Holman Christian Standard Bible (305 page)

The Power of Faith over a Demon

37
 The next day, when they came down from the mountain, a large crowd met Him.
38
 Just then a man from the crowd cried out, “Teacher, I beg You to look at my son, because he's my only child. 
39
 Often a spirit seizes him; suddenly he shrieks, and it throws him into convulsions until he foams at the mouth; wounding him, it hardly ever leaves him.
40
 I begged Your disciples to drive it out, but they couldn't.” 

41
 Jesus replied,
“You unbelieving and rebellious
 
generation! How long will I be with you and put up with you? Bring your son here.”

42
 As the boy was still approaching, the demon knocked him down and threw him into severe convulsions. But Jesus rebuked the
•unclean
spirit, cured the boy, and gave him back to his father. 
43
 And they were all astonished at the greatness of God. 

The Second Prediction of His Death

While everyone was amazed at all the things He was doing, He told His disciples,
44
 “Let these words sink in:
 
The Son of Man is about to be betrayed into the hands of men.”
 

45
 But they did not understand this statement; it was concealed from them so that they could not grasp it, and they were afraid to ask Him about it. 

Who Is the Greatest?

46
 Then an argument started among them about who would be the greatest of them. 
47
 But Jesus, knowing the thoughts of their hearts, took a little child and had him stand next to Him.
48
 He told them,
“Whoever welcomes
 
this little child in My name welcomes Me. And whoever welcomes Me welcomes Him who sent Me. For whoever is least among you — this one is great.”
 

In His Name

49
 John responded, “Master, we saw someone driving out demons in Your name, and we tried to stop him because he does not follow us.” 

50
 “Don't stop him,”
Jesus told him,
“because whoever is not against you is for you.”

The Journey to Jerusalem

51
 When the days were coming to a close for Him to be taken up, He determined to journey to Jerusalem. 
52
 He sent messengers ahead of Him, and on the way they entered a village of the
•Samaritans
 to make preparations for Him.
53
 But they did not welcome Him, because He determined to journey to Jerusalem. 
54
 When the disciples James and John saw this, they said, “Lord, do You want us to call down fire from heaven to consume them? ”

55
 But He turned and rebuked them, 
56
 and they went to another village.

Following Jesus

57
 As they were traveling on the road someone said to Him, “I will follow You wherever You go! ”

58
 Jesus told him,
“Foxes have dens, and birds of the sky
 
have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay His head.”
59
 Then He said to another,
“Follow Me.”

“Lord,” he said, “first let me go bury my father.” 

60
 But He told him,
“Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and spread the news of the kingdom of God.”
 

61
 Another also said, “I will follow You, Lord, but first let me go and say good-bye to those at my house.” 

62
 But Jesus said to him,
“No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.”

Luke

Sending Out the Seventy

10
After this, the Lord appointed 70 others, and He sent them ahead of Him in pairs to every town and place where He Himself was about to go.
2
 He told them: 
“The harvest is abundant, but the workers are few. Therefore, pray to the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into His harvest. 
3
 Now go; I'm sending you out like lambs among wolves. 
4
 Don't carry a money-bag, traveling bag, or sandals; don't greet anyone along the road.
5
 Whatever house you enter, first say, ‘Peace to this household.'
6
 If a son of peace
 
is there, your peace will rest on him; but if not, it will return to you.
7
 Remain in the same house, eating and drinking what they offer, for the worker is worthy of his wages. Don't be moving from house to house.
8
 When you enter any town, and they welcome you, eat the things set before you. 
9
 Heal the sick who are there, and tell them, ‘The kingdom of God has come near you.'
10
 When you enter any town, and they don't welcome you, go out into its streets and say,
11
 ‘We are wiping off as a witness against you even the dust of your town that clings to our feet. Know this for certain: The kingdom of God has come near.'
12
 I tell you, on that day it will be more tolerable for Sodom than for that town.
 

Unrepentant Towns

13
 “Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the miracles that were done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago, sitting in
•sackcloth
and ashes! 
14
 But it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the judgment than for you.
15
 And you, Capernaum, will you be exalted to heaven? No, you will go down to
•Hades
!
 
16
 Whoever listens to you listens to Me. Whoever rejects you rejects Me. And whoever rejects Me rejects the One who sent Me.”
 

The Return of the Seventy

17
 The Seventy returned with joy, saying, “Lord, even the demons submit to us in Your name.” 

18
 He said to them,
“I watched Satan fall from heaven like a lightning flash. 
19
 Look, I have given you the authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and over all the power of the enemy; nothing will ever harm you.
 
20
 However, don't rejoice that
 
the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.”

The Son Reveals the Father

21
 In that same hour He rejoiced in the Holy Spirit and said,
“I praise
 
You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because You have hidden these things from the wise and the learned and have revealed them to infants. Yes, Father, because this was Your good pleasure.
22
 All things have
 
been entrusted to Me by My Father. No one knows who the Son is except the Father, and who the Father is except the Son, and anyone to whom the Son desires
 
to reveal Him.”
 

23
 Then turning to His disciples He said privately,
“The eyes that see the things you see are blessed!
24
 For I tell you that many prophets and kings wanted to see the things you see yet didn't see them; to hear the things you hear yet didn't hear them.”
 

The Parable of the Good Samaritan

25
 Just then an expert in the law stood up to test Him, saying, “Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life? ” 

26
 “What is written in the law? ”
He asked him.
“How do you read it? ”

27
 He answered:

28
 “You've answered correctly,”
He told him.
“Do this and you will live.”
 

29
 But wanting to justify himself, he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor? ” 

30
 Jesus took up the question and said:
“A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho and fell into the hands of robbers. They stripped him, beat him up, and fled, leaving him half dead.
31
 A priest happened to be going down that road. When he saw him, he passed by on the other side.
32
 In the same way, a Levite, when he arrived at the place and saw him, passed by on the other side.
33
 But a
•Samaritan
 on his journey came up to him, and when he saw the man, he had compassion.
 
34
 He went over to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on olive oil and wine. Then he put him on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and took care of him.
35
 The next day
 
he took out two
•denarii
, gave them to the innkeeper, and said, ‘Take care of him. When I come back I'll reimburse you for whatever extra you spend.'

37
 “The one who showed mercy to him,” he said.

Then Jesus told him,
“Go and do the same.”

Martha and Mary

38
 While they were traveling, He entered a village, and a woman named Martha welcomed Him into her home. 
39
 She had a sister named Mary, who also sat at the Lord's feet and was listening to what He said. 
40
 But Martha was distracted by her many tasks, and she came up and asked, “Lord, don't You care that my sister has left me to serve alone? So tell her to give me a hand.”

41
 The Lord answered her,
“Martha, Martha, you are worried and upset about many things, 
42
 but one thing is necessary. Mary has made the right choice,
 
and it will not be taken away from her.”

Luke

The Model Prayer

11
He was praying in a certain place, and when He finished, one of His disciples said to Him, “Lord, teach us to pray, just as John also taught his disciples.” 

2
 He said to them,
“Whenever you pray, say:
 

Keep Asking, Searching, Knocking

5
 He also said to them:
“Suppose one of you
 
has a friend and goes to him at midnight and says to him, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves of bread,
6
 because a friend of mine on a journey has come to me, and I don't have anything to offer him.'
 
7
 Then he will answer from inside and say, ‘Don't bother me! The door is already locked, and my children and I have gone to bed. I can't get up to give you anything.'
8
 I tell you, even though he won't get up and give him anything because he is his friend, yet because of his friend's persistence,
 
he will get up and give him as much as he needs.
 

9
 “So I say to you, keep asking,
and it will be given to you. Keep searching,
and you will find. Keep knocking,
and the door will be opened to you.
10
 For everyone who asks receives, and the one who searches finds, and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.
11
 What father among you, if his son
 
asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead of a fish?
12
 Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion?
13
 If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give
 
the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him? ”

A House Divided

14
 Now He was driving out a demon that was mute. When the demon came out, the man who had been mute, spoke, and the crowds were amazed.
15
 But some of them said, “He drives out demons by
•Beelzebul
, the ruler of the demons! ” 
16
 And others, as a test, were demanding of Him a sign from heaven.

17
 Knowing their thoughts, He told them:
“Every kingdom divided against itself is headed for destruction, and a house divided against itself falls.
18
 If Satan also is divided against himself, how will his kingdom stand? For you say I drive out demons by Beelzebul.
19
 And if I drive out demons by Beelzebul, who is it your sons
drive them out by? For this reason they will be your judges.
20
 If I drive out demons by the finger of God, then the kingdom of God has come to you.
21
 When a strong man, fully armed, guards his estate, his possessions are secure.
 
22
 But when one stronger than he attacks and overpowers him, he takes from him all his weapons
he trusted in, and divides up his plunder. 
23
 Anyone who is not with Me is against Me, and anyone who does not gather with Me scatters.

An Unclean Spirit's Return