Healing of the Man with the Withered Hand
3 Once more Jesus went to the synagogue. There was a man there with a withered hand. 2 People were watching to see if Jesus would heal him on the sabbath, so that they could frame a charge against him.
3 ‘Stand up’, said Jesus to the man with the withered hand, ‘and come out here.’ And he said to them, 4 ‘Is it lawful to do good on the sabbath, or to do evil? To save life or to kill?’ They stayed quiet.
5 He was deeply upset at their hard-heartedness, and looked round at them angrily. Then he said to the man, ‘Stretch out your hand.’ He stretched it out – and his hand was restored. 6 The Pharisees went out right away and began to plot with the Herodians against Jesus, trying to find a way to destroy him.
The Twelve Are Appointed
7 Jesus went off towards the sea with his disciples, and a large crowd from Galilee followed him. A great company, too, from Judaea, 8 Jerusalem, Idumaea, Transjordan, and the region of Tyre and Sidon, heard what he was doing and came to him.
9 There was a real danger that he might be crushed by the crowd, so he told his disciples to get a boat ready for him. 10 He healed large numbers, and sick people were pushing towards him to touch him. 11 Whenever unclean spirits saw him, they fell down in front of him and yelled out, ‘You are the son of God!’ 12 He gave them strict orders not to reveal his identity.
13 Jesus went up the mountain, and summoned the people he wanted, and they came to him. 14 He appointed twelve (naming them ‘apostles’) to be with him and to be sent out as heralds, 15 and to have authority to cast out demons. 16 In appointing the Twelve, he named Simon ‘Peter’; 17 James, son of Zebedee, and his brother John, he named ‘Boanerges’, which means ‘sons of thunder’. The others were 18 Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James son of Alphaeus, Thaddaeus, Simon the Cananaean, 19 and Judas Iscariot (the one who handed him over).
Jesus and Beelzebul
20 He went into the house. A crowd gathered again, so that they couldn’t even have a meal. 21 When his family heard it, they came to restrain him. ‘He’s out of his mind,’ they said.
22 Experts who had come from Jerusalem were saying, ‘He is possessed by Beelzebul! He casts out demons by the prince of demons!’
23 Jesus summoned them and spoke to them in pictures. ‘How can the Accuser cast out the Accuser? 24 If a kingdom splits into two factions, it can’t last; 25 if a household splits into two factions, it can’t last. 26 So if the Accuser revolts against himself and splits into two, he can’t last – his time is up! 27 But remember: no one can get into a strong man’s house and steal his property unless first they tie up the strong man; then they can plunder his house.
28 ‘I’m telling you the truth: people will be forgiven all sins, and all blasphemies of whatever sort. 29 But people who blaspheme the holy spirit will never find forgiveness. They will be guilty of an eternal sin.’ 30 That was his response to their claim that he had an unclean spirit.
Jesus’ Family
31 Jesus’ mother and brothers appeared. They waited outside the house, and sent in a message, asking for him.
32 ‘Look!’ said the crowd sitting around Jesus. ‘Your mother, your brothers, and your sisters are outside! They’re searching for you!’
33 ‘Who is my mother?’ replied Jesus. ‘Who are my brothers?’
34 He looked around him at the people sitting there in a ring. ‘Here is my mother!’ he said. ‘Here are my brothers! 35 Anybody who does God’s will is my brother! And my sister! And my mother!’