3 Jesus^(A) entered the synagogue^(B) again, and a man was there who had a shriveled^(C) hand. ² In order to accuse^(D) him, they were watching him closely^(E) to see whether he would heal^(F) him on the Sabbath.^{(G) 3} He told the man with the shriveled hand, “Stand before us.” ⁴ Then he said to them, “Is it lawful^(H) to do good^(I) on the Sabbath or to do evil,^(J) to save life^(K) or to kill?”^(L) But they were silent.^{(M) 5} After looking around at them with anger,^(N) he was grieved at the hardness^(O) of their hearts and told the man, “Stretch out your hand.” So he stretched it out, and his hand was restored.^{(P) 6} Immediately the Pharisees^(Q) went out and started plotting^(R) with the Herodians^(S) against him, how they might kill^(T) him.

Ministering to the Multitude

⁷ Jesus^(U) departed with his disciples to the sea, and a large crowd followed from Galilee,^(V) and a large crowd followed from Judea,^{(W) 8} Jerusalem,^(X) Idumea, beyond the Jordan,^(Y) and around Tyre^(Z) and Sidon.^(AA) The large crowd came to him because they heard about everything he was doing. ⁹ Then he told his disciples to have a small boat^(AB) ready for him, so that the crowd wouldn’t crush him. ¹⁰ Since he had healed^(AC) many, all who had diseases were pressing toward him to touch^(AD) him. ¹¹ Whenever the unclean^(AE) spirits^(AF) saw him, they fell down^(AG) before him and cried out, “You are the Son of God!” ^{(AH) 12} And he would strongly warn^(AI) them not to make him known.^(AJ)

The Twelve Apostles

¹³ Jesus^(AK) went up the mountain^(AL) and summoned those he wanted, and they came to him. ¹⁴ He appointed twelve, whom he also named apostles,^[a](AM) to be with him, to send them out to preach,^{(AN) 15} and to have authority to^[b] drive out demons. ¹⁶ He appointed the Twelve:^[c](AO) To Simon,^(AP) he gave the name Peter;^{(AQ) 17} and to James^(AR) the son of Zebedee,^(AS) and to his brother John,^(AT) he gave the name “Boanerges” (that is, “Sons of Thunder”^(AU)); ¹⁸ Andrew;^(AV) Philip^(AW) and Bartholomew; Matthew^(AX) and Thomas;^(AY) James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus; Simon the Zealot, ¹⁹ and Judas Iscariot,^(AZ) who also betrayed him.

A House Divided

²⁰ Jesus entered a house, and the crowd gathered again so that they were not even able to eat.^{[d] 21} When his family^(BA) heard this, they set out to restrain him, because they said, “He’s out of his mind.”^(BB)

²² The scribes^(BC) who had come down from Jerusalem said, “He is possessed by Beelzebul,”^(BD) and, “He drives out^(BE) demons^(BF) by the ruler^(BG) of the demons.”^(BH)

²³ So he summoned^(BI) them and spoke to them in parables:^(BJ) “How can Satan^(BK) drive out Satan?^{(BL) 24} If a kingdom^(BM) 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 but is finished. ²⁷ But no one can enter a strong man’s house and plunder his possessions unless he first ties up^(BN) the strong man. Then he can plunder his house.

²⁸ “Truly I tell you, people will be forgiven for all sins and whatever blasphemies^(BO) they utter. ²⁹ But whoever blasphemes^(BP) against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness,^(BQ) but is guilty^(BR) of an eternal sin”^[e](BS)— ³⁰ because they were saying, “He has an unclean spirit.”^(BT)

True Relationships

³¹ His^(BU) mother^(BV) and his brothers^(BW) came, and standing outside, they sent word to him and called him. ³² A crowd was sitting around him and told him, “Look, your mother, your brothers,^(BX) and your sisters^[f] are outside asking for you.”

³³ He replied to them, “Who are my mother and my brothers?” ³⁴ Looking at those sitting in a circle around him, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers!^{(BY) 35} Whoever does the will of God^(BZ) is my brother and sister and mother.”