24 · Action of Jesus

Jesus Becomes Angry

Mark 3:1–6

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Jesus stands in a synagogue before an adult man with a withered hand, looking with anger and grief toward silent religious opponents.

Jesus meets a man with a withered hand while others watch for a reason to accuse him.

Can anger be right?

Choose a perspective

There is no score – choose the perspective you find closest and discuss why.

Discuss: How does destructive anger differ from anger at injustice?

After your discussion: compare with our assessment

Our assessment

A takes Mark's explicit description of Jesus' anger seriously. The text does not hide or soften the fact that Jesus is angry. The reason is connected with people's hardness in the face of an opportunity to do good and help the man. C is equally important. Mark describes Jesus' anger together with grief, and Jesus' action in the situation is to heal. His anger therefore does not lead him to harm his opponents but to continue doing the good at the center of the dispute.

24 · Mark 3:1–6

Go deeper

Text & context

Full translation

1 He entered the synagogue again. A man was there who had a withered hand. 2 They were watching Jesus closely to see whether he would heal him on the Sabbath, so that they might accuse him. 3 He said to the man with the withered hand, “Stand up here in the middle.” 4 Then he said to them, “Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do evil, to save life or to kill?” But they were silent. 5 Then he looked around at them with anger, grieved at the hardness of their hearts, and said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” He stretched it out, and his hand was restored. 6 The Pharisees went out and immediately began discussing with the Herodians how they might destroy him.

Translated from the Greek text – SBLGNT

What is happening here?
Jesus enters a synagogue where a man with a withered hand is present. Some people watch Jesus closely to see whether he will heal on the Sabbath so that they can accuse him. Jesus has the man stand in the middle and makes the issue public: Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or evil, to save life or to kill? They remain silent. Mark then describes two emotions in Jesus at the same time. He looks at them with anger and is grieved at the hardness of their hearts. He then heals the man. Immediately after Jesus asks whether it is right to “save life or to kill,” the Pharisees go out and begin planning with the Herodians how to destroy him. This creates a sharp narrative contrast.
Notice this

Jesus asks: “Is it lawful ... to save life or to kill?” Jesus chooses to heal. The very next verse says that his opponents begin planning how to destroy him. Mark therefore creates a sharp contrast between Jesus' question and their action. Also notice that Jesus is not merely angry. He is simultaneously grieved at the hardness of their hearts.

Language & translation

From the Greek

μετ᾽ ὀργῆς – met' orgēs

with anger Orgē means anger or wrath. Mark explicitly says Jesus looks at them with anger.

συλλυπούμενος – syllupoumenos

grieved / deeply saddened The verb describes grief or sorrow. It appears alongside Jesus' anger, showing that his response is not anger alone.

πώρωσις – pōrōsis

hardness / hardening The word describes the hardness of their hearts and can carry the sense of becoming hardened or insensitive.

καρδία – kardia

heart In biblical usage, the heart can describe the inner center of thought, will, and disposition, not merely emotion.

ἀγαθοποιῆσαι – agathopoiēsai

to do good Jesus' question contrasts doing good with doing evil.

ψυχὴν σῶσαι ἢ ἀποκτεῖναι – psychēn sōsai ē apokteinai

to save life or to kill The contrast becomes especially striking when verse 6 immediately describes Jesus' opponents beginning to plan his destruction.

Translation note

Independent English translation from the Greek text, using SBLGNT as the primary Greek edition.

Compare for yourself

Read Mark 3:1–6 together with Matthew 12:9–14 and Luke 6:6–11. Pay particular attention to:

  • orgē
  • syllypeomai
  • pōrōsis
  • kardia
  • “to do good or to do evil”
  • “to save life or to kill”
  • how the Gospels describe Jesus' emotions in the scene

Mark is especially explicit in naming both Jesus' anger and grief.

Continue the conversation

Discuss further
  1. What exactly is Jesus angry about in the story?
  2. How does the picture of Jesus' anger change when Mark also says that he is grieved?
  3. What determines whether anger leads to something constructive or destructive?
  4. Why do you think Mark places the plot to destroy Jesus immediately after Jesus' question about “saving life or killing”?
Parallel passages
  • Matthew 12:9–14
  • Luke 6:6–11
  • Mark 2:23–28
Sources
  • The Greek New Testament: SBL Edition (SBLGNT), Michael W. Holmes, ed.
  • Mark 3:1–6
  • Matthew 12:9–14
  • Luke 6:6–11
  • Standard Greek lexical resources for orgē, syllypeomai, pōrōsis, kardia, agathopoieō, sōzō, and apokteinō