Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

The God of all comfort

¹³ We have the same spirit of faith as you see in what is written, “I believed, and so I spoke.” We too believe, and so we speak, ¹⁴ because we know that the God who raised the Lord Jesus will raise us with Jesus and present us with you. ¹⁵ It’s all because of you, you see! The aim is that, as grace abounds through the thanksgiving of more and more people, it will overflow to God’s glory.

¹⁶ For this reason we don’t lose heart. Even if our outer humanity is decaying, our inner humanity is being renewed day by day. ¹⁷ This slight momentary trouble of ours is working to produce a weight of glory, passing and surpassing everything, lasting forever; ¹⁸ for we don’t look at the things that can be seen, but at the things that can’t be seen. After all, the things you can see are here today and gone tomorrow; but the things you can’t see are everlasting.

A house waiting in the heavens

5 For we know that if our earthly house, our present “tent,” is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house no human hands have built: it is everlasting, in the heavenly places.

Jesus and Beelzebul

²⁰ He went into the house. A crowd gathered again, so that they couldn’t even have a meal. ²¹ When his family heard it, they came to restrain him. “He’s out of his mind,” they said.

²² Experts who had come from Jerusalem were saying, “He is possessed by Beelzebul! He casts out demons by the prince of demons!”

²³ Jesus summoned them and spoke to them in pictures. “How can the Accuser cast out the Accuser? ²⁴ If a kingdom splits into two factions, it can’t last; ²⁵ if a household splits into two factions, it can’t last. ²⁶ So if the Accuser revolts against himself and splits into two, he can’t last—his time is up! ²⁷ But remember: no one can get into a strong man’s house and steal his property unless first they tie up the strong man; then they can plunder his house.

²⁸ “I’m telling you the truth: people will be forgiven all sins, and all blasphemies of whatever sort. ²⁹ But people who blaspheme the holy spirit will never find forgiveness. They will be guilty of an eternal sin.” ³⁰ That was his response to their claim that he had an unclean spirit.

Jesus’ family

³¹ Jesus’ mother and brothers appeared. They waited outside the house, and sent in a message, asking for him.

³² “Look!” said the crowd sitting around Jesus. “Your mother, your brothers, and your sisters are outside! They’re searching for you!”

³³ “Who is my mother?” replied Jesus. “Who are my brothers?”

³⁴ He looked around him at the people sitting there in a ring. “Here is my mother!” he said. “Here are my brothers! ³⁵ Anybody who does God’s will is my brother! And my sister! And my mother!”