Healing on the Sabbath
Jesus went into the synagogue again, and there was a man whose hand was shriveled and useless. Some people were watching Jesus closely, waiting to see if he would heal the man on the Sabbath day so they could bring charges against him. Jesus spoke to the man with the damaged hand. "Come here and stand where everyone can see you," he said. Then Jesus turned to those who were watching him and asked, "What does our law say is right to do on the Sabbath? Should we do something good or something harmful? Should we save a life or let it be destroyed?" But no one answered him. Jesus looked around at all of them, and his face showed both anger and deep sadness because their hearts had become so hard and unmoved by suffering. He turned back to the man and said, "Hold out your hand." The man stretched out his hand, and immediately it was completely healed and made whole again. When the Pharisees saw this, they left the synagogue and immediately began meeting with the Herodians to make plans for how they could kill Jesus.
Crowds Follow Jesus
Jesus left with his disciples and went to the lake. A huge crowd followed him from Galilee, and people also came from Judea, Jerusalem, Idumea, the lands across the Jordan River, and the areas around Tyre and Sidon. This massive crowd gathered because they had heard about all the amazing things Jesus was doing. Jesus told his disciples to keep a small boat ready for him, because the crowd was so large they might crush him as they pressed in. He had healed so many people that everyone who was sick was pushing forward, trying to touch him. Whenever the evil spirits saw Jesus, they fell down in front of him and shouted, "You are the Son of God!" But Jesus gave them strict orders not to reveal who he was.
The Twelve Apostles
Jesus climbed up onto a mountain and called to the people he wanted to come with him. Those he called came to him. From among them, he chose twelve men and gave them the special title of apostles. His purpose was for them to stay with him, to be sent out to preach his message, and to have the power to cast out demons. Here are the twelve men he chose: Simon, whom Jesus renamed Peter; James the son of Zebedee and his brother John, whom Jesus called Boanerges, which means "Sons of Thunder"; Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James the son of Alphaeus, Thaddaeus, Simon the Zealot, and Judas Iscariot, who would later betray Jesus.
Jesus and Beelzebul
Jesus returned home, and immediately crowds of people gathered around him again. So many people pressed in that Jesus and his disciples couldn't even find time to eat a meal. When Jesus' own family heard what was happening, they came to take him away by force, because they were saying, "He's lost his mind." Meanwhile, the religious teachers who had traveled down from Jerusalem were making their own accusations. "He's possessed by Beelzebul," they declared. "He casts out demons by the power of the prince of demons himself." Jesus called these critics over to him and began teaching them through stories and examples. "How can Satan cast out Satan?" he asked them. "Think about it—if a kingdom goes to war against itself, that kingdom will collapse and fall. If the people in a household fight against each other, that household cannot survive. In the same way, if Satan has turned against himself and is divided, he cannot possibly stand. His rule would come to an end. "Here's another way to think about it: No one can break into a strong man's house and steal his belongings unless he first overpowers and ties up that strong man. Only then can he ransack the house and take what he wants. "I tell you the truth—people can be forgiven for all kinds of sins and even for speaking evil words against God. But there is one exception: whoever speaks evil against the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven. This person is guilty of a sin that lasts forever." Jesus said this because they were claiming, "He has an evil spirit in him."
Jesus' Mother and Brothers
Jesus' mother and brothers arrived and remained standing outside the house. They sent someone inside to call Him out to them. A crowd of people was sitting in a circle around Jesus when someone told Him, "Your mother and brothers are outside looking for You." Jesus responded by asking, "Who is My mother, and who are My brothers?" Then He looked around at all the people sitting in the circle surrounding Him and said, "These people here are My mother and My brothers. Anyone who does what God wants is My brother and sister and mother."