The Question about the Sabbath
(Mark 2.23-28Luke 6.1-5)1 Not long afterward Jesus was walking through some wheat fields on a Sabbath. His disciples were hungry, so they began to pick heads of wheat and eat the grain. 2 When the Pharisees saw this, they said to Jesus, “Look, it is against our Law for your disciples to do this on the Sabbath!”
3 Jesus answered, “Have you never read what David did that time when he and his men were hungry? 4 He went into the house of God, and he and his men ate the bread offered to God, even though it was against the Law for them to eat it—only the priests were allowed to eat that bread. 5 Or have you not read in the Law of Moses that every Sabbath the priests in the Temple actually break the Sabbath law, yet they are not guilty? 6 I tell you that there is something here greater than the Temple. 7 The scripture says, ‘It is kindness that I want, not animal sacrifices.’ If you really knew what this means, you would not condemn people who are not guilty; 8 for the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath.”
The Man with a Paralyzed Hand
(Mark 3.1-6Luke 6.6-11)9 Jesus left that place and went to a synagogue, 10 where there was a man who had a paralyzed hand. Some people were there who wanted to accuse Jesus of doing wrong, so they asked him, “Is it against our Law to heal on the Sabbath?”
11 Jesus answered, “What if one of you has a sheep and it falls into a deep hole on the Sabbath? Will you not take hold of it and lift it out? 12 And a human being is worth much more than a sheep! So then, our Law does allow us to help someone on the Sabbath.” 13 Then he said to the man with the paralyzed hand, “Stretch out your hand.”
He stretched it out, and it became well again, just like the other one. 14 Then the Pharisees left and made plans to kill Jesus.
God's Chosen Servant
15 When Jesus heard about the plot against him, he went away from that place; and large crowds followed him. He healed all the sick 16 and gave them orders not to tell others about him. 17 He did this so as to make come true what God had said through the prophet Isaiah:
18 “Here is my servant, whom I have chosen,
the one I love, and with whom I am pleased.
I will send my Spirit upon him,
and he will announce my judgment to the nations.
19 He will not argue or shout,
or make loud speeches in the streets.
20 He will not break off a bent reed,
nor put out a flickering lamp.
He will persist until he causes justice to triumph,
21 and on him all peoples will put their hope.”
Jesus and Beelzebul
(Mark 3.20-30Luke 11.14-23)22 Then some people brought to Jesus a man who was blind and could not talk because he had a demon. Jesus healed the man, so that he was able to talk and see. 23 The crowds were all amazed at what Jesus had done. “Could he be the Son of David?” they asked.
24 When the Pharisees heard this, they replied, “He drives out demons only because their ruler Beelzebul gives him power to do so.”
25 Jesus knew what they were thinking, and so he said to them, “Any country that divides itself into groups which fight each other will not last very long. And any town or family that divides itself into groups which fight each other will fall apart. 26 So if one group is fighting another in Satan's kingdom, this means that it is already divided into groups and will soon fall apart! 27 You say that I drive out demons because Beelzebul gives me the power to do so. Well, then, who gives your followers the power to drive them out? What your own followers do proves that you are wrong! 28 No, it is not Beelzebul, but God's Spirit, who gives me the power to drive out demons, which proves that the Kingdom of God has already come upon you.
29 “No one can break into a strong man's house and take away his belongings unless he first ties up the strong man; then he can plunder his house.
30 “Anyone who is not for me is really against me; anyone who does not help me gather is really scattering. 31 For this reason I tell you: people can be forgiven any sin and any evil thing they say; but whoever says evil things against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven. 32 Anyone who says something against the Son of Man can be forgiven; but whoever says something against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven—now or ever.
A Tree and Its Fruit
(Luke 6.43-45)33 “To have good fruit you must have a healthy tree; if you have a poor tree, you will have bad fruit. A tree is known by the kind of fruit it bears. 34 You snakes—how can you say good things when you are evil? For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of. 35 A good person brings good things out of a treasure of good things; a bad person brings bad things out of a treasure of bad things.
36 “You can be sure that on the Judgment Day you will have to give account of every useless word you have ever spoken. 37 Your words will be used to judge you—to declare you either innocent or guilty.”
The Demand for a Miracle
(Mark 8.11Mark 12Luke 11.29-32)38 Then some teachers of the Law and some Pharisees spoke up. “Teacher,” they said, “we want to see you perform a miracle.”
39 “How evil and godless are the people of this day!” Jesus exclaimed. “You ask me for a miracle? No! The only miracle you will be given is the miracle of the prophet Jonah. 40 In the same way that Jonah spent three days and nights in the big fish, so will the Son of Man spend three days and nights in the depths of the earth. 41 On the Judgment Day the people of Nineveh will stand up and accuse you, because they turned from their sins when they heard Jonah preach; and I tell you that there is something here greater than Jonah! 42 On the Judgment Day the Queen of Sheba will stand up and accuse you, because she traveled all the way from her country to listen to King Solomon's wise teaching; and I assure you that there is something here greater than Solomon!
The Return of the Evil Spirit
(Luke 11.24-26)43 “When an evil spirit goes out of a person, it travels over dry country looking for a place to rest. If it can't find one, 44 it says to itself, ‘I will go back to my house.’ So it goes back and finds the house empty, clean, and all fixed up. 45 Then it goes out and brings along seven other spirits even worse than itself, and they come and live there. So when it is all over, that person is in worse shape than at the beginning. This is what will happen to the evil people of this day.”
Jesus' Mother and Brothers
(Mark 3.31-35Luke 8.19-21)46 Jesus was still talking to the people when his mother and brothers arrived. They stood outside, asking to speak with him. 47 So one of the people there said to him, “Look, your mother and brothers are standing outside, and they want to speak with you.”
48 Jesus answered, “Who is my mother? Who are my brothers?” 49 Then he pointed to his disciples and said, “Look! Here are my mother and my brothers! 50 Whoever does what my Father in heaven wants is my brother, my sister, and my mother.”
1 Tanī laikā Jēzus reiz gāja sabatā caur labību; un Viņa mācekļi bija izsalkuši, un tie sāka vārpas plūkt un ēst. 2 Bet farizeji, to redzēdami, uz Viņu sacīja: "Redzi, Tavi mācekļi dara, ko sabatā nav brīv darīt." 3 Bet Viņš uz tiem sacīja: "Vai jūs neesat lasījuši, ko Dāvids darīja, kad viņš bija izsalcis un viņa pavadoņi? 4 Ka viņš gāja Dieva namā un tie ēda skatāmās maizes, ko nebija brīv ēst ne viņam pašam, ne viņa biedriem, bet vienīgi priesteriem. 5 Jeb vai jūs neesat lasījuši bauslībā, ka priesteri pārkāpj sabatā Dieva namā sabata dienu un ir nevainīgi? 6 Bet Es jums saku: šeit ir kas lielāks par Dieva namu. 7 Bet, kad jūs būtu sapratuši, ko tas nozīmē: Man patīk žēlastība un ne upuris, - tad jūs nebūtu šos nevainīgos nosodījuši. 8 Jo Cilvēka Dēls ir kungs arī pār sabatu." 9 Un no turienes Viņš aizgāja un iegāja viņu sinagogā. 10 Un redzi, tur bija cilvēks ar sakaltušu roku, un tie Viņam vaicāja, sacīdami: "Vai ir brīv sabatā dziedināt?" - ka tie Viņu varētu apsūdzēt. 11 Bet Viņš uz tiem sacīja: "Kurš cilvēks jūsu starpā, kam viena avs un kad tā sabatā iekrīt bedrē, to nesatvers un neizvilks ārā? 12 Vai cilvēks nav daudz labāks par avi? Tādēļ ir gan brīv sabatā labu darīt." 13 Tad Viņš uz to cilvēku sacīja: "Izstiep savu roku!" Un viņš to izstiepa. Tad tā kļuva vesela kā otra. 14 Tad farizeji izgāja un sarunājās pret Viņu un nolēma To nogalināt. 15 Bet Jēzus, to nomanīdams, aizgāja no turienes. Un daudz ļaužu gāja Viņam pakaļ, un Viņš tos visus dziedināja. 16 Un Viņš tiem piekodināja par Viņu nevienam nestāstīt, 17 ka piepildītos pravieša Jesajas runātais vārds: 18 redzi, Mans kalps, ko Es izredzējis, un Mans mīļais, pie kā Manai dvēselei labs prāts; Es likšu uz Viņu Savu Garu, un Tas pasludinās tautām tiesu. 19 Ne Viņš bārsies, ne brēks, ne arī dzirdēs uz ielām Viņa balsi. 20 Ielūzušu niedri Viņš nesalauzīs, un kvēlojošu dakti Viņš neizdzēsīs, tiekāms Viņš taisnībai dos uzvaru. 21 Un tautas cerēs uz Viņa Vārdu.- 22 Tad Viņam pienesa ļauna gara apsēstu, tas bija akls un mēms. Un Viņš to darīja veselu, tā ka aklais un mēmais redzēja un runāja. 23 Un visi ļaudis brīnījās un sacīja: "Vai Šis nav Dāvida dēls?" 24 Bet farizeji, to dzirdēdami, sacīja: "Šis izdzen ļaunus garus ne citādi kā ar Belcebula, ļauno garu virsnieka, palīdzību." 25 Bet Jēzus, viņu domas nomanīdams, tiem sacīja: "Ikviena valsts, kurā iekšējs naids, aiziet bojā; un neviena pilsēta vai nams, kurā iekšējs naids, nevar pastāvēt. 26 Ja nu sātans izdzen sātanu, tad viņš ir naidā pats ar sevi. Kā tad viņa valsts var pastāvēt? 27 Un, ja Es izdzenu ļaunos garus ar Belcebula palīdzību, ar ko tad jūsu bērni tos izdzen? Tāpēc viņi būs jūsu tiesātāji. 28 Bet, ja Es izdzenu ļaunos garus ar Dieva Garu, tad Dieva valstība ir jau pie jums atnākusi. 29 Jeb vai var kāds ieiet stiprā namā un paņemt viņa mantas, ja tas nav stipro papriekšu saistījis? Tikai tad tas varēs viņa namu izlaupīt. 30 Kas nav ar Mani, tas ir pret Mani, un, kas ar Mani nesakrāj, tas izkaisa. 31 Tāpēc Es jums saku: ikkatru grēku un ikkatru zaimošanu cilvēkiem piedos, bet Gara zaimošanu nepiedos. 32 Un, kas ko runā pret Cilvēka Dēlu, tam tas tiks piedots; bet, kas ko runā pret Svēto Garu, tam tas netiks piedots ne šinī, nedz nākošā mūžā. 33 Padarait koku labu, tad arī viņa augļi būs labi, vai padarait koku nelabu, tad arī viņa augļi būs nelabi, jo koku pazīst no viņa augļiem. 34 Jūs odžu dzimums, kā jūs varat labu runāt, paši ļauni būdami? Jo no sirds pilnības mute runā. 35 Labs cilvēks izdod no labā krājuma labu, un ļauns cilvēks izdod no ļaunā krājuma ļaunu. 36 Bet Es jums saku: par ikkatru veltīgu vārdu, ko cilvēki runās, tiem būs jāatbild tiesas dienā; 37 jo pēc saviem vārdiem tu tiksi taisnots, un pēc saviem vārdiem tu tiksi pazudināts." 38 Tad daži no rakstu mācītājiem un farizejiem atbildēja un uz to sacīja: "Mācītāj, mēs no Tevis gribam kādu zīmi redzēt." 39 Bet Viņš atbildēja un tiem sacīja: "Ļauna un laulības pārkāpēja cilts meklē zīmes; un viņai nekāda cita zīme netiks dota kā vien pravieša Jonas zīme. 40 Jo, kā Jona trīs dienas un trīs naktis bija lielās zivs vēderā, tā arī Cilvēka Dēls būs trīs dienas un trīs naktis zemes klēpī. 41 Ninivieši celsies tiesas dienā pret šo cilti un to pazudinās; jo tie, Jonam sludinot, no grēkiem atgriezās; un redzi, šeit ir vairāk nekā Jona. 42 Ķēniņiene no dienvidiem celsies tiesas dienā pret šo cilti un to pazudinās, jo tā nāca no pasaules gala dzirdēt Salamana gudrību: un redzi, šeit ir vairāk nekā Salamans. 43 Bet, kad nešķīstais gars no cilvēka ir izgājis, tad tas pārstaigā izkaltušas vietas, meklē dusu un to neatrod. 44 Tad tas saka: es atgriezīšos savā namā, no kurienes es izgāju. Un, kad viņš nāk, tad viņš to atrod tukšu, izmēztu un uzpostu. 45 Tad tas noiet un ņem līdzi septiņus citus garus, kas ļaunāki par viņu, un viņi ieiet tur un dzīvo; un pēc tam ar tādu cilvēku top sliktāk, nekā papriekšu bija. Tāpat arī notiks šai ļaunajai ciltij." 46 Un, Viņam tā uz ļaudīm vēl runājot, redzi, Viņa māte un Viņa brāļi stāvēja ārā un gribēja ar Viņu runāt. 47 Un kāds uz Viņu sacīja: "Redzi, Tava māte un Tavi brāļi stāv ārā un meklē ar Tevi runāt." 48 Un Viņš atbildēja un sacīja tam, kas Viņam to teica: "Kas ir Mana māte, un kas ir Mani brāļi?" 49 Un, roku izstiepis pār Saviem mācekļiem, Viņš sacīja: "Redzi, Mana māte un Mani brāļi! 50 Jo, kas dara Mana Debesu Tēva prātu, tas ir Mans brālis un Mana māsa, un Mana māte."
