Mark 3:8 - Printer Friendly

ESV: and Jerusalem and Idumea and from beyond the Jordan and from around Tyre and Sidon. When the great crowd heard all that he was doing, they came to him.

NIV: When they heard about all he was doing, many people came to him from Judea, Jerusalem, Idumea, and the regions across the Jordan and around Tyre and Sidon.

NASB: and from Jerusalem, and from Idumea, and beyond the Jordan, and the vicinity of Tyre and Sidon, a great number of people heard about everything that He was doing and came to Him.

CSB: Jerusalem, Idumea, beyond the Jordan, and around Tyre and Sidon. The large crowd came to him because they heard about everything he was doing.

NLT: Jerusalem, Idumea, from east of the Jordan River, and even from as far north as Tyre and Sidon. The news about his miracles had spread far and wide, and vast numbers of people came to see him.

KJV: And from Jerusalem, and from Idumaea, and from beyond Jordan; and they about Tyre and Sidon, a great multitude, when they had heard what great things he did, came unto him.

NKJV: and Jerusalem and Idumea and beyond the Jordan; and those from Tyre and Sidon, a great multitude, when they heard how many things He was doing, came to Him.

The injured, possessed, and curious are flocking to Jesus from a wide area. Jerusalem is about 85 miles south of Capernaum. Tyre and Sidon are about 35 and 50 miles, respectively, to the northeast, on the Syro-Phoenician coast. Idumea is Greek for the family line of Edom (Genesis 36:1–8), at this time settled in the area south of Judea. And "beyond the Jordan" probably refers to Perea, Herod Antipas's territory south of Galilee on the other side of the Jordan River and Dead Sea.

Jesus' popularity spike presents several problems. Jesus is so physically overwhelmed by the size of the crowd that He can't really teach. For the Pharisees and the Herodians, His influence threatens their social positions. Worse, in their minds, Jesus' fame could bring military repercussions from Rome, if He turns out to be a political revolutionary.

Although Jesus takes precautions for His own safety (Mark 3:9), He still willingly meets the people as they come. They recognize their need for Him and have travelled great distances to find Him. He does not turn them away. This may be one of the most difficult ways in which we are called to emulate Jesus. When the hurting come to us, needing Christ in us, we must decide what our response will be. It may mean an intense conversation, late into the night. Or a tank of gas. Or a confrontation about sin that we don't want to have. The troubled person may not even realize that what they need is Jesus. It's our God-given job to show God's love and point the hurting and wounded to the only one who can truly heal.

Our Christ-influenced lives draw the attention of people who need their lives to change. Those encounters are God's invitation for us to join in His work.

Mark 3:7–12 is the second of five stories recording people's reactions to Jesus' growing ministry. Jesus' fame has spread across Israel. People from Sidon, fifty miles to the northwest, to Idumea, one hundred miles to the southwest, and almost everywhere in between have come for healing. The ever-present crowd keeps growing, to the point where Jesus has to plan an escape route to avoid being injured. Most people are intent on using Jesus' power for their own gain. Ironically, only the demons show Him proper fear and respect. This passage is mirrored in Luke 6:17–19 and possibly in Matthew 12:15–21.

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.