Jesus Has Power to Drive Out Demons

²⁰ They went^[a] into a house. A crowd gathered again so that they were not even able to eat a meal. ²¹ When his own people^[b] heard this, they went out to take control of him, because they were saying, “He is out of his mind.”

²² The experts in the law who came down from Jerusalem were saying, “He is possessed by Beelzebul,” and “He drives out demons by the ruler of demons.”

²³ Jesus called them together 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 And if a house is divided against itself, that house cannot stand. ²⁶ And if Satan has risen up against himself and is divided, he cannot stand but is finished. ²⁷ On the other hand, no one can enter a strong man’s house to steal his possessions unless he ties up the strong man first. Then he can plunder his house. ²⁸ Amen^[c] I tell you: Everything will be forgiven people, their sins and whatever blasphemies they may speak. ²⁹ But whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will never have forgiveness, but is guilty of an eternal sin.”^{[d] 30} Jesus said this because they were saying, “He has an unclean spirit.”

Jesus’ Mother and Brothers

³¹ Then his mother and his brothers arrived. While they were standing outside, they sent word to Jesus, calling for him. ³² A crowd was sitting around him. They began to tell him, “Look, your mother and your brothers are outside looking for you.”

³³ He replied, “Who are my mother and my brothers?” ³⁴ He looked at those who sat around him in a circle and he said, “Look, my mother and my brothers! ³⁵ For whoever does the will of God is my brother and sister and mother.”