New Testament in a Year

6 One Sabbath as Jesus and his disciples were walking through some grainfields, they were breaking off the heads of wheat, rubbing off the husks in their hands and eating the grains.

² But some Pharisees said, “That’s illegal! Your disciples are harvesting grain, and it’s against the Jewish law to work on the Sabbath.”

³ Jesus replied, “Don’t you read the Scriptures? Haven’t you ever read what King David did when he and his men were hungry? ⁴ He went into the Temple and took the shewbread, the special bread that was placed before the Lord, and ate it—illegal as this was—and shared it with others.” ⁵ And Jesus added, “I am^[a] master even of the Sabbath.”

⁶ On another Sabbath he was in the synagogue teaching, and a man was present whose right hand was deformed. ⁷ The teachers of the Law and the Pharisees watched closely to see whether he would heal the man that day, since it was the Sabbath. For they were eager to find some charge to bring against him.

⁸ How well he knew their thoughts! But he said to the man with the deformed hand, “Come and stand here where everyone can see.” So he did.

⁹ Then Jesus said to the Pharisees and teachers of the Law, “I have a question for you. Is it right to do good on the Sabbath day, or to do harm? To save life, or to destroy it?”

¹⁰ He looked around at them one by one and then said to the man, “Reach out your hand.” And as he did, it became completely normal again. ¹¹ At this, the enemies of Jesus were wild with rage and began to plot his murder.

¹² One day soon afterwards he went out into the mountains to pray, and prayed all night. ¹³ At daybreak he called together his followers and chose twelve of them to be the inner circle of his disciples. (They were appointed as his “apostles,” or “missionaries.”) ^14-16 Here are their names: Simon (he also called him Peter), Andrew (Simon’s brother), James, John, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James (the son of Alphaeus), Simon (a member of the Zealots, a subversive political party), Judas (son of James), Judas Iscariot (who later betrayed him).

^17-18 When they came down the slopes of the mountain, they stood with Jesus on a large, level area, surrounded by many of his followers who, in turn, were surrounded by the crowds. For people from all over Judea and from Jerusalem and from as far north as the seacoasts of Tyre and Sidon had come to hear him or to be healed. And he cast out many demons. ¹⁹ Everyone was trying to touch him, for when they did, healing power went out from him and they were cured.

²⁰ Then he turned to his disciples and said, “What happiness there is for you who are poor, for the Kingdom of God is yours! ²¹ What happiness there is for you who are now hungry, for you are going to be satisfied! What happiness there is for you who weep, for the time will come when you shall laugh with joy! ²² What happiness it is when others hate you and exclude you and insult you and smear your name because you are mine!^{[b] 23} When that happens, rejoice! Yes, leap for joy! For you will have a great reward awaiting you in heaven. And you will be in good company—the ancient prophets were treated that way too!

²⁴ “But, oh, the sorrows that await the rich. For they have their only happiness down here. ²⁵ They are fat and prosperous now, but a time of awful hunger is before them. Their careless laughter now means sorrow then. ²⁶ And what sadness is ahead for those praised by the crowds—for false prophets have always been praised.