The Gospel According to St. Mark

⭑ Catholic Public Domain :: World English Bible Catholic ⭑

- Chapter 3 -

(Matthew 12:9–14; Luke 6:6–11)

And again, he entered into the synagogue. And there was a man there who had a withered hand.

And they observed him, to see if he would cure on the Sabbaths, so that they might accuse him.

And he said to the man who had the withered hand, “Stand up in the middle.”

And he said to them: “Is it lawful to do good on the Sabbaths, or to do evil, to give health to a life, or to destroy?” But they remained silent.

And looking around at them with anger, being very saddened over the blindness of their hearts, he said to the man, “Extend your hand.” And he extended it, and his hand was restored to him.

Then the Pharisees, going out, immediately took counsel with the Herodians against him, as to how they might destroy him.(a)

Jesus Heals the Multitudes

(Matthew 4:23–25; Luke 6:17–19)

But Jesus withdrew with his disciples to the sea. And a great crowd followed him from Galilee and Judea,

and from Jerusalem, and from Idumea and across the Jordan. And those around Tyre and Sidon, upon hearing what he was doing, came to him in a great multitude.

And he told his disciples that a small boat would be useful to him, because of the crowd, lest they press upon him.

For he healed so many, that as many of them as had wounds would rush toward him in order to touch him.

And the unclean spirits, when they saw him, fell prostrate before him. And they cried out, saying,

“You are the Son of God.” And he strongly admonished them, lest they make him known.

The Twelve Apostles

(Matthew 10:1–4; Luke 6:12–16)

And ascending onto a mountain, he called to himself those whom he willed, and they came to him.

And he acted so that the twelve would be with him, and so that he might send them out to preach.(b)

And he gave them authority to cure infirmities, and to cast out demons:

and he imposed on Simon the name Peter;

and also he imposed on James of Zebedee, and John the brother of James, the name ‘Boanerges,’ that is, ‘Sons of Thunder;’(c)

and Andrew, and Philip, and Bartholomew, and Matthew, and Thomas, and James of Alphaeus, and Thaddeus, and Simon the Canaanite,

and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed him.

A House Divided

(Matthew 12:22–30; Luke 11:14–23)

And they went to a house, and the crowd gathered together again, so much so that they were not even able to eat bread.

And when his own had heard of it, they went out to take hold of him. For they said: “Because he has gone mad.”

And the scribes who had descended from Jerusalem said, “Because he has Beelzebub, and because by the prince of demons does he cast out demons.”

And having called them together, he spoke to them in parables: “How can Satan cast out Satan?

For if a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom is not able to stand.

And if a house is divided against itself, that house is not able to stand.

And if Satan has risen up against himself, he would be divided, and he would not be able to stand; instead he reaches the end.

No one is able to plunder the goods of a strong man, having entered into the house, unless he first binds the strong man, and then he shall plunder his house.

The Unpardonable Sin

(Matthew 12:31–32)

Amen I say to you, that all sins will be forgiven the sons of men, and the blasphemies by which they will have blasphemed.

But he who will have blasphemed against the Holy Spirit shall not have forgiveness in eternity; instead he shall be guilty of an eternal offense.”(d)

For they said: “He has an unclean spirit.”

Jesus’ Mother and Brothers

(Matthew 12:46–50; Luke 8:19–21)

And his mother and brothers arrived. And standing outside, they sent to him, calling him.

And the crowd was sitting around him. And they said to him, “Behold, your mother and your brothers are outside, seeking you.”

And responding to them, he said, “Who is my mother and my brothers?”

And looking around at those who were sitting all around him, he said: “Behold, my mother and my brothers.

For whoever has done the will of God, the same is my brother, and my sister and mother.”

Footnotes

(a)3:6 Notice that the same word is used here (destroy) as in the verse where Jesus asks if it was lawful to destroy on the Sabbath. The Pharisees did not want Jesus to cure on the Sabbath, but they plotted His destruction on the same day.(Conte)

(b)3:14 Scripture does not here say what Jesus did exactly, what the act was. Perhaps it was the Sacrament of Ordination to the level of the deaconate.(Conte)

(c)3:17 The imposition of these names is representative of their roles, and the roles of their successors: Peter and his successors are the Roman Pontiffs, and James and John are representative of those who assist the Roman Pontiffs (Patriarchs and Cardinals).(Conte)

(d)3:29 Blasphemy against the Holy Spirit is nothing other than final impenitence, that is, to refuse through the last moment of life to repent from serious sin; this is a type of blasphemy against the Spirit because it is to the Spirit that we account the graces that make repentance from sin possible and effective.(Conte)

(Matthew 12:9–14; Luke 6:6–11)

He entered again into the synagogue, and there was a man there whose hand was withered.

They watched him, whether he would heal him on the Sabbath day, that they might accuse him.

He said to the man whose hand was withered, “Stand up.”

He said to them, “Is it lawful on the Sabbath day to do good or to do harm? To save a life or to kill?” But they were silent.

When he had looked around at them with anger, being grieved at the hardening of their hearts, he said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” He stretched it out, and his hand was restored as healthy as the other.

The Pharisees went out, and immediately conspired with the Herodians against him, how they might destroy him.

Jesus Heals the Multitudes

(Matthew 4:23–25; Luke 6:17–19)

Jesus withdrew to the sea with his disciples; and a great multitude followed him from Galilee, from Judea,

from Jerusalem, from Idumaea, beyond the Jordan, and those from around Tyre and Sidon. A great multitude, hearing what great things he did, came to him.

He spoke to his disciples that a little boat should stay near him because of the crowd, so that they wouldn’t press on him.

For he had healed many, so that as many as had diseases pressed on him that they might touch him.

The unclean spirits, whenever they saw him, fell down before him and cried, “You are the Son of God!”

He sternly warned them that they should not make him known.

The Twelve Apostles

(Matthew 10:1–4; Luke 6:12–16)

He went up into the mountain and called to himself those whom he wanted, and they went to him.

He appointed twelve, that they might be with him, and that he might send them out to preach

and to have authority to heal sicknesses and to cast out demons:

Simon (to whom he gave the name Peter);

James the son of Zebedee; and John, the brother of James, (whom he called Boanerges, which means, Sons of Thunder);

Andrew; Philip; Bartholomew; Matthew; Thomas; James, the son of Alphaeus; Thaddaeus; Simon the Zealot;

and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed him. Then he came into a house.

A House Divided

(Matthew 12:22–30; Luke 11:14–23)

The multitude came together again, so that they could not so much as eat bread.

When his friends heard it, they went out to seize him; for they said, “He is insane.”

The scribes who came down from Jerusalem said, “He has Beelzebul,” and, “By the prince of the demons he casts out the demons.”

He summoned them and said to them in parables, “How can Satan cast out Satan?

If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand.

If a house is divided against itself, that house cannot stand.

If Satan has risen up against himself, and is divided, he can’t stand, but has an end.

But no one can enter into the house of the strong man to plunder unless he first binds the strong man; then he will plunder his house.

The Unpardonable Sin

(Matthew 12:31–32)

“Most certainly I tell you, all sins of the descendants of man will be forgiven, including their blasphemies with which they may blaspheme;

but whoever may blaspheme against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is subject to eternal condemnation.” (a)

—because they said, “He has an unclean spirit.”

Jesus’ Mother and Brothers

(Matthew 12:46–50; Luke 8:19–21)

His mother and his brothers came, and standing outside, they sent to him, calling him.

A multitude was sitting around him, and they told him, “Behold, your mother, your brothers, and your sisters(b) are outside looking for you.”

He answered them, “Who are my mother and my brothers?”

Looking around at those who sat around him, he said, “Behold, my mother and my brothers!

For whoever does the will of God is my brother, my sister, and mother.”

Footnotes

(a)3:29 NU reads, guilty of an eternal sin.

(b)3:32 TR omits “your sisters”