1
Another time he went into the synagogue,
and a man with a shriveled hand was there.
2
Some of them were looking for a reason to accuse Jesus,
so they watched him closely to see if he would heal him on the Sabbath.
3
Jesus said to the man with the shriveled hand, "Stand up in front of everyone."
4
Then Jesus asked them, "Which is lawful on the Sabbath:
to do good or to do evil, to save life or to kill?" But thy remained silent.
5
He looked around at them in anger and, deeply distressed at their
stubborn hearts, said to the man, "Stretch out your hand.'
He stretched it out, and his hand was completely restored.
6
Then the Pharisees went out and began to plot with the Hedonians
how they might kill Jesus.
Crowds Follow Jesus
7
Jesus withdrew with his disciples to the lake,
and a large crowd from Galilee followed.
8
When they heard all he was doing, many people came to him from Judea,
Jerusalem, Idumea, and the regions across the Jordan and around Tyre and Sidon.
9
Because of the crowd he told his disciples to have a small boat ready for him,
to keep the people from crowding him.
10
For he had healed many, so that those with diseasres were pushing forward
to touch him.
11
Whenever the evil spirits saw him, they fell down before him and cried out,
"You are the Son of God."
12
But he gave them strict orders not to tell who he was.
The Appointing of the Twelve Apostles
13
Jesus went up on a mountainside and called to him those he wanted,
and they came to him.
14
He appointed twelve - designating them apostles -
that they might be with him and that he might send them out to preach
15
and to have authority to drive out demons.
16
These are the twelve he appointed:
Simon (to whom he gave the name Peter);
17
James son of Zebedee and his brother John
(to them he gave the name Boanerges, which means Sons of Thunder);
18
Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James son of Alphaeus,
Thaddaeus, Simon the Zealot
19
and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him.
Jesus and Beelzebub
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 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 Beelzebub! By the prince of demons he is driving out demons."
23
So Jesus called them and spoke 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 and carry off his possessions
unless he first ties up the strong man. Then he can rob his house.
28
I tell you the truth, all the sins and blasphemies of men will be forgiven them.
29
But whoever blasphemes agains the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven;
he is guilty of an eternal sin."
30
He said this because they were saying, "He has an evil spirit."
Jesus' Mother and Brothers
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.
