Catholic Commentary on Mark 3

"Whoever does God's will is my brother and sister and mother." (Mark 3:35)

The Man with the Withered Hand

The Pharisees are watching to see if Jesus will heal on the Sabbath, so they can accuse him. Jesus knows their thoughts and calls the man with the withered hand to stand before everyone. He asks: Which is lawful on the Sabbath: to do good or to do evil, to save life or to kill? They are silent. Mark records something remarkable: Jesus looks around at them in anger and is deeply distressed at their stubborn hearts. This is not a mild disappointment. It is righteous indignation at the perversion of religion, the use of the law of God as a weapon against the mercy of God.

He heals the man. And immediately the Pharisees go out and begin to plot how to destroy Jesus. A healing and a murder plot, on the same Sabbath. The contrast is Mark's theological point in a single scene: Jesus gives life; the hardened religious heart conspires toward death.

The Twelve

Jesus goes up on a mountainside and calls to himself those he wants. He appoints twelve, that they might be with him and that he might send them out to preach and to have authority to drive out demons. Twelve, corresponding to the twelve tribes of Israel. The new Israel is being constituted around the person of Jesus, with an inner circle of twelve who will be its foundation. The Catechism teaches that the College of Apostles, with Peter at its head, is the origin of the episcopal college that governs the Church today (CCC 880). The Church is not a human organisation that adopted a structure for convenience. It is a body whose structure was established by Christ himself on that Galilean hillside.

Who Are My Mother and Brothers?

When Jesus' family comes to take charge of him, thinking he has lost his mind, and someone tells him his mother and brothers are outside looking for him, Jesus responds: Who are my mother and my brothers? He looks at those seated around him: Here are my mother and my brothers! Whoever does God's will is my brother and sister and mother. This is not a rejection of Mary. Mary, more than any other human being, did the will of God. She is precisely the model of the family of God that Jesus is describing. What Jesus refuses is any claim based on biology alone. What he honours is the deeper bond: the bond of faith and obedience.

Living the Word

Brothers and sisters, Jesus called the Twelve to be with him first, and then to be sent. The order matters. We cannot give what we do not have. Before mission comes communion. Before we go out to preach and serve, we must sit at the feet of Christ long enough to know him. The quality of our witness will always reflect the depth of our time with him.

Prayer

Lord Jesus, you appointed the Twelve to be with you and to share your mission. Call us more deeply into your presence and send us out renewed. Make us part of your family, not by accident of birth but by the daily choice to do your Father's will. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

3
Jesus Heals on the Sabbath
(Matthew 12:9–14; Luke 6:6–11)
Once again Jesus entered the synagogue, and a man with a withered hand was there. In order to accuse Jesus, they were watching to see if He would heal on the Sabbath.
 
Then Jesus said to the man with the withered hand, “Stand up among us.” And He asked them, “Which is lawful on the Sabbath: to do good or to do evil, to save life or to destroy it?”
 
But they were silent.
 
Jesus looked around at them with anger and sorrow at their hardness of heart. Then He said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” So he stretched it out, and it was restored.
 
At this, the Pharisees went out and began plotting with the Herodians how they might kill Jesus.
Jesus Heals the Multitudes
(Matthew 4:23–25; Luke 6:17–19)
 
So Jesus withdrew with His disciples to the sea, accompanied by a large crowd from Galilee, Judea, Jerusalem, Idumea, the region beyond the Jordan, and the vicinity of Tyre and Sidon. The large crowd came to Him when they heard what great things He was doing.
 
Jesus asked His disciples to have a boat ready for Him so that the crowd would not crush Him. 10 For He had healed so many that all who had diseases were pressing forward to touch Him. 11 And when the unclean spirits saw Him, they fell down before Him and cried out, “You are the Son of God!” 12 But He warned them sternly not to make Him known.
The Twelve Apostles
(Matthew 10:1–4; Luke 6:12–16)
 
13 Then Jesus went up on the mountain and called for those He wanted, and they came to Him. 14 He appointed twelve of them, whom He designated as apostles,* 3:14 SBL, NE, BYZ, and TR do not include whom He designated as apostles to accompany Him, to be sent out to preach, 15 and to have authority to drive out demons.
 
16 These are the twelve He appointed: Simon (whom He named Peter), 17 James son of Zebedee and his brother John (whom He named Boanerges, meaning “Sons of Thunder”), 18 Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James son of Alphaeus, Thaddaeus, Simon the Zealot, 3:18 Greek Simon the Cananean 19 and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed Jesus. 3:19 Literally who also betrayed Him
A House Divided
(Matthew 12:22–30; Luke 11:14–23)
 
20 Then Jesus went home,§ 3:20 Literally Then He comes to a house and once again a crowd gathered, so that He and His disciples could not even eat. 21 When His family heard about this, they went out to take custody of Him, saying, “He is out of His mind.”
 
22 And the scribes who had come down from Jerusalem were saying, “He is possessed by Beelzebul,* 3:22 WH Beezeboul; Vulgate Beelzebub” and, “By the prince of the demons He drives out demons.”
 
23 So Jesus called them together and began to speak to them in parables: “How can Satan drive out Satan? 24 If a kingdom is divided against itself, it cannot stand. 25 If a house is divided against itself, it cannot stand. 26 And if Satan is divided and rises against himself, he cannot stand; his end has come. 27 Indeed, no one can enter a strong man’s house to steal his possessions unless he first ties up the strong man. Then he can plunder his house.
The Unpardonable Sin
(Matthew 12:31–32)
 
28 Truly I tell you, the sons of men will be forgiven all sins and blasphemies, as many as they utter. 29 But whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven; he is guilty of eternal sin.”
 
30 Jesus made this statement because they were saying, “He has an unclean spirit.”
Jesus’ Mother and Brothers
(Matthew 12:46–50; Luke 8:19–21)
 
31 Then Jesus’ mother and brothers came and stood outside. They sent someone in to summon Him, 32 and a crowd was sitting around Him. “Look,” He was told, “Your mother and brothers 3:32 NE and NA include and Your sisters. are outside, asking for You.”
 
33 But Jesus replied, “Who are My mother and My brothers?” 34 Looking at those seated in a circle around Him, He said, “Here are My mother and My brothers! 35 For whoever does the will of God is My brother and sister and mother.”

*3:14 3:14 SBL, NE, BYZ, and TR do not include whom He designated as apostles

3:18 3:18 Greek Simon the Cananean

3:19 3:19 Literally who also betrayed Him

§3:20 3:20 Literally Then He comes to a house

*3:22 3:22 WH Beezeboul; Vulgate Beelzebub

3:32 3:32 NE and NA include and Your sisters.