Mark 6

Chapter 6

Jesus Rejected at Nazareth

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 Maryt and the brother of James, Joseph,t 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.

Then Jesus went from village to village, teaching the people.

Jesus Sends Out the Twelve Disciples

7 And he called his twelve disciples together and began sending them out two by two, giving them authority to cast out evilt spirits.8 He told them to take nothing for their journey except a walking stick—no food, no traveler’s bag, no money.t

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.

The Death of John the Baptist

14 Herod Antipas, the king, soon heard about Jesus, because everyone was talking about him. Some were saying,t “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,t 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.

Jesus Feeds Five Thousand

30 The apostles returned to Jesus from their ministry tour and told him all they had done and taught.

31 Then Jesus said, “Let’s go off by ourselves to a quiet place and rest awhile.” He said this because there were so many people coming and going that Jesus and his apostles didn’t even have time to eat.
32 So they left by boat for a quiet place, where they could be alone.33 But many people recognized them and saw them leaving, and people from many towns ran ahead along the shore and got there ahead of them.

34 Jesus saw the huge crowd as he stepped from the boat, and he had compassion on them because they were like sheep without a shepherd. So he began teaching them many things.
35 Late in the afternoon his disciples came to him and said, “This is a remote place, and it’s already getting late.

36 Send the crowds away so they can go to the nearby farms and villages and buy something to eat.”

37 But Jesus said, “You feed them.”
“With what?” they asked. “We’d have to work for months to earn enough moneyt to buy food for all these people!”

38 “How much bread do you have?” he asked. “Go and find out.”
They came back and reported, “We have five loaves of bread and two fish.”
39 Then Jesus told the disciples to have the people sit down in groups on the green grass.

40 So they sat down in groups of fifty or a hundred.
41 Jesus took the five loaves and two fish, looked up toward heaven, and blessed them. Then, breaking the loaves into pieces, he kept giving the bread to the disciples so they could distribute it to the people. He also divided the fish for everyone to share.42 They all ate as much as they wanted,43 and afterward, the disciples picked up twelve baskets of leftover bread and fish.

44 A total of 5,000 men and their families were fed from those loaves!

Jesus Walks on Water

45 Immediately after this, Jesus insisted that his disciples get back into the boat and head across the lake to Bethsaida, while he sent the people home.

46 After telling everyone good-bye, he went up into the hills by himself to pray.
47 Late that night, the disciples were in their boat in the middle of the lake, and Jesus was alone on land.48 He saw that they were in serious trouble, rowing hard and struggling against the wind and waves. About three o’clock in the morningt Jesus came toward them, walking on the water. He intended to go past them,49 but when they saw him walking on the water, they cried out in terror, thinking he was a ghost.

50 They were all terrified when they saw him.

But Jesus spoke to them at once. “Don’t be afraid,” he said. “Take courage! I am here!t”51 Then he climbed into the boat, and the wind stopped. They were totally amazed,

52 for they still didn’t understand the significance of the miracle of the loaves. Their hearts were too hard to take it in.
53 After they had crossed the lake, they landed at Gennesaret. They brought the boat to shore54 and climbed out. The people recognized Jesus at once,55 and they ran throughout the whole area, carrying sick people on mats to wherever they heard he was.

56 Wherever he went—in villages, cities, or the countryside—they brought the sick out to the marketplaces. They begged him to let the sick touch at least the fringe of his robe, and all who touched him were healed.

MARK 6

The People of Nazareth //Turn against Jesus

(Matthew 13.53-58; Luke 4.16-30)

1 Jesus left and returned to his hometownt with his disciples. 2 The next Sabbath he taught in the synagogue. Many of the people who heard him were amazed and asked, “How can he do all this? Where did he get such wisdom and the power to work these miracles?

3 Isn't he the carpenter, t the son of Mary? Aren't James, Joseph, Judas, and Simon his brothers? Don't his sisters still live here in our town?” The people were upset because of what he was doing.
4  t But Jesus said, “Prophets are honored by everyone, except the people of their hometown and their relatives and their own family.” 5 Jesus could not work any miracles there, except to heal a few sick people by placing his hands on them.

6 He was surprised that the people did not have any faith.

Instructions for //the Twelve Apostles

(Matthew 10.5-15; Luke 9.1-6)

11 t If any place won't welcome you or listen to your message, leave and shake the dust from your feett as a warning to them.”
12 The apostles left and started telling everyone to turn to God.

13 t They forced out many demons and healed a lot of sick people by putting olive oilt on them.

The Death of John the Baptist

(Matthew 14.1-12; Luke 9.7-9)

16 But when Herod heard about Jesus, he said, “This must be John! I had his head cut off, and now he has come back to life.”

17-18  t Herod had earlier married Herodias, the wife of his brother Philip. But John had told him, “It isn't right for you to take your brother's wife!” So, in order to please Herodias, Herod arrested John and put him in prison.
19 Herodias had a grudge against John and wanted to kill him. But she could not do it

20 because Herod was afraid of John and protected him. He knew that John was a good and holy man. Even though Herod was confused by what John said, t he was glad to listen to him. And he often did.
21 Finally, Herodias got her chance when Herod gave a great birthday celebration for himself and invited his officials, his army officers, and the leaders of Galilee. 22 The daughter of Herodiast came in and danced for Herod and his guests. She pleased them so much that Herod said, “Ask for anything, and it's yours!

23 I swear that I will give you as much as half of my kingdom, if you want it.”

24 The girl left and asked her mother, “What do you think I should ask for?”
Her mother answered, “The head of John the Baptist!”

25 The girl hurried back and told Herod, “Here and now on a serving plate I want the head of John the Baptist!”
26 Herod was very sorry for what he had said. But he did not want to break the promise he had made in front of his guests. 27 At once he ordered a guard to cut off John's head there in prison.

28 The guard put the head on a serving plate and took it to the girl. Then she gave it to her mother.

29 When John's followers learned that he had been killed, they took his body and put it in a tomb.

Jesus Feeds Five Thousand

(Matthew 14.13-21; Luke 9.10-17; John 6.1-14)

33 But many people saw them leave and figured out where they were going. So people from every town ran on ahead and got there first.

34  t When Jesus got out of the boat, he saw the large crowd that was like sheep without a shepherd. He felt sorry for the people and started teaching them many things.
35 That evening the disciples came to Jesus and said, “This place is like a desert, and it's already late.

36 Let the crowds leave, so they can go to the farms and villages near here and buy something to eat.”

37 Jesus replied, “You give them something to eat.”
But they asked him, “Don't you know it would take almost a year's wagest to buy all of these people something to eat?”

38 Then Jesus said, “How much bread do you have? Go and see!”
They found out and answered, “We have five small loaves of breadt and two fish.” 39 Jesus told his disciples to tell the people to sit down on the green grass.

40 They sat down in groups of 100 and groups of 50.

41 Jesus took the five loaves and the two fish. He looked up toward heaven and blessed the food. Then he broke the bread and handed it to his disciples to give to the people. He also divided the two fish, so everyone could have some.
42 After everyone had eaten all they wanted,

43 Jesus' disciples picked up twelve large baskets of leftover bread and fish.

44 There were 5,000 men who ate the food.

Jesus Walks on the Water

(Matthew 14.22-33; John 6.15-21)

46 Then he told them goodbye and went up on the side of a mountain to pray.
47 Later in the evening he was still there by himself, and the boat was somewhere in the middle of the lake.

48 He could see that the disciples were struggling hard, because they were rowing against the wind. Not long before morning, Jesus came toward them. He was walking on the water and was about to pass the boat.
49 When the disciples saw Jesus walking on the water, they thought he was a ghost, and they started screaming. 50 All of them saw him and were terrified. But at this same time he said, “Don't worry! I am Jesus. Don't be afraid.” 51 He then got into the boat with them, and the wind died down. The disciples were completely confused.

52 Their minds were closed, and they could not understand the true meaning of the loaves of bread.

Jesus Heals Sick People //in Gennesaret

(Matthew 14.34-36)