Old/New Testament

²⁴ The Pharisees heard this.

“The fellow can only cast out demons,” they said, “because he’s in league with Beelzebul, the prince of demons!”

²⁵ Jesus knew their thoughts. “Suppose a kingdom is split down the middle,” he said to them. “It’ll go to rack and ruin! If a city or a household is split down the middle, it’s doomed! ²⁶ And if the satan drives out the satan, he’s split down the middle—so how can his kingdom stay standing?

²⁷ “What’s more, if I cast out demons by Beelzebul, whose power are your people channeling when they cast them out? Yes, they’ll tell you what’s what! ²⁸ But if I’m casting out demons because I’m in league with God’s spirit—well, then, God’s kingdom has arrived on your doorstep!

²⁹ “Look at it like this. Suppose you want to break into a strong man’s house and steal his belongings. How are you going to do that unless you first tie up the strong man? Then you can plunder his house to your heart’s content. ³⁰ If you’re not with me, you’re against me. Unless you’re gathering the flock with me, you’re scattering it.

³¹ “So let me tell you this: people will be forgiven for every sin and blasphemy; but blasphemy against the spirit will not be forgiven. ³² If anyone speaks a word against the son of man, it will be forgiven. But if anyone speaks a word against the holy spirit, it won’t be forgiven, either in the present age or in the age to come.”

The sign of Jonah

³³ “You must make up your mind between two possibilities,” Jesus went on. “Either the tree is good, in which case its fruit is good; or the tree is bad, in which case its fruit is bad. You can tell the tree by its fruits, after all.

³⁴ “You’re a family of snakes! How can you say good things when you’re bad inside? What the mouth speaks is what fills the heart. ³⁵ A good person produces good things from a good storeroom; an evil person produces evil things from an evil storeroom. ³⁶ Let me tell you this: on judgment day people will have to own up to every trivial word they say. ³⁷ Yes: you will be vindicated by your own words—and you will be condemned by your own words.”

³⁸ “Teacher,” responded some of the scribes and Pharisees. “We would like to see a sign from you.”

³⁹ “This wicked and immoral generation is looking for a sign,” replied Jesus. “But no sign will be given to it—except the sign of Jonah. ⁴⁰ Jonah, you see, was in the stomach of the sea-monster for three days and three nights—and in the same way the son of man will be in the heart of the earth for three days and three nights. ⁴¹ The men of Nineveh will rise up at the judgment along with this generation and will condemn it. They, after all, repented when they heard Jonah’s warnings! And, in case you hadn’t noticed, something greater than Jonah is here. ⁴² The Queen of the South will be raised at the judgment with this generation and will condemn it. She, after all, came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon! And, in case you hadn’t noticed, something greater than Solomon is here.”

Jesus’ true family

⁴³ “When the unclean spirit goes out of a person,” Jesus continued, “it goes wandering through waterless places looking for somewhere to rest, and doesn’t find anywhere. ⁴⁴ Then it says, ‘I’ll go back to my house, the one I left.’ When it gets there it finds it standing empty, clean and tidy. ⁴⁵ Then it goes out and collects seven other spirits to join it, spirits worse than itself. They go in and take up residence there. The poor person ends up worse off than they were to start with! And that’s what will happen with this wicked generation.”

⁴⁶ Suddenly, while he was speaking to the crowds, his mother and his brothers came and stood outside, hoping for a chance to speak to him.

⁴⁷ “Look,” someone said to him, “your mother and your brothers are standing outside wanting to speak to you.”

⁴⁸ “Who is my mother?” said Jesus to the person who had spoken to him. “Who are my brothers?”

⁴⁹ Then he stretched out his hand towards his disciples.

“Look!” he said. “Here are my mother and my brothers. ⁵⁰ Yes; anyone who does what my heavenly father wants is my brother, and my sister, and my mother.”