Mark 3:20 to Mark 4:12

Summary
In this text, there was an attack on Jesus by the scribes questioning the power through which he wrought miracles. They claimed he cast out devils by evil spirits. Jesus challenged their mindset declaring satan can’t cast out satan. He further stressed that a house divide against itself couldn’t stand. Jesus further enjoined us not to sin against the Holy Spirit in order not to be in danger or eternal damnation.

Jesus later spoke in parables about a sower who sowed seeds as some fell by the way side, others fell on the stony ground, some amongst thorns whilst the rest on the good soil. Only those on the good ground yielded increase.

LIFE APPLICATION
A lot of people go through life wanting the approval of men. Jesus however wasn’t worried about the accusations of men. He therefore stood His ground because he knew who he was. Friend, you have the power as a child of God to cast out demons, diseases and everything that serves as a torment.

It is pertinent we allow the Word of God grow and have effect in our lives. The state of our heart is crucial in determining the effect of the word in our lives.

Personal Declaration
I declare the Word of God will continually fall on the good ground in my heart. I will abound to every good work.

Reading – Mark 3:20 to Mark 4:12

Jesus Accused by His Family and by Teachers of the Law

²⁰ Then Jesus entered a house, and again a crowd gathered, so that he and his disciples were not even able to eat. ²¹ When his family^[a] heard about this, they went to take charge of him, for they said, “He is out of his mind.”

²² And the teachers of the law who came down from Jerusalem said, “He is possessed by Beelzebul! By the prince of demons he is driving out demons.”

²³ So Jesus called them over to him and began to speak to them in parables:“How can Satan drive out Satan? ²⁴ If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. ²⁵ If a house is divided against itself, that house cannot stand. ²⁶ And if Satan opposes himself and is divided, he cannot stand; his end has come. ²⁷ In fact, no one can enter a strong man’s house without first tying him up. Then he can plunder the strong man’s house. ²⁸ Truly I tell you, people can be forgiven all their sins and every slander they utter, ²⁹ but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven; they are guilty of an eternal sin.”

³⁰ He said this because they were saying, “He has an impure spirit.”

³¹ Then Jesus’ mother and brothers arrived. Standing outside, they sent someone in to call him. ³² A crowd was sitting around him, and they told him, “Your mother and brothers are outside looking for you.”

³³ “Who are my mother and my brothers?” he asked.

³⁴ Then he looked at those seated in a circle around him and said, “Here are my mother and my brothers! ³⁵ Whoever does God’s will is my brother and sister and mother.”

The Parable of the Sower

4 Again Jesus began to teach by the lake. The crowd that gathered around him was so large that he got into a boat and sat in it out on the lake, while all the people were along the shore at the water’s edge. ² He taught them many things by parables, and in his teaching said: ³ “Listen! A farmer went out to sow his seed. ⁴ As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. ⁵ Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. ⁶ But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. ⁷ Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants, so that they did not bear grain. ⁸ Still other seed fell on good soil. It came up, grew and produced a crop, some multiplying thirty, some sixty, some a hundred times.”

⁹ Then Jesus said, “Whoever has ears to hear, let them hear.”

¹⁰ When he was alone, the Twelve and the others around him asked him about the parables. ¹¹ He told them, “The secret of the kingdom of God has been given to you. But to those on the outside everything is said in parables ¹² so that,

“‘they may be ever seeing but never perceiving,
    and ever hearing but never understanding;
otherwise they might turn and be forgiven!’^[b]”

Footnotes:

1. Mark 3:21 Or his associates
2. Mark 4:12 Isaiah 6:9,10

All scriptural passages are taken from the NIV version of the bible.