Mark 3 & 4 Class Comments

1. 3:1-6 In this account of a Sabbath healing, how does Jesus respond emotionally to the hardness of the Pharisees’ hearts? How does He respond physically? Comments: He is both angry and grieved at the hardness of their hearts, but He still heals the man’s hand. It is amazing that after seeing this miracle, the Pharisees and Herodians plot against Jesus to destroy Him.
2. 3:7-12 From what parts of Israel did the multitude come? Find the places on the map. Comments: The multitude came from Galilee, Judea, Jerusalem, Idumea (the southernmost region shown on our map), beyond the Jordan (probably Perea), Tyre, and Sidon (the northernmost city on the map.) According to our calculations, from Sidon to Idumea was about 160 miles. Sidon would be about 40 miles northwest of Capernaum; Jerusalem about 80 miles south.
3. 3:13-19 What did Jesus call the apostles to do? Which ones had He already called (as recorded in Mark 1:16-20 and 2:13-14)? Comments: Jesus called the apostles 1) to be with Him; 2) to preach; 3) to have power to heal sickness and to cast out demons. Mark 1:16-20 records His calling Simon, Andrew, James and John. Mark 2:13-14 records His calling Levi, the son of Alphaeus. Levi is called Matthew in Matthew 10:3. Coincidentally, in that list and here, James is called the son of Alphaeus. We concluded that their fathers had the same name. If they had been brothers, they would have been identified as such, like Peter and Andrew and James and John.
4. 3:20-30 Had the scribes blasphemed against the Holy Spirit? How? Comments: Yes. Jesus gives the warning about blasphemy because they had ascribed his casting out demons to Beelzebub rather than to the Holy Spirit. One of the definitions of blasphemy is “the act of claiming for oneself the attributes and rights of God.” We also noticed verse 21 in this section: “When his own people [family] heard about this, they went out to lay hold of Him, for they said, ‘He is out of His mind.’” We likened this to Jesus’ experience in his hometown (Mark 6:1-6), where they couldn’t recognize Him as being remarkable.
5. 3:31-35 What relationship do we have with Jesus when we do God’s will? Comments: We are His family – His mother, brothers and sisters. Note that He did not include a father here.  (Of course, his earthly father Joseph was not among those seeking him, either.) Hebrews 2:10-13 goes into detail about Christ as the captain of our salvation, One who is not ashamed to call us “brethren.” Another observation about this passage: Verse 21 indicates that Jesus’ family was concerned about His mental health (“He is beside himself,” or “He is out of His mind!”). In verse 31 His mother and brothers came to see Him. Might there be a connection between the two incidents?
6. 4:1-20 What keeps us from bearing fruit? Comments: We saw this from two different views: 1) We don’t bear fruit, because we don’t sow the seed. 2) We don’t bear fruit, because, as mentioned in verse 12, we see and hear but don’t perceive. Also noted was that like the rocky ground, we are too shallow, and like the thorny ground, we permit the cares of this world to keep us from bearing fruit. We may not die, but as Christians, we’re barren.
7. 4:21-25 What is the “lamp”? Comments: Several answers here, all connected. 1) The lamp is the Christian, because in Matthew 5:14 Jesus tells His disciples they are the “light of the world.” We are not to hide our lights. 2) The lamp are the actions that show we are Christians. 3) The lamp is the word of God, the lamp for our feet and the light for our paths (Psalm 119:105).
8. 4:26-29 What is the lesson of the Parable of the Growing Seed? How does it complement the Parable of the Sower? Comments: Again, several different but related thoughts. 1) Both parables show that the gospel contains its own power. Sometimes it grows in unexpected places, like a flower growing out of a rock. 2) Planting (and watering) is what we do; growing is what God does. 3) The Parable of the Sower describes what happens on earth as Christians sow the seed and produce fruit; the Growing Seed describes the final harvest, which is heaven.
9. 4:30-34 How do we plant the seed of the kingdom? How does it grow? (See also 1 Corinthians 3:5-7.) Comments: We teach the gospel to people, which, according to 1 Corinthians 15:3-4, is the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ. In 1 Corinthians 3, to discourage sectarianism, Paul teaches that while he and Apollos may have sown and watered, God gave the increase.
10. 4:35-41 In this incident, how does Jesus both calm and cause fear? Comments: The disciples feared what the wind would do to them. Then – after Jesus calmed the sea, they saw that Jesus had more power than even the wind, and they “feared exceedingly,” asking “Who can this be?”