4
Then he spoke to the people: "What kind of action suits the Sabbath best? Doing good or doing evil? Helping people or leaving them helpless?" No one said a word.
5
He looked them in the eye, one after another, angry now, furious at their hard-nosed religion. He said to the man, "Hold out your hand." He held it out - it was as good as new!
6
The Pharisees got out as fast as they could, sputtering about how they would join forces with Herod's followers and ruin him.
7
Jesus went off with his disciples to the sea to get away. But a huge crowd from Galilee trailed after them -
8
also from Judea, Jerusalem, Idumea, across the Jordan, and around Tyre and Sidon - swarms of people who had heard the reports and had come to see for themselves.
9
He told his disciples to get a boat ready so he wouldn't be trampled by the crowd.
10
He had healed many people, and now everyone who had something wrong was pushing and shoving to get near and touch him.
11
Evil spirits, when they recognized him, fell down and cried out, "You are the Son of God!"
12
But Jesus would have none of it. He shut them up, forbidding them to identify him in public.
13
He climbed a mountain and invited those he wanted with him. They climbed together.
14
He settled on twelve, and designated them apostles. The plan was that they would be with him, and he would send them out to proclaim the Word
15
and give them authority to banish demons.
16
These are the Twelve: Simon (Jesus later named him Peter, meaning "Rock"),
17
James, son of Zebedee, John, brother of James (Jesus nicknamed the Zebedee brothers Boanerges, meaning "Sons of Thunder"),
18
Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James, son of Alphaeus, Thaddaeus, Simon the Canaanite,
19
Judas Iscariot (who betrayed him).
20
Jesus came home and, as usual, a crowd gathered - so many making demands on him that there wasn't even time to eat.
21
His friends heard what was going on and went to rescue him, by force if necessary. They suspected he was getting carried away with himself.
22
The religion scholars from Jerusalem came down spreading rumors that he was working black magic, using devil tricks to impress them with spiritual power.
23
Jesus confronted their slander with a story: "Does it make sense to send a devil to catch a devil, to use Satan to get rid of Satan?
24
A constantly squabbling family disintegrates. If Satan were fighting Satan, there soon wouldn't be any Satan left.