New Testament in a Year

Jesus is Lord of the Sabbath^(A)

6 One time Jesus^[a] was walking through some grain fields on a Sabbath.^[b] His disciples were picking the heads of grain, rubbing them in their hands, and eating them. ² Some of the Pharisees asked, “Why are you doing what isn’t lawful on Sabbath days?”^[c]

³ Jesus answered them, “Haven’t you read what David did when he and his companions became hungry? ⁴ How was it that he went into the house of God, took the Bread of the Presence and ate it, which was not lawful for anyone but the priests to eat, and then gave some of it to his companions?”

⁵ Then he told them, “The Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath.”

Jesus Heals a Man with a Paralyzed Hand^(B)

⁶ Once, on another Sabbath, Jesus^[d] went into a synagogue and began teaching. A man whose right hand was paralyzed was there. ⁷ The scribes and the Pharisees were watching Jesus^[e] closely to see^[f] whether he would heal on the Sabbath, in order to find a way of accusing him of doing something wrong. ⁸ But Jesus^[g] knew what they were thinking. So he told the man with the paralyzed hand, “Get up, and stand in the middle of the synagogue.”^[h] So he got up and stood there.

⁹ Then Jesus asked them, “I ask you, is it lawful to do good or to do evil on the Sabbath, to save a life or to destroy it?”

¹⁰ He looked around at all of them and then told the man,^[i] “Hold out your hand.” The man^[j] did so, and his hand was restored to health. ¹¹ The others were furious^[k] and began to discuss with each other what they could do to Jesus.

Jesus Appoints Twelve Apostles^(C)

¹² Now it was in those days that Jesus^[l] went to a mountain to pray, and he spent the whole night in prayer to God. ¹³ When daylight came, he called his disciples and chose twelve of them, whom he also called apostles: ¹⁴ Simon (whom he named Peter), his brother Andrew, James, John, Philip, Bartholomew, ¹⁵ Matthew, Thomas, James (the son of Alphaeus), Simon (who was called the Zealot), ¹⁶ Judas (the son of James), and Judas Iscariot (who became a traitor).

Jesus Ministers to Many People^(D)

¹⁷ Then Jesus^[m] came down with them and stood on a level place, along with many of his disciples and a large gathering of people from all over Judea, Jerusalem, and the seacoast of Tyre and Sidon. ¹⁸ They had come to hear him and to be healed of their diseases. Even those who were being tormented by unclean spirits were being healed. ¹⁹ The entire crowd was trying to touch him, because power was coming out from him and healing all of them.

Jesus Pronounces Blessings and Judgment^(E)

²⁰ Then Jesus^[n] looked at his disciples and said,

²² “How blessed are you whenever people hate you, avoid you, insult you, and slander you because of the Son of Man! ²³ Rejoice in that day and leap for joy, because your reward in heaven is great! That’s the way their ancestors used to treat the prophets.

²⁶ “How terrible it will be for you when everyone says nice things about you, because that’s the way their ancestors used to treat the false prophets!”