Read the Modern Pastor’s Version

Jesus went through the grainfields on the Sabbath day. His disciples were hungry and began to pluck ears of grain and eat.

The Pharisees saw this and said to him, "Your disciples are doing what's not lawful on the Sabbath day." Jesus replied, "Have you not read about David when he was hungry, and those with him, who entered God's house and ate the showbread? It wasn't lawful for them to eat it, nor for those who were with him, but only for the priests."

"Or have you not read in the law how on Sabbath days the priests in the temple profane the Sabbath and are blameless?" Jesus asked. "But I say to you that in this place is one greater than the temple." The Pharisees didn't understand what he meant.

Jesus said, "If only you knew what it means to desire mercy rather than sacrifice, you would not have condemned the guiltless." He added, "For the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath day."

After that, Jesus went into their synagogue. A man with a withered hand was there, and they asked him, "Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath day?" Jesus looked around at them, and he said, "Which one of you will not help his son or daughter if they fall into a pit on the Sabbath? Surely a man is more valuable than an animal!"

Jesus told the man with the withered hand, "Stretch out your hand," and it was restored whole, just like the other. The Pharisees went out and plotted against him, trying to find ways to destroy him.

When Jesus realized what they were planning, he withdrew from there and many people followed him. He healed them all, but he commanded them not to make him known.

The passage of Isaiah was fulfilled that day when Jesus said, "Behold, my servant whom I have chosen; in him my soul is well pleased: I will put my Spirit upon him, and he shall declare judgment to the nations."

He continued, "My beloved is in whom my soul delights. I will put my Spirit on him to proclaim justice to the nations." He added that this person would not break a bruised reed or quench a smoking flax, but bring them to triumph.

This servant of God would be trusted by the Gentiles, and one possessed by a demon was brought to Jesus, who healed him. The crowd marveled, saying, "Is not this the son of David?"

When the Pharisees heard about it, they said, "This man does not cast out demons by God's power but by Beelzebub." But Jesus knew their thoughts and responded, "Every kingdom divided against itself will be brought to desolation; a city or house divided against itself cannot stand."

"If Satan casts out his own demons," Jesus continued, "then his kingdom is divided against itself. How can it stand?" He asked the Pharisees, "If I cast out demons by Beelzebub, then why do your children cast them out? You will be their judges."

"But if I cast out demons by the Spirit of God," Jesus said, "then the kingdom of God has come to you." A person cannot plunder a strong man's goods unless he first binds the strong man and then can plunder his house.

Jesus said that those who are not with him are against him, and those who do not gather with him scatter. He added that all manner of sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men except for blaspheming the Holy Spirit.

He went on to say that whoever speaks against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven in this age or the world to come.

Jesus taught, "A good tree brings forth good fruit, and a corrupt tree brings forth evil fruit. The tree is known by its fruit." He then said to the Pharisees, "You offspring of vipers, how can you speak good things when you are evil? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks."

"A good person brings forth good things from their heart," Jesus continued, "and an evil person out of the evil treasure in his heart brings forth evil things." He added that every idle word men speak will be accounted for on judgment day.

"By your words you will be justified and by your words you will be condemned," Jesus said. The scribes and Pharisees asked him to show them a sign, but he replied, "An evil and adulterous generation seeks after signs."

"No sign will be given except the sign of Jonah the prophet," Jesus said. "As Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the huge fish, so the Son of Man will be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth."

He continued, saying that the men of Nineveh would rise up in judgment with this generation and condemn it because they repented at Jonah's preaching. "Behold, a greater one than Jonah is here," Jesus said.

Jesus also said that the queen of the south will rise up in judgment with this generation and condemn it, for she came from farthest reaches to hear Solomon's wisdom and behold, someone greater than Solomon is here."

An unclean spirit was cast out of a man but found no rest because he sought his old home. The demon then said, "I will return to my house from which I came," and when he returned, the place was empty, swept, and put in order.

The demon went and brought seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they entered the man's house, making it worse than before. Jesus applied this story to the Pharisees, saying that things will only get worse for them.

While Jesus continued speaking to the crowd, his mother and brothers stood outside, seeking to speak with him. One of them said, "Behold, your mother and brothers stand outside."

Jesus looked at the one who spoke and replied, "Who is my mother? And who are my brothers?" He then stretched out his hand toward his disciples and said, "Behold, my mother and my brothers!"