Grow in the Word

1Once again Jesus entered the synagogue, and a man with a withered hand was there.

Jesus Heals on the Sabbath2In order to accuse Jesus, they were watching to see if He would heal on the Sabbath.

3Then Jesus said to the man with the withered hand, “Stand up among us.”

4And He asked them, “Which is lawful on the Sabbath: to do good or to do evil, to save life or to destroy it?” But they were silent.

5Jesus looked around at them with anger and sorrow at their hardness of heart. Then He said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” So he stretched it out, and it was restored.

6At this, the Pharisees went out and began plotting with the Herodians how they might kill Jesus.

Jesus Heals the Multitudes7So Jesus withdrew with His disciples to the sea, accompanied by a large crowd from Galilee, Judea,

8Jerusalem, Idumea, the region beyond the Jordan, and the vicinity of Tyre and Sidon. The large crowd came to Him when they heard what great things He was doing.

9Jesus asked His disciples to have a boat ready for Him so that the crowd would not crush Him.

10For He had healed so many that all who had diseases were pressing forward to touch Him.

11And when the unclean spirits saw Him, they fell down before Him and cried out, “You are the Son of God!”

12But He warned them sternly not to make Him known.

The Twelve Apostles13Then Jesus went up on the mountain and called for those He wanted, and they came to Him.

14He appointed twelve of them, whom He designated as apostles, to accompany Him, to be sent out to preach,

15and to have authority to drive out demons.

16These are the twelve He appointed: Simon (whom He named Peter),

17James son of Zebedee and his brother John (whom He named Boanerges, meaning “Sons of Thunder”),

18Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James son of Alphaeus, Thaddaeus, Simon the Zealot,

19and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed Jesus.

A House Divided20Then Jesus went home, and once again a crowd gathered, so that He and His disciples could not even eat.

21When His family heard about this, they went out to take custody of Him, saying, “He is out of His mind.”

22And the scribes who had come down from Jerusalem were saying, “He is possessed by Beelzebul,” and, “By the prince of the demons He drives out demons.”

23So Jesus called them together and began to speak to them in parables: “How can Satan drive out Satan?

24If a kingdom is divided against itself, it cannot stand.

25If a house is divided against itself, it cannot stand.

26And if Satan is divided and rises against himself, he cannot stand; his end has come.

27Indeed, no one can enter a strong man’s house to steal his possessions unless he first ties up the strong man. Then he can plunder his house.

The Unpardonable Sin28Truly I tell you, the sons of men will be forgiven all sins and blasphemies, as many as they utter.

29But whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven; he is guilty of eternal sin.”

30Jesus made this statement because they were saying, “He has an unclean spirit.”

Jesus’ Mother and Brothers31Then Jesus’ mother and brothers came and stood outside. They sent someone in to summon Him,

32and a crowd was sitting around Him. “Look,” He was told, “Your mother and brothers are outside, asking for You.”

33But Jesus replied, “Who are My mother and My brothers?”

34Looking at those seated in a circle around Him, He said, “Here are My mother and My brothers!

35For whoever does the will of God is My brother and sister and mother.”