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Click a verse to see commentary3. Twelve Apostles Appointed
1And he entered again into the synagogue; and there was a man there who had his hand withered. 2And they watched him, whether he would heal him on the sabbath day; that they might accuse him. 3And he saith unto the man that had his hand withered, Stand forth. 4And he saith unto them, Is it lawful on the sabbath day to do good, or to do harm? to save a life, or to kill? But they held their peace. 5And when he had looked round about on them with anger, being grieved at the hardening of their heart, he saith unto the man, Stretch forth thy hand. And he stretched it forth; and his hand was restored. 6And the Pharisees went out, and straightway with the Herodians took counsel against him, how they might destroy him. 7And Jesus with his disciples withdrew to the sea: and a great multitude from Galilee followed; and from Judaea, 8and from Jerusalem, and from Idumaea, and beyond the Jordan, and about Tyre and Sidon, a great multitude, hearing what great things he did, came unto him. 9And he spake to his disciples, that a little boat should wait on him because of the crowd, lest they should throng him: 10for he had healed many; insomuch that as many as had plagues pressed upon him that they might touch him. 11And the unclean spirits, whensoever they beheld him, fell down before him, and cried, saying, Thou art the Son of God. 12And he charged them much that they should not make him known. 13And he goeth up into the mountain, and calleth unto him whom he himself would; and they went unto him. 14And he appointed twelve, that they might be with him, and that he might send them forth to preach, 15and to have authority to cast out demons: 16and Simon he surnamed Peter; 17and James the son of Zebedee, and John the brother of James; and them he surnamed Boanerges, which is, Sons of thunder: 18and Andrew, and Philip, and Bartholomew, and Matthew, and Thomas, and James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus, and Simon the Cananaean, 19and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed him. And he cometh into a house. 20And the multitude cometh together again, so that they could not so much as eat bread. 21And when his friends heard it, they went out to lay hold on him: for they said, He is beside himself. 22And the scribes that came down from Jerusalem said, He hath Beelzebub, and, By the prince of the demons casteth he out the demons. 23And he called them unto him, and said unto them in parables, How can Satan cast out Satan? 24And if a kingdom be divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. 25And if a house be divided against itself, that house will not be able to stand. 26And if Satan hath rise up against himself, and is divided, he cannot stand, but hath an end. 27But no one can enter into the house of the strong man, and spoil his goods, except he first bind the strong man; and then he will spoil his house. 28Verily I say unto you, All their sins shall be forgiven unto the sons of men, and their blasphemies wherewith soever they shall blaspheme: 29but whosoever shall blaspheme against the Holy Spirit hath never forgiveness, but is guilty of an eternal sin: 30because they said, He hath an unclean spirit. 31And there come his mother and his brethren; and, standing without, they sent unto him, calling him. 32And a multitude was sitting about him; and they say unto him, Behold, thy mother and thy brethren without seek for thee. 33And he answereth them, and saith, Who is my mother and my brethren? 34And looking round on them that sat round about him, he saith, Behold, my mother and my brethren! 35For whosoever shall do the will of God, the same is my brother, and sister, and mother.
The Family of Christ.
31 There came then his brethren and his mother, and, standing without, sent unto him, calling him. 32 And the multitude sat about him, and they said unto him, Behold, thy mother and thy brethren without seek for thee. 33 And he answered them, saying, Who is my mother, or my brethren? 34 And he looked round about on them which sat about him, and said, Behold my mother and my brethren! 35 For whosoever shall do the will of God, the same is my brother, and my sister, and mother.
Here is, 1. The disrespect which Christ's kindred, according to the flesh, showed to him, when he was preaching (and they knew very well that he was then in his element); they not only stood without, having no desire to come in, and hear him, but they sent in a message to call him out to them (v. 31, 32), as if he must leave his work, to hearken to their impertinences; it is probable that they had no business with him, only sent for him on purpose to oblige him to break off, lest he should kill himself. He knew how far his strength would go, and preferred the salvation of souls before his own life, and soon after made it to appear with a witness; it was therefore an idle thing for them, under pretence of his sparing himself, to interrupt him; and it was worse, if really they had business with him, when they knew he preferred his business, as a Saviour, so much before any other business.
2. The respect which Christ showed to his spiritual kindred upon this occasion. Now, as at other times, he put a comparative neglect upon his mother, which seemed purposely designed to obviate the prevent the extravagant respect which men in aftertimes would be apt to pay her. Our respect ought to be guided and governed by Christ's; now the virgin Mary, or Christ's mother, is not equalled with, but postponed to, ordinary believers, on whom Christ here puts a superlative honour. He looked upon those that at about him, and pronounced those of them that not only heard, but did, the will of God, to be to him as his brother, and sister, and mother; as much esteemed, loved, and cared for, as his nearest relations, v. 33-35. This is a good reason why we should honour those that fear the Lord, and choose them for our people; why we should be not hearers of the word only, but doers of the work, that we may share with the saints in this honour, Surely it is good to be akin to those who are thus nearly allied to Christ, and to have fellowship with those that have fellowship with Christ; and woe to those that hate and persecute Christ's kindred, that are his bone and his flesh, every one resembling the children of a king (see Judg. viii. 18, 19); for he will with jealously plead their cause, and avenge their blood.