The Gospel of Mark for Readers | Page 3

through the corn fields on the
sabbath day; and His disciples began to pluck the ears of corn as they
went along. The Pharisees said to Him, Behold, why do they do that
which is not lawful on the 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