Tuesday, February 9, 2016
Later Galilean Ministry Mark Chapter 3:13 - 6:29
Mark 3:13 Afterward Jesus went up on a mountain
and called out the ones he wanted to go with him. And they came to him.
14 Then he appointed twelve of them and
called them his apostles. They were to accompany him, and he would send them
out to preach,
15 giving them authority to cast out
demons.
16 These are the twelve he chose: Simon
(whom he named Peter),
17 James and John (the sons of Zebedee, but
Jesus nicknamed them “Sons of Thunder” ),
18 Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew,
Thomas, James (son of Alphaeus), Thaddaeus, Simon (the zealot ),
19 Judas Iscariot (who later betrayed him).
20 One time Jesus entered a house, and the
crowds began to gather again. Soon he and his disciples couldn’t even find time
to eat.
21 When his family heard what was
happening, they tried to take him away. “He’s out of his mind,” they said.
22 But the teachers of religious law who
had arrived from Jerusalem said, “He’s possessed by Satan, the prince of
demons. That’s where he gets the power to cast out demons.”
23 Jesus called them over and responded
with an illustration. “How can Satan cast out Satan?” he asked.
24 “A kingdom divided by civil war will
collapse.
25 Similarly, a family splintered by
feuding will fall apart.
26 And if Satan is divided and fights
against himself, how can he stand? He would never survive.
27 Let me illustrate this further. Who is
powerful enough to enter the house of a strong man like Satan and plunder his
goods? Only someone even stronger—someone who could tie him up and then plunder
his house.
28 “I tell you the truth, all sin and
blasphemy can be forgiven,
29 but anyone who blasphemes the Holy
Spirit will never be forgiven. This is a sin with eternal consequences.”
30 He told them this because they were
saying, “He’s possessed by an evil spirit.”
31 Then Jesus’ mother and brothers came to
see him. They stood outside and sent word for him to come out and talk with
them.
32 There was a crowd sitting around Jesus,
and someone said, “Your mother and your brothers are outside asking for you.”
33 Jesus replied, “Who is my mother? Who
are my brothers?”
34 Then he looked at those around him and
said, “Look, these are my mother and brothers.
35 Anyone who does God’s will is my brother
and sister and mother.”
Mark 4
1 Once again Jesus began teaching by the
lakeshore. A very large crowd soon gathered around him, so he got into a boat.
Then he sat in the boat while all the people remained on the shore.
2 He taught them by telling many stories
in the form of parables, such as this one:
3 “Listen! A farmer went out to plant some
seed.
4 As he scattered it across his field,
some of the seed fell on a footpath, and the birds came and ate it.
5 Other seed fell on shallow soil with
underlying rock. The seed sprouted quickly because the soil was shallow.
6 But the plant soon wilted under the hot
sun, and since it didn’t have deep roots, it died.
7 Other seed fell among thorns that grew
up and choked out the tender plants so they produced no grain.
8 Still other seeds fell on fertile soil,
and they sprouted, grew, and produced a crop that was thirty, sixty, and even a
hundred times as much as had been planted!”
9 Then he said, “Anyone with ears to hear
should listen and understand.”
10 Later, when Jesus was alone with the
twelve disciples and with the others who were gathered around, they asked him
what the parables meant.
11 He replied, “You are permitted to
understand the secret of the Kingdom of God. But I use parables for everything
I say to outsiders,
12 so that the Scriptures might be
fulfilled: ‘When they see what I do, they will learn nothing. When they hear
what I say, they will not understand. Otherwise, they will turn to me and be
forgiven.’ ”
13 Then Jesus said to them, “If you can’t
understand the meaning of this parable, how will you understand all the other
parables?
14 The farmer plants seed by taking God’s
word to others.
15 The seed that fell on the footpath
represents those who hear the message, only to have Satan come at once and take
it away.
16 The seed on the rocky soil represents
those who hear the message and immediately receive it with joy.
17 But since they don’t have deep roots,
they don’t last long. They fall away as soon as they have problems or are
persecuted for believing God’s word.
18 The seed that fell among the thorns
represents others who hear God’s word,
19 but all too quickly the message is
crowded out by the worries of this life, the lure of wealth, and the desire for
other things, so no fruit is produced.
20 And the seed that fell on good soil
represents those who hear and accept God’s word and produce a harvest of
thirty, sixty, or even a hundred times as much as had been planted!”
21 Then Jesus asked them, “Would anyone
light a lamp and then put it under a basket or under a bed? Of course not! A
lamp is placed on a stand, where its light will shine.
22 For everything that is hidden will
eventually be brought into the open, and every secret will be brought to light.
23 Anyone with ears to hear should listen
and understand.”
24 Then he added, “Pay close attention to
what you hear. The closer you listen, the more understanding you will be given
—and you will receive even more.
25 To those who listen to my teaching, more
understanding will be given. But for those who are not listening, even what
little understanding they have will be taken away from them.”
26 Jesus also said, “The Kingdom of God is
like a farmer who scatters seed on the ground.
27 Night and day, while he’s asleep or
awake, the seed sprouts and grows, but he does not understand how it happens.
28 The earth produces the crops on its own.
First a leaf blade pushes through, then the heads of wheat are formed, and
finally the grain ripens.
29 And as soon as the grain is ready, the
farmer comes and harvests it with a sickle, for the harvest time has come.”
30 Jesus said, “How can I describe the
Kingdom of God? What story should I use to illustrate it?
31 It is like a mustard seed planted in the
ground. It is the smallest of all seeds,
32 but it becomes the largest of all garden
plants; it grows long branches, and birds can make nests in its shade.”
33 Jesus used many similar stories and
illustrations to teach the people as much as they could understand.
34 In fact, in his public ministry he never
taught without using parables; but afterward, when he was alone with his
disciples, he explained everything to them.
35 As evening came, Jesus said to his
disciples, “Let’s cross to the other side of the lake.”
36 So they took Jesus in the boat and
started out, leaving the crowds behind (although other boats followed).
37 But soon a fierce storm came up. High
waves were breaking into the boat, and it began to fill with water.
38 Jesus was sleeping at the back of the
boat with his head on a cushion. The disciples woke him up, shouting, “Teacher,
don’t you care that we’re going to drown?”
39 When Jesus woke up, he rebuked the wind
and said to the waves, “Silence! Be still!” Suddenly the wind stopped, and
there was a great calm.
40 Then he asked them, “Why are you afraid?
Do you still have no faith?”
41 The disciples were absolutely terrified.
“Who is this man?” they asked each other. “Even the wind and waves obey him!”
Mark 5
1 So they arrived at the other side of the
lake, in the region of the Gerasenes.
2 When Jesus climbed out of the boat, a
man possessed by an evil spirit came out from a cemetery to meet him.
3 This man lived among the burial caves
and could no longer be restrained, even with a chain.
4 Whenever he was put into chains and
shackles—as he often was—he snapped the chains from his wrists and smashed the
shackles. No one was strong enough to subdue him.
5 Day and night he wandered among the
burial caves and in the hills, howling and cutting himself with sharp stones.
6 When Jesus was still some distance away,
the man saw him, ran to meet him, and bowed low before him.
7 With a shriek, he screamed, “Why are you
interfering with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? In the name of God, I beg
you, don’t torture me!”
8 For Jesus had already said to the
spirit, “Come out of the man, you evil spirit.”
9 Then Jesus demanded, “What is your
name?” And he replied, “My name is Legion, because there are many of us inside
this man.”
10 Then the evil spirits begged him again
and again not to send them to some distant place.
11 There happened to be a large herd of
pigs feeding on the hillside nearby.
12 “Send us into those pigs,” the spirits
begged. “Let us enter them.”
13 So Jesus gave them permission. The evil
spirits came out of the man and entered the pigs, and the entire herd of about
2,000 pigs plunged down the steep hillside into the lake and drowned in the
water.
14 The herdsmen fled to the nearby town and
the surrounding countryside, spreading the news as they ran. People rushed out
to see what had happened.
15 A crowd soon gathered around Jesus, and
they saw the man who had been possessed by the legion of demons. He was sitting
there fully clothed and perfectly sane, and they were all afraid.
16 Then those who had seen what happened
told the others about the demon-possessed man and the pigs.
17 And the crowd began pleading with Jesus
to go away and leave them alone.
18 As Jesus was getting into the boat, the
man who had been demon possessed begged to go with him.
19 But Jesus said, “No, go home to your
family, and tell them everything the Lord has done for you and how merciful he
has been.”
20 So the man started off to visit the Ten
Towns of that region and began to proclaim the great things Jesus had done for
him; and everyone was amazed at what he told them.
21 Jesus got into the boat again and went
back to the other side of the lake, where a large crowd gathered around him on
the shore.
22 Then a leader of the local synagogue,
whose name was Jairus, arrived. When he saw Jesus, he fell at his feet,
23 pleading fervently with him. “My little
daughter is dying,” he said. “Please come and lay your hands on her; heal her
so she can live.”
24 Jesus went with him, and all the people
followed, crowding around him.
25 A woman in the crowd had suffered for
twelve years with constant bleeding.
26 She had suffered a great deal from many
doctors, and over the years she had spent everything she had to pay them, but
she had gotten no better. In fact, she had gotten worse.
27 She had heard about Jesus, so she came
up behind him through the crowd and touched his robe.
28 For she thought to herself, “If I can
just touch his robe, I will be healed.”
29 Immediately the bleeding stopped, and
she could feel in her body that she had been healed of her terrible condition.
30 Jesus realized at once that healing
power had gone out from him, so he turned around in the crowd and asked, “Who
touched my robe?”
31 His disciples said to him, “Look at this
crowd pressing around you. How can you ask, ‘Who touched me?’”
32 But he kept on looking around to see who
had done it.
33 Then the frightened woman, trembling at
the realization of what had happened to her, came and fell to her knees in
front of him and told him what she had done.
34 And he said to her, “Daughter, your
faith has made you well. Go in peace. Your suffering is over.”
35 While he was still speaking to her,
messengers arrived from the home of Jairus, the leader of the synagogue. They
told him, “Your daughter is dead. There’s no use troubling the Teacher now.”
36 But Jesus overheard them and said to
Jairus, “Don’t be afraid. Just have faith.”
37 Then Jesus stopped the crowd and
wouldn’t let anyone go with him except Peter, James, and John (the brother of
James).
38 When they came to the home of the
synagogue leader, Jesus saw much commotion and weeping and wailing.
39 He went inside and asked, “Why all this
commotion and weeping? The child isn’t dead; she’s only asleep.”
40 The crowd laughed at him. But he made
them all leave, and he took the girl’s father and mother and his three
disciples into the room where the girl was lying.
41 Holding her hand, he said to her, which
means “Little girl, get up!”
42 And the girl, who was twelve years old,
immediately stood up and walked around! They were overwhelmed and totally
amazed.
43 Jesus gave them strict orders not to
tell anyone what had happened, and then he told them to give her something to
eat.
Mark 6
1 Jesus left that part of the country and
returned with his disciples to Nazareth, his hometown.
2 The next Sabbath he began teaching in
the synagogue, and many who heard him were amazed. They asked, “Where did he
get all this wisdom and the power to perform such miracles?”
3 Then they scoffed, “He’s just a
carpenter, the son of Mary and the brother of James, Joseph, Judas, and Simon.
And his sisters live right here among us.” They were deeply offended and
refused to believe in him.
4 Then Jesus told them, “A prophet is
honored everywhere except in his own hometown and among his relatives and his
own family.”
5 And because of their unbelief, he
couldn’t do any miracles among them except to place his hands on a few sick
people and heal them.
6 And he was amazed at their unbelief.
Jesus Sends Out the Twelve Disciples Then Jesus went from village to village,
teaching the people.
7 And he called his twelve disciples
together and began sending them out two by two, giving them authority to cast
out evil spirits.
8 He told them to take nothing for their
journey except a walking stick—no food, no traveler’s bag, no money.
9 He allowed them to wear sandals but not
to take a change of clothes.
10 “Wherever you go,” he said, “stay in the
same house until you leave town.
11 But if any place refuses to welcome you
or listen to you, shake its dust from your feet as you leave to show that you
have abandoned those people to their fate.”
12 So the disciples went out, telling
everyone they met to repent of their sins and turn to God.
13 And they cast out many demons and healed
many sick people, anointing them with olive oil.
14 Herod Antipas, the king, soon heard
about Jesus, because everyone was talking about him. Some were saying, “This
must be John the Baptist raised from the dead. That is why he can do such
miracles.”
15 Others said, “He’s the prophet Elijah.”
Still others said, “He’s a prophet like the other great prophets of the past.”
16 When Herod heard about Jesus, he said,
“John, the man I beheaded, has come back from the dead.”
17 For Herod had sent soldiers to arrest
and imprison John as a favor to Herodias. She had been his brother Philip’s
wife, but Herod had married her.
18 John had been telling Herod, “It is
against God’s law for you to marry your brother’s wife.”
19 So Herodias bore a grudge against John
and wanted to kill him. But without Herod’s approval she was powerless,
20 for Herod respected John; and knowing
that he was a good and holy man, he protected him. Herod was greatly disturbed
whenever he talked with John, but even so, he liked to listen to him.
21 Herodias’s chance finally came on Herod’s
birthday. He gave a party for his high government officials, army officers, and
the leading citizens of Galilee.
22 Then his daughter, also named Herodias,
came in and performed a dance that greatly pleased Herod and his guests. “Ask
me for anything you like,” the king said to the girl, “and I will give it to
you.”
23 He even vowed, “I will give you whatever
you ask, up to half my kingdom!”
24 She went out and asked her mother, “What
should I ask for?” Her mother told her, “Ask for the head of John the Baptist!”
25 So the girl hurried back to the king and
told him, “I want the head of John the Baptist, right now, on a tray!”
26 Then the king deeply regretted what he
had said; but because of the vows he had made in front of his guests, he
couldn’t refuse her.
27 So he immediately sent an executioner to
the prison to cut off John’s head and bring it to him. The soldier beheaded
John in the prison,
28 brought his head on a tray, and gave it
to the girl, who took it to her mother.
29 When John’s disciples heard what had
happened, they came to get his body and buried it in a tomb.
Psalm 64
Psalm 64 (New International Version)
Psalm 64
For the director of music. A psalm of David.
1 Hear me, O God, as I voice my complaint; protect my life from the threat of the enemy.
2 Hide me from the conspiracy of the wicked, from that noisy crowd of evildoers.
3 They sharpen their tongues like swords and aim their words like deadly arrows.
4 They shoot from ambush at the innocent man; they shoot at him suddenly, without fear.
5 They encourage each other in evil plans, they talk about hiding their snares; they say, "Who will see them [a] ?"
6 They plot injustice and say, "We have devised a perfect plan!" Surely the mind and heart of man are cunning.
7 But God will shoot them with arrows; suddenly they will be struck down.
8 He will turn their own tongues against them and bring them to ruin; all who see them will shake their heads in scorn.
9 All mankind will fear; they will proclaim the works of God and ponder what he has done.
10 Let the righteous rejoice in the LORD and take refuge in him; let all the upright in heart praise him!
Psalm 64
For the director of music. A psalm of David.
1 Hear me, O God, as I voice my complaint; protect my life from the threat of the enemy.
2 Hide me from the conspiracy of the wicked, from that noisy crowd of evildoers.
3 They sharpen their tongues like swords and aim their words like deadly arrows.
4 They shoot from ambush at the innocent man; they shoot at him suddenly, without fear.
5 They encourage each other in evil plans, they talk about hiding their snares; they say, "Who will see them [a] ?"
6 They plot injustice and say, "We have devised a perfect plan!" Surely the mind and heart of man are cunning.
7 But God will shoot them with arrows; suddenly they will be struck down.
8 He will turn their own tongues against them and bring them to ruin; all who see them will shake their heads in scorn.
9 All mankind will fear; they will proclaim the works of God and ponder what he has done.
10 Let the righteous rejoice in the LORD and take refuge in him; let all the upright in heart praise him!
Revelation 18
Revelation 18 (New International Version, ©2010)
Revelation 18
Lament Over Fallen Babylon
1 After this I saw another angel coming down from heaven. He had great authority, and the earth was illuminated by his splendor. 2 With a mighty voice he shouted:
"'Fallen! Fallen is Babylon the Great!'[a] She has become a dwelling for demons
and a haunt for every impure spirit, a haunt for every unclean bird, a haunt for every unclean and detestable animal.
3 For all the nations have drunk the maddening wine of her adulteries.
The kings of the earth committed adultery with her, and the merchants of the earth grew rich from her excessive luxuries."
Warning to Escape Babylon's Judgment
4 Then I heard another voice from heaven say:
"'Come out of her, my people,'[b] so that you will not share in her sins, so that you will not receive any of her plagues;
5 for her sins are piled up to heaven, and God has remembered her crimes.
6 Give back to her as she has given; pay her back double for what she has done. Pour her a double portion from her own cup.
7 Give her as much torment and grief as the glory and luxury she gave herself.
In her heart she boasts, 'I sit enthroned as queen.
I am not a widow;[c] I will never mourn.'
8 Therefore in one day her plagues will overtake her: death, mourning and famine.
She will be consumed by fire, for mighty is the Lord God who judges her.
Threefold Woe Over Babylon's Fall
9 "When the kings of the earth who committed adultery with her and shared her luxury see the smoke of her burning, they will weep and mourn over her. 10 Terrified at her torment, they will stand far off and cry:
"'Woe! Woe to you, great city, you mighty city of Babylon!
In one hour your doom has come!'
11 "The merchants of the earth will weep and mourn over her because no one buys their cargoes anymore— 12 cargoes of gold, silver, precious stones and pearls; fine linen, purple, silk and scarlet cloth; every sort of citron wood, and articles of every kind made of ivory, costly wood, bronze, iron and marble; 13 cargoes of cinnamon and spice, of incense, myrrh and frankincense, of wine and olive oil, of fine flour and wheat; cattle and sheep; horses and carriages; and human beings sold as slaves.
14 "They will say, 'The fruit you longed for is gone from you. All your luxury and splendor have vanished, never to be recovered.' 15 The merchants who sold these things and gained their wealth from her will stand far off, terrified at her torment. They will weep and mourn 16 and cry out: "'Woe! Woe to you, great city, dressed in fine linen, purple and scarlet, and glittering with gold, precious stones and pearls!
17 In one hour such great wealth has been brought to ruin!' "Every sea captain, and all who travel by ship, the sailors, and all who earn their living from the sea, will stand far off. 18 When they see the smoke of her burning, they will exclaim, 'Was there ever a city like this great city?' 19 They will throw dust on their heads, and with weeping and mourning cry out: "'Woe! Woe to you, great city, where all who had ships on the sea became rich through her wealth!
In one hour she has been brought to ruin!'
20 "Rejoice over her, you heavens! Rejoice, you people of God! Rejoice, apostles and prophets!
For God has judged her with the judgment she imposed on you."
The Finality of Babylon's Doom
21 Then a mighty angel picked up a boulder the size of a large millstone and threw it into the sea, and said:
"With such violence the great city of Babylon will be thrown down, never to be found again.
22 The music of harpists and musicians, pipers and trumpeters, will never be heard in you again.
No worker of any trade will ever be found in you again.
The sound of a millstone will never be heard in you again.
23 The light of a lamp will never shine in you again.
The voice of bridegroom and bride will never be heard in you again.
Your merchants were the world's important people. By your magic spell all the nations were led astray.
24 In her was found the blood of prophets and of God's holy people, of all who have been slaughtered on the earth."
Revelation 18
Lament Over Fallen Babylon
1 After this I saw another angel coming down from heaven. He had great authority, and the earth was illuminated by his splendor. 2 With a mighty voice he shouted:
"'Fallen! Fallen is Babylon the Great!'[a] She has become a dwelling for demons
and a haunt for every impure spirit, a haunt for every unclean bird, a haunt for every unclean and detestable animal.
3 For all the nations have drunk the maddening wine of her adulteries.
The kings of the earth committed adultery with her, and the merchants of the earth grew rich from her excessive luxuries."
Warning to Escape Babylon's Judgment
4 Then I heard another voice from heaven say:
"'Come out of her, my people,'[b] so that you will not share in her sins, so that you will not receive any of her plagues;
5 for her sins are piled up to heaven, and God has remembered her crimes.
6 Give back to her as she has given; pay her back double for what she has done. Pour her a double portion from her own cup.
7 Give her as much torment and grief as the glory and luxury she gave herself.
In her heart she boasts, 'I sit enthroned as queen.
I am not a widow;[c] I will never mourn.'
8 Therefore in one day her plagues will overtake her: death, mourning and famine.
She will be consumed by fire, for mighty is the Lord God who judges her.
Threefold Woe Over Babylon's Fall
9 "When the kings of the earth who committed adultery with her and shared her luxury see the smoke of her burning, they will weep and mourn over her. 10 Terrified at her torment, they will stand far off and cry:
"'Woe! Woe to you, great city, you mighty city of Babylon!
In one hour your doom has come!'
11 "The merchants of the earth will weep and mourn over her because no one buys their cargoes anymore— 12 cargoes of gold, silver, precious stones and pearls; fine linen, purple, silk and scarlet cloth; every sort of citron wood, and articles of every kind made of ivory, costly wood, bronze, iron and marble; 13 cargoes of cinnamon and spice, of incense, myrrh and frankincense, of wine and olive oil, of fine flour and wheat; cattle and sheep; horses and carriages; and human beings sold as slaves.
14 "They will say, 'The fruit you longed for is gone from you. All your luxury and splendor have vanished, never to be recovered.' 15 The merchants who sold these things and gained their wealth from her will stand far off, terrified at her torment. They will weep and mourn 16 and cry out: "'Woe! Woe to you, great city, dressed in fine linen, purple and scarlet, and glittering with gold, precious stones and pearls!
17 In one hour such great wealth has been brought to ruin!' "Every sea captain, and all who travel by ship, the sailors, and all who earn their living from the sea, will stand far off. 18 When they see the smoke of her burning, they will exclaim, 'Was there ever a city like this great city?' 19 They will throw dust on their heads, and with weeping and mourning cry out: "'Woe! Woe to you, great city, where all who had ships on the sea became rich through her wealth!
In one hour she has been brought to ruin!'
20 "Rejoice over her, you heavens! Rejoice, you people of God! Rejoice, apostles and prophets!
For God has judged her with the judgment she imposed on you."
The Finality of Babylon's Doom
21 Then a mighty angel picked up a boulder the size of a large millstone and threw it into the sea, and said:
"With such violence the great city of Babylon will be thrown down, never to be found again.
22 The music of harpists and musicians, pipers and trumpeters, will never be heard in you again.
No worker of any trade will ever be found in you again.
The sound of a millstone will never be heard in you again.
23 The light of a lamp will never shine in you again.
The voice of bridegroom and bride will never be heard in you again.
Your merchants were the world's important people. By your magic spell all the nations were led astray.
24 In her was found the blood of prophets and of God's holy people, of all who have been slaughtered on the earth."
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