Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on the Whole Bible
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Mark
Book: Mark
Chapter: 3
Overview:
The withered
Hand healed.
(1-5) The people resort to
Christ.
(6-12) The apostles called.
(13-21) The
Blasphemy of the
Scribes.
(22-30) Christ's relatives.
(31-35)
1-5 This
Man's case was piteous; he had a withered
Hand, which
disabled him from working for his living; and those that are
So,
are the most proper objects of
Charity. Let those be helped that
cannot help themselves. But stubborn infidels, when they can say
nothing against the
Truth, yet will not yield. We hear what is
said amiss, and see what is done amiss; but
Christ looks at the
root of bitterness in the
Heart, the blindness and hardness of
that, and is grieved. Let hard-hearted sinners tremble to think
of the
Anger with which he will look upon them shortly, when the
Day of his wrath comes. The great healing
Day now is the
Sabbath, and the healing place the
House of
Prayer; but the
healing power is of
Christ. The
Gospel command is like that
recorded here: though our hands are withered, yet, if we will
not stretch them out, it is our own fault that we are not
healed. But if we are healed,
Christ, his power and
Grace, must
have all the
Glory.
6-12 All our sicknesses and calamities
Spring from the
Anger of
God against our sins. Their removal, or the making them
blessings to us, was purchased to us
By the
Blood of
Christ. But
the plagues and diseases of our souls, of our hearts, are
chiefly to be dreaded; and He can heal them also
By a
Word. May
more and more press to
Christ to be healed of these plagues, and
to be delivered from the enemies of their souls.
13-21 Christ calls whom he will; for his
Grace is his own. He
had called the apostles to separate themselves from the crowd,
and they came unto him. He now gave them power to heal
sicknesses, and to cast out devils. May the
Lord send forth more
and more of those who have been with him, and have learned of
him to preach his
Gospel, to be instruments in his blessed work.
Those whose hearts are enlarged in the work of
God, can easily
Bear with what is inconvenient to themselves, and will rather
lose a meal than an opportunity of doing good. Those who go
On
with zeal in the work of
God, must expect hindrances, both from
the
Hatred of enemies, and mistaken affections of friends, and
need to
Guard against both.
22-30 It was
Plain that the doctrine of
Christ had a direct
tendency to break the
Devil's power; and it was as
Plain, that
the casting of him out of the bodies of people, confirmed that
doctrine; therefore
Satan could not support such a design.
Christ gave an awful warning against speaking such dangerous
words. It is true the
Gospel promises, because
Christ has
purchased, forgiveness for the greatest sins and sinners; but
By
this
Sin, they would oppose the
Gifts of the
Holy Ghost after
Christ's
Ascension. Such is the
Enmity of the
Heart, that
unconverted men pretend believers are doing
Satan's work, when
sinners are brought to
Repentance and newness of
Life.
31-35 It is a great comfort to all true Christians, that they
are dearer to
Christ than mother,
Brother, or sister as such,
merely as relations in the
Flesh would have been, even had they
been holy. Blessed be
God, this great and gracious privilege is
ours even now; for though
Christ's bodily presence cannot be
enjoyed
By us, his spiritual presence is not denied us.