", and therefore eternally dammed to Hell. However:\"If WE CONFESS our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us [our] sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.\" 1 John 1:9. Also: \"REPENT therefore of this thy wickedness[SIN], and pray God, if perhaps the thought of thine heart may be forgiven thee.\" Acts 8:22. A repentant heart who confesses his sin with the understood guarantee of forgiveness by the Lord could not possibly be able to blaspheme against the Holy Spirit. Only a lost, unsaved person with the influence of a demonic spirit, never has the ability to repent and confess sin. Only such a person in this lost and malevolent state, can have the ability to utter blasphemy against the Holy Spirit. We as Christians do feel quilt, conviction and the admonition of the Holy Spirit to repent and confess sin to the Almighty God through His Son Jesus Christ by His work of redemption on the Cross of Calvary. Praise be to God Almighty!!!
David's comment on 12/24/2011, 3:05pm...
I find this very encouraging as Jesus himself calls us his brothers. I have what would seem to me a heavy trile at the mom,ent, but I know that is nothing as Jesus will take care of it. He is my older brother. Sa for the sin against the Holy Spirit, it is nothing more that a refusal to listen to his voice when you are pursuing a wrong course, such as Pharoh of Egypt when he refused to let the children of Iseral go. God bless all who wish to take the time to read this.
Bane's comment on 12/23/2011, 11:07am...
I had a really hard times in my life and when God decided he showed me Jesus. But it was not a miracle nor an emty words I read here but the hard reading of the Bible. So I ask here directly: In some versions of the Holy Bible the word GOD appears in the verse Mk 3:28, that is a fact that nobody can deny and is there anybody who can explain me Mk 3:28-29 because I see it as a very important point in building of my picture of the teaching of Jesus. I\'m just asking. God bless you all.
Alexander Christian's comment on 12/18/2011, 11:08am...
I\'ll be back here soon, but what I can say right now is that we ARE living in (somehow) pre-Christian times, according to every thing one can see around. Blasphemy against the holy Spirit obviously testifies a heavier wickedness of someone\'s heart, it is a kind of provocation which overwhelm obscured evil doers and make them plain to be seen. I\'ll be back these days...
Test Your Knowledge of Mark Chapter 3
| < Mark Chapter 2 |
