Study Desk

Now^(a) He entered the synagogue^(b) again, and a man was there who had a paralyzed^(c) hand.

In order to accuse^(d) Him, they were watching Him closely^(e) to see whether He would heal^(f) him on the Sabbath.^(g)

He told the man with the paralyzed hand, "Stand before us." ^[a]

Then He said to them, "Is it lawful^(h) on the Sabbath to do what is good⁽ⁱ⁾ or to do what is evil,^(j) to save life^(k) or to kill?" ^(l) But they were silent.^(m)

After looking around at them with anger⁽ⁿ⁾ and sorrow at the hardness^(o) of their hearts, He told the man, "Stretch out your hand." So he stretched it out, and his hand was restored.^(p)

Immediately the Pharisees^(q) went out and started plotting^(r) with the Herodians^(s) against Him, how they might destroy^(t) Him.

Jesus^(u) departed with His disciples to the sea, and a large crowd followed from Galilee,^(v) Judea,^(w)

Jerusalem,^(x) Idumea, beyond the Jordan,^(y) and around Tyre^(z) and Sidon.^(aa) The large crowd came to Him because they heard about everything He was doing.

Then He told His disciples to have a small boat^(ab) ready for Him, so the crowd would not crush Him.

Since He had healed^(ac) many, all who had diseases were pressing toward Him to touch^(ad) Him.

Whenever the unclean^(ae) spirits^(af) saw Him, those possessed fell down^(ag) before Him and cried out, "You are the Son of God!"^(ah)

And He would strongly warn^(ai) them not to make Him known.^(aj)

Then^(ak) He went up the mountain^(al) and summoned those He wanted, and they came to Him.

He also appointed 12—He also named them apostles^[b](am)—to be with Him, to send them out to preach,^(an)

and to have authority to^[c] drive out demons.

He appointed the Twelve:^[d](ao) To Simon,^(ap) He gave the name Peter;^(aq)

and to James^(ar) the son of Zebedee,^(as) and to his brother John,^(at) He gave the name "Boanerges" (that is, "Sons of Thunder"^(au));

Andrew;^(av) Philip^(aw) and Bartholomew; Matthew^(ax) and Thomas;^(ay) James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus; Simon the Zealot,^[e]

and Judas Iscariot,^[f](az) who also betrayed Him.

Then He went home, and the crowd gathered again so that they were not even able to eat.^[g]

When His family^(ba) heard this, they set out to restrain Him, because they said, "He's out of His mind."^(bb)

The scribes^(bc) who had come down from Jerusalem said, "He has Beelzebul^(bd) in Him!" and, "He drives out^(be) demons^(bf) by the ruler^(bg) of the demons!"^(bh)

So He summoned^(bi) them and spoke to them in parables: ^(bj) "How can Satan^(bk) drive out Satan?^(bl)

If a kingdom^(bm) is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand.

If a house is divided against itself, that house cannot stand.

And if Satan rebels against himself and is divided, he cannot stand but is finished! ^[h]

"On the other hand, no one can enter a strong man's house and rob his possessions unless he first ties up^(bn) the strong man. Then he will rob his house.

I assure you: People will be forgiven for all sins^[i] and whatever blasphemies^(bo) they may blaspheme.

But whoever blasphemes^(bp) against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness,^(bq) but is guilty^(br) of an eternal sin" ^[j](bs)—

because they were saying, "He has an unclean spirit."^(bt)

Then^(bu) His mother^(bv) and His brothers^(bw) came, and standing outside, they sent word to Him and called Him.

A crowd was sitting around Him and told Him, "Look, Your mother, Your brothers,^(bx) and Your sisters^[k] are outside asking for You."

He replied to them, "Who are My mother and My brothers?"

And looking about at those who were sitting in a circle around Him, He said, "Here are My mother and My brothers!^(by)

Whoever does the will of God^(bz) is My brother and sister and mother."

Again^(a) He began to teach^(b) by the sea, and a very large crowd gathered around Him. So He got into a boat on the sea and sat down, while the whole crowd was on the shore facing the sea.

He taught them many things in parables,^(c) and in His teaching^(d) He said to them:

"Listen! Consider the sower who went out to sow.^(e)

As he sowed, this occurred: Some seed fell along the path,^(f) and the birds came and ate^(g) it up.

Other seed fell on rocky ground where it didn't have much soil, and it sprang up right away,^(h) since it didn't have deep soil.

When the sun came up, it was scorched, and since it didn't have a root, it withered.⁽ⁱ⁾

Other seed fell among thorns, and the thorns came up and choked it, and it didn't produce a crop.

Still others fell on good ground and produced a crop that increased^(j) 30, 60, and 100 times what was sown." ^(k)

Then He said, "Anyone who has ears to hear should listen!" ^(l)

When He was alone with the Twelve,^(m) those who were around Him asked Him about the parables.⁽ⁿ⁾

He answered them, "The secret ^(o) of the kingdom of God^(p) has been given to you, but to those outside,^(q) everything comes in parables

so that they may look and look, yet not perceive; they may listen and listen, yet not understand; ^(r) otherwise, they might turn back— and be forgiven. " ^[a](s)[b]

Then^(t) He said to them: "Don't you understand this parable?^(u) How then will you understand any of the parables?

The sower sows^(v) the word.^(w)

These^[c] are the ones along the path^(x) where the word is sown: when they hear, immediately Satan^(y) comes and takes away the word^(z) sown in them.^[d]

And these are^[e] the ones sown on rocky ground: when they hear the word, immediately they receive it with joy.^(aa)

But they have no root in themselves; they are short-lived. When pressure^(ab) or persecution comes because of the word, they immediately stumble.^(ac)

Others are sown among thorns; these are the ones who hear the word,

but the worries^(ad) of this age,^(ae) the seduction ^[f](af) of wealth,^(ag) and the desires^(ah) for other things enter in and choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful.^(ai)

But the ones sown on good ground are those who hear the word,^(aj) welcome it, and produce a crop:^(ak) 30, 60, and 100 times what was sown."

He^(al) also said to them, "Is a lamp brought in to be put under a basket or under a bed?^(am) Isn't it to be put on a lampstand?^(an)

For nothing is concealed except to be revealed,^(ao) and nothing hidden except to come to light.

If anyone has ears to hear, he should listen!" ^(ap)

Then He said to them, "Pay attention to what you hear. By the measure^(aq) you use, ^[g](ar) it will be measured and added^(as) to you.

For to the one who has, it will be given, and from the one who does not have, even what he has will be taken away." ^(at)

"The kingdom of God^(au) is like this," He said. "A man scatters seed on the ground;

he sleeps^(av) and rises^(aw)—night^(ax) and day, and the seed sprouts and grows—he doesn't know how.

The soil produces a crop^(ay) by itself—first the blade, then the head, and then the ripe grain^(az) on the head.

But as soon as the crop is ready, he sends for the sickle,^(ba) because the harvest^(bb) has come."

And^(bc) He said: "How can we illustrate the kingdom of God,^(bd) or what parable^(be) can we use to describe it?

It's like a mustard seed^(bf) that, when sown in the soil, is smaller than all the seeds on the ground.

And when sown,^(bg) it comes up and grows taller than all the vegetables,^(bh) and produces large branches, so that the birds of the sky^(bi) can nest in its shade."

He would speak the word^(bj) to them with many parables^(bk) like these, as they were able to understand.^(bl)

And He did not speak to them without a parable. Privately, however, He would explain everything to His own disciples.^(bm)

On^(bn) that day, when evening had come, He told them, "Let's cross over to the other side of the sea."

So they left the crowd and took Him along since He was already in the boat. And other boats were with Him.

A fierce windstorm^(bo) arose, and the waves^(bp) were breaking over the boat, so that the boat was already being swamped.

But He was in the stern, sleeping^(bq) on the cushion. So they woke Him up^(br) and said to Him, "Teacher! Don't You care that we're going to die?"^(bs)

He got up, rebuked^(bt) the wind, and said to the sea, "Silence!^(bu) Be still!" The wind ceased, and there was a great calm.

Then He said to them, "Why are you fearful?^(bv) Do you still have no faith?"

And they were terrified^(bw) and asked one another, "Who then is this? Even the wind and the sea obey^(bx) Him!"^(by)