Mark 3

1 Then he went back in the meeting place where he found a man with a crippled hand.2 The Pharisees had their eyes on Jesus to see if he would heal him, hoping to catch him in a Sabbath infraction.3 He said to the man with the crippled hand, “Stand here where we can see you.”4 Then he spoke to the people: “What kind of action suits the Sabbath best? Doing good or doing evil? Helping people or leaving them helpless?” No one said a word.5 He looked them in the eye, one after another, angry now, furious at their hard-nosed religion. He said to the man, “Hold out your hand.” He held it out—it was as good as new!

6 The Pharisees got out as fast as they could, sputtering about how they would join forces with Herod’s followers and ruin him.
The Twelve Apostles7 Jesus went off with his disciples to the sea to get away. But a huge crowd from Galilee trailed after them—8 also from Judea, Jerusalem, Idumea, across the Jordan, and around Tyre and Sidon—swarms of people who had heard the reports and had come to see for themselves.9 He told his disciples to get a boat ready so he wouldn’t be trampled by the crowd.10 He had healed many people, and now everyone who had something wrong was pushing and shoving to get near and touch him.11 Evil spirits, when they recognized him, fell down and cried out, “You are the Son of God!”12 But Jesus would have none of it. He shut them up, forbidding them to identify him in public.13 He climbed a mountain and invited those he wanted with him. They climbed together.14 He settled on twelve, and designated them apostles. The plan was that they would be with him, and he would send them out to proclaim the Word15 and give them authority to banish demons.

16 These are the Twelve:
Simon (Jesus later named him Peter, meaning “Rock”),

17 James, son of Zebedee,
John, brother of James (Jesus nicknamed the Zebedee
brothers Boanerges, meaning “Sons of Thunder”),

18 Andrew,
Philip,
Bartholomew,
Matthew,
Thomas,
James, son of Alphaeus,
Thaddaeus,
Simon the Canaanite,

19 Judas Iscariot (who betrayed him).
Satan Fighting Satan?20 Jesus came home and, as usual, a crowd gathered—so many making demands on him that there wasn’t even time to eat.21 His friends heard what was going on and went to rescue him, by force if necessary. They suspected he was getting carried away with himself.22 The religion scholars from Jerusalem came down spreading rumors that he was working black magic, using devil tricks to impress them with spiritual power.23 Jesus confronted their slander with a story: “Does it make sense to send a devil to catch a devil, to use Satan to get rid of Satan?24 A constantly squabbling family disintegrates. If Satan were fighting Satan, there soon wouldn’t be any Satan left.27 Do you think it’s possible in broad daylight to enter the house of an awake, able-bodied man, and walk off with his possessions unless you tie him up first? Tie him up, though, and you can clean him out.28 “Listen to this carefully. I’m warning you. There’s nothing done or said that can’t be forgiven.29 But if you persist in your slanders against God’s Holy Spirit, you are repudiating the very One who forgives, sawing off the branch on which you’re sitting, severing by your own perversity all connection with the One who forgives.”

30 He gave this warning because they were accusing him of being in league with Evil.
Jesus’ Mother and Brothers31 Just then his mother and brothers showed up. Standing outside, they relayed a message that they wanted a word with him.32 He was surrounded by the crowd when he was given the message, “Your mother and brothers and sisters are outside looking for you.”33 Jesus responded, “Who do you think are my mother and brothers?”34 Looking around, taking in everyone seated around him, he said, “Right here, right in front of you—my mother and my brothers.

35 Obedience is thicker than blood. The person who obeys God’s will is my brother and sister and mother.”
The Story of the Scattered Seed

Mark 4

1 He went back to teaching by the sea. A crowd built up to such a great size that he had to get into an offshore boat, using the boat as a pulpit as the people pushed to the water’s edge.2 He taught by using stories, many stories.3 “Listen. What do you make of this? A farmer planted seed.4 As he scattered the seed, some of it fell on the road and birds ate it.5 Some fell in the gravel; it sprouted quickly but didn’t put down roots,6 so when the sun came up it withered just as quickly.7 Some fell in the weeds; as it came up, it was strangled among the weeds and nothing came of it.8 Some fell on good earth and came up with a flourish, producing a harvest exceeding his wildest dreams.9 “Are you listening to this? Really listening?”10 When they were off by themselves, those who were close to him, along with the Twelve, asked about the stories.11 He told them, “You’ve been given insight into God’s kingdom—you know how it works. But to those who can’t see it yet, everything comes in stories, creating readiness, nudging them toward receptive insight.

12 These are people—
Whose eyes are open but don’t see a thing,
Whose ears are open but don’t understand a word,
Who avoid making an about-face and getting forgiven.”13 He continued, “Do you see how this story works? All my stories work this way.14 “The farmer plants the Word.15 Some people are like the seed that falls on the hardened soil of the road. No sooner do they hear the Word than Satan snatches away what has been planted in them.16 “And some are like the seed that lands in the gravel. When they first hear the Word, they respond with great enthusiasm.17 But there is such shallow soil of character that when the emotions wear off and some difficulty arrives, there is nothing to show for it.18 “The seed cast in the weeds represents the ones who hear the kingdom news19 but are overwhelmed with worries about all the things they have to do and all the things they want to get. The stress strangles what they heard, and nothing comes of it.

20 “But the seed planted in the good earth represents those who hear the Word, embrace it, and produce a harvest beyond their wildest dreams.”
Giving, Not Getting21 Jesus went on: “Does anyone bring a lamp home and put it under a washtub or beneath the bed? Don’t you put it up on a table or on the mantel?22 We’re not keeping secrets, we’re telling them; we’re not hiding things, we’re bringing them out into the open.23 “Are you listening to this? Really listening?24 “Listen carefully to what I am saying—and be wary of the shrewd advice that tells you how to get ahead in the world on your own. Giving, not getting, is the way.

25 Generosity begets generosity. Stinginess impoverishes.”
Never Without a Story26 Then Jesus said, “God’s kingdom is like seed thrown on a field by a man27 who then goes to bed and forgets about it. The seed sprouts and grows—he has no idea how it happens.28 The earth does it all without his help: first a green stem of grass, then a bud, then the ripened grain.29 When the grain is fully formed, he reaps—harvest time!30 “How can we picture God’s kingdom? What kind of story can we use?31 It’s like a pine nut. When it lands on the ground it is quite small as seeds go,32 yet once it is planted it grows into a huge pine tree with thick branches. Eagles nest in it.”33 With many stories like these, he presented his message to them, fitting the stories to their experience and maturity.

34 He was never without a story when he spoke. When he was alone with his disciples, he went over everything, sorting out the tangles, untying the knots.
The Wind Ran Out of Breath35 Late that day he said to them, “Let’s go across to the other side.”36 They took him in the boat as he was. Other boats came along.37 A huge storm came up. Waves poured into the boat, threatening to sink it.38 And Jesus was in the stern, head on a pillow, sleeping! They roused him, saying, “Teacher, is it nothing to you that we’re going down?”39 Awake now, he told the wind to pipe down and said to the sea, “Quiet! Settle down!” The wind ran out of breath; the sea became smooth as glass.40 Jesus reprimanded the disciples: “Why are you such cowards? Don’t you have any faith at all?”

41 They were in absolute awe, staggered. “Who is this, anyway?” they asked. “Wind and sea at his beck and call!”
The Madman

Mark 5

1 They arrived on the other side of the sea in the country of the Gerasenes.2 As Jesus got out of the boat, a madman from the cemetery came up to him.3 He lived there among the tombs and graves. No one could restrain him—he couldn’t be chained, couldn’t be tied down.4 He had been tied up many times with chains and ropes, but he broke the chains, snapped the ropes. No one was strong enough to tame him.5 Night and day he roamed through the graves and the hills, screaming out and slashing himself with sharp stones.6 When he saw Jesus a long way off, he ran and bowed in worship before him—7 then bellowed in protest, “What business do you have, Jesus, Son of the High God, messing with me? I swear to God, don’t give me a hard time!”8 (Jesus had just commanded the tormenting evil spirit, “Out! Get out of the man!”)

9 Jesus asked him, “Tell me your name.”
He replied, “My name is Mob. I’m a rioting mob.”10 Then he desperately begged Jesus not to banish them from the country.11 A large herd of pigs was browsing and rooting on a nearby hill.12 The demons begged him, “Send us to the pigs so we can live in them.”13 Jesus gave the order. But it was even worse for the pigs than for the man. Crazed, they stampeded over a cliff into the sea and drowned.14 Those tending the pigs, scared to death, bolted and told their story in town and country. Everyone wanted to see what had happened.15 They came up to Jesus and saw the madman sitting there wearing decent clothes and making sense, no longer a walking madhouse of a man.16 Those who had seen it told the others what had happened to the demon-possessed man and the pigs.17 At first they were in awe—and then they were upset, upset over the drowned pigs. They demanded that Jesus leave and not come back.18 As Jesus was getting into the boat, the demon-delivered man begged to go along,19 but he wouldn’t let him. Jesus said, “Go home to your own people. Tell them your story—what the Master did, how he had mercy on you.”

20 The man went back and began to preach in the Ten Towns area about what Jesus had done for him. He was the talk of the town.
A Risk of Faith21 After Jesus crossed over by boat, a large crowd met him at the seaside.22 One of the meeting-place leaders named Jairus came. When he saw Jesus, he fell to his knees,23 beside himself as he begged, “My dear daughter is at death’s door. Come and lay hands on her so she will get well and live.”24 Jesus went with him, the whole crowd tagging along, pushing and jostling him.25 A woman who had suffered a condition of hemorrhaging for twelve years—26 a long succession of physicians had treated her, and treated her badly, taking all her money and leaving her worse off than before—27 had heard about Jesus. She slipped in from behind and touched his robe.28 She was thinking to herself, “If I can put a finger on his robe, I can get well.”29 The moment she did it, the flow of blood dried up. She could feel the change and knew her plague was over and done with.30 At the same moment, Jesus felt energy discharging from him. He turned around to the crowd and asked, “Who touched my robe?”31 His disciples said, “What are you talking about? With this crowd pushing and jostling you, you’re asking, ‘Who touched me?’ Dozens have touched you!”32 But he went on asking, looking around to see who had done it.33 The woman, knowing what had happened, knowing she was the one, stepped up in fear and trembling, knelt before him, and gave him the whole story.34 Jesus said to her, “Daughter, you took a risk of faith, and now you’re healed and whole. Live well, live blessed! Be healed of your plague.”35 While he was still talking, some people came from the leader’s house and told him, “Your daughter is dead. Why bother the Teacher any more?”36 Jesus overheard what they were talking about and said to the leader, “Don’t listen to them; just trust me.”37 He permitted no one to go in with him except Peter, James, and John.38 They entered the leader’s house and pushed their way through the gossips looking for a story and neighbors bringing in casseroles.39 Jesus was abrupt: “Why all this busybody grief and gossip? This child isn’t dead; she’s sleeping.”

40 Provoked to sarcasm, they told him he didn’t know what he was talking about.
But when he had sent them all out, he took the child’s father and mother, along with his companions, and entered the child’s room.41 He clasped the girl’s hand and said, “Talitha koum,” which means, “Little girl, get up.”42 At that, she was up and walking around! This girl was twelve years of age. They, of course, were all beside themselves with joy.

43 He gave them strict orders that no one was to know what had taken place in that room. Then he said, “Give her something to eat.”
Just a Carpenter