Chapter 3

1Jesus entered a synagogue again. A man with a shriveled hand was there.

2Some people watched Jesus closely to see whether he would heal the man on the Sabbath. They wanted a reason to accuse him.

3Jesus said to the man with the shriveled hand, “Stand up here in front of everyone.”

4Then Jesus asked the people watching him, “What is permitted on the Sabbath: to do good or to do harm? To save a life or to kill?” They remained silent.

5Jesus looked around at them angrily, deeply saddened by how hard their hearts were. Then he said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” The man stretched it out, and his hand was restored.

6The Pharisees immediately went out and began making plans with the Herodians, supporters of the ruling family. Together they discussed how to kill Jesus.

7Jesus withdrew toward the sea with his disciples. A large crowd from Galilee followed him, along with people from Judea.

8People also came from Jerusalem, Idumea, the region across the Jordan River, and the areas around Tyre and Sidon. This great crowd came to Jesus because they had heard what he was doing.

9Because of the crowd, Jesus told his disciples to keep a small boat ready for him so that the people would not crush him.

10He had healed many people, so everyone suffering from a disease pushed forward, trying to touch him.

11Whenever evil spirits saw him, they fell down before him and cried out, “You are the Son of God!”

12But Jesus repeatedly gave the spirits strict orders not to reveal who he was.

13Jesus went up on a mountain and called the people he wanted to come to him. They came.

14He appointed twelve men so that they could be with him and so that he could send them out to announce the message.

15He also gave them authority to drive out demons.

16These were the twelve men he appointed: Simon, whom Jesus named Peter;

17James, the son of Zebedee, and James’s brother John. Jesus gave these two the name Boanerges, which means “Sons of Thunder”;

18Andrew; Philip; Bartholomew; Matthew; Thomas; James, the son of Alphaeus; Thaddaeus; and Simon, known as the Zealous One;

19and Judas Iscariot, who later handed Jesus over.

20Then Jesus went into a house. The crowd gathered again, and Jesus and his companions could not even eat.

21When those close to Jesus heard what was happening, they went out to restrain him because they were saying, “He is out of his mind.”

22Teachers of the Jewish law who had come from Jerusalem were saying, “Beelzebul, the ruler of demons, controls him! He drives out demons by the power of the ruler of demons.”

23Jesus called them over and answered them with comparisons: “How can Satan drive out Satan?

24Jesus continued, “If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand.

25If a household is divided against itself, that household cannot stand.

26If Satan has risen against himself and become divided, he cannot stand. He has come to an end.

27But no one can enter a strong man’s house and carry off his belongings without first tying up the strong man. Only then can that person rob his house.

28I assure you, people will be forgiven all their sins and all the insults they may speak against God.

29But anyone who speaks against God’s Holy Spirit with contempt will never be forgiven. That person is guilty of an eternal sin.”

30Jesus said this because the teachers of the law kept saying, “He has an evil spirit.”

31Then Jesus’ mother and brothers arrived. They stood outside and sent a message in, calling for him.

32A crowd was sitting around Jesus. People told him, “Look, your mother and your brothers are outside looking for you.”

33Jesus replied, “Who is my mother, or who are my brothers?”

34He looked around at the people sitting in a circle around him and said, “Look! Here are my mother and my brothers.

35Jesus continued, “Anyone who does what God wants is my brother, sister, and mother.”