Church Fathers Commentary Mark 3

Theophylact of Ohrid: After refuting the Jews who had blamed His disciples for pulling heads of grain on the Sabbath day, using the example of David, the Lord now leads them further toward the truth by performing a miracle on the Sabbath. He does this to show that if it is a pious deed to perform miracles on the Sabbath for the health of men, it is not wrong to do things on the Sabbath that are necessary for the body.

Therefore, He says, "And He entered again into the synagogue; and there was a man there which had a withered hand. And they watched Him, whether He would heal him on the sabbath-day; that they might accuse Him."

The Venerable Bede: Since He had defended His disciples for breaking the Sabbath by using an approved example, His opponents now wished to slander Him by watching Him closely. They hoped to accuse Him of transgression if He healed on the Sabbath, or of cruelty and foolishness if He refused. ¹

The text continues: "And He saith unto the man which had the withered hand, Stand in the midst."

Pseudo-Chrysostomⁱ: He placed the man in the middle so that they might be taken aback by the sight, and upon seeing His compassion for him, lay aside their malice. ²

Anticipating the slander the Jews had prepared for Him, He accused them of violating the precepts of the law through a wrong interpretation.

Therefore, the text continues: "And He saith unto them, Is it lawful to do good on the sabbath-day, or to do evil?"

He asks this because they thought that on the Sabbath they were to rest even from good works, while the law only commands them to abstain from evil ones, saying, "Ye shall do no servile work therein" (Leviticus 23:7). This "servile work" is sin, for "Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin" (John 8:34).

What He first says, "to do good on the sabbath-day or to do evil," is the same as what He later adds, "to save a life or to lose it." This means to heal a man or not to heal him. This is not to say that God, who is supremely good, can be the author of our destruction, but that in the language of Scripture, His not saving is equivalent to destroying.

But if it is asked why the Lord, being about to heal the body, asked about saving the soul, one should understand one of several possibilities. It could be that, in the common language of Scripture, the "soul" is used for the whole person, as it is said, "All the souls that came out of the loins of Jacob" (Exodus 1:5). Alternatively, it could be because He performed these miracles for the salvation of a soul, or because the healing of the hand itself signified the saving of the soul.

St. Augustine of Hippo: Someone might wonder how Matthew could have said that they asked the Lord if it was lawful to heal on the Sabbath day, when Mark relates that our Lord instead asked them, "Is it lawful to do good on the sabbath-day, or to do evil?" ³

Therefore, we must understand that they first asked the Lord if it was lawful to heal on the Sabbath. Then, understanding their thoughts and seeing that they were seeking an opportunity to accuse Him, He placed the man He was about to heal in the middle and asked the questions that Mark and Luke relate. We must then suppose that when they remained silent, He proposed the parable of the sheep and concluded that it was lawful to do good on the Sabbath day.

The text continues: "But they were silent."

Pseudo-Chrysostom: For they knew that He would certainly heal him. ⁴

The text continues: "And looking round about upon them with anger."

His looking around at them with anger and being grieved by the blindness of their hearts is fitting for the humanity He condescended to take upon Himself for us. He connects the performance of the miracle with a word, which proves that the man is healed by His voice alone.

Therefore, it follows, "And he stretched it out, and his hand was restored." By all these actions, He was answering on behalf of His disciples and, at the same time, showing that His life is above the law.

The Venerable Bede: Mystically, the man with a withered hand represents the human race, which had become barren of good works but is now healed by the Lord's mercy. The hand of man, which was withered in our first parent when he plucked the fruit of the forbidden tree, has been restored to health through the grace of the Redeemer, who stretched His guiltless hands on the tree of the cross, making it fruitful again with good works.

It is also fitting that the hand was withered in the synagogue, for where the gift of knowledge is greater, so too is the danger of inexcusable guilt.

Pseudo-Jerome: Alternatively, the withered hand represents the greedy, who, though able to give, would rather receive, and who love theft more than giving gifts. They are commanded to stretch forth their hands; that is, "let him that stole steal no more, but rather let him labour, working with his hand the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth" (Ephesians 4:28).

Theophylact of Ohrid: Or, the man had his right hand withered because he does not do the works that belong to the right side. From the moment our hand is used for forbidden deeds, it becomes withered for doing good. But it will be restored whenever it stands firm in virtue. This is why Christ says, "Arise"—that is, from sin—"and stand in the middle," so that the hand may be stretched out in a balanced way, neither too little nor too much.

The Venerable Bede: The Pharisees, considering it a crime that the diseased hand was restored to health at the Lord's word, agreed to use our Savior's words as a pretext.¹

Therefore, it is said, And the Pharisees went out and immediately conspired with the Herodians against Him, how they might destroy Him.

It is as if every one of them did not do greater things on the Sabbath day, such as carrying food, offering a cup, and whatever else is necessary for meals. Nor could He, who only had to speak for it to be done, be convicted of laboring on the Sabbath.

Theophylact of Ohrid: The soldiers of King Herod are called Herodians because a new heresy had sprung up asserting that Herod was the Christ. The prophecy of Jacob indicated that Christ would come when the rulers from Judah had ceased. Therefore, because no Jewish princes remained in Herod's time and he, a foreigner, was the sole ruler, some thought he was the Christ and started this heresy. These Herodians, then, joined with the Pharisees in trying to kill Christ.

The Venerable Bede: Alternatively, he calls the Herodians the servants of Herod the Tetrarch. On account of the hatred their lord had for John, they also pursued the Savior, whom John preached, with treachery and hate.

The text continues, But Jesus withdrew with His disciples to the sea. He fled from their treachery because the hour of His Passion had not yet come, and no place outside of Jerusalem was suitable for His suffering. By this, He also gave an example to His disciples that when they suffer persecution in one city, they should flee to another.

Theophylact of Ohrid: At the same time, He departs again so that by leaving the ungrateful, He might do good to many more, for many followed Him, and He healed them.

For the text continues, And a great multitude from Galilee... and so on. Syrians and Sidonians, who were foreigners, received benefits from Christ, yet His own kindred, the Jews, persecuted Him. This shows that there is no benefit in family relationship if there is no corresponding similarity in goodness.

The Venerable Bede: The foreigners followed Him because they saw His powerful works and wanted to hear His teaching. The Jews, however, drawn only by reports of His power, came in a vast multitude to hear Him and to beg for His healing aid.

Therefore, the text continues, And He told His disciples that a small boat should be kept ready for Him...

Theophylact of Ohrid: Consider, then, how He hid His glory. He asked for a small boat to prevent the crowd from crushing Him, so that by getting into it, He might remain unharmed.

It follows, As many as had scourges... By "scourges," he means diseases, for God disciplines us as a father does his children.

The Venerable Bede: Therefore, both groups fell down before the Lord: those who had the plagues of bodily diseases and those who were tormented by unclean spirits. The sick did this simply with the intention of obtaining health. The demoniacs, however—or rather, the demons within them—did so because, overcome by a fear of God, they were compelled not only to fall down before Him but also to praise His majesty.

Therefore, the text continues, And they cried out, saying, "You are the Son of God."

Here we must marvel at the blindness of the Arians. After the glory of His resurrection, they deny the Son of God, whom the demons confess to be the Son of God even while He is still clothed in human flesh.

The text continues, And He strictly charged them that they should not make Him known.

For God said to the sinner, Why do you preach my laws? (Psalm 50:16). A sinner is forbidden to preach the Lord, so that no one listening to his preaching will follow him into error. For the devil is an evil master who always mixes false things with true, so that the appearance of truth may conceal the testimony of deceit.

But not only demons, but also those healed by Christ and even the Apostles, were ordered to be silent about Him before the Passion. This was to prevent the preaching of His divine majesty from delaying the plan of His suffering. Allegorically, by leaving the synagogue and then withdrawing to the sea, the Lord prefigured the salvation of the Gentiles. He graciously chose to come to them through their faith after leaving the Jews on account of their treachery.

For the nations, driven about on various divergent paths of error, are appropriately compared to the unstable sea.ⁱ

Again, a great crowd from various provinces followed Him, because He has kindly received many nations who came to Him through the preaching of the Apostles. The ship waiting for the Lord on the sea is the Church, gathered from among the nations. He enters it to prevent the crowd from thronging Him, because, fleeing from the troubled minds of carnal people, He delights to come to those who despise the glory of this world and to dwell within them.

Furthermore, there is a difference between thronging the Lord and touching Him. People throng Him when, by carnal thoughts and deeds, they disturb the peace in which truth dwells. But a person touches Him who, by faith and love, has received Him into his heart. This is why those who touched Him are said to have been saved.

Theophylact of Ohrid: On a moral level, the Herodians—that is, people who love the lusts of the flesh—wish to slay Christ, for the name Herod means "of skin."ⁱ But those who leave their country—that is, a carnal way of life—follow Christ, and their plagues are healed, meaning the sins that wound their conscience are forgiven. In this analogy, Jesus represents our reason, which commands that our vessel—our body—should serve Him, so that the troubles of worldly affairs do not overwhelm our reason.

The Venerable Bede: After forbidding the evil spirits to preach about Him, He chose holy men to cast out unclean spirits and to preach the Gospel.¹

Therefore it is said, "And He went up on a mountain, etc."

Theophylact of Ohrid: Luke, however, says that He went up to pray. For after displaying miracles, He prays, teaching us that when we obtain anything good, we should give thanks and attribute it to divine grace.

Pseudo-Chrysostom: He also instructs the leaders of the Church to spend the night in prayer before they ordain, so that their office is not impeded. Therefore, when it was day, according to Luke, He called whomever He wished, for there were many who followed Him.²

The Venerable Bede: For it was not a matter of their own choice and zeal, but of divine condescension and grace, that they were called to the apostleship. The mountain where the Lord chose His Apostles also signifies the lofty righteousness in which they were to be instructed and which they were to preach to others.

Pseudo-Jerome: Or spiritually, Christ is the mountain from which living waters flow and milk is procured for the health of infants. From this mountain, the spiritual feast of rich food is made known, and whatever is believed to be of the highest good is established by the grace of that Mountain.

Therefore, those who are highly exalted in merits and in words are called up to a mountain, so that the location corresponds to the loftiness of their merits.

It goes on: "And they came to Him, etc."

For the Lord loved the beauty of Jacob (Psalm 47:4), so that they might sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel (Matthew 19:28). They also, in groups of threes and fours, watch around the tabernacle of the Lord and carry His holy words, bearing them forward in their actions, as people carry burdens on their shoulders.

The Venerable Bede: As a sign of this, the children of Israel once used to encamp around the Tabernacle, so that three tribes were stationed on each of the four sides of the square. Now, three times four is twelve, and the Apostles were sent to preach in three groups of four, so that they might baptize the nations throughout the four corners of the world in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

It goes on: "And He gave them power, etc."

This was so that the greatness of their deeds might bear witness to the greatness of their heavenly promises, and so that those who preached unheard-of things might perform unheard-of actions.

Theophylact of Ohrid: Furthermore, He gives the names of the Apostles so that the true apostles might be known, and people might avoid the false ones.

And therefore it continues: "And He surnamed Simon, Peter."

St. Augustine of Hippo: But let no one suppose that Simon received his name and was called Peter at this time, for this would make Mark contradict John, who relates that it had been said to him long before, "You shall be called Cephas" (John 1:42).³

But Mark gives this account by way of summary. Since he wished to give the names of the twelve Apostles and was obliged to call him Peter, his purpose was to indicate briefly that this was not his original name, but that the Lord gave it to him.

The Venerable Bede: The reason the Lord willed for him to be called something else at first was so that a mystery might be conveyed to us through the change of name itself. Peter, then, in Latin or Greek means the same as Cephas in Aramaic, and in each language the name is derived from "a stone."

Nor can it be doubted that this is the rock of which Paul spoke: "and that Rock was Christ" (1 Corinthians 10:4). For as Christ was the true light and also allowed the Apostles to be called the light of the world (Matthew 5:14), so also to Simon, who believed in the rock Christ, He gave the name of Rock.

Pseudo-Jerome: Thus, from obedience, which Simon signifies, the ascent is made to knowledge, which is what Peter means.

It goes on: "And James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother."

The Venerable Bede: We must connect this with what went before: "He goes up on a mountain and calls."

Pseudo-Jerome: This refers to James, who has supplanted all the desires of the flesh, and John, who received by grace what others obtained by labor.⁴

There follows: "And He surnamed them Boanerges."

Pseudo-Chrysostom: He calls the sons of Zebedee by this name because they were to spread the mighty and illustrious decrees of the Godhead over the world.⁵

Pseudo-Jerome: Or, this name shows the lofty merit of the three mentioned above, who deserved to hear the thunders of the Father on the mountain when He proclaimed in thunder through a cloud concerning the Son, "This is My beloved Son." This was so that they also, through the cloud of the flesh and the fire of the word, might scatter thunderbolts like rain on the earth, since the Lord turned the thunderbolts into rain, so that mercy extinguishes what judgment sets on fire.

It goes on: "And Andrew," who manfully does violence to perdition, so that he always had his own death ready within him to give as an answer (see 1 Peter 3:15), and his soul was ever in his hands (Psalm 119:109).

The Venerable Bede: For Andrew is a Greek name meaning "manly," from the Greek word for man, for he manfully adhered to the Lord.

There follows, "And Philip."

Pseudo-Jerome: Or, "the mouth of a lamp"—that is, one who can shed light with his mouth on what he has conceived in his heart, to whom the Lord gave an open mouth that diffused light. We know this way of speaking belongs to Holy Scripture, for Hebrew names are recorded to signify a mystery.

There follows: "And Bartholomew," which means, "the son of him who suspends the waters"—of Him, that is, who said, "I will also command the clouds that they rain no rain upon it" (Isaiah 5:6). But the name "son of God" is obtained through peace and loving one's enemy, for, "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God" (Matthew 5:9). And, "Love your enemies... that you may be sons of your Father" (see Matthew 5:44-45).

There follows: "And Matthew," that is, "given," to whom it was given by the Lord not only to obtain remission of sins but also to be enrolled in the number of the Apostles. "And Thomas," which means, "abyss," for those who have knowledge by the power of God put forward many deep things.

It goes on: "And James the son of Alphaeus," that is, of "the learned," or "the thousandth," beside whom a thousand will fall (Psalm 91:7). This other James is he whose wrestling is not against flesh and blood, but against spiritual wickedness (Ephesians 6:12).

There follows, "And Thaddaeus," that is, "corculum," which means, "he who guards the heart,"ⁱ one who keeps his heart with all watchfulness.

The Venerable Bede: But Thaddaeus is the same person whom Luke, in the Gospel and in the Acts, calls Jude of James. For he was the brother of James (the Lord's brother), as he himself has written in his Epistle.

There follows, "And Simon the Canaanite, and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed Him."

He added this to distinguish him from Simon Peter and from Jude the brother of James. Simon is called the Canaanite from Cana, a village in Galilee. Judas is called Iscariot either from the village of his origin or from the tribe of Issachar.

Theophylact of Ohrid: He includes him among the Apostles so that we may learn that God does not reject anyone for wickedness that is yet to come, but considers him worthy on account of his present virtue.

Pseudo-Jerome: Simon is interpreted as "laying aside sorrow," for "blessed are they that mourn, for they shall be comforted" (Matthew 5:4). He is also called the Canaanite, that is, Zealot, because the zeal of the Lord consumed him.

Judas Iscariot, however, is one who does not do away with his sins by repentance. For Judas means "boaster" or "vainglorious," and Iscariot means "the memory of death." There are many proud and vainglorious confessors in the Church, such as Simon Magus, Arius, and other heretics, whose death-like memory is recalled in the Church so that it may be avoided.

The Venerable Bede: The Lord leads the Apostles, after they were chosen, into a house, as if admonishing them that after receiving the Apostleship, they should withdraw to examine their own consciences.

Therefore, it is said, And they came into a house, and the multitude came together again, so that they could not eat bread.

Pseudo-Chrysostom: Indeed, the crowds of princes were ungrateful, as their pride hindered them from knowledge, but the grateful multitude of the people came to Jesus.¹

The Venerable Bede: And blessed indeed was the gathering of the crowd, flocking together, whose eagerness to obtain salvation was so great that they did not leave the Author of salvation even an hour free to eat. But the one whom a crowd of strangers loves to follow, his own relatives hold in low esteem.

For it continues, And when His friends heard of it, they went out to lay hold upon Him.

For since they could not grasp the depth of wisdom they heard, they thought he was speaking senselessly.

Therefore, it continues, for they said, He is beside Himself.

Theophylact of Ohrid: That is, he has a demon and is insane, and therefore they wanted to seize him so they could lock him up as one who had a demon. Even his friends—that is, his relatives, perhaps his countrymen or his brothers—wanted to do this. But it was a foolish insanity on their part to imagine that the Worker of such great miracles of divine wisdom had gone mad.

The Venerable Bede: Now, there is a great difference between those who do not understand the word of God due to slowness of intellect, such as those spoken of here, and those who purposely blaspheme, about whom it is added, And the Scribes which came down from Jerusalem... For what they could not deny, they tried to distort with a malicious interpretation, as if these were not the works of God but of a most unclean spirit—that is, of Beelzebub, who was the god of Ekron.

For "Beel" means Baal himself, and "zebub" means a fly. The meaning of Beelzebub, therefore, is "the man of flies," because of the filth of the offered blood. From this most unclean rite, they call him the prince of demons, adding, and by the prince of the devils casteth He out devils.

Pseudo-Jerome: Mystically, the house to which they came is the early Church. The crowds that prevent them from eating bread are sins and vices, for he who eats unworthily eateth and drinketh damnation to himself (1 Corinthians 11:29).

The Venerable Bede: The scribes coming down from Jerusalem also blaspheme. In contrast, the multitude from Jerusalem and from other regions of Judea or of the Gentiles followed the Lord.

This was because it was destined to be so at the time of his Passion: a crowd of the Jewish people would lead him to Jerusalem with palms and praises, and the Gentiles would desire to see him, while the scribes and Pharisees would plot together for his death.

Pseudo-Chrysostom: After detailing the blasphemy of the scribes, our Lord shows that what they said was impossible, confirming His proof with an example.¹

Therefore, it says, And having called them together to Him, He said to them in parables, How can Satan cast out Satan? It is as if He had said: A kingdom divided against itself by civil war will be destroyed, which is exemplified in both a house and a city. Therefore, if Satan's kingdom is divided against itself, so that Satan expels Satan from people, then the destruction of the kingdom of the devils is near.

But their kingdom consists of keeping people under their dominion. If, therefore, they are driven away from people, it amounts to nothing less than the dissolution of their kingdom. But if they still hold power over people, it is clear that the kingdom of evil is still standing, and Satan is not divided against himself.

Glossa Ordinaria: And because He has already shown by an example that a devil cannot cast out a devil, He now shows how one can be expelled, saying, No man can enter into a strong man's house, etc.

Theophylact of Ohrid: The meaning of the example is this: The devil is the strong man, and his goods are the people he possesses. Therefore, unless someone first conquers the devil, how can he take away his goods—that is, the people he has possessed?

So I, who plunder his goods by freeing people from his possession, must first defeat and vanquish the devils, for I am their enemy. How then can you say that I have Beelzebub and that I, being a friend of the devils, cast them out?

The Venerable Bede: The Lord has also bound the strong man, that is, the devil. This means He has restrained him from seducing the elect and has entered his house, the world. He has plundered his house and his goods—that is, people—because He has snatched them from the snares of the devil and united them to His Church.²

Alternatively, He has plundered his house because He has assigned the four parts of the world, over which the ancient enemy held sway, to the Apostles and their successors, so that they may convert the people to the way of life.

The Lord then shows that they committed a great sin by proclaiming that what they knew to be from God was actually from the devil, when He adds, Verily, I say unto you, All sins are forgiven, etc. Indeed, not all sins and blasphemies are forgiven for all people, but only for those who have undergone sufficient repentance for their sins in this life. Thus, Novatus is incorrectⁱ, for he denied that any pardon should be granted to penitents who had lapsed during times of martyrdom. Nor is Origen correct, who asserts that after the general judgment and the passing of ages, all sinners will receive pardon for their sins. This error is condemned by the Lord's following words, when He adds, But he that shall blaspheme against the Holy Ghost, etc.

Pseudo-Chrysostom: He says, indeed, that blasphemy concerning Himself was pardonable, because at the time He appeared to be a despised man of the lowliest birth. However, contempt against God has no forgiveness. Now, blasphemy against the Holy Spirit is blasphemy against God, for the work of the Holy Spirit is the kingdom of God. For this reason, He says that blasphemy against the Holy Spirit cannot be forgiven. However, instead of what is added here, But will be in danger of eternal damnation, another Evangelist says, Neither in this world, nor in the world to come. This is understood to mean both the judgment according to the Law and the judgment to come.³

For the Law orders one who blasphemes God to be put to death, and in the judgment of the new law, he has no forgiveness. However, one who is baptized is taken out of this world's judgment, but the Jews were ignorant of the forgiveness that takes place in baptism.ⁱ

Therefore, the one who attributes to the devil the miracles and the casting out of demons that belong to the Holy Spirit alone has no opportunity left for the forgiveness of his blasphemy. Nor does it appear that such a blasphemy is forgiven, since it is against the Holy Spirit. For this reason, He adds, explaining it, Because they said, He has an unclean spirit.

Theophylact of Ohrid: We must understand, however, that they will not obtain pardon unless they repent. But since it was Christ's humanity that offended them, some excuse was allowed them, and they obtained some measure of forgiveness, even if they did not repent.

Pseudo-Jerome: Alternatively, this means that a person who understood who Christ was, yet declared that He was the prince of the devils, will not be worthy to achieve a repentance that can be accepted.

The Venerable Bede: However, neither are those who do not believe the Holy Spirit is God guilty of an unpardonable blasphemy, because they were persuaded to this by human ignorance, not by devilish malice.

St. Augustine of Hippo: Alternatively, impenitence itself is the blasphemy against the Holy Spirit that has no forgiveness. For a person with an impenitent heart speaks a word against the Holy Spirit—the forgiver of sins—either in his thought or with his tongue.⁴

But He adds the reason, Because they said, He has an unclean spirit, to show that He said this in response to their claim that He cast out a devil by Beelzebub. He does not say this because there is a type of blasphemy that can never be forgiven—since even this could be forgiven through proper repentance. Rather, the reason the Lord spoke this sentence after mentioning the unclean spirit (who, as our Lord shows, was divided against himself) was to highlight a contrast: the Holy Spirit makes those He gathers undivided by forgiving the sins that had divided them from God. This gift of forgiveness is resisted by no one except the person who has the hardness of an impenitent heart.

For in another place, the Jews said of the Lord that He had a devil (John 7:20), yet He said nothing there about blasphemy against the Spirit. The reason is that, in that instance, they did not accuse Him of having an unclean spirit in such a way that their own words would prove that spirit to be divided against itself—as Beelzebub was shown to be here, when they claimed he was the one casting out demons.ⁱ