Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

¹³ We believe the same way as the one who wrote, `I believed, and so I talked.' We also believe, and so we talk to you.

¹⁴ We know this. God raised up the Lord Jesus, and he will raise us up also with Jesus. He will bring us all to stand together before God.

¹⁵ All this is happening for you so that the blessings of God will reach more people. Then more people will thank God. And this will make God's name greater.

¹⁶ So we do not give up. Our body gets weak, but our heart gets new strength day after day.

¹⁷ The load of trouble we carry now is a little heavy. But this trouble is getting something great and wonderful ready for us which will last for ever.

5 Our body is the house in which our spirit lives here on earth. When that house is destroyed, then God will give us another house. That house is not made by man's hand. But God made it. It will last for ever in heaven.

²⁰ So many people came again that they could not even eat.

²¹ When Jesus' family heard about this, they came to take him away. They said, `He is crazy.'

²² The scribes who came from Jerusalem also talked about Jesus. They said, `Beelzebub, the chief of bad spirits, is in this man. He drives out bad spirits by the help of Beelzebub.'

²³ Jesus called the people and talked to them in stories. He asked, `How can Satan drive out Satan?

²⁴ If one part of a country fights against another part of the country, that country cannot be strong.

²⁵ If one part of a family fights against the other part of the family, it cannot stand.

²⁶ If Satan fights against himself and the bad spirits fight against each other, he cannot stand. It will be the end of him.

²⁷ If anyone wants to go into a strong man's house and steal his things, he must first tie the strong man. Then he can steal his things.

²⁸ `I tell you the truth. All wrong things that people do and say about anyone will be forgiven.

²⁹ But people who say wrong things against the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven. A person who does that will be punished for ever.'

³⁰ Jesus said all this because the scribes said, `A bad spirit is in him.'

³¹ Jesus' mother and brothers came to him. They stood outside. They sent someone to him.

³² Many people were sitting around him. They said, `See, your mother and your brothers are outside. They want you.'

³³ Jesus asked them, `Who are my mother and my brothers?'

³⁴ Then he looked at the people who sat around him. He said, `These people are my mother and my brothers!

³⁵ Anyone who obeys God is my brother, my sister, and my mother.'