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.
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These are the Twelve: Simon (Jesus later named him Peter, meaning "Rock"),
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James, son of Zebedee, John, brother of James (Jesus nicknamed the Zebedee brothers Boanerges, meaning "Sons of Thunder"),
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Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James, son of Alphaeus, Thaddaeus, Simon the Canaanite,
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Judas Iscariot (who betrayed him).
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Jesus came home and, as usual, a crowd gathered - so many making demands on him that there wasn't even time to eat.
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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.
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The religion scholars from Jerusalem came down spreading rumors that he was working black magic, using devil tricks to impress them with spiritual power.
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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?
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A constantly squabbling family disintegrates. If Satan were fighting Satan, there soon wouldn't be any Satan left.
27
Do you think it's possible in broad daylight to enter the house of an awake, able-bodied man, and walk off with his possessions unless you tie him up first? Tie him up, though, and you can clean him out.
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"Listen to this carefully. I'm warning you. There's nothing done or said that can't be forgiven.
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But if you persist in your slanders against God's Holy Spirit, you are repudiating the very One who forgives, sawing off the branch on which you're sitting, severing by your own perversity all connection with the One who forgives."