Catholic Bible Study: Lectio Mark – "Binding the Strong Man"

Host: Augustine Institute | Episode Date: January 3, 2026

Episode Overview

In this in-depth Bible Study, scholars from the Augustine Institute explore Mark Chapter 3, focusing on the intensifying conflict between Jesus and the religious leadership, the symbolism of the healing of the man with the withered hand, and the identity of Jesus as the one who "binds the strong man." Drawing on the Old Testament and Jewish tradition, the discussion situates Jesus’s actions within Israel's story of division, exile, and hope for restoration.

Main Themes and Key Insights

1. Growing Conflict: Jesus vs. Pharisees

• Jesus enters the synagogue on the Sabbath, aware that the Pharisees are watching to accuse him (00:04).
  • “Remember the idea of accusing. That’s exactly what the Satan is. The devil is the accuser, right?” (00:40, Speaker A)
• This marks a narrative turning point where opposition to Jesus becomes central.

2. The Healing on the Sabbath: Is It Lawful to Do Good?

• Jesus asks: "Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do harm, to save life or to kill?" (03:02)
  • References 1 Maccabees 2:29ff, where Jews debated defending themselves on the Sabbath.
  • Highlights the tradition allowing fighting to defend life on the Sabbath, drawing parallels between physical salvation in war and spiritual healing.
  • “If you can kill to save life, how much more is it lawful to heal?” (08:17, Speaker A)

3. The Withered Hand: Symbolism and Old Testament Echoes

• Jesus heals the man’s withered hand openly in the synagogue (10:35).

  • Parallels 1 Kings 13, where King Jeroboam’s hand withers when he attacks God’s prophet.

• The withered hand is a symbol of the division and spiritual paralysis brought upon Israel by Jeroboam’s rebellion (14:12, cf. 1 Kings 13:4).

• Psalm 137:5–6: “If I forget you, O Jerusalem, may my right hand wither.”

  • Connects Israel’s exile, longing for restoration, and Jesus’s work in Galilee—the land of the lost ten tribes.
  • “So here we have Jesus, who is coming as a king... symbolically restoring Israel by restoring this man with the withered hand.” (18:50, Speaker A)

4. Irony and Hypocrisy: The Pharisees’ Response

• The Pharisees plot with the Herodians to destroy Jesus immediately after he heals—ironically breaking the Sabbath law themselves by holding council (12:34).

• “Jesus heals on the Sabbath, and they go and take counsel... the hypocrisy couldn’t be starker in its contrast.” (13:05, Speaker A)

5. Restoration of the Twelve: Healing Israel’s Division

• Jesus then calls the Twelve apostles (28:03), echoing the restoration of the twelve tribes.
• Discipleship defined:
  • “The fundamental definition of a disciple is someone who is with Jesus, to be with him.” (30:14, Speaker A)
  • “To be a disciple, the first baby step is to be with him.” (31:25, Speaker A)

6. Accusation of Demonic Power & The ‘Divided House’

• Scribes from Jerusalem accuse Jesus of operating by the power of Beelzebul (34:15).
  • Jesus responds with logic: “How can Satan cast out Satan? If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand.” (35:00)
  • Direct Old Testament allusion to the division under Jeroboam (1 Kings 12–13).
• “Only my people are that stupid. The devils work in concert… It’s good people who fight good people and end up with division within the house of God.” (37:14, Speaker A)

7. "Binding the Strong Man": Jesus’s True Mission

• Jesus states: “But no one can enter a strong man’s house and plunder his goods unless he first binds the strong man” (38:44).
  • Allusion to Isaiah 49:24–25—God promises to rescue his people from captivity.
• “Jesus is the one who can liberate us from sin and from the demons that possess our own hearts within.” (41:47, Speaker A)

8. Mark 5 Preview: Power over Demonic Forces

• The story of the Gerasene demoniac: No one could bind him—except Jesus (44:00).
  • Even economic idols (swine/herd destroyed) must be destroyed for spiritual restoration.
  • “Jesus is the one who is the true strongman, and he’s come to bind our true enemy and to set us free.” (49:30, Speaker A)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Accusing Jesus:
  “Remember, the idea of accusing. That’s exactly what the Satan is. The devil is the accuser, right?” (00:40, Speaker A)

• On Law and Healing:
  “If it’s lawful to kill to save life, how much more, Jesus reasoning, is it lawful to heal to preserve and save life on the Sabbath?” (08:17, Speaker A)

• On Hypocrisy:
  “The hypocrisy here is astonishing... the Pharisees go and take counsel with the Herodians... the hypocrisy couldn’t be starker in its contrast between Jesus and the Pharisees.” (13:05, Speaker A)

• On Symbolism of the Withered Hand:
  “So here we have Jesus, who is coming as a king... symbolically restoring Israel by restoring this man with the withered hand.” (18:50, Speaker A)

• On Discipleship:
  “The fundamental definition of a disciple is someone who is with Jesus, to be with him.” (30:14, Speaker A)
  “To be a disciple, the first baby step is to be with him.” (31:25, Speaker A)

• On Division:
  “Only my people are that stupid. The devils work in concert… It’s good people who fight good people and end up with division within the house of God.” (37:14, Speaker A)

• On Jesus as the Strong Man:
  “Jesus is the one who can liberate us from sin and from the demons that possess our own hearts within. And Jesus will be the strong man to free us.” (41:47, Speaker A)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 00:04–03:00 — Setting up the conflict: Jesus, the Pharisees, and the Sabbath
• 03:00–08:20 — The Maccabean precedent for defending life on the Sabbath
• 08:20–13:10 — Jesus’s logic: is it lawful to heal, the hypocrisy of the Pharisees
• 13:10–18:50 — Symbolism of the withered hand, echoing Israel’s historic division
• 18:50–28:00 — Restoration of the twelve tribes: calling the disciples
• 28:00–34:00 — Discipleship as “being with” Jesus
• 34:00–39:00 — The accusation of demonism, the logic of a divided house
• 39:00–44:00 — The “binding of the strong man”, Isaiah 49, and freedom from spiritual captivity
• 44:00–49:30 — Mark 5 preview: Jesus’s authority over demons, deeper meaning for healing and liberation

Conclusion

This episode of the Catholic Bible Study masterfully weaves together Old Testament history, Jewish tradition, and the action-packed Gospel of Mark to reveal the deep theological significance in Jesus’s healing, his conflicts with religious authorities, and his mission to bind “the strong man.” The scholars invite listeners to see these stories not merely as isolated miracles but as the climax of Israel’s hope for restoration—a restoration that begins with discipleship: simply being with Jesus.