31 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 e !" 4 And He said to them, "Is it lawful to do good or to do harm on the Sabbath , to save a life or to kill ?" But they kept silent . 5 After looking around at them with anger , grieved at their hardness of heart , He said to the man , "Stretch out your hand ." And he stretched it out, and his hand was restored . 6 The Pharisees went out and immediately began conspiring with the Herodians against Him, as to how they might destroy Him.
7 Jesus withdrew to the sea with His disciples ; and a great multitude from Galilee followed ; and also from Judea , 8 and from Jerusalem , and from Idumea , and beyond the Jordan , and the vicinity of Tyre and Sidon , a great number of people heard of all that He was doing and came to Him. 9 And He told His disciples that a boat should stand ready for Him because of the crowd , so that they would not crowd Him; 10 for He had healed many , with the result that all those who had afflictions pressed around Him in order to touch Him. 11 Whenever the unclean spirits saw Him, they would fall down before Him and shout , "You are the Son of God !" 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 ), 17 and James , the son of Zebedee , and John the brother of James (to them He gave the name Boanerges , which means , "Sons of Thunder "); 18 and Andrew , and Philip , and Bartholomew , and Matthew , and Thomas , and James the son of Alphaeus , and Thaddaeus , and Simon the Zealot ; 19 and Judas Iscariot , who betrayed Him.
20 And He came home , and the crowd gathered again , to such an extent that they could not even eat a meal . 21 When His own people heard of this, they went out to take custody of Him; for they were saying , " He has lost His senses ."
Matthew Henry's Commentary on Mark 3:1-21
Commentary on Mark 3:1-5
(Read Mark 3:1-5)
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.
Commentary on Mark 3:6-12
(Read Mark 3:6-12)
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.
Commentary on Mark 3:13-21
(Read Mark 3:13-21)
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.