Mark 7:14-23

14 Jesus then called the people to him again and said to them, “Listen to me, all of you, and try to understand.

15 Nothing that enters a person from the outside can make that person unclean. It is what comes from within that makes a person unclean.

16 Let everyone who has ears listen.”

17 When Jesus got home and was away from the crowd, his disciples asked him about this saying,

18 and he replied, “So even you are dull? Do you not see that whatever comes from outside cannot make a person unclean,

19 since it enters not the heart but the stomach, and is finally passed out?” Thus Jesus declared that all foods are clean.

20 And he went on, “What comes out of a person is what defiles him,

21 for evil designs come out of the heart: theft, murder,

22 adultery, jealousy, greed, maliciousness, deceit, indecency, slander, pride and folly.

23 All these evil things come from within and make a person unclean.”

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.

Mark 7:1-13

1 One day, the Pharisees gathered around Jesus, and with them were some teachers of the law who had just come from Jerusalem.

2 They noticed that some of his disciples were eating their meal with unclean hands, that is, without washing them.

3 Now the Pharisees, and in fact all the Jews, never eat without washing their hands, for they follow the tradition received from their ancestors.

4 Nor do they eat anything, when they come from the market, without first washing themselves. And there are many other traditions they observe; for example, the ritual washing of cups, pots and plates.

5 So the Pharisees and the teachers of the law asked him, “Why do your disciples not follow the tradition of the elders, but eat with unclean hands?”

6 Jesus answered, “You shallow people! How well Isaiah prophesied of you when he wrote: This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me.

7 The worship they offer me is worthless, for what they teach are only human rules.

8 You even put aside the commandment of God to hold fast to human tradition.”

9 And Jesus commented, “You have a fine way of disregarding the commandments of God in order to enforce your own traditions!

10 For example, Moses said: Do your duty to your father and your mother, and: Whoever curses his father or his mother is to be put to death.

11 But according to you, someone could say to his father or mother, ‘I already declared Corban (which means “offered to God”) what you could have expected from me.’

12 In this case, you no longer require him to do anything for his father or mother;

13 and so you nullify the word of God through the tradition you have handed on. And you do many other things like that.”

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 6:53-56 

53 Having crossed the lake, they came ashore at Gennesaret, where they tied up the boat.

54 As soon as they landed, people recognized Jesus,

55 and ran to spread the news throughout the countryside. Wherever he was, they brought to him the sick lying on their mats;

56 and wherever he went, to villages, towns or farms, they laid the sick in the marketplace, and begged him to let them touch just the fringe of his cloak. And all who touched him were cured.

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.

Matthew 5:13-16 

13 You are the salt of the earth. But if salt has lost its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It has become useless. It can only be thrown away and people will trample on it.

14 You are the light of the world. A city built on a mountain cannot be hid den.

15 No one lights a lamp and covers it; instead, it is put on a lamp stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house.

16 In the same way, your light must shine before others, so that they may see the good you do, and praise your Father in heaven.

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 6:30-34

30 The apostles returned and re ported to Jesus all they had done and taught.

31 Then he said to them, “Let us go off by ourselves into a remote place and have some rest.” For there were so many people coming and going that the apostles had no time even to eat.

32 And they went away in the boat to a secluded area by themselves.

33 But people saw them leaving, and many could guess where they were going. So, from all the towns, they hurried there on foot, arriving ahead of them.

34 As Jesus went ashore, he saw a large crowd, and he had compassion on them, for they were like sheep without a shepherd. And he began to teach them many things.

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.