Mark 5

The Madman

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."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 Faith

21 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.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."

Mark 6

Just a Carpenter

1 He left there and returned to his hometown. His disciples came along.2 On the Sabbath, he gave a lecture in the meeting place. He made a real hit, impressing everyone. "We had no idea he was this good!" they said. "How did he get so wise all of a sudden, get such ability?"

3 But in the next breath they were cutting him down: "He's just a carpenter-Mary's boy. We've known him since he was a kid. We know his brothers, James, Justus, Jude, and Simon, and his sisters. Who does he think he is?" They tripped over what little they knew about him and fell, sprawling. And they never got any further.

4 Jesus told them, "A prophet has little honor in his hometown, among his relatives, on the streets he played in as a child."5 Jesus wasn't able to do much of anything there-he laid hands on a few sick people and healed them, that's all.6 He couldn't get over their stubbornness. He left and made a circuit of the other villages, teaching.

The Twelve

7 Jesus called the Twelve to him, and sent them out in pairs. He gave them authority and power to deal with the evil opposition.8-9 He sent them off with these instructions: "Don't think you need a lot of extra equipment for this. You are the equipment. No special appeals for funds. Keep it simple.

10 "And no luxury inns. Get a modest place and be content there until you leave.

11 "If you're not welcomed, not listened to, quietly withdraw. Don't make a scene. Shrug your shoulders and be on your way."

12 Then they were on the road. They preached with joyful urgency that life can be radically different;13 right and left they sent the demons packing; they brought wellness to the sick, anointing their bodies, healing their spirits.

The Death of John

14 King Herod heard of all this, for by this time the name of Jesus was on everyone's lips. He said, "This has to be John the Baptizer come back from the dead-that's why he's able to work miracles!"

15 Others said, "No, it's Elijah." Others said, "He's a prophet, just like one of the old-time prophets."

16 But Herod wouldn't budge: "It's John, sure enough. I cut off his head, and now he's back, alive."

17 Herod was the one who had ordered the arrest of John, put him in chains, and sent him to prison at the nagging of Herodias, his brother Philip's wife.18 For John had provoked Herod by naming his relationship with Herodias "adultery."19 Herodias, smoldering with hate, wanted to kill him, but didn't dare20 because Herod was in awe of John. Convinced that he was a holy man, he gave him special treatment. Whenever he listened to him he was miserable with guilt-and yet he couldn't stay away. Something in John kept pulling him back.

21 But a portentous day arrived when Herod threw a birthday party, inviting all the brass and bluebloods in Galilee.

22 Herodias's daughter entered the banquet hall and danced for the guests. She dazzled Herod and the guests.23 Carried away, he kept on, "I swear, I'll split my kingdom with you if you say so!"

24 She went back to her mother and said, "What should I ask for?" "Ask for the head of John the Baptizer."

25 Excited, she ran back to the king and said, "I want the head of John the Baptizer served up on a platter. And I want it now!"

26 That sobered the king up fast. But unwilling to lose face with his guests, he caved in and let her have her wish.27 The king sent the executioner off to the prison with orders to bring back John's head. He went, cut off John's head,28 brought it back on a platter, and presented it to the girl, who gave it to her mother.29 When John's disciples heard about this, they came and got the body and gave it a decent burial.

Supper for Five Thousand

30 The apostles then rendezvoused with Jesus and reported on all that they had done and taught.31 Jesus said, "Come off by yourselves; let's take a break and get a little rest." For there was constant coming and going. They didn't even have time to eat.

32 So they got in the boat and went off to a remote place by themselves.33 Someone saw them going and the word got around. From the surrounding towns people went out on foot, running, and got there ahead of them.34 When Jesus arrived, he saw this huge crowd. At the sight of them, his heart broke-like sheep with no shepherd they were. He went right to work teaching them.

35 When his disciples thought this had gone on long enough-it was now quite late in the day-they interrupted: "We are a long way out in the country, and it's very late.36 Pronounce a benediction and send these folks off so they can get some supper."

37 Jesus said, "You do it. Fix supper for them." They replied, "Are you serious? You want us to go spend a fortune on food for their supper?"

38 But he was quite serious. "How many loaves of bread do you have? Take an inventory." That didn't take long. "Five," they said, "plus two fish."39-40 Jesus got them all to sit down in groups of fifty or a hundred-they looked like a patchwork quilt of wildflowers spread out on the green grass!41 He took the five loaves and two fish, lifted his face to heaven in prayer, blessed, broke, and gave the bread to the disciples, and the disciples in turn gave it to the people. He did the same with the fish.42 They all ate their fill.43 The disciples gathered twelve baskets of leftovers.44 More than five thousand were at the supper.

Walking on the Sea

45 As soon as the meal was finished, Jesus insisted that the disciples get in the boat and go on ahead across to Bethsaida while he dismissed the congregation.46 After sending them off, he climbed a mountain to pray.

47 Late at night, the boat was far out at sea; Jesus was still by himself on land.48 He could see his men struggling with the oars, the wind having come up against them. At about four o'clock in the morning, Jesus came toward them, walking on the sea. He intended to go right by them.49 But when they saw him walking on the sea, they thought it was a ghost and screamed, scared out of their wits.

50 Jesus was quick to comfort them: "Courage! It's me. Don't be afraid."51 As soon as he climbed into the boat, the wind died down. They were stunned, shaking their heads, wondering what was going on.52 They didn't understand what he had done at the supper. None of this had yet penetrated their hearts.

53 They beached the boat at Gennesaret and tied up at the landing.54 As soon as they got out of the boat, word got around fast.55 People ran this way and that, bringing their sick on stretchers to where they heard he was.56 Wherever he went, village or town or country crossroads, they brought their sick to the marketplace and begged him to let them touch the edge of his coat-that's all. And whoever touched him became well.

Mark 7

The Source of Your Pollution

1 The Pharisees, along with some religion scholars who had come from Jerusalem, gathered around him.2 They noticed that some of his disciples weren't being careful with ritual washings before meals.3 The Pharisees-Jews in general, in fact-would never eat a meal without going through the motions of a ritual hand-washing,4 with an especially vigorous scrubbing if they had just come from the market (to say nothing of the scourings they'd give jugs and pots and pans).

5 The Pharisees and religion scholars asked, "Why do your disciples flout the rules, showing up at meals without washing their hands?"

6 Jesus answered, "Isaiah was right about frauds like you, hit the bull's-eye in fact: These people make a big show of saying the right thing, but their heart isn't in it.7 They act like they are worshiping me, but they don't mean it. They just use me as a cover for teaching whatever suits their fancy,8 Ditching God's command and taking up the latest fads."

9 He went on, "Well, good for you. You get rid of God's command so you won't be inconvenienced in following the religious fashions!10 Moses said, 'Respect your father and mother,' and, 'Anyone denouncing father or mother should be killed.'11 But you weasel out of that by saying that it's perfectly acceptable to say to father or mother, 'Gift! What I owed you I've given as a gift to God,'12 thus relieving yourselves of obligation to father or mother.13 You scratch out God's Word and scrawl a whim in its place. You do a lot of things like this."

14 Jesus called the crowd together again and said, "Listen now, all of you-take this to heart.15 It's not what you swallow that pollutes your life; it's what you vomit-that's the real pollution."

17 When he was back home after being with the crowd, his disciples said, "We don't get it. Put it in plain language."

18 Jesus said, "Are you being willfully stupid? Don't you see that what you swallow can't contaminate you?19 It doesn't enter your heart but your stomach, works its way through the intestines, and is finally flushed." (That took care of dietary quibbling; Jesus was saying that all foods are fit to eat.)

20 He went on: "It's what comes out of a person that pollutes:21 obscenities, lusts, thefts, murders, adulteries,22 greed, depravity, deceptive dealings, carousing, mean looks, slander, arrogance, foolishness -23 all these are vomit from the heart. There is the source of your pollution."

24 From there Jesus set out for the vicinity of Tyre. He entered a house there where he didn't think he would be found, but he couldn't escape notice.25 He was barely inside when a woman who had a disturbed daughter heard where he was. She came and knelt at his feet,26 begging for help. The woman was Greek, Syro-Phoenician by birth. She asked him to cure her daughter.

27 He said, "Stand in line and take your turn. The children get fed first. If there's any left over, the dogs get it."

28 She said, "Of course, Master. But don't dogs under the table get scraps dropped by the children?"

29 Jesus was impressed. "You're right! On your way! Your daughter is no longer disturbed. The demonic affliction is gone."30 She went home and found her daughter relaxed on the bed, the torment gone for good.

31 Then he left the region of Tyre, went through Sidon back to Galilee Lake and over to the district of the Ten Towns.32 Some people brought a man who could neither hear nor speak and asked Jesus to lay a healing hand on him.33 He took the man off by himself, put his fingers in the man's ears and some spit on the man's tongue.34 Then Jesus looked up in prayer, groaned mightily, and commanded, "Ephphatha!-Open up!"35 And it happened. The man's hearing was clear and his speech plain-just like that.

36 Jesus urged them to keep it quiet, but they talked it up all the more,37 beside themselves with excitement. "He's done it all and done it well. He gives hearing to the deaf, speech to the speechless."