Dual Panel1At about that time Jesus was walking through some grainfields on the Sabbath. His disciples were hungry, so they began breaking off heads of wheat and eating the grain.
2Some Pharisees saw them do it and protested, "Your disciples shouldn’t be doing that! It’s against the law to work by harvesting grain on the Sabbath."
3But Jesus said to them, "Haven’t you ever read in the Scriptures what King David did when he and his companions were hungry?
4He went into the house of God, and they ate the special bread reserved for the priests alone. That was breaking the law, too.
5And haven’t you ever read in the law of Moses that the priests on duty in the Temple may work on the Sabbath?
6I tell you, there is one here who is even greater than the Temple!
7But you would not have condemned those who aren’t guilty if you knew the meaning of this Scripture: ‘I want you to be merciful; I don’t want your sacrifices.’
8For I, the Son of Man, am master even of the Sabbath."
9Then he went over to the synagogue,
10where he noticed a man with a deformed hand. The Pharisees asked Jesus, "Is it legal to work by healing on the Sabbath day?" (They were, of course, hoping he would say yes, so they could bring charges against him.)
11And he answered, "If you had one sheep, and it fell into a well on the Sabbath, wouldn’t you get to work and pull it out? Of course you would.
12And how much more valuable is a person than a sheep! Yes, it is right to do good on the Sabbath."
13Then he said to the man, "Reach out your hand." The man reached out his hand, and it became normal, just like the other one.
14Then the Pharisees called a meeting and discussed plans for killing Jesus.
15But Jesus knew what they were planning. He left that area, and many people followed him. He healed all the sick among them,
16but he warned them not to say who he was.
17This fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah concerning him:
18"Look at my Servant, whom I have chosen. He is my Beloved, and I am very pleased with him. I will put my Spirit upon him, and he will proclaim justice to the nations.
19He will not fight or shout; he will not raise his voice in public.
20He will not crush those who are weak, or quench the smallest hope, until he brings full justice with his final victory.
21And his name will be the hope of all the world."
22Then a demon–possessed man, who was both blind and unable to talk, was brought to Jesus. He healed the man so that he could both speak and see.
23The crowd was amazed. "Could it be that Jesus is the Son of David, the Messiah?" they wondered out loud.
24But when the Pharisees heard about the miracle, they said, "No wonder he can cast out demons. He gets his power from Satan, the prince of demons."
25Jesus knew their thoughts and replied, "Any kingdom at war with itself is doomed. A city or home divided against itself is doomed.
26And if Satan is casting out Satan, he is fighting against himself. His own kingdom will not survive.
27And if I am empowered by the prince of demons, what about your own followers? They cast out demons, too, so they will judge you for what you have said.
28But if I am casting out demons by the Spirit of God, then the Kingdom of God has arrived among you.
29Let me illustrate this. You can’t enter a strong man’s house and rob him without first tying him up. Only then can his house be robbed!
30Anyone who isn’t helping me opposes me, and anyone who isn’t working with me is actually working against me.
31"Every sin or blasphemy can be forgiven––except blasphemy against the Holy Spirit, which can never be forgiven.
32Anyone who blasphemes against me, the Son of Man, can be forgiven, but blasphemy against the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven, either in this world or in the world to come.
33"A tree is identified by its fruit. Make a tree good, and its fruit will be good. Make a tree bad, and its fruit will be bad.
34You brood of snakes! How could evil men like you speak what is good and right? For whatever is in your heart determines what you say.
35A good person produces good words from a good heart, and an evil person produces evil words from an evil heart.
36And I tell you this, that you must give an account on judgment day of every idle word you speak.
37The words you say now reflect your fate then; either you will be justified by them or you will be condemned."
38One day some teachers of religious law and Pharisees came to Jesus and said, "Teacher, we want you to show us a miraculous sign to prove that you are from God."
39But Jesus replied, "Only an evil, faithless generation would ask for a miraculous sign; but the only sign I will give them is the sign of the prophet Jonah.
40For as Jonah was in the belly of the great fish for three days and three nights, so I, the Son of Man, will be in the heart of the earth for three days and three nights.
41The people of Nineveh will rise up against this generation on judgment day and condemn it, because they repented at the preaching of Jonah. And now someone greater than Jonah is here––and you refuse to repent.
42The queen of Sheba will also rise up against this generation on judgment day and condemn it, because she came from a distant land to hear the wisdom of Solomon. And now someone greater than Solomon is here––and you refuse to listen to him.
43"When an evil spirit leaves a person, it goes into the desert, seeking rest but finding none.
44Then it says, ‘I will return to the person I came from.’ So it returns and finds its former home empty, swept, and clean.
45Then the spirit finds seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they all enter the person and live there. And so that person is worse off than before. That will be the experience of this evil generation."
46As Jesus was speaking to the crowd, his mother and brothers were outside, wanting to talk with him.
47Someone told Jesus, "Your mother and your brothers are outside, and they want to speak to you."
48Jesus asked, "Who is my mother? Who are my brothers?"
49Then he pointed to his disciples and said, "These are my mother and brothers.
50Anyone who does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother!"