Mark 3

Jesus Heals on the Sabbath

1 Jesus went back into the synagogue, and there was a man there with a shriveled hand.

2 People were watching Him close, trying to catch Him slipping, seeing if He would heal on the Sabbath so they could accuse Him.

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

4 Then He said to them, “What is right on the Sabbath, doing good or doing harm, Saving life or killing?” But they stayed quiet.

5 He looked around at them angry, grieved at how hard their hearts were, and said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” He did, and his hand was restored.

6 Right after that, the Pharisees went out and started plotting with the Herodians about how to kill Him.

A Great Crowd Follows Jesus

7 Jesus pulled back with His disciples toward the sea, but a huge crowd followed Him, from Galilee, Judea,

8 Jerusalem, Idumea, beyond the Jordan, and around Tyre and Sidon. People heard about everything He was doing and came to Him.

9 He told His disciples to keep a small boat ready because of the crowd, so they would not crush Him.

10 He had healed so many that everyone with sickness was pushing just to touch Him.

11 Whenever unclean spirits saw Him, they dropped down before Him and cried out, “You are the Son of God!”

12 But He kept warning them hard not to make Him known.

Jesus Appoints the Twelve

13 Then He went up on the mountain and called the ones He wanted, and they came to Him.

14 He appointed twelve so they could be with Him and so He could send them out to preach

15 and have authority to cast out demons.

16 These are the twelve He chose: Simon (He gave him the name Peter),

17 James the son of Zebedee and John his brother (He called them Boanerges, meaning Sons of Thunder),

18 Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James the son of Alphaeus, Thaddaeus, Simon the Zealot,

19 and Judas Iscariot, the one who would betray Him.

A House Divided

20 Then He went into a house, and the crowd came again so heavy that they could not even eat.

21 When His own people heard about it, they came to take control of Him, saying, “He is out of His mind.”

22 The scribes who came down from Jerusalem were saying, “He has possessed by Beelzebul. He casts out demons by the ruler of demons.”

23 Jesus called them over and spoke to them in parables: “How can Satan cast out Satan,

24 If a kingdom is divided against itself, it cannot stand.

25 If a house is divided against itself, it will not stand.

26 And if Satan has risen up against himself and is divided, he cannot stand, he has finished.

27 No one can break into a strong man’s house and take his stuff unless he first ties up the strong man. Then he can take what is in the house.”

28 “I am telling you the truth, people can be forgiven for all sins and whatever blasphemies they speak,

29 but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness. They are guilty of an eternal sin.”

30 He said this because they were saying, “He has an unclean spirit.”

Jesus’ True Family

31 Then His mother and His brothers showed up and stood outside. They sent word to Him, calling Him.

32 A crowd was sitting around Him, and they said, “Your mother and Your brothers are outside looking for You.”

33 He answered them, “Who is My mother, Who are My brothers?”

34 Then He looked around at the ones sitting with Him and said, “Here, these are My mother and My brothers.

35 Whoever does the will of God, that is My brother, My sister, and My mother.”