Jesus Heals on the Sabbath Day
1Another time Jesus went into the synagogue. A man with a weak and twisted hand was there. 2Some Pharisees were trying to find fault with Jesus. They watched him closely. They wanted to see if he would heal the man on the Sabbath day. 3Jesus spoke to the man with the weak and twisted hand. “Stand up in front of everyone,” he said.
4Then Jesus asked them, “What does the Law say we should do on the Sabbath day? Should we do good? Or should we do evil? Should we save life? Or should we kill?” But no one answered.
5Jesus looked around at them in anger. He was very upset because their hearts were stubborn. Then he said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” He stretched it out, and his hand had become as good as new. 6Then the Pharisees went out and began to make plans with the Herodians. They wanted to kill Jesus.
Crowds Follow Jesus
7Jesus went off to the Sea of Galilee with his disciples. A large crowd from Galilee followed. 8People heard about all that Jesus was doing. And many came to him. They came from Judea, Jerusalem and Idumea. They came from the lands east of the Jordan River. And they came from the area around Tyre and Sidon. 9Because of the crowd, Jesus told his disciples to get a small boat ready for him. This would keep the people from crowding him. 10Jesus had healed many people. So those who were sick were pushing forward to touch him. 11When people controlled by evil spirits saw him, they fell down in front of him. The spirits shouted, “You are the Son of God!” 12But Jesus ordered them not to tell people about him.
Jesus Appoints the Twelve Disciples
13Jesus went up on a mountainside. He called for certain people to come to him, and they came. 14He appointed 12 of them so that they would be with him. He would also send them out to preach. 15And he gave them authority to drive out demons.
16So Jesus appointed the 12 disciples.
Simon was one of them. Jesus gave him the name Peter.
17There were James, son of Zebedee, and his brother John. Jesus gave them the name Boanerges. Boanerges means Sons of Thunder.
18There were also Andrew,
Philip,
Bartholomew,
Matthew,
Thomas,
and James, son of Alphaeus.
And there were Thaddaeus
and Simon the Zealot.
19Judas Iscariot was one of them too. He was the one who was later going to hand Jesus over to his enemies.
Jesus Is Accused by Teachers of the Law
20Jesus entered a house. Again a crowd gathered. It was so large that Jesus and his disciples were not even able to eat. 21His family heard about this. So they went to take charge of him. They said, “He is out of his mind.”
22Some teachers of the law were there. They had come down from Jerusalem. They said, “He is controlled by Beelzebul! He is driving out demons by the power of the prince of demons.”
23So Jesus called them over to him. He began to speak to them using stories. He said, “How can Satan drive out Satan? 24If a kingdom fights against itself, it can’t stand. 25If a family is divided, it can’t stand. 26And if Satan fights against himself, and his helpers are divided, he can’t stand. That is the end of him. 27In fact, none of you can enter a strong man’s house unless you tie him up first. Then you can steal things from his house. 28What I’m about to tell you is true. Everyone’s sins and evil words against God will be forgiven. 29But whoever speaks evil things against the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven. Their guilt will last forever.”
30Jesus said this because the teachers of the law were saying, “He has an evil spirit.”
Jesus’ Mother and Brothers
31Jesus’ mother and brothers came and stood outside. They sent someone in to get him. 32A crowd was sitting around Jesus. They told him, “Your mother and your brothers are outside. They are looking for you.”
33“Who is my mother? Who are my brothers?” he asked.
34Then Jesus looked at the people sitting in a circle around him. He said, “Here is my mother! Here are my brothers! 35Anyone who does what God wants is my brother or sister or mother.”
1And he entered again into the synagogue; and there was a man there which had a withered hand. 2And they watched him, whether he would heal him on the sabbath day; that they might accuse him. 3And he saith unto the man which had the withered hand, Stand forth. 4And he saith unto them, Is it lawful to do good on the sabbath days, or to do evil? to save life, or to kill? But they held their peace. 5And when he had looked round about on them with anger, being grieved for the hardness of their hearts, he saith unto the man, Stretch forth thine hand. And he stretched it out: and his hand was restored whole as the other. 6And the Pharisees went forth, and straightway took counsel with the Herodians against him, how they might destroy him. 7But Jesus withdrew himself with his disciples to the sea: and a great multitude from Galilee followed him, and from Judæa, 8And 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. 9And he spake to his disciples, that a small ship should wait on him because of the multitude, lest they should throng him. 10For he had healed many; insomuch that they pressed upon him for to touch him, as many as had plagues. 11And unclean spirits, when they saw him, fell down before him, and cried, saying, Thou art the Son of God. 12And he straitly charged them that they should not make him known. 13And he goeth up into a mountain, and calleth unto him whom he would: and they came unto him. 14And he ordained twelve, that they should be with him, and that he might send them forth to preach, 15And to have power to heal sicknesses, and to cast out devils: 16And Simon he surnamed Peter; 17And James the son of Zebedee, and John the brother of James; and he surnamed them Boanerges, which is, The sons of thunder: 18And Andrew, and Philip, and Bartholomew, and Matthew, and Thomas, and James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus, and Simon the Canaanite, 19And Judas Iscariot, which also betrayed him: and they went into an house. 20And the multitude cometh together again, so that they could not so much as eat bread. 21And when his friends heard of it, they went out to lay hold on him: for they said, He is beside himself.
22¶ And the scribes which came down from Jerusalem said, He hath Beelzebub, and by the prince of the devils casteth he out devils. 23And he called them unto him, and said unto them in parables, How can Satan cast out Satan? 24And if a kingdom be divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. 25And if a house be divided against itself, that house cannot stand. 26And if Satan rise up against himself, and be divided, he cannot stand, but hath an end. 27No man can enter into a strong man’s house, and spoil his goods, except he will first bind the strong man; and then he will spoil his house. 28Verily I say unto you, All sins shall be forgiven unto the sons of men, and blasphemies wherewith soever they shall blaspheme: 29But he that shall blaspheme against the Holy Ghost hath never forgiveness, but is in danger of eternal damnation: 30Because they said, He hath an unclean spirit.
31¶ There came then his brethren and his mother, and, standing without, sent unto him, calling him. 32And the multitude sat about him, and they said unto him, Behold, thy mother and thy brethren without seek for thee. 33And he answered them, saying, Who is my mother, or my brethren? 34And he looked round about on them which sat about him, and said, Behold my mother and my brethren! 35For whosoever shall do the will of God, the same is my brother, and my sister, and mother.
