Commentary in Simple English on the Gospel that Mark wrote

(See Mark 2:1-12, and Matthew 12:9-14; Luke 6:6-11.)

In verse 1, Jesus joins with the Jews. They have met in their house of worship or ‘synagogue‘. It is the day of worship so they should pray and read God's Word. One of the worshippers whom Jesus met was a man with a hand that he was not able to use. [3.1].

In verse 2, we can see that it was not worship and prayer that filled the minds of some of the Jews. They watched Jesus. They wanted to find fault with him. They wanted to see Jesus heal the man but this was for the wrong reason. In verse 3, Jesus wants all the people to see what happens. Christians have no secrets to keep! Verse 4, Jesus asks a question. The Jews do not answer it. That does not mean that they agreed with him.

In verse 5, Jesus heals the man. He only speaks to him: He does not even touch him. The Jews cannot say that Jesus has broken the Sabbath by working. We would expect all the people to be pleased when Jesus heals the man. But their Law about work on God's day matters more to them than whether the man is healed. Perhaps Jesus hinted in verse 4 that already they have thoughts about killing Him. Verse 6 tells us that the Jewish leaders went out to plot to kill Him. Yet they ought to have said: 'Is this God at work'? They had seen Jesus heal the man.

God is good. God still heals people today. The good which is done in this way will not make all who know about it believe in Jesus. (See John 11: 43-46; Acts 5: 12 and 17,18.) In most cases it only makes those whose hearts are hard and who hate the truth worse. Not all signs and healings are God's work. (See 2 Thessalonians 2: 9; Matthew 7: 22,23.)

It was right for Jesus to join in worship on God's Day in His house. Like Jesus, Christians should join in worship in God's house, especially on God's day.

It was even better for Jesus to heal the man. Christians should always choose to do what is right. They should never do what is wrong. But when we have decided what is right and good, that is not the end. We should then try to do something that is even better. The love of Christ at work in our hearts makes us ask: 'Can I do something better today? Can I find a better way to help this friend of mine?'

(See Matthew 12:15-16 and 10:2-4; Luke 6:14-19.)

There were crowds who followed Jesus (verse 7) but Jesus picked out twelve men. Jesus called those whom He wanted to be with Him. (Verse 14) If we want to serve Him we need to be with Him often in prayer and in reading His Word. We need to feel the call of God in our hearts to serve Him and also to hear the call of the church.

(Verse 16) We know little about the twelve apostles except what we learn from Scripture. [3.2] The case of Judas Iscariot warns us. We can be called. We can hear the truth. We can see signs. Yet we can be lost as Judas was.

Verses 20-35 - Following Jesus

(See Matthew 12: 25-29 and 46-50; Luke 8: 19-21 and 11: 17-22.)

Verses 20-21 and 31-35 speak about Jesus and His family. In verses 22-30 the Jews talk again about who Jesus really is. Jesus did not have a wife or children to care for. His mother and brothers and sisters make up his family here. The Jews only thought of Jesus as a man who had set himself up as a teacher.

In verse 22, some of the Jewish teachers say that 'Beelzebub' has control of Jesus. The name 'Beelzebub' may mean Lord of Flies or Lord of the Dunghill. Some people think that when they know the name of a spirit, they have power over it. It is much better to know and trust the name of Jesus.

In verses 23-27, Jesus answers these Jewish teachers. In verses 24 and 25, He uses two pictures. Verses 26 means that Satan is not divided. His end has not yet come. (Verse 27) Only God is stronger than Satan is. So Jesus says here that He is God. Jesus is stronger than Satan is. This verse calls Satan a strong man. Satan's kingdom will come to an end soon. Jesus ties him up. Jesus robs Satan's house. Satan's goods are men and women. He keeps them in his power, but Jesus can set them free.

We want to know how Jesus sets us free. Verse 28 tells us. God forgives our sins (Luke 1: 77). Satan uses our sins to keep us in his power. We have to tell God about our sins (1 John 1: 9). Because Jesus has died God will forgive us and also make us clean. God knows our hearts so we cannot hide anything from Him.

Many good Christians have been troubled by verse 29. [3.3] They are afraid that they may be guilty of this 'sin' against the Holy Spirit. They do not know that they have sinned in this way. Those who are troubled with fears have not sinned this sin. Still, we must be very careful never to speak against the Holy Spirit.

This sin is the sin of people who know how much Jesus has loved them. They know how much Jesus has done for them. They know how much it cost Him. Yet they choose to turn against the Good News and God's love.

To 'blaspheme' is more than to sin. It is to speak openly and with hard words against God's Holy Spirit.

Verse 30 shows that people knew that Jesus could not work with the Jewish leaders. These leaders were the people who said that Jesus had an unclean spirit. This would worry other Jews.

In verses 20 and 21, Mark wrote about Jesus and his family. Then in verses 22 - 30, he wrote about Jesus and the Jewish leaders. Now he writes about Jesus and his family again.

(Verses 31 and 32) It was Mary the Lord's mother and her children who came to Jesus. This may mean that Joseph by now was dead. The family were concerned because Jesus worked so hard. [3.4]

Jesus here teaches us that when we do God's will, we all can be one with Him. We do God's will when we obey what Jesus says.

We can see, too, that the Jewish leaders said wild things against Jesus (Verse 22). They did not know Jesus well. His mother, brothers and sisters did know him well. They only said that He worked too hard (Verse 21).