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- Jesus withdrew with his disciples to the lake, and a large crowd from Galilee followed.
- When they heard all he was doing, many people came to him from Judea, Jerusalem, Idumea, and the regions across the Jordan and around Tyre and Sidon.
- Because of the crowd he told his disciples to have a small boat ready for him, to keep the people from crowding him.
- For he had healed many, so that those with diseases were pushing forward to touch him.
- Whenever the evil spirits saw him, they fell down before him and cried out, "You are the Son of God."
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- But he gave them strict orders not to tell who he was.
- Jesus went up on a mountainside and called to him those he wanted, and they came to him.
- He appointed twelve--designating them apostles--that they might be with him and that he might send them out to preach
- and to have authority to drive out demons.
- These are the twelve he appointed: Simon (to whom he gave the name Peter
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- James son of Zebedee and his brother John (to them he gave the name Boanerges, which means Sons of Thunder
- Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James son of Alphaeus, Thaddaeus, Simon the Zealot
- and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him.
- Then Jesus entered a house, and again a crowd gathered, so that he and his disciples were not even able to eat.
- When his family heard about this, they went to take charge of him, for they said, "He is out of his mind."
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- And the teachers of the law who came down from Jerusalem said, "He is possessed by Beelzebub! By the prince of demons he is driving out demons."
- So Jesus called them and spoke to them in parables: "How can Satan drive out Satan?
- If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand.
- If a house is divided against itself, that house cannot stand.
- And if Satan opposes himself and is divided, he cannot stand; his end has come.
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- In fact, no one can enter a strong man's house and carry off his possessions unless he first ties up the strong man. Then he can rob his house.
- I tell you the truth, all the sins and blasphemies of men will be forgiven them.
- But whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven; he is guilty of an eternal sin."
- He said this because they were saying, "He has an evil spirit."
- Then Jesus' mother and brothers arrived. Standing outside, they sent someone in to call him.
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- A crowd was sitting around him, and they told him, "Your mother and brothers are outside looking for you."
- "Who are my mother and my brothers?" he asked.
- Then he looked at those seated in a circle around him and said, "Here are my mother and my brothers!
- Whoever does God's will is my brother and sister and mother."
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