Commentaries and Other Bible Study Helps - Prayer Tents - Prayer Tents

3:14-15 As is often the case, Mark presupposes further actions of Jesus without narrating them. Here it becomes evident that Jesus had, in the meantime, selected and appointed the twelve, whom he called out of the larger crowd that had been following him (vv. 7-9; cf. v. 16; 4:10; 14:10, 17, 20, 43). The Twelve have a specific, twofold task: (1) that they might be with him (reinforcing the call to discipleship [see 1:17, 20; 2:14; 3:13] and to being shaped by Jesus [4:33]), and (2) that he might send them out (1:17; 9:37; thus suggesting the sense of the term apostles as those who are "sent out"; see note on Rom. 1:1). In their function of serving as Jesus-dependent emissaries, they are to do what Jesus did and taught them: (1) preach (Mark 1:14, 39; 6:12) the word of the kingdom of God, and (2) cast out demons (1:34, 39). Mark 6:13 will clarify that (3) healing is also part of their commission. This commission is put into action in 6:7-12. Initially, Jesus proclaims the kingdom of God to descendants of the 12 tribes of Israel, and the selection of the 12 apostles probably represents these tribes (Rev. 21:14). The disciples' experience of being under the immediate oversight of Jesus will be important for them, as they themselves will soon oversee the ministry of others after Jesus' death, resurrection, and ascension.

3:16-17 The core group of three disciples (cf. 5:37; 9:2; 14:33) is mentioned first: (Simon) Peter, James, and John. Then the others are named (3:18-19). See also note on Matt. 10:2.

3:19 Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him (14:10, 18, 20-21, 41-44), is mentioned last. Judas was called to be with Jesus, to be one of the Twelve, to proclaim, to heal, and to cast out demons; he is loved and warned--but not trusted--by Jesus (John 2:24; 6:64, 70).

3:20 Jesus returns home, i.e., to the place where he stayed in Capernaum (see note on 2:1).

3:21 The members of Jesus' earthly family (his mother and half brothers and sisters) believe he is out of his mind (see John 7:5) on account of all that has happened. Besides his opponents, Jesus now also has to contend with unbelieving family members. He will never forsake his relationship with his physical family, yet he will always pursue the call of God above all else (see Mark 3:31-35). (Some of Jesus' brothers did later come to faith in him; see note on 1 Cor. 9:4-5.)

3:22 Scribes . . . from Jerusalem now accuse Jesus; he has come to the attention of the Jewish leaders in Jerusalem. They implicitly acknowledge his undeniable powers but label them as satanic. Beelzebul. See note on Matt. 10:25. by the prince of demons he casts out the demons. See notes on Matt. 9:34 and 12:24.

3:23 Jesus uses two illustrations (parables) to show that the scribes' accusations are false: (1) if the satanic sphere of power were internally divided, then it could not stand (vv. 24-26); and (2) Satan must be bound before his sphere of power can be challenged (v. 27; see note on Matt. 12:29).

3:29 The opponents' accusation against Jesus is the unforgivable, eternal sin of blasphemy against the Holy Spirit (cf. Matt. 12:31-37; Luke 12:10). Mark 3:28 emphasizes that "all sins will be forgiven," anticipating the eternally valid, substitutionary atonement of Jesus (cf. 10:45). However, if a person persistently attributes to Satan what is accomplished by the power of God--that is, if one makes a flagrant, willful, decisive judgment that the Spirit's testimony about Jesus is satanic--then such a person never has forgiveness. (See further the extended note on blasphemy against the Holy Spirit at Luke 12:10.)

3:35 In the midst of Jesus' teaching, his mother and half brothers are "seeking" him (v. 32); they presumably now try to "seize" him (see v. 21). Without severing his relationship with his earthly family (e.g., John 19:26-27; Acts 1:14; 1 Cor. 15:7), Jesus emphasizes the priority of the messianic community of faith (Ex. 32:25-29; Deut. 33:8-9) as the core family of God: whoever does the will of God (see Matt. 6:10; John 7:17; Rom. 12:2; 1 Pet. 4:2), he is my brother and sister and mother (see Ps. 22:23; Heb. 2:11-12).

4:2 Mark provides several examples of Jesus teaching in parables. To the hard-hearted, parables are a warning; to those who are open-hearted, parables illustrate principles of the messianic rule of God. A parable consists of a story and its corresponding intended message.

4:3-7 A sower went out to sow. Using a common farming method of the time, the sower sows the seed without first plowing the ground. Thus the seed fell on various kinds of ground that had not been prepared to receive the seed.

4:8 The good soil facilitates the growing, increasing, and yielding of much fruit. thirtyfold and sixtyfold and a hundredfold. Typical agricultural yields ranged from about fivefold to fifteenfold, with a tenfold return considered a good crop, though some historical reports tell of extraordinary yields up to a hundredfold (see Gen. 26:12, where hundredfold fruit represents the blessing of God).

4:9 Having ears to hear involves surrender of proud self-reliance and submission to God (cf. Isa. 6:10; 43:8; 44:18).

4:10 Those who are with the twelve disciples (see 3:14) receive insight into the content of Jesus' parables.

4:11 Many parables illustrate aspects of the secret of the kingdom of God, i.e., the nature of the rule of God over individuals and the community of God (see note on Matt. 13:10-11). Those who do not (yet) participate in the messianic community are outside.

4:12 hear but not understand. Since Isa. 6:9-10 describes the hard-heartedness of Israel, its citation here emphasizes the fact that Jesus speaks the parables to outsiders as a form of prophetic warning. Jesus warns of the serious consequences for all, both Gentiles and Jews, who do not open their hearts to him. And yet, there is still room for repentance (see note on Mark 4:33).

4:13 How then will you understand. Jesus hints that even the disciples may suffer from hard hearts (see 8:17-18).

4:14-20 The sower in the parable (vv. 4-8) primarily represents Jesus but in a secondary sense every faithful preacher of the gospel. The various soils represent human hearts. The inhospitable hearts in the parable gradually become more receptive (from indifferent, to opportunistic, to very interested), but nevertheless remain preoccupied with the cares of their present life in rebellion against God's true purposes. The good soil represents a consistently attentive and accepting heart. (See further the extended explanation in the note on Luke 8:15.)

4:21-22 The proclamation of the kingdom of God (his rule and presence) is like bringing an oil lamp into a room (see Matt. 5:15; Luke 8:16); the coming messianic rule of God makes hidden things (e.g., a hard heart, hidden sin) apparent.

4:23 ears to hear. Cf. note on v. 9.

4:24 Measure refers to the attitude with which the word of Jesus is being received (cf. Matt. 7:2; Luke 6:38). If the hearer embraces Jesus' message of the kingdom in a rich and profound way, then still more will be added to you--that is, God will take up residence in that heart and give increased understanding and blessing, both in this age and in the age to come.

4:25 The paradox in this verse reinforces the point in the previous one: the person who welcomes God's rule and presence will be given more of God's intended fruit (vv. 13-20); the one who depends on his own resources without receiving the word (the one who has not) will lose even that (what he has will be taken away). See also notes on Matt. 25:29; Luke 8:16-18; 12:41-48.

4:26-29 As the farmer sleeps and rises, the fruit grows by itself (Gk. automatē, lit., "automatically," "by itself"; that is, without human effort). Fruit for God's kingdom grows from soil that is hospitable to his Word. First the blade, then the ear goes against the popular expectation at the time of Jesus that God's kingdom would come suddenly and all at once. Jesus teaches that the messianic rule of God commences inconspicuously (see note on vv. 30-32), grows slowly but steadily in the midst of much adversity, and reaches its glorious culmination point at the second coming of Jesus (see also v. 32). There is great hope here. Cf. note on vv. 30-32.

4:29 Sickle and harvest are metaphors for the last judgment (cf. Joel 3:13).

4:30-32 A third and final parable of the kingdom points out that the messianic rule of God begins in a small and unnoticed way, which is different from what was popularly expected (see note on vv. 26-29). Its beginning is likened to a mustard seed, which was the smallest of all the seeds (see note on Matt. 13:31-32) but could produce a bush as large as 3 by 12 feet (0.9 by 3.7 m). The metaphor emphasizes small beginnings and gradual but remarkable growth (cf. note on Luke 17:20). The nesting of birds in the shadow of the grown bush points to divine blessing (cf. Judg. 9:8-15; Ps. 91:1-2; Ezek. 17:22-24).

4:33 Mark provides mere excerpts of Jesus' parabolic teaching on the word of the messianic kingdom of God (cf. 1:45; 2:2; 8:32). Jesus uses parables to warn his opponents, who might yet turn to him (as they were able to hear it).

4:34 Privately, Jesus helps his disciples to understand and receive what he is teaching (see vv. 10-12). He did not speak to them without a parable is a broad generalization meaning that he regularly included parables whenever he taught; it does not mean he spoke only in parables.

4:36 On Galilean boats, see note on Matt. 4:21 and illustration.

4:37 The Sea of Galilee is 696 feet (212 m) below sea level, resulting in violent downdrafts and sudden storms (windstorm; cf. 6:48).

4:38 Asleep on the cushion is an eyewitness detail included only in Mark, no doubt conveyed to him personally by Peter (see Introduction: Author and Title). Jesus' sleeping indicates lack of fear and also great fatigue, a reminder of his true humanity. There are possible echoes of Jonah. However, Jonah is fleeing from God, while Jesus is restoring people to God. The disciples' fear of perishing is greater than their confidence in the presence of Jesus (see v. 40).

4:39 Peace! Be still! Jesus displays his divine power over nature. In the OT, God calms the waves (Job 12:15; Ps. 33:7) and the storm (Job 28:25; Ps. 107:25-30; Amos 4:13).

4:40 Jesus chides the disciples for being afraid (cf. 7:18; 8:17-18, 21). The antidote to fear is faith, i.e., trust in Jesus (see also note on Matt. 8:26). They are right in turning to Jesus, but they are exhorted regarding their fear and feeling of being forsaken by God.

4:41 Who then is this? The disciples ask the right question, for the calming of the storm gives evidence that this man is also truly God.

5:1 Gerasenes. The incident occurs near Gerasa, a small town by the sea (to be distinguished from the larger Gerasa [Jerash], which is 34 miles [54 km] away from the sea). Matthew 8:28 specifies that this was in the region of Gadara. A fifth-century church excavated in Kursi possibly marks the traditional location of this event, on the eastern shore of Galilee.

5:5 cutting himself. The goal of demons is to destroy the person created in the image of God. The man's demonization is evident in his social isolation, superhuman strength, and self-destructive tendencies.

5:6-7 When the man ran and fell down before Jesus, it may indicate an involuntary submission of the demons to Jesus' greater power, or that the man himself longed to be free of the demonic influence, or some of both. In either case, the demon immediately takes over the man's voice.

5:8 Was saying (imperfect tense) indicates that Jesus had told the demon more than once to come out of the man, but it had not obeyed.

5:9 My name is Legion. A legion was the largest unit of the Roman army and at full strength had 6,000 soldiers. This does not necessarily mean that there were 6,000 demons in the man, only that there were a great many.

5:11 Due to Hellenistic influence, ceremonially unclean pigs are no surprise in the Gentile Decapolis region.

5:13 The great number of pigs that perished verified the claim that many demons inhabited the man (v. 9). If the demons cannot destroy the man, they will destroy the pigs, another part of God's creation. See also note on Matt. 8:30-34.

5:15 The (formerly) demon-possessed man is now in his right mind, i.e., properly functioning again as an image-bearer of God (see note on Luke 8:35). they were afraid. See note on Luke 8:37.

5:18-20 did not permit him. Jesus did not allow the restored and thankful man (v. 15) to join him. It is possible that he was asking Jesus for permission to belong to the closer circle of disciples (that he might be with him recalls 3:14). Jesus wanted the restored man to be a witness to God's power in the Decapolis--an example of Jesus intentionally instructing a restored person to proclaim what had happened to him, in contrast to his call for secrecy in other cases (see 1:44; 5:43; 9:9). Jewish and Gentile people in the Decapolis did not yet pose the same danger of misunderstanding Jesus as a political or military messiah, as was the case in Galilee. Note that the work of the Lord in 5:19 is described as the work of Jesus in v. 20, indicating that Jesus shares the same nature as God himself.

5:21 to the other side (see note on Matt. 8:28). Jesus returns to the Galilean side of the sea, where his popularity has constantly grown.

5:22 The laymen who were rulers of the synagogue presided over the affairs of the synagogue, including organizing and teaching in synagogue services. Most of them were Pharisees. The Greek term, archisynagōgos, has been found on many inscriptions from Palestine and throughout the Roman world (on synagogues, see note on Luke 4:16 and The Synagogue and Jewish Worship). The fact that Jairus . . . fell at Jesus' feet demonstrates his real need and his sincerity.

5:25-27 While Jesus is on his way to heal Jairus's daughter, Mark interjects the simultaneous event of the healing of the woman with a constant discharge of blood (vv. 25-34; see note on Matt. 9:20). On account of her condition, she is ceremonially unclean (cf. Lev. 15:25-28) and is not permitted to enter the temple section reserved for women; nor is she permitted to be in public without making people aware that she is unclean. By touching Jesus' garment, she technically renders him ceremonially unclean (cf. Lev. 15:19-23), but Jesus is greater than any purity laws, for he makes her clean by his power instead of becoming unclean himself (cf. Mark 1:41; 5:41).

5:30 Jesus senses in himself, probably indicating some physical sensation in his body, that power had gone out from him, not merely by being touched but by being touched by someone who has faith that he can heal her.

5:31-33 When Jesus asked, "Who touched me?" the woman responded with fear and trembling. Her fear may have been partly because, in working her way through the crowd to get to Jesus, she would have touched many other people and thus rendered them ceremonially unclean (cf. Lev. 15:19-27). Again Mark notes the theme of fear and shows how it leads to faith. More importantly, the woman felt deep awe (Gk. phobeomai can be rendered "be afraid" or "feel awe and reverence") at the powerful presence of God who has healed her: she fell down before him and told him the whole truth, which testifies to her confidence in and sincere gratitude toward Jesus.

5:34 Daughter. Having been on the fringes of the crowd surrounding Jesus, the woman now finds herself welcomed into the family of God. Your faith has made you well would suggest both physical and spiritual healing, for Greek sōzō can mean either "heal" or "save." The woman's faith in Jesus for physical healing at the same time became faith in him for salvation from sin (cf. note on Matt. 9:22).

5:35 Verses 35-43 resume the account of Jairus's daughter (vv. 22-24) by showing the stark contrast between the words in v. 34 ("Daughter, your faith has made you well") and the fact that now Jairus's daughter is dead.

5:36 Do not fear, only believe. Again, Jesus defines faith as the antidote to fear (cf. 2:5; 4:40; 5:34). In the face of death, this is a supreme challenge for Jairus.

5:37 Peter and James and John. Only the inner circle of disciples is permitted to join Jesus (cf. 1:29; 9:2; and note on 3:16-17).

5:38-40 The commotion with weeping and wailing loudly reflects deep grief in the face of death. However, some in the crowd are professional mourners, who were a required presence even at funerals for the poor (see note on Matt. 9:23). Amid the mourning, Jesus proclaims that the child is not dead but sleeping. The mocking and laughing crowd takes Jesus' statement literally (cf. Mark 9:26), supposing that Jesus cannot accept the reality of death. The child had indeed died (see Luke 8:55), but from Jesus' viewpoint her real death is but sleep. put them all outside. The unbelieving crowd would only be a distraction (see note on Mark 6:5-6), so Jesus allows only the girl's closest family members and his closest followers to witness the miracle.

5:41 Touching a dead person renders one ceremonially unclean (Lev. 22:4; Num. 19:11), but once again (cf. note on Mark 5:25-27) Jesus overcomes uncleanness, for the girl comes back to life (cf. 2 Kings 4:17-37; Acts 9:39-41). Talitha cumi. At times, Mark reports Jesus' statements in Aramaic, reinforcing the eyewitness quality of this Gospel account.

5:42 The amazement of those who witnessed the miracle does not necessarily indicate faith in Jesus. No doubt some believed, but others remained puzzled.

5:43 no one should know this. See notes on vv. 18-20; Matt. 8:4.

6:1-2 Jesus goes to his hometown of Nazareth (see note on Matt. 13:54) despite tensions with his natural family (see Mark 3:21, 31-35). As is so often the case, Jesus begins to teach (see 1:21, 39; 3:1; 4:1; 6:34; 8:31; etc.). On synagogue, see note on Luke 4:16 and The Synagogue and Jewish Worship. Jesus was most likely asked to give a message following the reading of Scripture (cf. Luke 4:16-30, which most commentators understand to be the same incident, though this is not certain; see notes on Luke 4:17; 4:18-19). Where did this man get these things? This verse testifies to the genuine humanity of Jesus. Until he began his ministry, his deity was so hidden that even people in his hometown, who had know him well since childhood, had no idea that he was also fully God.

6:3 The questions of v. 2 are followed by skeptical, slightly derogatory questions: is not Jesus a simple carpenter, the son of Mary? The latter comment may hint that Jesus was rumored to be an illegitimate child. Joseph must have had at least four sons, among whom were James (see Acts 12:17; Gal. 1:19; 2:9, 12; and Introduction to James: Author and Title) and Judas (not the betrayer; see Jude 1 and Introduction to Jude: Author and Title), as well as at least two daughters (on Jesus' brothers and sisters, see note on Matt. 13:55-56). Because of the tension between Jesus' obvious wisdom and power and his simple origins, the people take offense at him.

6:4 Like other prophets before him (e.g., 2 Chron. 36:16; Jer. 11:21; Mark 6:17; 12:1-12), Jesus is not honored by his own family and his hometown. This rejection foreshadows Jesus' ultimate rejection in Jerusalem. Jesus indirectly acknowledges that he sees himself at least as a prophet of God.

6:5-6 With some exceptions, Jesus could do no mighty work there. Jesus will not force his miracles on a hostile, skeptical audience. It stands in contradiction to the character and will of Jesus to heal where there is fundamental rejection of him (unbelief); see note on Matt. 13:58. Nevertheless, Jesus continues teaching (see Mark 1:22; 4:1, 2; 6:2, etc.).