The whole of Marks chapter 2 and 3:1-6 can be taken together as one section because of one overriding theme, (Jesus' and his disciples' behavior are here questioned by different groups) and one locality (Capharnaum). It is cut off from the preceding by a change of place (Jesus returns to Capharnaum, v.1) and from 3:7 by a change of verb for motion (anachorew). There is also a common pattern that runs through all the narratives in this section: Jesus (or his disciples) does something; a group reacts to what he does (or what his disciples do); and Jesus responds. What is important in this section is the response of Jesus to his interlocutors: the scribes, the disciples of John the Baptist and the Pharisees. The questions that are raised regard forgiveness of sins, the attitude to sinners, fasting, and the the Sabbath Law. The section begins with an implicit accussation that Jesus is blasphemous, and ends with the Pharisees convening with the Herodians to plot the death of Jesus (3:6).
Following is a table that illustrates the contents of the section
| Passage | Action | Issue | Interlocutor |
| Mk. 2:1-12 | Cure of the Paralytic | Forgiveness of Sin | Scribes |
| Mk. 2:13-17 | Call of Levi | Eating with Sinners | Scribes of the Pharisees |
| Mk. 2:18-22 | Eating (Banquet) | Disciples don't fast | Disciples of the Baptist |
| Mk. 2:23-28 | Plucking of Heads of Grains | Sabbath (as interpreted by Pharisees) | Pharisees |
| Mk. 3:1-6 | Cure of the Man with a Withered Hand | Cure on a Sabbath | Pharisees |
It is to be noted that Jesus is questioned precisely because of his attitude towards the Law and the demands of Holiness as understood by certain groups during his time.
Holiness was understood as that state by which, separated from and untouched by that which is impure, one is able to stand before God in the midst of the assembly of His people. Obedience to the Law, especially as interpreted by the Pharisees, keeps the Israelite within the sphere that separates God's people from what is unholy (whether things, animals or human beings -- like the tax collectors and public sinners). To BE in God's
presence, to BE in the midst of His people, is so important that God Himself designated a day wherein His people renounce DOING and HAVING. This is the Sabbath rest -- the foretaste of the Israelites definitive liberation from toil and hardship, the consequence of Adam's rebellion.
Health and prosperity, according to an ancient Israelite way of thinking was a sure sign of one's progress in the state of holiness. It was a sign of being in God's favor. Those afflicted by maladies -- contagious diseases (leprosy), disabilities (paralysis, blindness) -- were, according to this mentality, not in God's favor and are in the sphere of the unholy (Cf. the question regarding the man who was blind from birth in the gospel of John and the relationship between maladies and evil spirits in the synoptics). Apart from this,
disabilities keep one from fully participating in the life of Israel: the worship of God. Cripples cannot stand in the assembly of God's people; the blind cannot see the wonders of God; the mute cannot proclaim the mirabilia Dei...
The return to a state of holiness required a return to active participation in the life of Israel. Theoretically, only the tax collectors and the prostitutes cannot return to this state and were treated like lepers (no one can touch or be touched by them).
Observance of the Law characterizes Israelite life before God. Fasting was practiced as a physical sign of one's adherence to God's Ten Words. Even during the time of Jesus, it was seen as a characteristic of groups that claimed to take the Law seriously. Together with prayer and alms-giving, it was considered as one of the main acts of Israelite piety.
It is no wonder then that when Jesus appeared on the scene, teaching, healing or just being himself, he was found questionable by some of his contemporaries. It was also for this reason that some thought he was saying and doing something new.
