This week the published studies gained 16 notes across 2 chapters in Mark. Each entry links to the chapter page, where the note sits beside the text and the commentaries.
Mark 2
Pouring new wine into an old wineskin would indeed burst it. Old wineskins were hardened and brittle, while new wine continues to ferment and release gases. As it expanded inside the old wineskin, it would burst the container.
Picking grain along the roadway was perfectly legal and socially acceptable in Jesus’ day. The Pharisees objected because the disciples were picking it on the Sabbath. Mishnah law specifically forbade reaping on the Sabbath.
The incident Jesus refers to is recorded in 1 Samuel 21:1. David and his companions were leaving on a mission. They were hungry and ate the consecrated loaves because no common bread was available. They were not condemned for it. Jesus thus points out that, although the law may have been broken, there are circumstances in which doing so is justified. Humans’ basic needs take priority over ritual law.
Note that Mark may have confused Abiathar with his father, Ahimelech, who gave David the consecrated bread. Neither Matthew nor Luke records this phrase, and it is missing from several ancient manuscripts. Mark may have confused the two, or he may have meant “in the time of Abiathar” or “in the account of,” which could be a more accurate translation of the original Greek.
When Jesus says, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath,” he means that the seventh day was set aside to benefit people—not to restrict their activities, but to give them a day for rest and worship.
Jesus concludes that, beyond ritual laws, He is Lord of the Sabbath and sets its laws himself.
Read Mark 2 with all its notes → · open in the full reader
Mark 3
We aren’t told which synagogue the man with the withered hand was in, but we can presume it was in Capernaum, Jesus’ base of operations in Galilee.
Here we see the Pharisees stationed in the synagogue to see whether Jesus would heal on the Sabbath. Clearly, they felt threatened by his prior actions and were looking for any reason they could find to persecute him. Oddly, they were not waiting to see whether he could heal, but whether he would. Seemingly, they accepted Jesus’ power to heal but not his role in God’s plan.
It seems this man did not approach Jesus seeking healing; Jesus chose him to make a point. He even asked the man to stand so everyone could see what he was about to do—a direct challenge to the Pharisees.
Jewish Mishnah law allowed medical help on the Sabbath when a person’s life was in danger. This man-made law stated, “Whenever there is doubt whether life is in danger, this overrides the Sabbath”. Whether “healing” was allowed must have been an open question for them (note that Jesus healed with a simple command and no physical “work”), and they decided it was not permissible.
Jesus sees the hardness in the Pharisees’ hearts: they would not allow a suffering person to be healed simply because it was the Sabbath. This is part of Jesus’ new message, which turns the Pharisees’ view of the Old Testament—and the laws they contrived to support it—on its head. Refusing to help someone who is suffering is a disservice, no matter what day it is.
According to Mark, Jesus’ healing of the man with the withered hand on the Sabbath prompted the Pharisees to plot his death. Jesus was helping someone in need, while the Pharisees were in the synagogue only to plot the murder of another human being. This makes clear that their actions went beyond misunderstanding—there was evil in their hearts.
Matthew tells us that Jesus withdrew from the area because he knew the authorities were planning to kill him, and it was not yet time for such a confrontation. He still had much work to do.
The locations Mark lists as places the crowds came from have little in common. He is simply saying that crowds from all over the region—Jews and Gentiles alike—had heard of Jesus and were clamoring to be with him.
Many imagine Jesus climbing into a boat and sailing to safety, but that was likely not the case here. A boat floating a few feet from shore makes an excellent podium: it elevates him and projects sound well.
Jesus’ warning to unclean spirits not to reveal his identity is another example of Him wanting to avoid being exposed until he could complete his objective.
Read Mark 3 with all its notes → · open in the full reader
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