The Gospel of Mark for Readers | Page 3

sabbath day? And Jesus responded, Have ye never read what David, and they that were with him, did when they had need and were hungry? How he went into the house of God in the days of Abiathar, the high priest, and ate the showbread? How this was only lawful for the priests to eat? And how David also gave it to those who were with him? Then Jesus said to them, The sabbath was made for man, and not man for the sabbath; therefore, the Son of man is Lord of the sabbath also.
3 Then Jesus entered the synagogue again. Inside was a man with a withered hand. They watched to see if Jesus would heal him on the sabbath day so they might accuse Him. And Jesus said to the man with the withered hand, Step Forward. Then Jesus said to them, Is it lawful to do good on the sabbath days, or to do evil? To save life, or to kill? But they remained silent.
Jesus looked at them with anger and was grieved for the hardness of their hearts. He said to the man, Stretch forth thy hand. As the man stretched it out, his hand was restored as whole as his other hand.
The Pharisees left and immediately took counsel with the Herodians about how they might get rid of Him. But Jesus withdrew with His disciples to the sea. A great multitude from Galilee, Judaea, Jerusalem, Idumaea, and from beyond Jordan, and those around Tyre and Sidon came to Him when they heard all the things He did.
Jesus told His disciples He needed to get out into a small boat lest the multitude should throng Him. For He had healed many and many who had plagues now pressed upon Him just to touch Him. Unclean spirits, when they saw Him, fell down before Him and cried, Thou art the Son of God. Jesus directly charged them that they should not make Him known.
Then Jesus went up into a mountain. He called to whom He would and they came to Him. Here He ordained twelve to be with Him, and that He might send forth to preach, to heal sickness, and to cast out devils. Then He took these twelve into a house: Simon surnamed Peter; James, the son of Zebedee, John, the brother of James (He named them Boanerges, which is, The sons of thunder); Andrew; Philip; Bartholomew; Matthew; Thomas; James, the son of Alphaeus; Thaddaeus; Simon the Canaanite; and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed Him.
Then the multitude came again so that they could not eat bread undisturbed. When His friends heard about this, they lay hold of Him and said, This is too much. And the scribes who came down from Jerusalem said, He has Beelzebub, and, by the prince of the devils, He casts out devils.
Jesus called them to Him and said, How can Satan cast out Satan? And if a kingdom be divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. And if a house be divided against itself, that house cannot stand. And if Satan rise up against himself, and be divided, he cannot stand and is finished. Nor can a man enter into a strong man's house and spoil his goods unless he first binds up the strong man so he can then spoil his house.
Verily I say to you, All sins shall be forgiven to the sons of men, and blasphemies also, however they blaspheme. But he that blasphemes against the Holy Ghost will never have forgiveness, but is in danger of eternal damnation. He said this because they said, He has an unclean spirit.
His brethren and His mother came and, standing outside, they called for Him. The multitude that sat around Him said, Behold, thy mother and thy brethren are outside and seek for thee. Jesus answered, Who is my mother, or my brethren? Then He looked around on those who sat about Him and said, Behold, my mother and my brethren! Whosoever shall do the will of God, the same is my brother, and my sister, and mother.
4 Later, as Jesus was again by the seaside, there gathered a great multitude. He entered into a boat and began to address the large crowd on shore. He taught them many things by parables. Jesus began, Hearken. Behold, there went out a sower of seeds. It came to pass, as he sowed, some seed fell by the wayside. The fowls of the air came and devoured it. Some seed fell on stony ground where there was no good soil. It sprang up quickly. But, because it had no roots, it was scorched by the sunlight and withered away.
Some seed fell among thorns. The thorns grew up and choked it, and it yielded no fruit. Other seed fell on good ground. This did