Mark Chapter 3.

We have seen the growing confusion among the religious professionals about Jesus and His conduct. We have heard the conflict about the journey through the corn field.

In chapter 3 the confusion and misunderstanding is raised to the level of conflict. We now hear of a moment of open conflict which Jesus brings to a head. He is in the synagogue on the Sabbath. Healing actions on the Sabbath were interpreted as work and work was outlawed on the Sabbath.

Jesus is approached by a man with a withered hand. It wasn't a critical situation. If he wasn't healed he might have had the opportunity to be healed on another day. Is there a suggestion in this passage that this was a 'staged event' by the Pharisees. Had they used the man as a prop to catch Jesus doing something unlawful. Jesus senses the attitude of people around Him. So he challenges them.

'Is it lawful to do good or to do evil on the Sabbath?' There is no answer. Refusing to heal would surely have been an evil act of neglect. Healing on the Sabbath was illegal in religious law. What was the greater good. The story ends with a dark remark. The Pharisees go out and conspire with the Herodians, the civil power, about how to destroy Jesus.

By the lakeside Jesus is mobbed and there is a danger he might be trampled to death. Just look at the list of locations from which people are coming. Judea and Jerusalem are to be expected but Tyre and Sidon and Idumea are gentile territories. Jesus ability to draw people from all backgrounds is significant and very important. This ministry is not limited to God's own people, the Jews, but all are welcome to receive healing and they are coming in their hundreds. Once more those with unclean spirits (perhaps the mentally ill) recognise Jesus as the Son of God. Once more Jesus tells them to tell no one else.

We then get a list of Jesus disciples. There are twelve of them which is significant in the history of Israel. There are twelve tribes. Are the disciples to be seen as the new Israel? This is a very varied group. There are fishermen, there's a tax collector, there's a terrorist/freedom fighter. Then there's Judas who is already identified as the one who would betray the Son of God. These people could not be seen as a typical group of rabbinic pupils. Each had major limitations in personality. There was potential fro friction among them. Yet this is the group that Jesus chooses. There is much to question in each of them and yet Jesus chooses them. Does this show anything? Is there a message here?

Jesus returns to Capernaum where he lived. Once more he is mobbed. There is an air of tension and people are pressing on him on every side. Set against this there are professional critics among the crowd. They have come from Jerusalem. These are presumably senior teachers of the law. It is now time to discredit Jesus. So they say he is possessed by the devil or an evil spirit. What was their motivation? Why have they arrived on the scene? Jesus turns on them with a disarming logic. If He is possessed surely he cannot remove the evil spirits of others otherwise evil is working against itself. Is that really possible?

Surely he would be better off with his brothers and sisters and his mother.Perhaps they are concerned about him. Perhaps they have been encouraged to get him away from here. He's told they have arrived. But Jesus is not going to be distracted by an emotional trick. His response seems extreme. All people are his family not just his kin. His calling is to make each person his brother and sister through his ministry.