Mark 3King James Version
Jesus heals a man with a withered hand on the sabbath. The Pharisees plot with the Herodians to destroy him. He chooses the twelve apostles by name. The scribes accuse him of casting out devils by Beelzebub. He answers: a kingdom divided against itself cannot stand. His mother and brothers come looking for him. He looks around at those sitting near him: behold my mother and my brethren! For whosoever shall do the will of God, the same is my brother, and my sister, and mother.
Jesus heals a man with a withered hand on the Sabbath while Pharisees plot against him. Crowds press in from all over. He retreats to a mountain and appoints twelve, giving some new names. Scribes arrive from Jerusalem claiming he casts out demons by Beelzebub. Jesus answers with a parable about a divided kingdom and coins the phrase about the unforgivable sin. His family arrives, convinced he has lost his mind.
Even as opposition organizes against him, Jesus consolidates a new family: twelve appointed ones who will carry his work forward, and anyone who does God's will.
35: "For whosoever shall do the will of God, the same is my brother, and my sister, and my mother." His biological family is outside trying to stop him. His redefined family is whoever does what God wants.
The mountain appointment echoes Moses at Sinai and Israel's formation as a people. Mark does not belabor the symbolism but it is there. The Twelve are not just disciples but representatives of something new being built. The scribes from Jerusalem, meanwhile, have traveled a long way to discredit this Galilean. The conflict is no longer local.
The man with the withered hand; Pharisees who watch and accuse; the twelve appointed: Simon Peter, James, John, Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James son of Alphaeus, Thaddaeus, Simon the Zealot, and Judas Iscariot; scribes from Jerusalem; Jesus's mother and brothers.
The appointment of the Twelve is a loaded act. Israel had twelve tribes. Jesus is reconstituting something at the national level, not just gathering followers. At the same time the controversy over Beelzebub introduces the blasphemy against the Holy Spirit: attributing God's work to Satan is the one sin with no road back because it destroys the capacity to recognize good.
For when the people who should support you are the most skeptical. Jesus's own family thinks he is out of his mind. He keeps working anyway, and redefines who counts as family.
1And he entered again into the synagogue; and there was a man there which had a withered hand.
2And they watched him, whether he would heal him on the sabbath day; that they might accuse him.
3And he saith unto the man which had the withered hand, Stand forth.
4And he saith unto them, Is it lawful to do good on the sabbath days, or to do evil? to save life, or to kill? But they held their peace.
5And when he had looked round about on them with anger, being grieved for the hardness of their hearts, he saith unto the man, Stretch forth thine hand. And he stretched it out: and his hand was restored whole as the other.
6And the Pharisees went forth, and straightway took counsel with the Herodians against him, how they might destroy him.
7But Jesus withdrew himself with his disciples to the sea: and a great multitude from Galilee followed him, and from Judaea,
8And from Jerusalem, and from Idumaea, and from beyond Jordan; and they about Tyre and Sidon, a great multitude, when they had heard what great things he did, came unto him.
9And he spake to his disciples, that a small ship should wait on him because of the multitude, lest they should throng him.
10For he had healed many; insomuch that they pressed upon him for to touch him, as many as had plagues.
11And unclean spirits, when they saw him, fell down before him, and cried, saying, Thou art the Son of God.
12And he straitly charged them that they should not make him known.
13And he goeth up into a mountain, and calleth unto him whom he would: and they came unto him.
14And he ordained twelve, that they should be with him, and that he might send them forth to preach,
15And to have power to heal sicknesses, and to cast out devils:
16And Simon he surnamed Peter;
17And James the son of Zebedee, and John the brother of James; and he surnamed them Boanerges, which is, The sons of thunder:
18And Andrew, and Philip, and Bartholomew, and Matthew, and Thomas, and James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus, and Simon the Canaanite,
19And Judas Iscariot, which also betrayed him: and they went into an house.
20And the multitude cometh together again, so that they could not so much as eat bread.
21And when his friends heard of it, they went out to lay hold on him: for they said, He is beside himself.
22And the scribes which came down from Jerusalem said, He hath Beelzebub, and by the prince of the devils casteth he out devils.
23And he called them unto him, and said unto them in parables, How can Satan cast out Satan?
24And if a kingdom be divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand.
25And if a house be divided against itself, that house cannot stand.
26And if Satan rise up against himself, and be divided, he cannot stand, but hath an end.
27No man can enter into a strong man's house, and spoil his goods, except he will first bind the strong man; and then he will spoil his house.
28Verily I say unto you, All sins shall be forgiven unto the sons of men, and blasphemies wherewith soever they shall blaspheme:
29But he that shall blaspheme against the Holy Ghost hath never forgiveness, but is in danger of eternal damnation:
30Because they said, He hath an unclean spirit.
31There came then his brethren and his mother, and, standing without, sent unto him, calling him.
32And the multitude sat about him, and they said unto him, Behold, thy mother and thy brethren without seek for thee.
33And he answered them, saying, Who is my mother, or my brethren?
34And he looked round about on them which sat about him, and said, Behold my mother and my brethren!
35For whosoever shall do the will of God, the same is my brother, and my sister, and mother.