Mark 6:14-29 

14 King Herod also heard about Jesus, because his name had become well-known. Some people said, “John the Baptist has been raised from the dead, and that is why miraculous powers are at work in him.”

15 Others thought, “He is Elijah,” and others, “He is a prophet like the prophets of times past.”

16 When Herod was told of this, he thought, “I had John beheaded; yet, he has risen from the dead!”

17 For this is what had happened: Herod had ordered John to be arrested; and had had him bound and put in prison because of Herodias, the wife of his brother Philip. Herod had married her;

18 and John had told him, “It is not right for you to live with your brother’s wife.”

19 So Herodias held a grudge against John and wanted to kill him; but she could not,

20 because Herod respected John. He knew John to be an upright and holy man, and kept him safe. And he liked listening to him; although he became very disturbed whenever he heard him.

21 Herodias had her chance on He rod’s birthday, when he gave a dinner for all the senior government officials, military chiefs, and the leaders of Galilee.

22 On that occasion, the daughter of Herodias came in and danced; and she delighted Herod and his guests. The king said to the girl, “Ask me for anything you want and I will give it to you.”

23 And he went so far as to say with many oaths, “I will give you anything you ask, even half my kingdom.”

24 She went out and said to her mother, “What shall I ask for?” The mother replied, “The head of John the Baptist.”

25 The girl hurried to the king and made her request, “I want you to give me the head of John the Baptist, here and now, on a dish.”

26 The king was very displeased, but he would not refuse in front of his guests because of his oaths.

27 So he sent one of the bodyguards, with orders to bring John’s head. He went and beheaded John in prison;

28 then he brought the head on a dish and gave it to the girl. And the girl gave it to her mother. 29 When John’s disciples heard of this, they came and took his body and buried it.

Luke 2:22-40

22 When the day came for the purification according to the law of Moses, they brought the baby up to Jerusalem, to present him to the Lord,

23 as it is written in the law of the Lord: Every firstborn male shall be consecrated to God.

24 And they offered a sacrifice, as ordered in the law of the Lord: a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons.

25 There lived in Jerusalem, at this time, a very upright and devout man named Simeon; the Holy Spirit was in him. He looked forward to the time when the Lord would comfort Israel;

26 and he had been assured, by the Holy Spirit, that he would not die before seeing the Messiah of the Lord.

27 So, he was led into the temple by the Holy Spirit at the time the parents brought the child Jesus, to do for him according to the custom of the law.

28 Simeon took the child in his arms, and blessed God, saying,

29 “Now, O Lord, you can dismiss your servant in peace, for you have fulfilled your word

30 and my eyes have seen your salvation,

31 which you display for all the people to see.

32 Here is the light you will reveal to the nations, and the glory of your people Israel.”

33 His father and mother wondered at what was said about the child.

34 Simeon blessed them, and said to Mary, his mother, “Know this: your son is a sign; a sign established for the falling and rising of many in Israel, a sign of contradiction;

35 and a sword will pierce your own soul, so that, out of many hearts, thoughts may be revealed.”

36 There was also a prophetess named Anna, daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. After leaving her father’s home, she had been seven years with her husband; and since then, she had been continually about the temple, serving God, as a widow, night and day, in fasting and prayer.

37 She was now eighty-four.

38 Coming up at that time, she gave praise to God, and spoke of the child to all who looked forward to the deliverance of Jerusalem.

39 When the parents had fulfilled all that was required by the law of the Lord, they returned to their town, Nazareth in Galilee.

40 There, the child grew in stature and strength, and was filled with wisdom: the grace of God was upon him.

Mark 6:7-13 

7 He called the Twelve to him, and began to send them out two by two, giving them authority over evil spirits.

8 And he ordered them to take nothing for the journey, except a staff: no food, no bag, no money in their belts.

9 They were to wear sandals and were not to take an extra tunic.

10 And he added, “In whatever house you are welcomed, stay there until you leave the place.

11 If any place doesn’t receive you, and the people refuse to listen to you, leave after shaking the dust off your feet. It will be a testimony against them.”

12 So they set out to proclaim that this was the time to repent.

13 They drove out many demons and healed many sick people by anointing them.

Mark 4:35-41

35 On that same day, when evening had come, Jesus said to them, “Let’s go across to the other side of the lake.”

36 So they left the crowd, and took him along in the boat he had been sitting in, and other boats set out with him.

37 Then a storm gathered and it began to blow a gale. The waves spilled over into the boat, so that it was soon filled with water.

38 Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. They woke him up, and said, “Master, don’t you care if we drown?”

39 And rising up, Jesus rebuked the wind, and ordered the sea, “Quiet now! Be still!” The wind dropped, and there was a great calm.

40 Then Jesus said to them, “Why are you so frightened? Do you still have no faith?”

41 But they were terrified, and they said to one another, “Who can this be? Even the wind and the sea obey him!”

Mark 6:1-6

1 Leaving that place, Jesus re- turned to his own country, and his disciples followed him.

2 When the Sabbath came, he began to teach in the synagogue, and most of those who heard him were astonished. But they said, “How did this come to him? What kind of wisdom has been given to him, that he also performs such miracles?

3 Who is he but the carpenter, the Son of Mary, and the brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon? His sisters, too, are they not here among us?” So they took offense at him.

4 And Jesus said to them, “Prophets are despised only in their own country, among their relatives, and in their own family.”

5 And he could work no miracles there, but only healed a few sick people, by laying his hands on them.

6 Jesus himself was astounded at their unbelief.Jesus then went around the villages, teaching.

Mark 4:26-34

26 Jesus also said, “In the kingdom of God it is like this: a man scatters seed upon the soil.

27 Whether he is asleep or awake, be it day or night, the seed sprouts and grows; he knows not how.

28 The soil produces of itself; first, the blade; then, the ear; then the full grain in the ear.

29 And when it is ripe for harvesting, they take the sickle for the cutting: the time for the harvest has come.”

30 Jesus also said, “What is the kingdom of God like? To what shall we compare it?

31 It is like a mustard seed which, when sown, is the smallest of all the seeds scattered upon the soil.

32 But once sown, it grows up and becomes the largest of the plants in the garden; and even grows branches so big, that the birds of the air can take shelter in its shade.”

33 Jesus used many such stories, in order to proclaim the word to them in a way that they would be able to understand.

34 He would not teach them without parables; but privately, to his disciples, he explained everything.

Mark 5:21-43 21

Jesus then crossed to the other side of the lake; and while he was still on the shore, a large crowd gathered around him.

22 Jairus, an official of the synagogue, came up and, seeing Jesus, threw himself at his feet;

23 and begged him earnestly, “My little daughter is at the point of death. Come and lay your hands on her, so that she may get well and live.”

24 Jesus went with him, and many people followed, pressing around him.

25 Among the crowd was a woman who had suffered from bleeding for twelve years.

26 She had suffered a lot at the hands of many doctors and had spent everything she had, but instead of getting better, she was worse.

27 Because she had heard about Jesus, this woman came up behind him and touched his cloak,

28 thinking, “If I just touch his clothing, I shall get well.”

29 Her fl ow of blood dried up at once, and she felt in her body that she was healed of her complaint.

30 But Jesus was conscious that healing power had gone out from him, so he turned around in the crowd, and asked, “Who touched my clothes?”

31 His disciples answered, “You see how the people are crowding around you. Why do you ask who touched you?”

32 But he kept looking around to see who had done it.

33 Then the woman, aware of what had happened, came forward, trembling and afraid. She knelt before him, and told him the whole truth. 

34 Then Jesus said to her, “Daughter, your faith has saved you. Go in peace and be free of this illness.”

35 While Jesus was still speaking, some people arrived from the official’s house to inform him, “Your daughter is dead. Why trouble the Master any further?”

36 But Jesus ignored what they said, and told the official, “Do not fear, just believe.”

37 And he allowed no one to follow him except Peter, James, and John, the brother of James.

38 When they arrived at the house, Jesus saw a great commotion, with people weeping and wailing loudly.

39 Jesus entered, and said to them, “Why all this commotion and weeping? The child is not dead, but asleep.”

40 They laughed at him. So Jesus sent them outside, and went with the child’s father and mother and his companions into the room, where the child lay.

41 Taking her by the hand, he said to her, “Talithakumi!” which means, “Little girl, get up!”

42 The girl got up at once and began to walk around. (She was twelve years old.) The parents were amazed, greatly amazed.

43 Jesus strictly ordered them not to let anyone know about it; and he told them to give her something to eat.

Mark 4:21-25 

21 Jesus also said to them, “When the light comes, is it put under a basket or a bed? Surely it is put on a lamp stand.

22 Whatever is hidden will be disclosed, and whatever is kept secret will be brought to light.

23 Listen then, if you have ears!”

24 And he also said to them, “Pay attention to what you hear. In the measure you give, so shall you receive, and still more will be given to you.

25 For to the one who produces something, more will be given; and from him who does not produce anything, even what he has will be taken away from him.”

Mark 5:1-20

1 They arrived at the other side of the lake, in the region of the Gerasenes.

2 No sooner did Jesus leave the boat than he was met by a man with evil spirits, who had come from the tombs.

3 The man lived among the tombs, and no one could re strain him, even with a chain.

4 He had often been bound with fetters and chains; but he would pull the chains apart and smash the fetters; and no one had the strength to control him.

5 Night and day he stayed among the tombs on the hillsides, and was continually screaming, and beating himself with stones.

6 When he saw Jesus from afar, he ran and fell at his feet,

7 and cried with a loud voice, “What do you want with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? For God’s sake, I beg you, do not torment me!”

8 He said this, because Jesus had commanded, “Evil spirit, come out of the man!”

9 When Jesus asked the evil spirit, “What is your name?” it replied, “Legion is my name, for we are many.”

10 And it kept beg ging Jesus, not to send them out of that region.

11 Now a great herd of pigs was feeding on the hillside,

12 and the evil spirits begged him, “Send us to the pigs, and let us go into them.”

13 So Jesus let them go. The evil spirits came out of the man and went into the pigs; and immediately, the herd rushed down the cliff; and all were drowned in the lake.

14 The herdsmen fl ed, and reported this in the town and in the countryside. So all the people came to see what had happened.

15 They came to Jesus, and saw the man freed of the evil spirits, sitting there, clothed and in his right mind; the same man who had been possessed by the legion. They were afraid.

16 And when those who had seen it, told what had happened to the man and to the pigs,

17 the people begged Jesus to leave their neighborhood.

18 When Jesus was getting into the boat, the man, who had been possessed, begged to stay with him.

19 Jesus would not let him, and said, “Go home to your people, and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you.”

20 So he went throughout the country of Decapolis, telling everyone how much Jesus had done for him; and all the people were astonished.

Mark 4:1-20

1 Again, Jesus began to teach by the lake; but such a large crowd gathered about him, that he got into a boat and sat in it on the lake, while the crowd stood on the shore.

2 He taught them many things through parables. In his teaching he said,

3 “Listen! The sower went out to sow.

4 As he sowed, some of the seed fell along a path; and the birds came and ate it up.

5 Some of the seed fell on rocky ground, where it had little soil; it sprang up immediately, because it had no depth;

6 but when the sun rose and burned it, it withered, because it had no roots.

7 Other seed fell among thorn bushes; and the thorns grew and choked it; so it didn’t produce any grain.

8 But some seed fell on good soil, grew and increased and yielded grain; some seed produced thirty times as much, some sixty, and some one hundred times as much.”

9 And Jesus added, “Listen then, if you have ears.” 

10 When the crowd went away, some who were around him with the Twelve asked about the parables.

11 He answered them, “The mystery of the kingdom of God has been given to you. But for those outside, everything comes in parables,

12 so, that, the more they see, they don’t perceive; the more they hear, they don’t understand; otherwise they would be converted and pardoned.” 

13 Jesus said to them, “Don’t you understand this parable? How, then, will you understand any of the parables?

14 What the sower is sowing is the word.

15 Those along the path, where the seed fell, are people who hear the word, but as soon as they hear it, Satan comes and takes away the word that was sown in them.

16 Other people receive the word like rocky ground. As soon as they hear the word, they accept it with joy.

17 But they have no roots, so it lasts only a little while. No sooner does trouble or persecution come because of the word, than they fall.

18 Others receive the seed, as seed among thorns. After they hear the word,

19 they are caught up in the worries of this life, false hopes of riches and other desires. All these come in and choke the word, so that

finally it produces nothing.

20 And there are others who receive the word as good soil. They hear the word, take it to heart and produce: some thirty, some sixty, and some one hundred times as much.”