And he came again to the synagogue; there was a man with a withered hand. And they watched him to see if he would be healed on the Sabbath to accuse him. He said to the man who had the withered hand, stand in the middle. And he said to them: Shall we do good on the Sabbath, or do evil? save the soul, or destroy? But they were silent. And looking at them with anger, grieving for the hardness of their hearts, he said to the man: Stretch out your hand. He stretched out, and his hand became healthy, like the other.
On the occasion of the accusation by the Jews of the disciples because they plucked ears of corn on Saturday, the Lord, by the example of David, has already blocked the mouths of the accusers, and in order to instruct them even more now, He works miraculously, through this He expresses the following: this is how my disciples are innocent of sin: I myself do it on the Sabbath day, showing this miracle. If it is a sin to work miracles, then in general it is a sin to do what is necessary on the Sabbath; but to perform a miracle for the salvation of a person is the work of God, therefore, the one who does something not evil on the Sabbath does not violate the law. Therefore, the Lord asks the Jews: "Should we do good on the Sabbath?", accusing them of preventing Him from doing good. In a figurative sense, the right hand is dry for anyone who does not do the work of the right side. Christ says to such a person: "stand," that is, get away from sin, "stand in the middle," that is, in the middle of the virtues, since every virtue is a middle that does not tend either to lack or to excess. So, when he stands in this middle, then his hand will again become healthy. Note also the word "became"; there was a time when we had hands, or active forces, healthy, when, that is, a crime had not yet been committed: and since our hand stretched out to the forbidden fruit, it became dry in relation to doing good. But it will return to its former healthy state when we stand in the midst of the virtues.
The Pharisees went out and immediately took counsel with the Herodians against Him, how to destroy Him. But Jesus with His disciples withdrew to the sea, and many people followed Him from Galilee, Judea, Jerusalem, Idumea and from beyond the Jordan. And those who dwelt in the vicinity of Tire and Sidon, when they heard what He was doing, they came to Him in great numbers. And he told his disciples to have a boat ready for him because of the crowd, so that they would not crowd him. For He healed many, so that those who had the plagues rushed to Him to touch Him. And the unclean spirits, when they saw Him, fell down before Him and cried out: You are the Son of God. But He strictly forbade them not to make Him known.
Who were the Herodians? - or the warriors of Herod, or some new sect that recognized Herod as Christ for the reason that under him the succession of the Jewish kings ended. The prophecy of Jacob determined that when the princes from Judah were impoverished, then Christ would come (Gen. 49). So, since in the time of Herod no one was any longer a prince from the Jews, but Herod a foreigner ruled (he was an Edomite), some took him for Christ and formed a sect. It was these people who wanted to kill the Lord. But He leaves because the time of suffering has not yet come. Leaves the ungrateful and in order to do good more of people. Many indeed followed Him, and He healed them; even the Tirians and the Sidonians benefited, despite the fact that there were foreigners. Meanwhile, his fellow tribesmen persecuted him. So there is no use in kinship if there is no good manners! So strangers came to Christ from afar, but the Jews persecuted Him who came to them. See how Christ is a stranger to love of glory; so that the people do not surround Him, He requires a boat in order to be at a distance from the people in it. - The evangelist calls illnesses “sores”, for illnesses really contribute a lot to our admonition, so that God punishes us with these ulcers, as the father of children. In a figurative sense, pay attention to the fact that the Herodians want to kill Jesus, these carnal and rude people (Herod means leather). On the contrary, those who came out of their homes and from their own country, that is, from a carnal way of life, they will follow Him; why their wounds will be healed, that is, sins that stab the conscience, and unclean spirits are cast out. Finally, understand that Jesus orders His disciples to bring the boat, so that the people do not embarrass Him. Jesus is the word in us, commanding that our boat, that is, our body, be ready for Him, and not be left to the storm of worldly affairs, so that these crowds of worries about affairs do not disturb the Christ who lives in us.
Then he ascended the mountain and called to Himself whom He Himself wanted; and they came to him. And he appointed twelve of them, that they might be with him, and that he might send them out to preach, and that they might have power to heal sickness and cast out demons; appointed Simon, naming him Peter, James Zebedee and John, brother of James, naming them Boanerges, that is, "sons of thunder" Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James Alpheus Thaddeus, Simon Zebedee and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed His.
Climbing a mountain to pray. Since he worked miracles before him, after performing miracles, he prays, of course, as a lesson to us, so that we thank God as soon as we do something good, and would attribute it to the power of God. Or, since the Lord intended to ordain the apostles, on this occasion he ascends the mountain to pray for our instruction that we, when we intend to ordain someone, must first pray that someone worthy of it be revealed to us and that we not become participants "in other people's sins" (1 Tim. 5:22). And that Judas also chooses to be an apostle, then from this we must understand that God does not turn away a person who has to do evil, because of his future evil deed, but what kind of real virtue of his honors him, even if he later becomes a bad person. The Evangelist enumerates the names of the apostles about the false apostles, so that the true apostles may be known. He calls the sons of thunder the sons of Zebedee, as especially great preachers and theologians.
They come to the house; and again the people came together, so that it was impossible for them even to eat bread. And when His neighbors heard Him, they went to take Him, for they said that He had gone out of Himself. And the scribes who came from Jerusalem said that He had Beelzebub in Himself and that He cast out demons by the power of the prince of demons.
“And having heard,” he says, “his neighbors,” perhaps people from the same native city with Him, or even brothers, went out to take Him; for they said that he had lost his temper, that is, that he had a demon. Since they heard that He casts out demons and heals illnesses, out of envy they thought that He had a demon and “became beside himself,” which is why they wanted to take Him in order to bind Him as possessed. So thought and wanted to do with Him and His neighbors. Likewise, the Jerusalem scribes said that He had a demon in Himself. Since they could not reject the miracles performed before them, they reproach them in a different way, producing them from demons.
And calling them, he spoke to them in parables: How can Satan cast out Satan? If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand; and if a house is divided against itself, that house cannot stand; and if Satan has risen up against himself and divided himself, he cannot stand, but his end has come. No one entering the house of a strong man can plunder his things, unless he first binds the strong man, and then he plunders his house.
Refutes the hated Jews with undeniable examples. How is it possible, he says, for a demon to cast out demons, when even in ordinary houses we see that as long as those who live in them are peaceful, the houses stand safely, and as soon as a separation occurs in them, they fall? How is it possible, - he says, - that someone should plunder the dishes of a strong one, if he does not first bind him? These words mean the following: "strong" is the devil; his "things" are the people who serve him as a receptacle. Thus, if someone does not first bind and depose the devil, how can he plunder from him his vessels, that is, those who are demonized? Therefore, if I plunder its vessels, that is, I free people from demonic violence, then, therefore, I bound and cast down demons in advance, and I turn out to be their enemy. So how do you say that I have Beelzebub in Myself, that is, that I cast out demons, being their friend and magician?
Truly I say to you: all sins and blasphemies will be forgiven the sons of men, no matter how they blaspheme; but whoever blasphemes the Holy Spirit, there will be no forgiveness forever, but he is subject to eternal condemnation. He said this because they said, He has an unclean spirit.
What the Lord says here means the following: people who sin in everything else can still apologize for something and receive forgiveness, according to God's condescension to human weakness. For example, those who called the Lord a poison and a wine-drinker, a friend of publicans and sinners, will receive forgiveness in this. But when they see that He works undoubted miracles, and meanwhile they blaspheme the Holy Spirit, that is, miracles that proceed from the Holy Spirit, then how will they receive forgiveness if they do not repent? When they were offended by the flesh of Christ, then in this case, even though they did not repent, they will be forgiven, as people who have been offended; but when they saw Him doing the works of God, and still blasphemed, how will they be forgiven if they remain impenitent?
And His mother and brothers came and, standing outside the house, sent to Him to call Him. People were sitting around him. And they said to him, Behold, your mother and your brothers and your sisters outside the house are asking you. And he answered them: who is my mother and my brothers? And surveying those who were sitting around Him, He said: Here are My mother and My brothers; for whoever does the will of God is my brother and sister and mother.
The brethren of the Lord, out of envy, came to take Him as violent and demon-possessed. And the Mother, probably inspired by a sense of honor, came to distract Him from the teaching, thus showing the people that she freely disposes of the One Whom they marvel at and can distract Him from the teaching. But the Lord answers: It will not be of any use to My Mother to be My Mother if she does not combine all the virtues in herself. In the same way, kinship will be useless for My brothers. Because those are only the true relatives of Christ, who do the will of God. So, saying this, He does not renounce the Mother, but shows that She will be worthy of honor not only for birth, but also for every other good deed: if she did not have this, then others would anticipate the honor of kinship.
Synodal translation. The chapter was voiced according to the roles by the Light in the East studio.
1. And he came again to the synagogue; there was a man with a withered hand.
2. And they watched him to see if he would be healed on the Sabbath, to accuse him.
3. But he says to the man who had the withered hand, stand in the middle.
4. But he said to them, “Should we do good on the Sabbath, or do evil?” save the soul, or destroy? But they were silent.
5. And looking at them with anger, grieving for the hardness of their hearts, he said to the man, Stretch out your hand. He stretched out, and his hand became healthy, like the other.
6. The Pharisees, going out, immediately took counsel with the Herodians against Him, how to destroy Him.
7. But Jesus with His disciples withdrew to the sea; and many people followed Him from Galilee, Judea,
8. Jerusalem, Idumea and beyond the Jordan
. And those who live in the vicinity of Tyre
and Sidon, when they heard what he was doing, they came to him in great multitudes.
9. And he said to his disciples, that a boat be ready for him because of the crowd, so that they would not crowd him.
10. For many he healed, so that those who had the plagues rushed to him to touch him.
11. And the unclean spirits, when they saw Him, fell down before Him and cried out: You are the Son of God.
12. But He strictly forbade them not to make Him known.
13. Then he ascended the mountain and called to Himself whom He Himself wanted; and they came to him.
14. And he appointed twelve of them to be with him and to send them to preach,
15. And that they might have power to heal sickness and cast out demons;
16. Appointed Simon, calling his name Peter,
17. James of Zebedee and John the brother of James, calling them the names Boanerges, that is, "sons of thunder,"
18. Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, Jacob Alfeev, Thaddeus, Simon Kananit
19. and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him.
20. Come to the house; and again the people came together, so that it was impossible for them even to eat bread.
21. And when his neighbors heard him, they went to take him, for they said that he had lost his temper.
22. But the scribes who came from Jerusalem said that He had Beelzebub in Himself and that He cast out demons by the power of the prince of demons.
23. And calling them, he spoke to them in parables: How can Satan cast out Satan?
24. If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand;
25. And if a house is divided against itself, that house cannot stand;
26. And if Satan has risen up against himself and divided himself, he cannot stand, but his end has come.
27. No one entering the house of a strong man can plunder his things, unless he first binds the strong man, and then he plunders his house.
28. Truly I say to you, the sons of men will be forgiven all sins and blasphemy, no matter how they blaspheme;
29. But whoever blasphemes the Holy Spirit, there will be no forgiveness forever, but he is subject to eternal condemnation.
30. This He said, because they said, He has an unclean spirit.
31. And His mother and brothers came and, standing outside the house, sent to Him to call Him.
32. People were sitting around him. And they said to Him, Behold, Your mother and Your brothers and Your sisters outside the house are asking You.
33. And he answered them, Who are my mother and my brothers?
34. And looking around at those who were sitting around Him, He said: Here are My mother and My brothers;
35. For whoever does the will of God, the same is My brother, and sister, and mother.
CHAPTER THREE
The third chapter of the Gospel of Mark begins like this:
And they came again to the synagogue; there was a man with a withered hand. And they watched him to see if he would be healed on the Sabbath to accuse him. He says to the man who had the withered hand, stand in the middle. And he said to them: Shall we do good on the Sabbath, or do evil? Save your soul or destroy it? but they were silent. And looking at them with anger, grieving for the hardness of their hearts, he said to the man: Stretch out your hand. He stretched out, and his hand became healthy, like the other (3:1-5).
This gospel passage says that Christ "was angry." How can one imagine Christ so transparent, slender in anger? Is there anger in God? Is there "righteous" anger?
This expression must be compared with what we read a little further about the pain of Christ, about His pity. His anger was without sinful admixture. When we get angry, we get angry. Christ wasn't angry, He was angry in a completely different way. The pain that was born in Him at the sight of intentional evil was expressed in the fact that He could not endure it without saying a strict, harsh word. To us, the apostle Paul in the Epistle to the Ephesians addresses with a warning that our anger should also be holy anger, that is, without sin, without irritation; such anger can be an expression of extreme pain:
When angry, do not sin: let not the sun go down in your anger; and give no place to the devil. Whoever stole, do not steal from now on, but rather work, doing something useful with your own hands, so that there is something to give to the needy. Let no rotten word come out of your mouth, but only good for edification in faith, so that it delivers grace to those who hear. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by which you are sealed in the day of redemption. All irritation and rage, and anger, and shouting, and slander, with all malice, be removed from you; but be kind to one another, compassionate, forgiving one another, just as God in Christ forgave you(Eph 4:26-32).
I want to draw your attention to two places: When angry, do not sin; and further: Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by which you are sealed in the day of redemption. And all irritation, and fury, and anger, and shouting, and slander, with all malice, be removed from you. We meet such an approach not only in Holy Scripture, but everywhere where a word is spoken from the depths of human experience - not evil, but experience worthy of a person. You probably remember how, in The Brothers Karamazov, Elder Zosima talks about his brother Markell. In response to the remark that people were evil, he says: people were good, but they acted badly He knew how to distinguish between an act and a person; him evil. Evil in man is wounded by sin. Evil in man is a disease, in the worst case it is an obsession, a condition that should evoke pity and compassion in us. This is what we see in Christ in the ultimate sense, because He came to save sinners and at what cost!.. He Himself says: There is no greater love than if someone lays down his life for his friends(John 15:13). Christ considered each person His neighbor, His friend. He takes upon Himself the whole burden of human falling away from God, all its consequences, and He treats every person, those who hate Him with ardent hatred, with this compassion. Remember how at the moment when He was nailed to the cross, He turned to God with a prayer: Forgive them, Father, they do not know what they are doing! ..(see Luke 23:34).
It is sometimes said that it is impossible not to forgive your enemies, but it is legal to hate the enemies of God. This is madness! God loved those who (this is the word of the Apostle Paul, not mine) were His enemies (see Rom. 5:10), became a man, died for them, in order to have the power to forgive them. Is it possible that with our hatred for those whom we consider enemies of God, we kind of reproach Him and say: “You made a mistake, You were wrong. Although You loved them with the love of the Cross, I will hate them with a “righteous” hatred“ Christ came to save sinners. I came not to judge the world, but to save the world, He says Himself (John 12:47). In those places of the Holy Scriptures, the Gospel, where God seems to turn to others with anger, this anger expresses the utmost pain, it is ardor, a burn of pain, and not hatred. Yes, Christ is stern about the evil that comes from temptations, He sometimes sternly addresses those who do not want to see the truth and reject it, although they know where the truth is and where the untruth is. You probably remember some passages in the Gospel of Matthew that are particularly striking in this regard. Here is an example : Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! for if in Tire and Sidon the powers that were manifested in you had been manifested, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes.(Matthew 11:21). Yes, woe This is not a curse, it is a cry of pain: “After all, I worked miracles in your midst, I healed the sick, I uttered words that turn the souls of the most sinful people, and you cast me out and rejected me Woe to you, woe, until you come to your senses ! And in another place there are words that priests utter for the most part very severely, forgetting precisely about pain Christ. You can read them like this, sternly, but you can, imagining the pain of Christ that these people are dying, say with a touch of bitter sadness: Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, that you close the Kingdom of Heaven to men, for you yourselves do not enter, and do not allow those who want to enter. Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because you eat the houses of widows and hypocritically pray for a long time: for this you will receive the greater condemnation. Woe to you, scribes and hypocrites of the Pharisees, who go round the sea and the land in order to convert at least one; and when that happens, make him a son of hell(i.e. hell) twice as bad as you(Matthew 23:13-15). And further on we read: Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, who give tithes from mint, anise and cumin, and left the most important thing in the law: judgment, mercy and faith; this was to be done, and that should not be abandoned //. Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, for you cleanse the outside of the cup and dish, while inside they are full of theft and unrighteousness. Blind Pharisee! cleanse first the inside of the bowl and dish, so that the outside of them may also be clean.(Matthew 23:23-26).
Of course, here we are not talking about bowls and dishes, but about a person purifying his heart, his mind, straightening his will, and so that the truth that lives in the depths of his soul finds expression outside.
And I want to make one more remark about evil. Anger, irritation, hatred are sometimes (it seems to me very often) the back reaction of a person who experiences injustice, who suffers in himself and especially in his neighbors, people he loves. Such a person sometimes becomes angry, cruel, and can even utter such terrible words that he would not have said if the pain had not caused these words. I remember a very shocking incident. During the war, I was a surgeon at the front. One captured German developed a huge abscess on his leg. He asked me to operate on him, but I refused, because among the prisoners there was a surgeon who, under the Geneva Agreement, had the right to operate on captured Germans, and I tried to comply with this rule. This German surgeon was supposed to operate, but I suggested to him that I would give anesthesia during the operation. "For what? he said to me. He is a young man, a soldier, let him grit his teeth and endure suffering. He really operated like this: he cut his entire leg with a knife to the cries of this unfortunate man. At first he shouted and cried, then he began to swear, then to curse this officer, then he said blasphemous words against God. And when the operation was over, he stretched out under guard on the operating table and said to the officer: “Forgive me for the words that I uttered!” And the surgeon answered something very terrible and very truthful; he said, “You didn’t offend me with that. When a person suffers, he first screams and cries, then he begins to swear, then he begins to curse his fate, then, if he has the opportunity, he curses the person who harms him, and if suffering reaches the limit, beyond human strength, he starts cursing God." This doctor in his madness because he was mad in his cruelty caught something very important: sometimes a person speaks evil or even does evil, because there is such pain in him that he cannot express in any other way.
But this is not the point here. The scribes and Pharisees felt no such pain. Out of their complacency and their false righteousness, they did evil by refusing to do good; and that is why Christ addressed them with such pain and with such holy, sanctifying anger.
The Pharisees went out and immediately took counsel with the Herodians against Him, how to destroy Him. But Jesus with His disciples withdrew to the sea; and many people followed Him from Galilee, Judea, Jerusalem, Idumea, and from beyond the Jordan. And those who dwelt in the vicinity of Tire and Sidon, when they heard what He was doing, they came to Him in great numbers. And he told his disciples to have a boat ready for him because of the crowd, so that they would not crowd him. For He healed many, so that those who had the plagues rushed to Him to touch Him. And the unclean spirits, when they saw Him, fell down before Him and cried out: You are the Son of God. But He strictly forbade them not to make Him famous (3:6-12).
Throughout the third chapter of the Gospel of Mark, we see how the opposition of the scribes and Pharisees is growing against Christ, as well as the cowardly restraint of others who do not dare to stand against their usual leaders. Christ is watched to be accused; and in order to protect their own position, His adversaries close, do not want to hear, do not want to see. The fate of Christ - misunderstood, rejected, abandoned - runs like a red thread through the entire Gospel. Perhaps its culminating point is the entry of Christ into Jerusalem.
The Entry of the Lord into Jerusalem is one of the most tragic holidays that we have to experience. In it, as if, everything doubles. There are a number of obvious events that draw attention to themselves, and there is some depth of these events, which is almost imperceptible and already bears the stamp of the Passion of the Lord.
Outwardly, a triumph. The Lord enters Jerusalem as a king, and the prophecy is fulfilled on Him: Rejoice with joy, daughter of Jerusalem, your King is coming to you meek, sitting on a donkey(see Zech. 9:9). He is surrounded by disciples; the people, who during the last weeks have seen the glory of God manifest in him, greet him with joy. Regardless of the indignation of the chief priests, Pharisees, scribes, and the resistance of political leaders, people greet Him with delight, spread palm branches in His path, take off their clothes so that He would walk on it. Shout: Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!(Matthew 21:9). And it would seem that this is a solemn procession; it would seem that we can rejoice together with the people. But when we think about the events of the following days, we see some kind of tragic misunderstanding, because this triumph, this joy of the people in an incomprehensible way, as if, in a few days, turns into rage, into the hatred of the crowd, which will shout before Pilate: “Crucify crucify Him! Not His Give us Barabbas!..”
This is the only way to understand it, I think. As if deeper than the external triumph, this event bears the stamp of a deep misunderstanding. They meet Christ as a king, they expect a political leader in Him. Hitherto He has been hiding, now He is openly entering the city with His disciples. And people think that the time is approaching when He will take the fate of Israel into His own hands, when the time will come for the political, state and social independence of the Jewish people, when the time will come for retribution against the Gentiles, the revenge of Israel, when it reigns, triumphs. The people are waiting for the end of their humiliation and the beginning of glory, the last victorious glory of Israel.
And Christ enters Jerusalem as a meek King, whose kingdom is not of this world. He came to bring this Kingdom into human hearts, He came to establish a new Kingdom, from which the human heart becomes terrified, because it is the Kingdom of perfect, self-sacrificing love, self-denial, the Kingdom of exile for the sake of truth and for the sake of truth, the Kingdom that is entirely in human hearts and determined so far only by the fact that in someone's hearts few or many the only King is the Lord God. People expected from Him an earthly victory, security, peace, stability; Christ invites them to break away from the earth, to become homeless wanderers, preachers of this Kingdom, which is so terrible even for a person himself.
And now, these people, who recently met Him with such triumph, rise up against Him with such indignation and hatred, implacable hatred, because He has deceived all their hopes. Man can hardly live without hope; but to be kindled with hope when it has already died out and sometimes it is unbearable to see this hope desecrated. And the one who caused such a reproach, a fall last resort can hardly hope for human mercy. This is what happened to Christ.
Then he ascended the mountain and called to Himself whom He Himself wanted; and they came to him. And he appointed twelve of them, that they might be with him, and that he might send them out to preach, and that they might have power to heal sickness and cast out demons; appointed Simon, giving him the names of Peter, James of Zebedee and John, brother of James, giving them the names of Boanerges, that is, "sons of thunder", Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James Alpheus, Thaddeus, Simon Zebedee and Judas Iscariot, who and betrayed him (3:13-19).
Since that time, Jesus' efforts to single out from the total number of disciples a closer circle of people who understood Him better, or sometimes at least did not understand, but blindly, faithfully, lovingly followed Him, was noticeable. The Lord Jesus Christ is trying to develop useful workers out of them. To some extent, the public preaching of Christ gradually fades into the background, and His main effort begins to focus on this circle of future apostles. And with what patience He educates them! We can see a number of points that I want to highlight before I go back to the passage I was reading.
In the Gospel of John we read:
Thomas said to Him: Lord! we don't know where you're going; and how can we know the way? Jesus said to him: I am the way and the truth and the life; no one comes to the Father except through Me. If you knew Me, you would also know My Father. And henceforth you know Him and have seen Him. Philip said to Him: Lord! show us the Father and it is enough for us. Jesus said to him: I have been with you for so long, and you say: show us the Father? Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in Me?(John 14:5-10).
Here you can see the misunderstanding of the students. Despite the fact that they constantly followed Christ, listened to His words, that He separately taught them, they did not understand much until the last moment, until Christ was resurrected.
And according to John 16, He says: There is much more I have to tell you; but now you can't contain(John 16:12). There is also a place in the Gospel of Luke: There was a dispute between them, which of them should be considered greater. He said to them: Kings rule over the nations, and those who rule over them are called benefactors, but you are not so: but whoever is greater among you, be like the least, and he who rules, like the one who serves. For who is greater, the recliner or the servant? And I am in the midst of you as a servant(Luke 22:24-27).
I am reading this to show how long and patiently Christ had to educate His disciples, to prepare them for the fulfillment of what they were called to, that is, for His preaching. The content of their sermon was not to be something that they seemed to hear, but which they did not experience and did not know by deep inner experience. The Apostle John writes in one of his epistles: We talk about what we heard, what we saw with our eyes, what we examined and what our hands touched.(I John 1:1). apostles know, what are they talking about. Is that how we talk about Christ? Are we able to bear witness to our faith? Christ them and us! sends to preach precisely to be witnesses His. And a witness is one who has seen, who knows from inner experience, from deep experience, with conviction. And then, as a consequence of this communion with Christ, they receive the power to heal sickness and cast out demons.
We will return to this elsewhere. Now I want to explain one more word from the read passage. Christ chose James Zebedee and John his brother, calling them the names Boanerges, that is, "sons of thunder." The explanation of this strange nickname we find elsewhere: (Disciples) entered a Samaritan village to prepare for Him; but they did not receive him there, because he had the appearance of traveling to Jerusalem. Seeing this, His disciples, James and John, said: Lord! do you want us to say that fire comes down from heaven and consumes them, as Elijah did? But He, turning to them, rebuked them and said: You do not know what kind of spirit you are; for the Son of Man did not come to destroy the souls of men, but to save(Luke 9:53-56). That is why they are called Boanerges, which means "sons of thunder."
Let's go back to the Gospel of Mark.
They come to the house; and again the people came together, so that it was impossible for them even to eat bread. And when his neighbors heard him, they went to take him, for they said that he had lost his temper. // And His mother and His brothers came and, standing outside the house, sent to Him to call Him. People were sitting around him. And they said to Him, Behold, Your mother and Your brothers and Your sisters outside the house are asking You. And he answered them, Who are my mother and my brothers? And surveying those who were sitting around Him, He said: Here are My mother and My brothers; for whoever does the will of God is my brother and sister and mother(Mark 3:20-21, 31-35).
The perplexity of Christ's neighbors is quite understandable. He abandoned His craft, takes a great interest in preaching, does not care about His health and even about food, violates generally accepted rules and religious customs, incites scribes and the court party against Himself, etc. Therefore, Christ’s relatives naturally feared that He had lost his mind, and wanted persuade him to return home. He also experienced this grief on Himself: to be misunderstood by the closest relatives; even his brothers and they did not believe in him; they believed when they were convinced of the fact of His resurrection.
Here the question is raised: who is our neighbor? It is said in the Gospel that the people closest to Him came to Christ: both His Mother and His half-brothers and sisters. How can I determine who my neighbor is? Christ says in the Gospel: who will do the will of God, that is my brother, and sister, and mother. We consider our blood relatives as neighbors, but if we enter into the gospel spirit, we must understand that we cannot divide the world into our own and others. If our relatives by blood, our relatives are completely alien to the Gospel, Christ, God, they are to some extent not involved in the main thing that is our life. This does not mean that we should turn away from them, this does not mean that they become strangers to us; this means that on another plane there are people who are even closer to us, with whom we share an experience of such depth, such significance, which we cannot share with our kindred.
Here we face - not a problem, but a task. If we have come to know God, but our closest relatives have not come to know Him, they remain our mother, and father, and brother, and sister, and friend; but we are sent to them in order to reveal to them the depths of our own soul. This can be done not by “preaching”, not by “proclaiming the truth” to those who do not know it, and of course, not by reproaches, but by showing them with your whole life, with the radiance of our life, what is other dimension, so that through love for us, through closeness to us, they would partake of what for us is the ultimate and final depth of life.
And in other places Christ spoke about who is our neighbor. You all probably remember the parable of Christ about the Good Samaritan. It tells how robbers attacked a man, how he lay by the road and both the priest and the Levite passed by him. The first looked, the second even stopped to look and both passed, they didn’t care about him, because there was a “stranger” person: what did they care about him? would; heretic, atheist, enemy, stranger. He stopped, saw this unfortunate man with sighted, not blind eyes, and took care to cure him and bring him back to life. At the end of this parable, Christ says: this is the neighbor; go and do the same(see Luke 10:29-37).
Near, in the understanding of the Gospel, is the one who needs us. And if our relatives are strangers to God, they become our neighbors, the closest neighbors, because they need the healing that was given to this person who fell into the hands of the robbers. But besides them, every person who is in any need is our neighbor. In the 25th chapter of the Gospel of Matthew, Christ tells us: no matter what we do to a person in need bring him into the house because he is homeless, feed him because he is hungry, clothe him because he is naked, etc. all this we have done to Himself, since all this springs from the depths of our ability to love, see the need and serve the needy.
In passing, I would like to touch on one issue that sometimes causes bewilderment: the question of the brothers of Christ. In the Orthodox faith, we affirm that the Mother of Christ, Mary, was a Virgin when the Savior was born; we affirm and believe, and by some inner experience we know that She remained the Ever-Virgin, that is, the Virgin forever, that She did not know her husband. Who is being referred to when the Gospel speaks of the brothers of Christ?
Research points to two things. Firstly, the fact that Joseph, betrothed to Mary, was an elderly man, was previously married, widowed, and had children. That is, the brothers of Christ are half-brothers. These are the children of a man betrothed to Mary, who never became her husband in body, was the guardian of her virginity.
In addition, not only in antiquity, but also in our time, the words "brother", "sister", "children" are not always used in the literal sense, indicating a generic relationship. For example, about cousins and sisters, if they are really close to us, we often say in Russian simply “my brother”, “my sister”, without indicating to the interlocutor who knows this and is not interested in what exact degree of relationship this person is in towards me. In ancient literature, Old Testament it speaks of "children" in a general sense, that is, not only of sons and daughters, but of descendants. For example, “the children (children) of Abraham” is the entire Israeli people, all those who were born, as it were, from one source. Therefore, the use of this word in the Old and New Testaments does not necessarily indicate a direct birth from a given person.
When we think of the Mother of God, the Mother of the Savior Christ, if we believe that Jesus Christ was really God Himself who became a man, how can we imagine that His Mother, having given birth to the incarnate God into the world, could then return to ordinary life married woman? Can we imagine this? I'm not even talking about intuition, but about a calm mind. A woman who realizes that the Son of God was conceived in her virginity cannot feel otherwise than forever, not only for a while, but for all eternity as the Temple of the Living God, which must remain inviolable, holy.
Therefore, when we read about the brothers of Christ, we know that they are half-brothers, the children of Joseph, and that the Mother of our Lord Jesus Christ was, as we say in church language, before Christmas, at Christmas and after Christmas Virgin.
And the scribes who came from Jerusalem said that He had Beelzebub in Himself, and that He cast out demons by the power of the prince of demons. And calling them, he spoke to them in parables: How can Satan cast out Satan? If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand; and if a house is divided against itself, that house cannot stand; and if Satan has risen up against himself and divided himself, he cannot stand, but his end has come. No one entering the house of a strong man can plunder his things, unless he first binds the strong man, and then he plunders his house. Truly I say to you: all sins and blasphemies will be forgiven the sons of men, no matter how they blaspheme; but whoever blasphemes the Holy Spirit, there will be no forgiveness forever, but he is subject to eternal condemnation. He said this because they said, He has an unclean spirit (3:22-30).
I want to draw your attention to a number of points in this story. The first refers to the blasphemy of the Holy Spirit. In order to undermine the authority of Christ, in order to destroy Him forever, the enemies of Christ began to spread the rumor that by the power of evil He does imaginary good, that He traps people with miracles that do not come from God, but from Satan, deceives people with visible good, for in order to finally destroy them; enslave yourself and through yourself death and final damnation and destruction. Christ sharply and definitely speaks out on this subject, pronounces a strict condemnation of such an attitude towards Himself.
But why? Couldn't the Pharisees, scribes, and opponents of Christ simply be mistaken in Him? No! They could not fail to see with their inner experience that in Christ good qualities and acts, that He sympathetically, lovingly treats all those around Him; they could not fail to know that every word of His sermon is in tune with the Old Testament in which they believe, that even when He seems to break this or that rule, He does not break them, but fulfills more perfect rules.
You probably remember the words of Christ: not a man for a sabbath, but a sabbath for a man(Mark 2:27). The law is given so that a person grows, so that a person lived so that he can act creatively, so that he can build a life; and therefore to subject a person to the law so that the law kills is wrong, sinful, ungodly. The letter kills, the spirit gives life, says elsewhere in Scripture (2 Cor 3:6). Spirit, that is, the meaning that is put into the law, the meaning of what is said, and the intention that is put into it, is the spirit of this law. The Pharisees and scribes, who denounced Christ as if He did good with an unclean spirit, also asserted that His preaching was supposedly a work of evil. But they knew by their inner experience and their learning that He did not in any way go against the teaching of Holy Scripture, God-revealed Scripture. And therefore, rejecting Christ, they blasphemed that Holy Spirit, Who inspired the Scriptures of the Old Testament, Who brought forth the prophets, and Who now spoke through the mouth of the Savior Christ.
We need to understand that this topic does not only apply to the preaching of Christ Himself, it applies to each of us as a formidable, stern warning. When we know that in this or that that is happening around us, the power of God is at work, when we know from inner experience, as if from some kind of inner evidence, truth, conscience that we have, that the words that we hear , are not a lie, but the truth, no matter who pronounces them, but we do not want to accept them, because a person who says them is “alien” to us, then we also stand on the threshold of blasphemy against the Holy Spirit. The apostle Paul expressed himself remarkably boldly in this regard. He says that he rejoices in the preaching of the gospel, even if it is hypocritical: although he who hypocrites will be condemned, the word of truth he preaches will reach the soul of every person who is able to receive it (see Phil 1:15-18).
And so we have to think about ourselves. It often happens: because we do not respect a person, because he does not belong to our environment, because he is in some way our rival or opponent, an ideological adversary, not material, not selfish we are easily ready to see evil in him, ready to deny the good that he does, and the living, good word that he utters. This is how the disciples of Christ reacted to a man who worked miracles in His name, but was not with them. They banned him because he doesn't follow us(Mark 9:38). Yes, many people “do not walk with us”, but walk with God. And therefore, we should be careful and not rush to condemn people for being “not ours”, all the more do not rush to assume that what they say is not from the Holy Spirit, not true, just because they are “not from our" group of people. We sin against the Holy Spirit much more subtly than if we simply denied that Christ is the Son of God. We don't do this, of course. But how carefully should we treat what we hear from our neighbor when we hear the truth that sounds in his words, despite the fact that he is not our comrade, our colleague! ..
5. SATURDAY HEALING (3:1-5) (MATT 12:9-14; LUKE 6:6-11)
Mar. 3:1-2. And he came again to the synagogue (probably in the same Capernaum - 1:21) on another Sabbath day and there he met a man who had a withered hand (Luke specifies that "right"; Luke 6:6). And they watched (Pharisees - 3:6) for Him, what He would do, looking for a reason to accuse Him. The fact is that, according to the establishment of the lawyers, it was possible to heal on the Sabbath only if a person was threatened with death. In this case, there was nothing urgent from their point of view, and therefore, if Jesus healed the withered hand on Saturday, then He could be accused of violating the Sabbath, for which, as you know, the death penalty was due (Ex. 31:14-17 ).
Mar. 3:3-4. He says to the man who had the withered hand: stand in the middle, that is, so that everyone can see him. He then asked the Pharisees a rhetorical question as to which of the two deeds (or actions) is consistent with the purpose and spirit of the Sabbath—in accordance with the Mosaic Law: Is it a good deed to save a soul (life; compare 8:35-36)? Or an evil deed - in order to destroy the soul, that is, to kill a person? The answer is obvious: do good... save your soul.
Meanwhile, not to heal the withered hand for the sake of an incorrect interpretation of the spirit of the Sabbath (2:27) would mean committing evil; moreover, as subsequent events showed, the Pharisees were not afraid to conspire with the Herodians on Saturday (3:6) to kill Jesus ("to destroy his soul"). Such is the logic of the development of evil. But at that moment, "doing good" on the Sabbath was at stake in the moral, not the legal aspect of this problem, and therefore the Pharisees preferred not to enter into an argument with Jesus.
Mar. 3:5. And looking at them with anger… A more accurate translation from the original Greek would have sounded like this: “And looking around those around them with an all-penetrating gaze (compare verse 34; 5:32; 10:23; 11:11), (He) fixed his angry gaze on them” (on the Pharisees). This is one of the few places in the New Testament where the wrath of Jesus is spoken of in no uncertain terms. But even here, of course, “evil anger” is not supposed, rather, indignation mixed with deep bitterness and sadness about their stubborn “insensitivity” (hardening of their hearts; compare Rom. 11:25; Eph. 4:18) as God’s mercy, and human grief.
To that man Jesus said, Stretch out your hand. And when he did so, his hand was immediately healed, and became healthy, like the other. However, Jesus did not perform any "visible actions" that could be regarded as "work" on the Sabbath day. As "Lord of the Sabbath" (Mark 2:28), Jesus "released" her from her legalistic burden, and by His mercy delivered the sick from his illness.
E. Conclusion: The Pharisees Reject Jesus (3:6)
Mar. 3:6. The section that repeatedly refers to Jesus' clashes with the religious leaders in Galilee reaches its climax in this verse (2:1-3:5). For the first time in connection with Jesus, Mark openly writes here about death, which from that time begins to cast its sinister shadow over His entire mission.
The Pharisees…immediately plotted with the Herodians (an influential political group that supported Herod Antipas) to kill Jesus (compare 15:31-32). The authority of Christ stood in the way of their own, and clearly surpassed it, and therefore they set out to destroy Him. It remained to decide how to do it.
IV. The continuation of Jesus' ministry in Galilee (3:7 - 6:6a)
The second of the main sections of the Gospel of Mark begins and ends structurally in the same way as the first (compare 1:14-15 with 3:7-12 and 1:16-20 with 3:13-19, and 3:6 with 6:1 -6a). It shows how, in the face of opposition to Him and unbelief in Him, Jesus continued to carry out His mission.
A. The Ministry of Christ in the Sea of Galilee - an introductory overview (3:7-12) (Matt. 12:14-21)
Mar. 3:7-10. This section is similar in its general nature to 2:13. Here, however, there is an "addition"; it is said that Jesus withdrew to the sea with his disciples, who shared with him the consequences of both the hostility of the people and their delight and cordiality, the object of which was their Teacher.
Many Galileans followed Him (in the sense of "accompanied Him on His path") being attracted by what He did (first of all, by the miraculous healings that He performed), and, besides them, Jesus was followed by many people from the south - from Judea, Jerusalem, Idumea; from the east - because of the Jordan; from the coastal northern cities - Tyre and Sidon (i.e., from Phoenicia). In all these places (with the exception of Idumea) Jesus spent some time (5:1; 7:24,31; 10:1; 11:11).
So great was the impression of the healings He performed and the desire of the people who had ulcers to at least touch Him was so irresistible that He had to tell His disciples to prepare a boat for Him ... so that they would not crowd Him. Only Mark gives this detail, apparently based on the recollections of an eyewitness - the Apostle Peter.
Mar. 3:11-12. In the crowd that accompanied Christ, there were people possessed by unclean spirits that guided their words and deeds. These spirits did not doubt that before them was the Son of God, as they understood how dangerous He was for them. Here and there they acknowledged Him, but He rejected their "recognition" and commanded them (1:25; 4:39; 8:30,32:33; 9:25) not to make Him known (cf. from 1:24-25.34). By appeasing them, who cried out before the time, Jesus thus showed His submission to God's plan, which provided for the gradual revelation of His Person and the nature of His mission.
B. Jesus Appointment of the Twelve (3:13-19) (Matt. 10:1-4; Luke 6:12-16)
Mar. 3:13. Leaving the coastal valley, He ascended a mountain (in central Galilee). On His own initiative, He called to Himself whom He Himself wanted, namely the twelve disciples (3:16-19), and they came to Him from the crowd (Luke 6:13). Mark had previously said that Christ had many other disciples (Mark 2:15).
Mar. 3:14-15. Of the above "set" He appointed or appointed (literally "made") twelve, having in mind two goals: a) that they be with Him (the thought immediately comes that for a more thorough preparation of them); b) to send them to preach and at the same time give them the power to heal from diseases and cast out demons (which they will do in the future - 6:7-13).
The number 12 corresponds here to the number of the 12 tribes of Israel, and this emphasizes the "claim" of Christ on the entire Israelite people. The very word "twelve" became, as it were, a common official "title" for this group of disciples chosen by Christ (4:10; 6:7; 9:35; 10:32; 11:11; 14:10,17,12,43). Although this group was linked by "blood and spirit" to Israel, nowhere in the New Testament are they called the new or spiritual "Israel." Rather, they became the original cell or core of the new coming community, the Church (Matt. 16:16-20; Acts 1:5-8).
Mar. 3:16-19. In these verses the traditional enumeration by name of the Twelve is given. First on the "list" is Simon (compare 14:37), whom Jesus later named Peter (compare John 1:42), the Greek equivalent of the Aramaic word kipha, meaning "stone." Jesus may have had in mind the leading role of Peter among the apostles, both during his lifetime and at the early stage of the formation of the Church (Mat. 16:16-20; Eph. 2:20); hardly his new name characterized Simon as a person.
Next come James Zebedee and John, brother of James, to whom Jesus gave the nickname Boanerges, that is, "sons of Thunder" (Mark 9:38; 10:35-39; Luke 9:54); the semantic nuance of this nickname, which Jesus could mean, is unknown.
With the exception of Andrew (Mark 1:16; 13:3), Judas Iscariot (14:10,43) and, perhaps, James of Alpheus (as James "the lesser" - 15:40), the names of the other apostles in the Gospel of Mark no longer meet; they are named only here: Philip (John 1:43-45), Bartholomew (aka Nathanael; John 1:45-51), Matthew (Levi - Mark 2:14), Thomas (John 11:16 ; 14:5; 20:24-28; 21:2), Jacob Alpheus (not necessarily the brother of Levi - Mark 2:14), Thaddeus (Judas Jacob - Luke 6:16; Acts 1:13) and Simon Zealot (also known as Simon the Zealot; Luke 6:15; this last nickname could be inspired by his great "zeal for God" ("zealot" means "zealous"), or his belonging to the "zealot party", which had a pronounced nationalist direction ). Of all the twelve, only Judas Iscariot (i.e., originally from the city of Cariot) was not a Galilean - John. 6:71; 13:26; it was he who later betrayed Christ (Mark 14:10-11,43-46).
C. The accusation of Jesus that He works by the power of Beelzebub; He speaks of who truly constitutes His family (3:26-35)
This section is built on the "sandwich principle", as the story of Jesus' family (verses 20-21, 31-35) is interrupted in the middle by the accusation that Jesus works by the power of Beelzebub (verses 22-30). Mark resorts to this literary device repeatedly (5:21-43; 6:7-31; 11:12-26; 14:1-11,27-52) for various reasons. In this case, he wanted to draw a parallel between the accusations leveled against Christ (3:21 and 30), and at the same time point out the difference between opposition to Jesus and blasphemy against the Holy Spirit working through Him.
1. THE CONCERN OF THE FAMILY OF JESUS (3:20-21)
Mar. 3:20-21. What is said in these verses is found only in Mark. When Jesus and His disciples entered the house (in Capernaum, 2:1-2), so many people crowded into this house that it was impossible for them to even eat bread (compare with 6:31). And having heard that in His unceasing activity He was not able to take care of His needs, His neighbors (in the Greek text - the words denoting family members; 3:31) went (apparently from Nazareth) to take Him (here the word , meaning "to take by force"; it is also used in 6:17; 12:12; 14:1,44,46, 51), since people said that He went out of Himself (meaning "turned into a mad religious fanatic"; compare Acts 26:24; 2 Cor. 5:13).
2. JESUS denies that he works by the power of Beelzebub (3:22-30) (MATT. 12:22-32; LUKE 11:14-23; 12:10)
Mar. 3:22. Meanwhile, a delegation of scribes came from Jerusalem to "deal" with Jesus. It was they who began to say that He has a Beelzebub in Himself (that is, possessed by an unclean spirit - verse 30) and that he casts out demons by the power of the demonic prince (verse 23).
In the Hebrew language there were two consonant words - "baalzebub", meaning "god of flies" (the name of one of the Canaanite gods; 2 Kings 1:2), and later - "baalzebul", which in the New Testament context began to be called the "master of evil spirits" (Matt. 10:25 Luke 11:17-22); however, in the Russian text of the Old Testament (2 Kings 1:2) the same spelling as in the New Testament is "Beelzebub".
Mar. 3:23-27. Jesus answered this accusation with parables (in the sense of short sayings, not "parables - stories"). And first He answered the second accusation (verses 23-26), showing all the absurdity of it, built on the assumption that Satan would cast out Satan. He resorted to two examples to show the obvious: if the kingdom (or house - in the sense of the family and everything belonging to it) are divided in themselves, that is, for their own purposes and intentions, then they will not be able to stand.
The same is true of Satan, assuming that Satan rebelled against himself and his sphere of action was divided. This would mean that the end of him has come - not in the sense of his existence, but the end of his power and influence. Since Satan remains in power (compare verse 27 and 1 Pet. 5:8), this assumption is false. Therefore, the accusation of Jesus that He allegedly casts out demons by the power of "the prince of demons" is also false.
The analogy at 3:27 dismisses the first charge (verse 22). Satan is "strong". And the house of the strong is the realm of sin, sickness, demonic possession, and death. His things are people enslaved by one or many "attributes" of the mentioned "kingdom". And demons are the "servants" of the devil, fulfilling his orders. No one, having entered the "house of the strong," can plunder his things, unless he first binds the strong (that is, if he does not turn out to be stronger).
Only in this case, the “enterer” will plunder his house, that is, he will free the “captives of sin”, enslaved by Satan. And in the temptations to which He was subjected (1:12-13), and the fact of casting out demons, Christ showed that He is the Mightiest, drawing His strength from the Holy Spirit (3:29). His task is to enter into a struggle with Satan (and not in cooperation with him) and defeat him - in order to free those whom he has captured.
Mar. 3:28-30. Continuing to respond to the accusations leveled against Him, Jesus issued a stern warning. The words I truly say to you ... (literally - "what I say to you - amen") - this is a kind of formula of solemn confirmation of what was said (used 13 times in Mark), which is found only in the Gospels and is pronounced only by Christ.
Here is the content of the warning: the sons of men will be forgiven all sins and blasphemy (scornful words; it is understood, addressed to God), with the exception of the blasphemy against the Holy Spirit. Judging by the context, Jesus did not mean individual words or actions of people, but their hostile attitude towards God, expressed in the rejection of His saving man's power, which operates in the Person anointed by the Holy Spirit, i.e. in Him - in Jesus Christ.
This attitude is caused by a stubborn desire to remain in darkness even when the light of truth has shone on a person (John 3:19). This stubbornness and conscious unbelief can so harden his heart that the need for repentance, and, accordingly, forgiveness (the source of both is the Spirit of God) will be impossible for him. Such a person is subject to ... eternal condemnation (compare Matt. 12:32). An example of this is Judas Iscariot (Mark 3:29; 14:43-46).
Mark explains that Jesus said this because they continued to say (scribes - 3:22): He has an unclean spirit in him.
In essence, Jesus did not say that the scribes had already committed the unforgivable sin mentioned; rather, He signaled that they were close to the "dangerous line" by claiming that Jesus was working with demonic power, while He was working with the power of the Holy Spirit. They came close to calling the Holy Spirit "Satan."
3. THE TRUE FAMILY OF JESUS (3:31-35) (MATT 12:46-50; LUKE 8:19-21; 11:27-28)
Mar. 3:31-32. The announcement of the arrival of the mother of Jesus and His brothers (6:3) resumes the narrative interrupted at 3:21. Standing outside the house, they sent to Him to call Him; their purpose, obviously, was to talk with Him, so that they would moderate His activities.
Mar. 3:33-35. Jesus' rhetorical question (verse 33) did not signify His rejection of family ties (7:10-13). But by placing it, He transferred the attention of the listeners to a topic that is much more important, namely, to the relationship of man with God. "Question" this essentially meant: "Who are the people who could be my mother and brothers?" And surveying (here, as in 3:5, from the Greek verb periblepomai, i.e. literally - “looking around with an all-pervading look”) those who were sitting around Him (and His disciples were sitting around Him, in contrast to those who were standing outside the house) , Jesus declared that the bond that binds them and Him is much stronger than family bonds.
But further on, Jesus deliberately expands the framework that accommodates those who are truly close to Him, and makes it clear that their circle will not be limited to those who are currently close to Him. For whoever does the will of God, He declared, that one is My brother and sister and mother. In the Greek text, the words "brother", "sister", "mother" are without articles, and this indicates their use in a figurative sense; Jesus is talking about His spiritual family. It is the fulfillment of the will of God (for example, 1:14-20) that is an indispensable condition for membership in it.
D. The Character of the Kingdom of God in the Parables of Jesus (4:1-34)
The few parables given here form the first of a large section in the Gospel of Mark dealing with the ministry of Jesus Christ (also 13:3-37). Mark chose these parables (4:2,10,13,33) from a number of others because they present the character of the Kingdom of God to the listeners (compare 4:11 with 1:15).
Jesus speaks His parables in the face of ever-increasing hostility towards Him on the part of the "religious" (compare 2:3 - 3:6,22-30), but at the same time - and the growing popularity of Him among the people (compare 1:45; 2: 2:13,15; 3:7-8). However, both of them testified that people for the most part did not understand Who He was.
"Parable" comes from the Greek word "parabole", meaning "comparison". It can mean various forms of allegorical speech (for example, 2:19-22; 3:23-25; 4:3-9,26-32; 7:15-17; 13:28). But usually a gospel parable is a short story that conveys spiritual truth through a lively, intelligible comparison with what is well known to people from observations of nature and from everyday life.
Usually the parable expresses one truth, but sometimes it contains additional meaning (4:3-9,13-20; 12:1-12). The parable, as it were, invites listeners to become participants in what is "happening" in it, to think about it, evaluate it and apply it personally to themselves. (Table of 35 parables recorded in the Gospels - in the commentary on Matt. 7:24-27.)
Comments on Chapter 3
INTRODUCTION TO THE GOSPEL OF MARK
SYNOPTIC GOSPEL
The first three gospels - Matthew, Mark, Luke - are known as the synoptic gospels. Word synoptic comes from two Greek words meaning see the common that is, to consider in parallel and see common places.
Undoubtedly the most important of the Gospels mentioned is the Gospel of Mark. It can even be said that it is the most important book in the world, because almost everyone agrees that this gospel was written before anyone else and, therefore, it is the first of the lives of Jesus that have come down to us. Probably, even before that they tried to record the history of the life of Jesus, but, without a doubt, the Gospel of Mark is the earliest of the surviving and extant biographies of Jesus.
THE Rise of the Gospels
When thinking about the question of the origin of the Gospels, one must keep in mind that in that era there were no printed books in the world. The gospels were written long before the invention of printing, in an era when every book, every copy had to be carefully and painstakingly written by hand. Obviously, as a result, only a very small number of copies of each book existed.
How can you know, or from what can you conclude that the Gospel of Mark was written before the others? Even when reading the synoptic gospels in translation, one can see a remarkable similarity between them. They contain the same events, often conveyed in the same words, and the information they contain about the teachings of Jesus Christ often almost completely coincides. If we compare the event of the saturation of five thousand (Mar. 6, 30 - 44; Mat. 14, 13-21; Onion. 9, 10 - 17) is striking that it is written in almost the same words and in the same manner. Another clear example is the story of the healing and forgiveness of the paralyzed (Mar. 2, 1-12; Mat. 9, 1-8; Onion. 5, 17 - 26). The stories are so similar that even the words "said to the paralytic" are given in all three Gospels in the same place. Correspondences and coincidences are so obvious that one of two conclusions suggests itself: either all three authors took information from one source, or two of the three relied on a third.
On closer examination, the Gospel of Mark can be divided into 105 episodes, of which 93 occur in the Gospel of Matthew and 81 in the Gospel of Luke, and only four episodes do not occur in the Gospels of Matthew and Luke. But even more convincing is the following fact. The Gospel of Mark has 661 verses, the Gospel of Matthew has 1068, and the Gospel of Luke has 1149 verses. Of the 661 verses in the Gospel of Mark, 606 verses are given in the Gospel of Matthew. Matthew's expressions sometimes differ from those of Mark, but nevertheless Matthew uses 51% words used by Mark. Of the same 661 verses in the Gospel of Mark, 320 verses are used in the Gospel of Luke. In addition, Luke uses 53% of the words that Mark actually used. Only 55 verses of the Gospel of Mark are not found in the Gospel of Matthew, but 31 of these 55 verses are found in Luke. Thus, only 24 verses from the Gospel of Mark are not found in either Matthew or Luke. All this indicates that both Matthew and Luke seem to have used the Gospel of Mark as the basis for writing their gospels.
But the following fact convinces us even more. Both Matthew and Luke largely follow Mark's order of events.
Sometimes this order is broken by Matthew or Luke. But these changes in Matthew and Luke never do not match.
One of them always keeps the order of events accepted by Mark.
A close examination of these three gospels shows that the Gospel of Mark was written before the Gospels of Matthew and Luke, and they used the Gospel of Mark as a basis and added whatever additional information they wanted to include in it.
It takes your breath away when you think that when you read the Gospel of Mark, you read the first biography of Jesus, on which the authors of all his subsequent biographies relied.
MARK, AUTHOR OF THE GOSPEL
What do we know about Mark, who wrote the Gospel? Much is said about him in the New Testament. He was the son of a wealthy Jerusalem woman named Mary, whose house served as a meeting place and prayer place for the early Christian church. (Acts. 12, 12). Mark from childhood was brought up in the midst of the Christian brotherhood.
In addition, Mark was Barnabas' nephew, and when Paul and Barnabas went on their first missionary journey, they took Mark with them as a secretary and assistant. (Acts 12:25). This trip turned out to be extremely unsuccessful for Mark. Arriving with Barnabas and Mark in Perga, Paul offered to go deep into Asia Minor to the central plateau and here, for some reason, Mark left Barnabas and Paul and returned home to Jerusalem (Acts 13:13). Maybe he turned back because he wanted to avoid the dangers of the road, which was one of the most difficult and dangerous in the world, difficult to travel on and full of robbers. Maybe he returned, because the leadership of the expedition was increasingly transferred to Paul, and Mark did not like that his uncle, Barnabas, was pushed into the background. Maybe he returned because he didn't approve of what Paul was doing. John Chrysostom - maybe in a flash of insight - said that Mark went home because he wanted to live with his mother.
Having completed their first missionary journey, Paul and Barnabas were about to embark on a second. Barnabas again wanted to take Mark with him. But Paul refused to have anything with the man "who had fallen behind them in Pamphylia" (Acts. 15, 37-40). The differences between Paul and Barnabas were so significant that they parted and, as far as we know, never worked together again.
For several years, Mark disappeared from our field of vision. According to legend, he went to Egypt and founded a church in Alexandria. We, however, do not know the truth, but we know that he has reappeared in the strangest way. To our surprise, we learn that Mark was with Paul in prison in Rome when Paul wrote his Epistle to the Colossians. (Col. 4, 10). In another letter to Philemon written in prison (v. 23), Paul lists Mark as one of his co-workers. And in anticipation of his death, and already very close to his end, Paul writes to Timothy, his former right hand: "Take Mark and bring with you, for I need him for service" (2 Tim. 4, 11). What has changed since Paul branded Mark a man without restraint. Whatever happened, Mark corrected his mistake. Paul needed him when his end was near.
INFORMATION SOURCES
The value of what is written depends on the sources from which the information is taken. Where did Mark get information about the life and deeds of Jesus? We have already seen that his house was from the beginning the center of the Christians in Jerusalem. He must have often listened to people who knew Jesus personally. It is also possible that he had other sources of information.
Around the end of the second century, there lived a man named Papias, a bishop of the church in the city of Hierapolis, who loved to collect information about the early days of the Church. He said that the Gospel of Mark is nothing more than a record of the sermons of the Apostle Peter. Without a doubt, Mark stood so close to Peter and was so close to his heart that he could call him "Mark, my son" (1 Pet. 5, 13). Here is what Papia says:
"Mark, who was the interpreter of Peter, wrote down with accuracy, but not in order, everything that he remembered from the words and deeds of Jesus Christ, because he did not hear the Lord himself and was not His disciple; he became later, as I said, Peter's disciple ; Peter connected his instruction with practical needs, not even trying to convey the word of the Lord in a sequential order. So Mark did the right thing, writing down from memory, because he cared only about how not to miss or distort anything from what he heard " .
Therefore, for two reasons, we consider the Gospel of Mark to be an extremely important book. First, it is the very first Gospel, and if it was written shortly after the death of the Apostle Peter, it refers to the year 65. Secondly, it contains the sermons of the apostle Peter: what he taught and what he preached about Jesus Christ. In other words, the Gospel of Mark is the closest eyewitness account we have of the life of Jesus to the truth.
LOST ENDING
Let us note an important point concerning the Gospel of Mark. In its original form, it ends in Mar. 16, 8. We know this for two reasons. First, the following verses (Mar. 16:9-20) are missing from all important early manuscripts; they are found only in later and less important manuscripts. Second, style Greek so different from the rest of the manuscript that the last verses could not have been written by the same person.
But intentions stop at Mar. 16, 8 the author could not have. What then happened? Perhaps Mark died, and perhaps even the death of a martyr, before he could complete the Gospel. But it is quite probable that only one copy of the Gospel once remained, moreover, its ending could also be lost. Once upon a time, the Church made little use of the Gospel of Mark, preferring to it the Gospel of Matthew and Luke. Perhaps the Gospel of Mark was forgotten precisely because all copies were lost except for the one with the lost ending. If so, we were within a hair's breadth of losing the gospel, which in many ways is the most important of all.
FEATURES OF THE GOSPEL OF MARK
Let's pay attention to the features of the Gospel of Mark and analyze them.
1) It comes closest to the eyewitness account of the life of Jesus Christ. Mark's task was to depict Jesus as He was. Wescott called the Gospel of Mark "a copy from life." A. B. Bruce said that it was written "like a living love memory", that its most important feature in its realism.
2) Mark never forgot the divine attributes in Jesus. Mark begins his gospel with a statement of his creed of faith. "The Beginning of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God". He leaves us in no doubt as to who he believed Jesus to be. Mark speaks again and again of the impression Jesus made on the minds and hearts of those who heard him. Mark always remembers the awe and wonder He inspired. "And they marveled at his teaching" (1, 22); "And everyone was horrified" (1, 27) - such phrases are found in Mark again and again. This wonder struck not only the minds of the people in the crowd listening to Him; still greater astonishment reigned in the minds of His closest disciples. "And they feared with great fear, and said to one another, Who is this, that both the wind and the sea obey Him?" (4, 41). "And they were exceedingly amazed at themselves and marveled" (6:51). "The disciples were horrified at His words" (10:24). "They were extremely amazed" (10, 26).
For Mark, Jesus was not just a man among men; He was a God among men, continually astonishing and terrifying men by His words and deeds.
3) And, at the same time, no other Gospel shows the humanity of Jesus so vividly. Sometimes His image is so close to the image of a man that other authors change it a little, because they are almost afraid to repeat what Mark says. In Mark Jesus is "just a carpenter" (6, 3). Matthew would later change this and say "son of the carpenter" (Mat 13:55), as if to call Jesus a village craftsman is a big audacity. Speaking of the temptations of Jesus, Mark writes: "Immediately thereafter the Spirit leads Him (original: drives) into the wilderness" (1, 12). Matthew and Luke do not want to use this word drive towards Jesus, so they soften him up and say, "Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness" (Mat. 4, 1). "Jesus... was led by the Spirit into the wilderness" (Onion. 4, 1). No one told us as much about Jesus' feelings as Mark did. Jesus took a deep breath (7, 34; 8, 12). Jesus had compassion (6, 34). He marveled at their unbelief (6, 6). He looked at them with anger (3, 5; 10, 14). Only Mark told us that Jesus, looking at a young man with a large estate, fell in love with him (10:21). Jesus could feel hungry (11,12). He could feel tired and need to rest (6, 31).
It was in the Gospel of Mark that the image of Jesus came down to us with the same feelings as we have. The pure humanity of Jesus in Mark's portrayal makes him closer to us.
4) One of the important features of Mark's writing style is that he again and again weaves into the text vivid pictures and details characteristic of an eyewitness account. Both Matthew and Mark tell how Jesus called a child and placed him in the center. Matthew relates this event thus: "Jesus, having called a child, placed him in the midst of them." Mark adds something that throws a bright light on the whole picture (9:36): "And he took the child, put him in the midst of them, and embracing him, he said to them. . . ". And to the beautiful picture of Jesus and the children, when Jesus reproaches the disciples for not letting children come to Him, only Mark adds this touch: "and having embraced them, laid his hands on them and blessed them" (Mar. 10, 13 - 16; cf. Mat. 19, 13 - 15; Onion. 18, 15 - 17). These small living touches convey all the tenderness of Jesus. In the story of the feeding of the five thousand, only Mark indicates that they sat down in rows. one hundred and fifty like the beds in the garden (6, 40) and the whole picture vividly rises before our eyes. Describing the last journey of Jesus and His disciples to Jerusalem, only Mark tells us that "Jesus went ahead of them" (10, 32; cf. Mat. 20, 17 and Luke. 18:32), and with this short phrase emphasizes the loneliness of Jesus. And in the story of how Jesus calmed the storm, Mark has a short phrase that other gospel writers do not have. "He slept aft at the head"(4, 38). And this little touch enlivens the picture before our eyes. There is no doubt that these small details are due to the fact that Peter was a living witness to these events and now saw them again in his mind's eye.
5) The realism and simplicity of Mark's presentation are also manifested in the style of his Greek writing.
a) His style is not marked by careful workmanship and brilliance. Mark talks like a child. To one fact, he adds another fact, connecting them only with the union "and". In the Greek original of the third chapter of the Gospel of Mark, he cites 34 main and subordinate clauses one after the other, beginning with their union "and", with one semantic verb. That's what a diligent child says.
b) Mark is very fond of the words "immediately" and "immediately". They are found in the Gospel about 30 times. Sometimes the story is said to flow. The story of Mark does not rather flow, but rushes swiftly, without taking a breath; and the reader sees the events described so vividly, as if he were present at them.
c) Mark is very fond of using the historical present tense of the verb, talking about a past event, he talks about it in the present tense. "Hearing this, Jesus speaks them: it is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick "(2, 17). "When they approached Jerusalem, to Bethphage and to Bethany, to the Mount of Olives, Jesus sends two of his students and speaks them: enter the village which is right in front of you..." (11, 1.2). "And immediately, while He was still speaking, comes Judas, one of the twelve "(14, 49). This real historical, characteristic of both Greek and Russian, but inappropriate, for example, in English, shows us how events are alive in Mark's mind, as if everything happened before his eyes .
d) Very often he quotes the same Aramaic words that Jesus spoke. To the daughters of Jairus, Jesus says: "talifa-ku Oii!" (5, 41). To the deaf tongue-tied He says: "effafa"(7, 34). God's gift is "korvan"(7, 11); In the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus says: "Abba, Father" (14, 36); on the cross he cries: "Eloy, Aloy, lamma sava-hfani!"(15, 34). Sometimes the voice of Jesus sounded in Peter's ears again, and he could not help relaying to Mark in the same words that Jesus spoke.
THE MOST IMPORTANT GOSPEL
It won't be unfair if we call the Gospel of Mark the most important gospel. We will do well if we lovingly and diligently study the earliest Gospels at our disposal, in which we will again hear the apostle Peter.
COLLISION OF IDEAS (Mark 3:1-6)
This is a critical episode in the life of Jesus. Even before that, it became clear that He looks at everything completely differently than the orthodox leaders of Jewish society. Just to decide to go to the synagogue again at all, Jesus had to be a man of great courage. This is what a person does who does not want to seek peace and who decides to look into the eyes of danger. In the synagogue were the messengers of the Sanhedrin. They could not go unnoticed, because the front seats in the synagogue were honorary and they sat there. The duties of the Sanhedrin included, among other things, to watch for anyone who could mislead the people and lead people astray. And the representatives of the Sanhedrin just thought that they were watching such a troublemaker. The last thing they intended now was to honor God and learn the truth: they had to watch every action of Jesus.
In the synagogue at that time there was a man with a paralyzed arm. The Greek word used in the original means that he was not born with such a hand, but acquired it as a result of an illness. The Gospel of the Hebrews, of which only a few fragments survive, says that the man was once a builder-mason, and that he begged Jesus to help him because he earned his living with his hands and was ashamed to beg. If Jesus had been a prudent man, He would have tried not to notice this man, because He knew that if He healed him, He would bring Himself trouble. It was the Sabbath and all work was forbidden, and healing was also work. The Jewish law is clear and specific about this.
Medical assistance could be provided only if a person's life was in danger. So, for example, on Saturday it was possible to help a woman in labor, to treat an infection of the larynx; if a wall collapsed on a person, he could be freed enough to find out whether he was alive or not. The living could be helped, the body had to be left until the next day. The fracture could not be treated; couldn't even get wet cold water sprain in the arm or leg. A cut finger could be covered with a simple bandage, but not with ointment. In other words, at best, it was possible to prevent the deterioration of the condition, but not to improve it. It is very difficult for us to understand all this. The attitude of a strictly Orthodox Jew towards the Sabbath can best be seen from the fact that such a strictly Orthodox Jew would not even defend his life on the Sabbath. During the Maccabean Wars, when resistance broke out in Palestine, some rebellious Jews took refuge in caves, while how the Syrian soldiers pursued them. The Jewish historian Josephus tells that the Syrians gave them the opportunity to surrender, but the Jews refused to surrender even then, "the Syrians fought against the Jews on Saturday and burned them (alive) when they were in the caves, without offering any resistance and even not blocking the entrance to the caves. They refused to defend themselves on this day, because they did not want to desecrate the rest of the Sabbath even in misfortune and suffering; because our laws require that we rest on this day. " When the Roman general Pompey laid siege to Jerusalem, his defenders took refuge behind the fence of the temple. Pompey proceeded to build a mound, which was supposed to be higher than this wall, and from which he could bombard the Jews with a hail of stones and arrows. Pompey knew Jewish customs and ordered that this embankment be built on the Sabbath, and the Jews did not lift a finger to protect or prevent the construction of this embankment, although they knew very well that by this Sabbath inactivity they themselves were signing their own death warrant. The Romans, who had compulsory military service, were subsequently forced to exempt the Jews from it, because no strictly Orthodox Jew would fight on the Sabbath. The attitude of Orthodox Jews towards the Sabbath was cruel and adamant.
And Jesus knew that this stonemason's life was not in danger. Physically, he wouldn't be much worse if he stayed with that hand until the next day. But for Jesus it was a test, and He faced it openly and honestly. He told the bricklayer to get up from his seat and stand so that everyone could see him. There appear to have been two reasons for this. Maybe Jesus wanted to once again try to awaken in people sympathy for the stonemason with a paralyzed hand, showing them his misfortune. It is also certain that Jesus wanted to make everything so that everyone could see it. He asked the lawyers two questions. Firstly: Should one do good on the Sabbath or do evil? And, thus putting them before a difficult choice, he forced them to agree that according to the law it is possible to do good on the Sabbath and that He intends to do a good deed. The lawyers were forced to declare that it was against the law to do evil, and that it was certainly wrong to leave a person in an unfortunate state if there was a way to help him. And then Jesus asked them: must on the Sabbath save or destroy? Thus, trying to show them the matter in its true light, He intended to save the soul of this unfortunate man, and They tried to find a way to kill Him. In any case, no doubt it was better to answer that it was better to think of helping a person than to think of killing. And therefore it is not surprising that the lawyers had nothing to answer!
After that, Jesus healed the unfortunate with one powerful word; and the Pharisees came out of the synagogue and tried to conspire with the Herodians to kill Jesus. This shows what the Pharisees were up to. Not a single Pharisee would normally enter into business relations with pagans, with people who did not keep the law: such people were considered unclean. The Herodians are the courtiers of Herod; they were constantly in contact with the Romans. In all other cases, the Pharisees would have considered these people unclean, but now they were ready to enter into, according to their understanding, an unholy alliance with them. Their hearts boiled with hatred that would stop at nothing.
This passage is very important because it shows the clash of two understandings of religion.
1. For the Pharisees, religion was ritual; religion meant for them the observance of certain rules and norms. Jesus broke those rules and regulations, and so they were really convinced that He bad person. They were like those people who think that religion is going to church, reading the Bible, praying before meals, praying at home, and observing all those external norms that are considered religious; but who, nevertheless, never took part in anything, never sympathized with anyone, never sacrificed for someone - convinced of their rigid orthodoxy, deaf to the cry for help and blind to the tears of the world.
2. For Jesus, religion was service. Religion was for Him the same as love for God and love for people. Compared to love in action, the ritual made no sense to Him.
Our Friend, our Brother and our Lord
How can I serve you?
No name, no form, no ritual word,
Just to follow You.
The most important thing in the world for Jesus was not the exact observance of the ritual, but a direct response to the human cry for help.
AMONG THE CROWD OF PEOPLE (Mark 3:7-12)
If Jesus did not want a frontal confrontation with the authorities, He should have left the synagogue. He did not leave out of fear, He did not leave because he was afraid of the consequences of His action. But His hour had not yet come, He still had much to do and say before going to the final conflict. And so He left the synagogue and went out to the shore of the lake under the open sky. But even here crowds of people flocked to Him from afar. They came from all over Galilee, many came hundreds of miles from Jerusalem to Judea to see and hear Him. Idumea is the ancient kingdom of Edom, far to the south, between the southern border of Palestine and Arabia. They also came from the eastern bank of the Jordan and even from other countries: from the Phoenician cities of Tire and Sidon, which lay on the Mediterranean coast to the northwest of Galilee. The crowds were so large that it became dangerous that the crowd might overwhelm Him, and therefore a boat was kept ready on the shore; His healings brought even greater danger, because the sick no longer waited for Him to touch them - they rushed to Him to touch Him.
At this time, Jesus faced a special problem - with people possessed by demons. And these people called Jesus Son of God. What did they mean by this? Without a doubt, they did not know either the philosophical or theological meaning of this word. IN ancient world title Son God's was not at all unusual. Egyptian pharaohs were considered sons egyptian god Ra. Beginning with Octavian Augustus, many Roman emperors were called the sons of God. In the Old Testament, this title is used in four meanings:
1. Angels are called sons of God. To Job 1:6 speaks of the day when sons of god came to present themselves before the Lord. It was a common title for angels.
2. People of Israel - this is the son of God. God called his son from Egypt (Hos. 11:1). In Ex. 4:22 God says, "Thus says the Lord: Israel is my son, my firstborn."
3. The king of the people of Israel is the son of God. AT 2 Tsar. 7:14 God promises the king: "I will be his father, and he will me as a son."
4. In later books written between the Old and New Testaments, the son of God is a good man. IN Sir. 4:10 A man who is kind to orphans is promised, "You will be like the son of the Most High, and He will love you more than your mother."
In all these cases, the word son characterized by one who is especially close to God. And in the New Testament we see a similar use of the word, which may shed some light on its meaning. The apostle Paul calls Timothy my son(1 Tim. 12; 1, 18). Timothy was not at all related to the apostle Paul, but no one, as Paul says (Phil. 2:19-22), did not understand him as well as Timothy. The Apostle Peter calls my son Brand (1 Pet. 5:13), because no one else could convey his thoughts so well. Encountering this title in the simple-hearted text of the gospel story, one should not understand it in any philosophical or theological sense, or even in the sense of the Trinity; we must understand this in the sense that the relationship of Jesus to God was very close and there was no other word that could describe this relationship. Well, these possessed people felt that some kind of self-acting spirit was sitting in them; and at the same time they felt that Jesus was very close to God, and therefore, they thought, in the presence of such a person close to God, the demons could not live, and they were afraid of it. We may ask, "Why did Jesus insist on asking them not to talk about this aloud?" He had a simple and very important reason for this. Jesus was the Messiah, God's anointed King, but His idea of the Messiah was very different from general ideas. He saw in messianism a path of service, sacrifice and love, at the end of which He was expected to be crucified. In the general view, the Messiah is a victorious King who, with a mighty army, will drive out the Romans and lead the Jews to power over the world. Therefore, if rumors had spread about the appearance of the Messiah, rebellions and uprisings would inevitably have begun, especially in Galilee, where the people were always ready to follow any national leader. Jesus thought of messianism in terms of love; the people thought of messianism in terms of Jewish nationalism. Therefore, before proclaiming His messiahship, Jesus had to teach the people and point out the true meaning of messiahship. And at that moment, the news of the arrival of the Messiah could only bring harm and trouble. It would only lead to war and senseless bloodshed. First the people had to know who the Messiah really was, and such a premature announcement would have ruined the whole mission of Christ.
Elect (Mark 3:13-19)
This is a very important moment in the life and work of Jesus. He came with his gospel. He went through Galilee preaching and healing. By this time He had made a great impression on the people and public opinion. And now He had two very practical problems to solve: first, He had to find a way that would provide in the future, the further transmission of His gospel. And secondly, He had to find a way to spread His gospel widely, and this is not easy in an age where there were no books, no newspapers, no means that would simultaneously reach large masses. There was only one way to solve these two problems: Jesus had to choose people in whose hearts and lives He could record His gospel and who would go from Him and carry this gospel further. And here we see that He did just that.
Important, that Christianity began with a group of people. From the very beginning, the Christian faith needed and could be discovered and experienced within the brotherhood of people, among like-minded people. The whole point of the way the Pharisees acted and lived was that they separated the people from their fellows. The name itself Pharisee means chosen, selected; the whole point of Christianity was that it connected people with their fellow men and set before them the task of living with and for each other.
And besides, the group with which Christianity began was very heterogeneous. It was a meeting of opposites. Matthew was a tax collector and therefore an outcast, he was an apostate and a traitor to his countrymen. Simon the Canaanite is correctly called by the Evangelist Luke Simon the Zealot, and the Zealots were group fiery and furious nationalists who swore not to stop at murder and assassination in order to free their country from foreign oppression. In one group came together a fanatical patriot and a man devoid of any patriotism. And no doubt they were very different both in their origin and in their opinions. Christianity from the very beginning insisted that people of different backgrounds and views should live together, and it gave them this opportunity because they all lived with Jesus.
By worldly standards, the people Jesus chose were no different. They were not rich, they did not occupy a special position in society, they did not have any special education, they were also neither experienced theologians, nor clerics or church dignitaries; all twelve were ordinary people. But they possessed two special qualities. First, they felt the drawing power of Jesus. There was something in him that made them acknowledge him as their Lord; and secondly, they had the courage to openly show which side they were on. This undeniably required courage from them. After all, Jesus calmly violated and broke all norms and rules, went into collision with the orthodox leaders of the Jews; now He was branded as a sinner and a heretic, and yet they had the courage to go with Him. Nowhere has any group of people and like-minded people risked everything for such a hopeless enterprise as did the people of Galilee, and no one has ever done it with such a clear mind. Yes, these twelve had various shortcomings, but I must say, they loved Jesus Christ and were not afraid to declare to the world that they love Him - this is what it means to be a Christian. Jesus called them to Himself for two reasons. Firstly, that they be with him. He called them to be His constant companions. Others could come and go: today it was one crowd, tomorrow another; others may have wavered in their relationship to Him, but these twelve had to live the same life as He and live with Him all the time. And secondly, He called them to send them out into the world. He wanted them to be His representatives. He wanted them to tell others about Him. They were conquered in order to conquer others.
In order that they might accomplish their task, Jesus endowed them with certain abilities. First, He gave them the word of the gospel. They must become His messengers. One wise man said that no one has the right to become a teacher if he does not have his own teaching, or the teaching of another person, which he wants to proclaim with all the passion of his heart. People will always listen to those who have a word, who have something to say. Jesus gave His friends something to say. And besides, He gave them power and authority. They were also supposed to exorcise demons. They accompanied Him everywhere, and therefore they received a share of His power and authority.
If we want to know what it is like to be a follower of Jesus, we must think again about His early apostles.
JUDGMENT OF HIS HOUSEHOLDS (Mark 3:20-21)
Sometimes a person speaks in such a way that his words can only be understood as the fruit of bitter experience. Once, listing everything a person has to face in life, Jesus said: "And the enemies of a man are his household" (Mat. 10, 36). His family decided that he had lost his mind and that it was time to take him home. Let's see what could give them reason to think so.
1. Jesus left his house and his trade as a carpenter in Nazareth. It certainly was a good trade. It could provide Him with a livelihood. And suddenly He dropped everything, left home to become an itinerant preacher. And they believed that no reasonable person would quit a job that always brought money to become a wanderer who even had nowhere to lay his head.
2. Apparently, the moment of a frontal clash with the Orthodox leaders of the Jews was approaching. Some people can cause a lot of harm and trouble to a person, it is better to support them and it is dangerous to counteract them. No prudent person, they must have thought, would dare to oppose those in power, because he understands that in conflict with them he is always doomed to defeat. No one can challenge the scribes and Pharisees, believing that he will just get away with it.
3. Jesus had just created his organization, his society - and I must say, it was a rather strange society: it included fishermen, one converted tax collector, one fanatical nationalist. A really ambitious person would not look for acquaintance and friendship of these people. They, of course, could not be of any use to a person who intended to make a career. As a human being, no reasonable person would recruit such a rabble as friends. And no prudent and prudent person would want to be associated with such people.
By choosing such friends for Himself, Jesus made it clear that He was rejecting the three formulas by which people organize and build their lives.
1. He dropped the criterion reliability. For the most part, people in this world are looking for just that. Most of all, people want to get a secure job and a secure position, in which there would be as little material and financial risk as possible.
2. He dropped the criterion security. Most people want to act safely. They are more concerned with the safety of their actions than with the moral character, the rightness or wrongness of those actions. They instinctively shy away from all actions associated with risk.
3. He showed everyone that he didn't care at all the judgment of society. He showed everyone that He doesn't care what people think of Him. In fact, as H. J. Wells put it, "In the ears of many people, the voice of the neighbors is louder than the voice of God." "What will the neighbors say?" - most often people ask themselves.
Most of all, Jesus' friends were afraid of the danger to which He exposed Himself, and which, they believed, no reasonable person would be exposed to. When John Bunyan went to prison, he was very scared. My imprisonment, he thought, may be over. He didn't like the idea of being hanged. But the day came when he felt ashamed of his fear. "I think I was ashamed that I would have to die with a pale face and trembling knees for such a thing." And as he saw himself climbing the ladder to the gallows, he came to this conclusion: “And so I thought, I will continue my work and put everything at stake for the sake of the eternal kingdom with Christ, whether I find rest on earth or not. If God does not enter me, I will jump with my eyes closed from the crossbar into eternity, and come what may - I will drown or swim, go to heaven or hell; Lord Jesus Christ, if You want to catch me, do it, if not, I will risk everything in Your name." This is exactly what Jesus wanted to do. I'll risk it all for your name this was the essence of the life of Jesus.
UNION OR VICTORY (Mark 3:22-27)
Orthodox Jewish religious leaders never questioned Jesus' authority to cast out demons. Yes, they could not have done this, because it was and is today a normal phenomenon in the east. But they declared that His power from the union with the prince of demons, as one commentator put it, "in the name of the supreme demon He cast out petty demons." People have always believed in black magic and claimed that this is what Jesus did.
It was not difficult for Jesus to refute this argument. The essence of any exorcism has always been that the person exorcising always called for help from someone who had sufficient power to exorcise a weak demon. And therefore Jesus says: “Just think for yourself! If the kingdom is torn apart by internal strife, it will perish; if there is discord in the house, the strife will not last long. that a civil war broke out in the devil's house." "But another parallel can be drawn," says Jesus, "Suppose you intend to physically rob strong man. But as long as you do not subjugate this strong man, you have nothing to hope for. You can take the goods of such a person only after you have subdued him, and only then. "The victory over the demons did not at all prove that Jesus was in league with Satan, but showed that Satan's resistance was broken; more strong name; Satan's conquest began. This tells us two things.
1. Jesus understands life as a process of struggle between the power of God and the forces of evil. Jesus did not waste time arguing about problems to which there is no answer. He did not stop to argue about where the source of the evil was: He simply actively dealt with it. It's strange that people spend so much time arguing about the source of evil and spend so much less time selecting practical methods for solving the problem. Someone put it this way: let's say that a person wakes up and sees that his house is on fire. He does not sit down in a chair to read a book called "Fires in Private Houses". He grabs what he has and starts putting out the fire. Jesus saw the importance of the struggle between good and evil, which is the essence of life and which is raging all over the world. He didn't think about fighting evil; He fought it and gave others power and strength to overcome evil and do good.
2. Jesus saw the healing of sickness as part of the overall victory over Satan. This is an important point in the thinking of Jesus. He was willing and able to save human bodies as well as human souls. The physician and scientist who solves the problems of curing diseases contributes as much to the victory over Satan as does the priest. The doctor and the priest do not different, but the same work. They are not rivals, but allies in God's military campaign against the forces of evil.
THE SIN FOR WHICH THERE CANNOT BE FORGIVENESS (Mark 3:28-30)
To understand what this terrible phrase means, we must understand the circumstances in which it was said. Jesus said this when the scribes and Pharisees declared that He heals not by the power of God, but by the power of the devil. The scribes and Pharisees looked at the incarnate love of God, but saw in it the embodiment of the devil's power. It must be remembered that Jesus could not use the expression Holy Spirit in the sense that this expression has in Christianity. The Holy Spirit came to people in fullness only after Jesus returned to His glory. Only on the feast of Pentecost (Trinity) did the Holy Spirit descend on people, people received the highest sensation of the Holy Spirit. Jesus seems to have used this expression in a Jewish sense, and in the Jewish worldview the Holy Spirit was assigned two important functions. Firstly, the Holy Spirit revealed the truth of God to people, and secondly, he gave people the ability to recognize and know this truth when they saw it. This is what will help us understand this passage.
1. The Holy Spirit gave people the ability to know the truth of God when it came into their lives. But if a person refuses to develop the abilities given to him by God and to exercise them, he will lose them in the end: a person who lives in darkness for quite a long time loses the ability to see; a person who does not get out of bed for a long time loses the ability to walk; a person who refuses to study seriously loses his ability to scientific activity and if a man refuses to heed the guiding voice of the Spirit of God long enough, he will eventually lose the ability to know the truth of God when he sees it. He begins to consider good as evil, and evil as good. Such a person can see the generosity and virtue of God, but see in them the devilish, satanic evil.
2. Why should such a sin be mortal and unforgivable? G. B. Suit says: "The identification of the source of good with the bearer of evil is associated with such a moral decline, for which the incarnation itself can no longer serve as a panacea." A. J. Rawlinson calls it "concentrated depravity," as if we saw here the quintessence of all vice. Bengel said that all other sins are human, this one is diabolical, satanic. Why did he say so?
Let's look first, what impact did Jesus Christ have on people? First and foremost, in comparison with the beauty and charm that radiates from the life of Jesus, a person sees his absolute unworthiness. “Get out of me, Lord!” said Simon Peter, “for I am a sinful man.” (Onion. 5, 8). When one Japanese criminal, Tokihi Ishi, read the Gospel for the first time, he said: “I stopped, I was struck in the very heart, as if a nail ten centimeters long had entered it. Could it be the love of Christ? Could it be His passion and suffering? I don’t I know what to say, I only know that I have believed and that the hardness of my heart is gone." His first feeling was that a sharp pain pierced his heart. This feeling of unworthiness, combined with the sharp pain that pierces the heart of a person, leads to sincere repentance, and without repentance there is no forgiveness. But if a person has brought himself to such a state, by repeatedly refusing the instructions of the Holy Spirit, that he can no longer see anything beautiful in Jesus at all, then even looking at Jesus will not cause in him any sense of his own sinfulness; and because he has no sense of sin, he cannot repent, and because he does not repent, he cannot be forgiven. One of the legends about Lucifer tells how one day a priest noticed an extremely handsome young man among his parishioners. After the service, the young man stayed for confession. He confessed so many and so terrible sins that the priest's hair stood on end. "You had to live long to sin so much," said the priest. "My name is Lucifer, and I fell from heaven at the beginning of time," said the young man. "But even in this case," said the priest, "say that you are sorry, that you repent, and then you can be forgiven." The young man looked at the priest, turned and walked away. He didn't say it, and he couldn't say it, and so he had to leave even more alone and even more damned.
Forgiveness can only be received by those who repent - when a person sees the beauty in Christ, when he hates his sinfulness, even if he has not done away with it, even if he is still covered in filth and shame, he can still receive forgiveness. But a man who repeatedly refused to heed the guiding hand of God and lost the ability to recognize generosity and virtue. A person whose moral ideas are so perverted that he considers evil for good and good for evil, not realizing his sinfulness, even when meeting with Jesus, will not be able to repent and receive forgiveness: this is a sin against the Holy Spirit.
FAMILY RELATIONSHIPS (Mark 3:31-35)
Jesus sets forth here the signs of true kinship: kinship is not only a matter of flesh and blood. It may be that a person feels closer to a person who is not at all related to him by blood than to those who are connected with him by the closest family and blood ties. And what is this true relationship?
1. Kinship is general feelings, especially if they are acquired in a common business. Someone said that two people can say that they are friends if one can say to the other: "Do you remember" and remember what they have done and experienced together. One day someone met an old black woman whose friend had just died. "Do you regret her?" he asked her, "Yes," she said, "but without great sadness." "Yes, but I saw you with her last week. You were laughing and talking merrily to each other. You must have been great friends"Yes, I was friends with her. We could laugh together. But to be friends, people have to cry together.” And there is a profound truth in this. True kinship is based on common experiences, and Christians have a common experience: they are forgiven sinners.
2. True kinship is and common interests. AM Chergvin gives an interesting idea in the book "The Bible in the Evangelization of the World". The greatest difficulties for the distributors of the Holy Scriptures do not arise at all in the sale of books. Much harder to convince people to read constantly Holy Bible. “One peddler of religious books in pre-revolutionary China,” continues A. M. Chergvin, “usually went from shop to shop, from house to house, from factory to factory. But he often became discouraged, because many of the new readers lost interest to reading, until he finally decided to bring them together and create groups that held worship together; gradually a well-organized church grew out of these groups. It was only when these isolated cells became a united group of common interests that genuine kinship was born. Christians have this common interest because they all want to know more and more about Jesus Christ.
3. Kinship also grows out of general obedience. The disciples of Christ were a very mixed group. Among them one could find representatives of various beliefs and opinions. A tax collector like Matthew and a fanatical nationalist like Simon the Zealot must have mortally hated each other, and at one time, no doubt, did hate each other. But they were connected because each of them acknowledged Jesus Christ as their Lord. How many squads and platoons of soldiers are created by their commanders from people with completely different backgrounds, from people coming from different backgrounds and with completely different worldviews; but if these men remain together long enough, they become united comrades, because they are all united by obedience to a common commander. People can become friends when they have a common leader. People can only love one another when they love Jesus Christ.
4. True relationship is determined and common goal. Nothing connects people like a common goal. And in this the church must see its great lesson. A. M. Chergvin, speaking of the revival of interest in the Bible, asks the question, does this indicate the possibility of a new approach to the ecumenical problem, based more on biblical principles than on ecclesiastical ones? ordinations and ordinations to the priesthood, because of the forms of church government, the administration of the sacraments, etc. The only thing they can now agree on is that they are all trying to draw people to Jesus Christ.If kinship is based on a common goal, then Christians, know his secret more than anyone, because they all strive to know Christ better and bring others into His kingdom.Whatever distinguishes us, in this we can all agree.
Commentaries (introduction) to the entire book "From Mark"
Comments on Chapter 3
"There is a freshness and power in Mark's gospel that captures the Christian reader and makes him want to do something to serve in the manner of his blessed Lord."(August Van Ryn)
Introduction
I. SPECIAL STATEMENT IN THE CANON
Since the gospel of Mark is the shortest, and about ninety percent of its material is also found in Matthew and Luke or both, what is his contribution that we cannot do without?
Above all, Mark's concise style and journalistic simplicity make his gospel an ideal introduction to the Christian faith. In new missionary fields, the Gospel of Mark is often the first to be translated into national languages.
However, not only the clear lively style, especially acceptable to the Romans and their modern allies, but also the content of the Gospel of Mark makes it unique.
Mark deals mostly with the same events as Matthew and Luke, adding a few unique ones to them, but he still has colorful details that the others lack. For example, he draws attention to how Jesus looked at the disciples, how angry He was, and how He walked ahead of them on the road to Jerusalem. He undoubtedly has these details from Peter, with whom he was together at the end of the latter's life. Tradition says, and probably is, that the Gospel of Mark is, in fact, a memoir of Peter. This was reflected in the personal details, the development of the plot, and the apparent authenticity of the book. It is generally accepted that Mark was the young man who ran away naked (14:51), and that this is his modest signature under the book. (The titles of the Gospels were not originally part of the books themselves.) The tradition is obviously correct, since John Mark lived in Jerusalem; and if he had not been connected in any way with the gospel, there would be no reason to quote this little episode.
External evidence of his authorship is early, fairly strong, and from different parts of the empire. Papias (c. 110 AD) quotes John the Elder (probably the apostle John, although another disciple is not excluded) who indicated that this gospel was written by Mark, Peter's collaborator. Justin Martyr, Irenaeus, Tertullian, Clement of Alexandria and Antimark's Prologue agree on this.
The author obviously knew Palestine well, and especially Jerusalem. (The story of the upper room is noted in greater detail than in the other gospels. No wonder if the events took place in his childhood home!) The gospel indicates an Aramaic setting (the language of Palestine), an understanding of customs, and the presentation suggests a close connection with an eyewitness of events. The content of the book corresponds to the plan of Peter's sermon in the 10th chapter of the Acts of the Apostles.
The tradition that Mark wrote the gospel in Rome is supported by the use of more Latin words than others (words such as centurion, census, legion, denarius, praetorium).
Ten times the NT mentions the pagan (Latin) name of our author - Mark, and three times - the combined Hebrew-pagan name John-Mark.
Mark - the servant or helper: first of Paul, then of his cousin Barnabas and, according to reliable tradition, Peter until his death - was the ideal person to write the Gospel of the Perfect Servant.
III. WRITING TIME
The timing of the writing of the Gospel of Mark is debated even by conservative, Bible-believing scholars. It is impossible to determine the exact date, but the time is still indicated - before the destruction of Jerusalem.
Tradition is also divided as to whether Mark recorded Peter's sermon on the life of our Lord before the death of the apostle (before 64-68) or after his departure.
In particular, if the Gospel of Mark is the first recorded gospel, as most scholars today claim, then an earlier date of writing is needed in order for Luke to use Mark's material.
Some scholars date the Gospel of Mark to the early 50s, but dating from 57 to 60 seems more likely.
IV. PURPOSE OF WRITING AND THEME
This gospel presents an amazing account of God's Perfect Servant, our Lord Jesus Christ; the story of the One who renounced the outward splendor of his glory in heaven and assumed the form of a servant on earth (Philippians 2:7). This is an unprecedented story about the One Who "... came not to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many" (Mark 10:45).
If we remember that this Perfect Servant was none other than God the Son, Who voluntarily girded himself with the garment of a servant and became a Servant of men, then the Gospel will shine for us with eternal radiance. Here we see the incarnate Son of God Who lived on earth as a dependent Man.
Everything He did was in perfect accord with the will of His Father, and all His mighty deeds were done in the power of the Holy Spirit.
Mark's style is fast, energetic and concise. He pays more attention to the works of the Lord than to His words; this is confirmed by the fact that he gives nineteen miracles and only four parables.
As we study this gospel, we will seek answers to three questions:
1. What does it say?
2. What does it mean?
3. What is the lesson for me in it?
For all who desire to be true and faithful servants of the Lord, this gospel should become a valuable ministry textbook.
Plan
I. PREPARATION OF THE SERVANT (1:1-13)
II. EARLY SERVANT MINISTRY IN GALILEE (1:14 - 3:12)
III. CALLING AND EDUCATION OF THE SERVANT'S DISCIPLES (3.13 - 8.38)
IV. JOURNEY OF THE SERVANT TO JERUSALEM (Ch. 9 - 10)
V. THE SERVICE OF THE SERVANT IN JERUSALEM (Ch. 11-12)
VI. THE SPEECH OF THE SERVANT ON THE MOUNT OF OLEON (Ch. 13)
VII. THE SUFFERING AND DEATH OF THE SERVANT (Ch. 14-15)
VIII. VICTORY OF THE SERVANT (Ch. 16)
M. The servant of God heals on the Sabbath (3:1-6)
3,1-2 Another test took place on Saturday. When Jesus again entered the synagogue, He saw a man with a shrunken hand. The question arose in those present: would Jesus heal him on the Sabbath? If so, the Pharisees would again bring charges against Him. Imagine their hypocrisy and insincerity. They could do nothing to help this man and resisted the One who could do it. They were looking for an excuse to condemn the Lord of life. If He heals on Saturday, then they, like a pack of wolves, will rush to torment Him.
3,3-4 The Lord commanded man to stand in the middle. The atmosphere was charged with anticipation. Then He said to the Pharisees: "Should one do good on the Sabbath, or do evil? Save the soul, or destroy it?" His question exposed the sinfulness of the Pharisees. They thought that by performing miracles and healings on the Sabbath, He was breaking the law. But at the same time, they did not consider it a violation that on Saturday they planned to kill Him!
3,5 No wonder they didn't answer! After an awkward silence, the Savior told the man stretch out my hand. When he did this, his strength returned, his body returned to normal size, and wrinkles disappeared.
3,6 It was more than they could bear Pharisees. They came out, made contact with the Herodians their traditional enemies, and amounted to conspiracy with them to kill Jesus. And it all happened on a Saturday. Herod killed John the Baptist. Maybe his party might as well kill Jesus? The Pharisees hoped so.
N. A great crowd surrounds the Servant (3:7-12)
3,7-10 Leaving the synagogue Jesus went to the sea Galilee. In the Bible, the sea often symbolizes pagans.
Therefore, His actions can be seen as a turn from the Jews to the Gentiles. The great has gathered multitude of people Not only from Galilee but also from distant places. The crowd was so large that Jesus asked for a small boat, to move away from the shore and not be crushed by the people who came for healing.
3,11-12 When unclean spirits shouted from the crowd that He - God's Son, He strictly forbade them say it. As already noted, He did not accept evidence from evil spirits. He did not deny that he was the Son of God, but he chose to control the timing and manner of declaring Himself as such. Jesus had the power to heal, but He only performed miracles on people who came for help.
It's the same with salvation. His saving power is sufficient for all, but effective only for those who trust in Him. We learn from the Savior's ministry that need in itself is not a calling. The need was everywhere. Jesus depended on God the Father to tell Him where and when to minister. We must do the same.
III. CALLING AND EDUCATION OF THE SERVANT'S DISCIPLES (3.13 - 8.38)
A. Choice of twelve disciples (3:13-19)
3,13-18 In connection with the task of evangelizing the world, Jesus equipped twelve students. There was nothing remarkable about these people themselves; they were made great by their communion with Christ.
They were young. James E. Stewart makes a brilliant comment about the youth of the disciples:
"Christianity began as a movement of youth... Unfortunately, this fact is too often muffled in Christian art and Christian preaching. What is certain, however, is that the first disciples were a group of youth. It is not surprising, therefore, that Christianity entered the world as a movement of youth. Most of the apostles were probably in their 20s when they followed Jesus... Jesus Himself - and we should never forget this - entered into earthly ministry as young "like the dew" (Ps. 109:3 - Jesus Himself first applied this psalm to myself, and then it did apostolic church). True was the impulse of the Christians of later times to depict their Lord on the walls of the catacombs, not as an old, exhausted or broken by suffering, but as a young shepherd on the morning hills. The words of the great hymn by Isaac Watts reflect the true fact:
When I look up
To the cross where God's Son suffered...
And no one has ever understood young people so well, with their joy and courage, generosity and hope, with their sudden loneliness and constant daydreaming, inner conflicts and strong temptations - no one has understood them as well as Jesus. And no one, except Jesus, realized so clearly that the youth of life, when a person is seized by unaccustomed hidden thoughts and the whole world begins to open before him, is the best time for God to touch his soul ... Reading the story of the first twelve, we actually read about the experiences of young people. We see them following their Leader into the unknown without clearly understanding who He is, or why they do it, or where He is leading them; they are only attracted by Him, enchanted, captured and held by something irresistible in His soul. Ridiculed by friends, persecuted by ill-wishers, sometimes with doubts and growing murmurings in their hearts, almost wanting to give up everything, but still remaining faithful to Him, they went through the wreckage of their hopes to greater devotion and deserved in the end the triumphant, great name given to them. : Te Deum - Glorious Apostles. It is worth seeing them at this moment, because we too can touch their spiritual state and cling to Jesus."(James E. Stewart, The Life and Teaching of Jesus Christ, pp. 55-56.)
The calling of the twelve had a threefold purpose: 1) they could be with Him; 2) He could send them to preach; 3) they had the power to heal sickness and cast out demons.
First, there was a period of training ahead of them—the preparation of each before preaching to others. This is the basic principle of service. We're bound to spend some time with him, before acting as representatives of God.
Second, Jesus sent them preach. The proclamation of the Word of God, their main method of evangelism, should always be at the center.
Nothing should push him to the background.
Third, they got supernatural power. Exile demons served as proof to the people that God spoke through the apostles. The Bible has not yet been completed. The recommendations of God's messengers were miracles. These days people have access to the completed Word of God and they must believe it without miraculous confirmation.
3,19 Name Judas Iscariot stands among the names of the apostles. There is a mystery connected with a man chosen to be an apostle, but who turned out to be a traitor to our Lord. The biggest pain for Christian ministry is that some capable, honest, and apparently enlightened person later turns his back on the Savior and returns to the world, crucifying Him again. Eleven proved their devotion to the Lord, and thanks to them, He turned the world upside down. Their work continues in ever-evolving evangelistic activities, and in a sense, we continue their ministry today. And no one can say how significant our influence on the spread of Christianity can be.
B. Unforgivable sin (3:20-30)
3,20-21 Jesus returned from the mountain where He called His disciples home to Galilee. He was followed by many people, and He and the disciples were so busy that they could not eat. Hearing what He does His neighbors thought that He was out of His mind, and came to take Him away. Without a doubt, the zeal of this religious fanatic from their family brought relatives into confusion.
J. R. Miller comments:
"They could explain His tireless zeal only by coming to the conclusion of His madness. Today we are witnessing many such sayings, when any devoted follower of Christ, having loved his Lord, completely forgets about himself. People say: "He must be crazy!” They think that every person whose religious feeling burns with unusual strength or who is more zealous in his service to the Lord than the average Christian is crazy ... This is good madness. It is a pity that it does not happen often. If if there were more of it, there would not be so many unsaved souls around, dying near our churches; it would not be so difficult to find missionaries and funds to send the gospel to distant countries; there would not be so many empty places in our churches; there were no would there be so many long pauses during prayer meetings; there would not be so few teachers in our Sunday schools. It would be wonderful if all Christians would lose their temper like the Lord or like Paul. The madness of this world is far worse; it, constantly in contact with lost people, never pities them, does not care about their lost state, does not make any effort to save them. It is easier to remain with a cold mind and a cool heart and not allow yourself to care for perishing souls; but we continue the work of our brothers, and no evil deed can be worse than not paying attention to the fact that people need eternal salvation.(Miller, come, Reading for June 6.)
It is true that a man who burns for God seems crazy to his contemporaries. The more we are like Christ, the more sorrow we will have to experience because of the misunderstanding that we will meet among our relatives and friends. If we intend to acquire wealth, people will welcome us. If we diligently serve Jesus Christ, they will despise us.
3,22 scribes did not think that He was insane. They accused Him of casting out demons by the power of Beelzebub, prince of demons.
Name Beelzebub means "lord of the dung flies" or "lord of the garbage". It was a serious, vile and blasphemous accusation.
3,23 Jesus first rejected it, then he blamed those who made the claim. If He casts out demons with the help of Beelzebub, then Satan is fighting with himself, frustrating his own plans: his goal is to control people with demons, not to free them from them.
3,24-26 Kingdom, home or personality divided into themselves can't resist. Durability depends on internal interaction, not on contradictions.
3,27 Therefore, the accusation on the part of the scribes was absurd. In fact, the Lord Jesus did just the opposite of what they were talking about. His miracles signified the fall of Satan rather than his rise. This is what the Savior meant when he said: “No one who enters the strong man’s house can plunder his things, unless he first binds the strong one, and then he will plunder his house.”
Strong is Satan. House- his possessions; he is the god of this age. His things- people over whom he has power.
Jesus binds Satan and plunders his house. At the second coming of Christ, Satan will be bound and thrown into hell for a millennium. The casting out of demons by the Savior during His earthly ministry served as a prediction of the final and complete binding of Satan.
3,28-30 In verses 28-30 the Lord convicts the scribes who were guilty of unforgivable sin. By accusing Jesus of casting out demons with satanic power, when in fact He did it by the power of the Holy Spirit, they were, in effect, calling the Holy Spirit Satan. This is blasphemy on the Holy Spirit. All sins can be forgiven but it is this sin that is not forgiven. This eternal sin.
Can people commit this sin today? Probably not. This sin existed while Jesus was on earth performing miracles. Since He is not now on earth in physical body When casting out demons, there is no such possibility of blasphemy against the Holy Spirit. People who are worried that they are committing the unforgivable sin should not do so. The very fact that they are concerned about this means that they are not guilty of blaspheming the Holy Spirit.
C. True Mother and Servant Brothers (3:31-35)
Maria, mother Jesus, and his brothers came to talk to him. A multitude of people prevented them from approaching Him, and they sent to say that they were waiting for Him. outside Houses. When the messenger told him that His mother and brothers want to see him He looked at the seated and said that he mother and brothers are those who do the will of God.
We can take several lessons from this:
1. First of all, the words of the Lord Jesus were a prohibition of the cult of the Virgin Mary (the deification of Mary). He treated her with respect as His real mother, but pointed out that spiritual relationships take precedence over family relationships. It was more commendable for Mary to do the will of God than to be His mother.
2. Further, this refutes the doctrine that Mary always remained a virgin. Jesus had brothers. Jesus was the Firstborn of Mary, but later other sons and daughters were born to her (see Matt. 13:55; Mark 6:3; John 2:12; 7:3,5,10; Acts 1:14; 1 Corinthians 9:5, Galatians 1:19, see also Psalm 68:9).
3. Jesus put the interests of God ahead of family ties. Even now He says to His followers: "If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother, and wife and children, and brothers and sisters, and, moreover, his own life, he cannot be My disciple" (Lk. 14 ,26).
4. This place reminds us that with fellow Christian faith believers are bound by stronger ties than they are to their unsaved blood relatives.
5. Finally, it emphasizes the importance of doing the will of God in Jesus.
Do you meet this standard? Are you His mother or brother?
