Mark 3:30 - Printer Friendly

ESV: for they were saying, "He has an unclean spirit."

NIV: He said this because they were saying, "He has an impure spirit."

NASB: because they were saying, 'He has an unclean spirit.'

CSB: because they were saying, "He has an unclean spirit."

NLT: He told them this because they were saying, 'He’s possessed by an evil spirit.'

KJV: Because they said, He hath an unclean spirit.

NKJV: because they said, “He has an unclean spirit.”

Scribes from Jerusalem (Mark 3:22) have come to Galilee, apparently for the sole purpose of trying to derail Jesus' growing spiritual movement. The Pharisees in Galilee have gone from skeptical (Mark 2:6–7) to questioning (Mark 2:24) to plotting (Mark 3:6). Their compatriots from Jerusalem will have greater influence with the priests.

The Pharisees see Jesus' actions as dangerous and blasphemous. He eats with sinners with no guarantee that the food was prepared properly (Mark 2:15–17). He doesn't make His disciples fast (Mark 2:18–22). And He lets His followers pick and eat grain on the Sabbath (Mark 2:23–28). He even has the audacity to heal on the Sabbath, practically in the same breath He uses to teach in the synagogue (Mark 3:1–6). Worst of all, to the scribes, the people love Him because He has the power to heal and cast out demons. In their eyes, He is a menace who must be stopped.

Because Jesus' teaching and actions do not align with the oral Law, the Pharisees and their scribes do not trust His miracles, particularly His ability to expel demons. His teachings don't reflect what they understand about God, so, they deduce, His powers must not be from God. The only logical conclusion they will consider is that He uses the power and authority of Satan. So, He must be possessed by a demon—an "unclean spirit." That's a profoundly arrogant and sinful approach, one prior verses referred to as "[blasphemy] against the Holy Spirit" (Mark 3:28–29).

The scribes' only hope is to convince the people that Jesus is dangerous before things go too far. His actions could result in the Pharisees losing their position and power among the people. Worse, if Jesus turns out to be a revolutionary, rebellion against Rome would leave all of Galilee flattened and smoking.

Fortunately, not all the Pharisees and priests maintain this line of thinking. Joseph of Arimathea (Mark 15:43), Nicodemus (John 3:1–21; 19:38–42), Paul (Philippians 3:5), and even some of the priests (Acts 6:7) will eventually submit to the leading of the Holy Spirit and believe Jesus is the Messiah and the Son of God.

Mark 3:22–30 continues as the Pharisees from Galilee show their disapproval of Jesus (Mark 3:6). Here, in the fourth story about people's reaction to Jesus, scribes from Jerusalem join in. They have heard that Jesus healed a demon-oppressed man who was blind and mute (Matthew 12:22–23). The scribes quickly judge that Jesus is performing miracles through the power of Satan. This stubborn belief, in the face of logic, leads Jesus to condemn their blasphemy and warn that if they continue along this vein, they will be damned forever. Matthew 12:22–32 and Luke 11:14–23 also record this confrontation; in Luke 12:10 Jesus talks similarly about blasphemy of the Holy Spirit.

The bulk of chapter 3 deals with how different people react to Jesus' teaching and His assumption of authority. The Pharisees' confusion transitions into plotting. The crowds that continually follow Jesus for healing become more frenetic and dangerous. Jesus' own family, afraid for His sanity, try to pull Him away. But true followers also show themselves. Twelve join together to become a core group, while a slightly bigger crowd, more interested in Jesus' teaching than miracles, earn the honor of being called His true family.

The Gospel of Mark emphasizes both Jesus' servanthood and His role as the promised Messiah: the Son of God. This is done through a concise, action-packed style. Mark provides relatively few details, instead focusing on actions and simple statements. This relates to the Gospel's authorship, which is believed to be based on the memories of the apostle Peter. These include many of Jesus' miracles, in contrast to other Gospels which include many more of Jesus' teachings and parables. Mark also makes frequent mention of Jesus' ministry being misunderstood by others.