Read the Bible

¹ Jesus^(C1) entered the synagogue^(C2) again, and a man was there who had a shriveled^(C3) hand. ² In order to accuse^(C1) him, they were watching him closely^(C2) to see whether he would heal^(C3) him on the Sabbath.^{(C4) 3} He told the man with the shriveled hand, “Stand before us.”⁴ Then he said to them, “Is it lawful⁵ After looking around at them with anger,^(C1) he was grieved at the hardness^(C2) of their hearts and told the man, “Stretch out your hand.”⁶ Immediately the Pharisees^(C1) went out and started plotting^(C2) with the Herodians^(C3) against him, how they might kill^(C4) him.

Ministering to the Multitude

⁷ Jesus^(C1) departed with his disciples to the sea, and a large crowd followed from Galilee,^(C2) and a large crowd followed from Judea,^{(C3) 8} Jerusalem,^(C1) Idumea, beyond the Jordan,^(C2) and around Tyre^(C3) and Sidon.^(C4) The large crowd came to him because they heard about everything he was doing. ⁹ Then he told his disciples to have a small boat^(C1) ready for him, so that the crowd wouldn’t crush him. ¹⁰ Since he had healed^(C1) many, all who had diseases were pressing toward him to touch^(C2) him. ¹¹ Whenever the unclean^(C1) spirits^(C2) saw him, they fell down^(C3) before him and cried out, “You are the Son of God!” ^{(C4) 12} And he would strongly warn^(C1) them not to make him known.^(C2)

The Twelve Apostles

¹³ Jesus^(C1) went up the mountain^(C2) and summoned those he wanted, and they came to him. ¹⁴ He appointed twelve, whom he also named apostles,^(F1)(C1) to be with him, to send them out to preach,^{(C2) 15} and to have authority to^(F1) drive out demons. ¹⁶ He appointed the Twelve:^(F1)(C1) To Simon,^(C2) he gave the name Peter;^{(C3) 17} and to James^(C1) the son of Zebedee,^(C2) and to his brother John,^(C3) he gave the name “Boanerges” (that is, “Sons of Thunder”^(C4)); ¹⁸ Andrew;^(C1) Philip^(C2) and Bartholomew; Matthew^(C3) and Thomas;^(C4) James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus; Simon the Zealot, ¹⁹ and Judas Iscariot,^(C1) who also betrayed him.

A House Divided

²⁰ Jesus entered a house, and the crowd gathered again so that they were not even able to eat.^{(F1) 21} When his family^(C1) heard this, they set out to restrain him, because they said, “He’s out of his mind.”^(C2)

²² The scribes^(C1) who had come down from Jerusalem said, “He is possessed by Beelzebul,”^(C2) and, “He drives out^(C3) demons^(C4) by the ruler^(C5) of the demons.”^(C6)

²³ So he summoned^(C1) them and spoke to them in parables:^(C2) “How can Satan²⁴ If a kingdom²⁵ If a house is divided against itself, that house cannot stand.²⁶ And if Satan opposes himself and is divided, he cannot stand but is finished.²⁷ But no one can enter a strong man’s house and plunder his possessions unless he first ties up

²⁸ “Truly I tell you, people will be forgiven for all sins and whatever blasphemies²⁹ But whoever blasphemes³⁰ because they were saying, “He has an unclean spirit.”^(C1)

True Relationships

³¹ His^(C1) mother^(C2) and his brothers^(C3) came, and standing outside, they sent word to him and called him. ³² A crowd was sitting around him and told him, “Look, your mother, your brothers,^(C1) and your sisters^(F1) are outside asking for you.”

³³ He replied to them, “Who are my mother and my brothers?”³⁴ Looking at those sitting in a circle around him, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers!³⁵ Whoever does the will of God