Chapter Three

3:1-6 Heal on the Sabbath: Jesus confirms to his opponents that those excluded by a false interpretation of the Law are now the centre of divine action. Therefore, despite the Sabbath, he acts urgently because the option for life and the poor cannot be postponed. It must be assumed even at the risk of losing one's own life. The political power (Herodians) and the religious power (Pharisees) unite to plan the death of Jesus.

3:7-12 A large crowd comes to him: This passage is a summarizes Jesus' activity. The followers multiply, the mission becomes universal, the sick are healed, the unclean spirits recognize Jesus' divine filiation and power over evil. The command to keep silent (messianic secret) is affirmed. 

3:13-19 The Twelve: Jesus calls those he wants. It is his initiative, not of the disciples. He calls them to form a community, a new people (symbolized by the number twelve, like the twelve tribes of Israel). Their mission is to witness the reign of God. Here are two key characteristics of following Jesus: community and mission.

3:20-30 Jesus and Satan: The initiative to "form" a new people of God receives different reactions. The multitude that follows Jesus supports it, but a smaller and closer group, including his relatives, rejects it. These are joined by the learned men of Jerusalem, who use slander to deny the obvious: They claim that Jesus' power does not come from God but from Beelzebub or Satan. The sin against the Spirit is that which denies and closes itself to the God’s liberating manifestation. In the case of the learned, not only do they deny it, but they go against it by defaming it.

3:31-35 The mother and brothers of Jesus: Jesus takes advantage of his family's visit to teach something fundamental: His true family transcends biological and ethnic boundaries and is made up of all men and women who do the will of God.