Mark Chapter 3

Mark Chapter 3, from the Gospel of Mark, is as follows:

Jesus returned to the synagogue, and noticed a man with a crippled hand.

They [the Pharisees] were watching Jesus to see if they might catch and accuse him of healing on the Sabbath. Jesus told the man with the crippled hand, "Stand up in front of everyone."

Jesus asked them, "Which is lawful on the Sabbath: doing good or evil? Saving a life, or killing one?" And they didn't answer. Jesus looked around at them, feeling anger and pity for the hardness of their hearts, and said to the injured man, "Open your hand." He then opened and held out his hand, and it was as good as new. The Pharisees then fled from the scene to plot with the Herodians against Jesus, and plan how they might destroy him.

Jesus then departed for the quiet of a lake, but crowds from Galilee and Judea followed him, and crowds went to Jesus from Jerusalem, Idumea, Tyre and Sidon, and from beyond the Jordan River, after hearing of his great deeds for the sick. Jesus asked His students for a small boat that would enable him to keep a distance from pressing crowds. Jesus had healed many people, so that many diseased persons pressed on Him trying to touch Him.

Upon seeing Jesus, evil spirits fell down before him crying, "You are the Son of God!" But Jesus strictly commanded them not to tell others who he was.

He then walked up a mountain, calling whomever He wanted to follow him, and they did. He appointed twelve men as Apostles, to be with him, so he could send them to preach to the world, and to have the authority to throw demons out of people. Jesus gave the surname of Peter to Simon. He also appointed James and his brother John, the sons of Zebedee, and called them "Boanerges," which means "The Sons of Thunder": His other appointees were Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James the son of Alphaeus, Thaddaeus, and Simon the Canaanite, and Judas Iscariot, who was to betray Jesus: and they all entered a house but the crowd pressed upon them so much that they could not even eat.

| |- |21 |And when his friends heard of it, they went out to lay hold on him: for they said, He is beside himself. |When Jesus's own family heard of this, they went to rescue him, saying, "He is out of his mind." |note how even Jesus's own family felt less of him |- |22 |And the scribes which came down from Jerusalem said, He hath Beelzebub, and by the prince of the devils casteth he out devils. |Some scribes from Jerusalem came also, smearing Jesus by saying "He has Beelzebub and throws out demons by calling on the leader of demons!" |This Beelzebub (literally, Lord of the Flies) is another name for Satan, but was also a pagan Canaanite god during the time of Elijah. |- |23 |And he called them unto him, and said unto them in parables, How can Satan cast out Satan? |But Jesus called them together and taught in parables, and asked "How can Satan cast out Satan? | |- |24 |And if a kingdom be divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. |"A kingdom divided against itself cannot stand. | |- |25 |And if a house be divided against itself, that house cannot stand. |"Nor can a house divided against itself stand." | |- |26 |And if Satan rise up against himself, and be divided, he cannot stand, but hath an end. |"So if Satan were divided against himself, he could not stand, and would perish." | |- |27 |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. |"No one can break into a well-armed man's house to destroy his property, unless he first tie the man down. Only then can he damage his home. |"Strong" replaced with modern equivalent of defended |- |28 |Verily I say unto you, All sins shall be forgiven unto the sons of men, and blasphemies wherewith soever they shall blaspheme: |"I tell you: all the sons of men will be forgiven their sins and their blasphemies, whatever they might be: | |- |29 |But he that shall blaspheme against the Holy Ghost hath never forgiveness, but is in danger of eternal damnation: |"But any man who blasphemes against the Divine Guide will never be forgiven, but risks eternal damnation." | |- |30 |Because they said, He hath an unclean spirit. |This Jesus told them because they lied, "He has an evil spirit." | |- |31 |There came then his brethren and his mother, and, standing without, sent unto him, calling him. |His mother and his brothers, who were standing outside, asked to see him. | |- |32 |And the multitude sat about him, and they said unto him, Behold, thy mother and thy brethren without seek for thee. |The crowd around Jesus said to him, "Your mother and brothers are outside, looking for you." |Some manuscripts omit the brothers. |- |33 |And he answered them, saying, Who is my mother, or my brethren? |To which he responded, "Who is My mother, or My brothers?" | |- |34 |And he looked round about on them which sat about him, and said, Behold my mother and my brethren! |Then, looking around at the gathered crowed, he said, "You are My mother and My brothers! | |- |35 |For whosoever shall do the will of God, the same is my brother, and my sister, and mother. |"Whoever does what God wants, qualifies as My brother, sister or mother."