Mark 2:23 And it happened that he was going on the Sabbath day through the grain fields, and his disciples began, as they went, to pluck the ears of grain. 24 And the Pharisees said to him, “Look, why do they do that which is not lawful on the Sabbath day?” 25 And he said to them, “Did you never read what David did, when he had need, and was hungry – he, and those who were with him? 26 How he entered into the house of God in the time of Abiathar the high priest, and ate the show bread, which is not lawful to eat except for the priests, and gave also to those who were with him?” 27 And he said to them, “The Sabbath was made for people, not people for the Sabbath. 28 Therefore the Son of Man is lord even of the Sabbath.” NHEB
Mark 3:1 And he entered again into the synagogue, and there was a man there who had his hand withered. 2 And They watched him, whether he would heal him on the Sabbath day, that they might accuse him. NHEB
So far Jesus has forgiven sins, harvested on the Sabbath and claimed dominion over the Sabbath telling them that the Sabbath is for people and not vice-versa. He is challenging a status quo that is focusing so hard on man-made rules and regulations that it has drifted away from what God intended. Nevertheless, the status quo isn’t happy and are trying to set a trap to silence this Jesus guy who is causing them no small amount of consternation.
Mark 3:3 And he said to the man with the withered hand, “Stand up in the middle.” 4 And he said to them, “Is it lawful on the Sabbath day to do good, or to do harm? To save a life, or to kill?” But they were silent. 5 And when he had looked around at them with anger, being grieved at the hardening of their hearts, he said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” He stretched it out, and his hand was restored. 6And the Pharisees went out, and immediately conspired with the Herodians against him, how they might destroy him. NHEB
Jesus asks a question and the Pharisees’ response is silence. This leads to the second time in Mark we have seen an angry Jesus as He sees that the Pharisees are more interested in trapping and silencing Him than in helping the man. (Interesting that Jesus has elevated the question from a legal question to a moral question).
When we think about hardened hearts, Pharaoh comes to mind. In Exodus about half the time God hardened Pharaoh’s heart in order to help His people while the other times, Pharaoh did it to himself (and is responsible for the choices he made). Moses asks for his people to be freed and Pharaoh says “no” and continues to say “no” despite a series of plagues. Perhaps an easier way understand hardness of the heart is to compare it to a callous. For example, over time you will develop a callous on a ring wearing finger. This isn’t something that happens immediately but rather over a longer period of time. Pharaoh said “no” and it became easier and easier to say “no”.
The Pharisees have now gotten what they wanted and have joined forces with a group of people they would normally not be engaged with. We don’t know much about the Herodians other than they are clearly supporters of Herod. Some have suggested they are a religious sect while others maintain that they are purely political in nature. Given their close connection to Herod, Jesus is someone they would take interest in as a possible threat to their power and prestige (not unlike the Pharisees who also see Christ as a threat to their power and prestige). We will see these two groups later in Mark asking the question about whether or not to pay taxes to Caesar (Mark 12:13).
Mark 3:7 And Jesus withdrew to the sea with his disciples, and a large crowd followed from Galilee, and from Judea, 8 and from Jerusalem, and from Idumea, and beyond the Jordan, and those from around Tyre and Sidon. A large crowd, when they heard what great things He did, came to him. 9 And He told his disciples that a small boat should stay near him because of the crowd, so that they would not press on him. 10 For He had healed many, so that as many as had diseases pressed on Him that they might touch Him. 11 And the unclean spirits, whenever they saw him, fell down before Him, and shouted, saying, “You are the Son of God.” 12 And he sternly warned them that they should not make Him known. NHEB
Many see this as more than a physical movement on the part of Jesus. This is significant because so far, He has been operating within the system but is now changing direction and expanding His ministry. (The new wine is definitely not going back in the old wineskins). Jesus is popular and that is only going to grow. By the time He feeds the 5,000, they want to make Him king yet when He talks about the bread of life, many turn away.
John 2:23 Now while Jesus was in Jerusalem at the feast of the Passover, many people believed in his name because they saw the miraculous signs he was doing. 24 But Jesus would not entrust himself to them, because he knew all people. 25 He did not need anyone to testify about man, for he knew what was in man. NET
Jesus knows that people are flawed and that there are different reasons for following Him. Here the crowds are so big that they are about to crush Him yet most are there because He has healed so many. Another reason Jesus is withdrawing from the Pharisees is He is concerned with the hour and that hour has not yet come. If Jesus suddenly reveals Himself as the Messiah, the people will want to overthrow the Romans and establish the rule of the people of God.
Mark 3:13 And He went up into the mountain, and called to Himself those whom He wanted, and they went to Him. 14 And He appointed twelve, that they might be with Him, and that He might send them out to preach, 15 to have authority to heal sicknesses and to cast out demons. 16 And He appointed the twelve. And to Simon he gave the name Peter; 17 and James the son of Zebedee; and John the brother of James (and He surnamed them Boanerges which means, Sons of Thunder); 18 and Andrew, and Philip, and Bartholomew, and Matthew, and Thomas, and James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus, and Simon the Zealot; 19 and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed Him. NHEB
Big things always seem to happen on mountains. This stands in contrast to what we saw earlier regarding the large crowds. Those He called represent the faithful who were within these crowds, i.e., the ones who had of sense of His divinity. From this group, He chose twelve to be with Him and be sent out to preach.
The list of the apostles also shows up in Matthew 10:2-4 and Luke 6:13-16 with some slight differences among them as Thaddaeus is also known as Judas, son of James and Simon the Zealot is also known as Simon the Canaanite.
1John 1:1 That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our own eyes, which we have gazed upon and touched with our own hands—this is the Word of life. 2 And this is the life that was revealed; we have seen it and testified to it, and we proclaim to you the eternal life that was with the Father and was revealed to us. 3 We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And this fellowship of ours is with the Father and with His Son, Jesus Christ. 4 We write these things so that our joy may be complete. BSB