Jesus Heals on the Sabbath

1Again Jesus went into a synagogue; and a man was there whose hand was [a]withered. 2The Pharisees were watching Jesus closely to see if He would heal him on the Sabbath, so that they might accuse Him [in the Jewish high court]. 3He said to the man whose hand was withered, “Get up and come forward!” 4He asked them, “Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do evil, to save a life or to kill?” But they kept silent. 5After looking around at them with anger, grieved at the hardness and arrogance of their hearts, He told the man, “Hold out your hand.” And he held it out, and his hand was [completely] restored. 6Then the Pharisees went out and immediately began conspiring with the [b]Herodians [to plot] against Him, as to how [c]they might [fabricate some legal grounds to] put Him to death.

7Jesus withdrew to the sea with His disciples; and a large crowd from Galilee followed Him; and also people from Judea, 8and from Jerusalem, and from Idumea, and [from the region] beyond the Jordan, and around Tyre and Sidon; a vast number of people came to Him because they were hearing about all [the things] that He was doing. 9And He told His disciples to have a small boat stand ready for Him because of the many people, so that they would not crowd Him; 10for He had healed many, and as a result all who had diseases pressed around Him to touch Him. 11Whenever the unclean spirits saw Him, they fell down before Him and screamed out, “You are the Son of God!” 12Jesus sternly warned them [again and again] not to tell who He was.

The Twelve Are Chosen

13He went up on the hillside and called those whom He Himself wanted and chose; and they came to Him. 14And He appointed [d]twelve [disciples], so that they would be with Him [for instruction] and so that He could send them out to preach [the gospel as apostles--that is, as His special messengers, personally chosen representatives], 15and to have authority and power to cast out demons. 16He appointed the twelve: Simon (to whom He gave the name Peter), 17and James, the son of [e]Zebedee, and John the brother of James (to them He gave the name Boanerges, that is, “Sons of Thunder”); 18and [He also appointed] Andrew, and Philip, and Bartholomew (Nathanael), and Matthew (Levi the tax collector), and Thomas, and [f]James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus (Judas the son of James), and Simon the Zealot; 19and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed Him.

20Then He came to a [g]house [in Capernaum], and a crowd formed again, so [many people] that Jesus and His disciples could not even eat a meal [together]. 21When His own family heard this they went to take custody of Him; for they were saying, “He is out of His mind.” 22The scribes who came down from Jerusalem were saying, “He is possessed by [h]Beelzebul (Satan),” and “He is driving out the demons by the [power of the] ruler of the demons.” 23So He called them to Himself and spoke to them in [i]parables, “How can Satan drive out Satan? 24If a kingdom is divided [split into factions and rebelling] against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. 25And if a house is divided against itself, that house cannot stand. 26And if Satan has risen up against himself and is divided, he cannot stand, but is coming to an end. 27But no one can go into a strong man’s house and steal his property unless he first overpowers and ties up the strong man, and then he will ransack and rob his house.

28“I assure you and most solemnly say to you, all sins will be forgiven the sons of men, and all the abusive and blasphemous things they say; 29but whoever [j]blasphemes against the Holy Spirit and His power [by attributing the miracles done by Me to Satan] never has forgiveness, but is guilty of an everlasting sin [a sin which is unforgivable in this present age as well as in the age to come]”-- 30[Jesus said this] because the scribes and Pharisees were [attributing His miracles to Satan by] saying, “He has an unclean spirit.”

31Then His mother and His brothers arrived, and standing outside they sent word to Him and called for Him. 32A crowd was sitting around Him, and they said to Him, “Look! Your mother and Your brothers are outside asking for You.” 33And He replied, “Who are My mother and My brothers?” 34Looking at those who were sitting in a circle around Him, He said, “Here are My mother and My brothers! 35For [k]whoever does the will of God [by believing in Me, and following Me], he is My brother and sister and mother.”

[a] 1 The Greek word also means “to dry out” and may indicate that the condition resulted from disease or an accident.
[b] 6 A secular political party of Jews that strongly supported Herod Antipas and Rome, and opposed the Pharisees on most issues.
[c] 6 The Pharisees and Herodians set aside their religious and political differences to form a conspiracy.
[d] 14 See notes Matt 10:2-4.
[e] 17 It is believed that Salome, Zebedee’s wife and the mother of James and John, was a sister of Mary, the mother of Jesus.
[f] 18 Also called James the Less or James the Younger. It is believed that his mother, Mary (Gr Maria), was a sister or sister-in-law of Mary, the mother of Jesus.
[g] 20 Probably Simon Peter’s house; cf 2:1, 2.
[h] 22 I.e. an idol worshiped in the Philistine city of Ekron: Baal Zebul, lord of the high places or Baal Zebub, lord of the flies.
[i] 23 Parables ordinarily were used for clarification, but Jesus often used them to hide sacred truths from unbelievers (see 4:11, 12).
[j] 29 Blasphemy of the Holy Spirit is denying all the work of the Holy Spirit. This leads ultimately to rejecting the deity of Christ.
[k] 35 A universal offer.