October 18
Mark 8 - 9 (New International Version)
Mark 8
Jesus Feeds the Four Thousand
1 During those days another large crowd gathered. Since
they had nothing to eat, Jesus called his disciples to him and said,
2 “I have compassion for these people; they have already been
with me three days and have nothing to eat. 3 If I send
them home hungry, they will collapse on the way, because some of them have
come a long distance.”
4 His disciples answered, “But where in this remote place
can anyone get enough bread to feed them?”
5 “How many loaves do you have?” Jesus asked.
“Seven,” they replied.
6 He told the crowd to sit down on the ground. When he had
taken the seven loaves and given thanks, he broke them and gave them to his
disciples to distribute to the people, and they did so. 7
They had a few small fish as well; he gave thanks for them also and told the
disciples to distribute them. 8 The people ate and were
satisfied. Afterward the disciples picked up seven basketfuls of broken
pieces that were left over. 9 About four thousand were
present. After he had sent them away, 10 he got into the
boat with his disciples and went to the region of Dalmanutha.
11 The Pharisees came and began to question Jesus. To test
him, they asked him for a sign from heaven. 12 He sighed
deeply and said, “Why does this generation ask for a sign? Truly I tell you,
no sign will be given to it.” 13 Then he left them, got
back into the boat and crossed to the other side.
The Yeast of the Pharisees and Herod
14 The disciples had forgotten to bring bread, except for
one loaf they had with them in the boat. 15 “Be careful,”
Jesus warned them. “Watch out for the yeast of the Pharisees and that of
Herod.”
16 They discussed this with one another and said, “It is
because we have no bread.”
17 Aware of their discussion, Jesus asked them: “Why are
you talking about having no bread? Do you still not see or understand? Are
your hearts hardened? 18 Do you have eyes but fail to see,
and ears but fail to hear? And don’t you remember? 19 When
I broke the five loaves for the five thousand, how many basketfuls of pieces
did you pick up?”
“Twelve,” they replied.
20 “And when I broke the seven loaves for the four
thousand, how many basketfuls of pieces did you pick up?”
They answered, “Seven.”
21 He said to them, “Do you still not understand?”
Jesus Heals a Blind Man at Bethsaida
22 They came to Bethsaida, and some people brought a blind
man and begged Jesus to touch him. 23 He took the blind
man by the hand and led him outside the village. When he had spit on the
man’s eyes and put his hands on him, Jesus asked, “Do you see anything?”
24 He looked up and said, “I see people; they look like
trees walking around.”
25 Once more Jesus put his hands on the man’s eyes. Then
his eyes were opened, his sight was restored, and he saw everything clearly.
26 Jesus sent him home, saying, “Don’t even go into the
village.”
Peter Declares That Jesus Is the Messiah
27 Jesus and his disciples went on to the villages around
Caesarea Philippi. On the way he asked them, “Who do people say I am?”
28 They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say
Elijah; and still others, one of the prophets.”
29 “But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?”
Peter answered, “You are the Messiah.”
30 Jesus warned them not to tell anyone about him.
Jesus Predicts His Death
31 He then began to teach them that the Son of Man must
suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests and the
teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and after three days rise
again. 32 He spoke plainly about this, and Peter took him
aside and began to rebuke him.
33 But when Jesus turned and looked at his disciples, he
rebuked Peter. “Get behind me, Satan!” he said. “You do not have in mind the
concerns of God, but merely human concerns.”
The Way of the Cross
34 Then he called the crowd to him along with his
disciples and said: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves
and take up their cross and follow me. 35 For whoever
wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me
and for the gospel will save it. 36 What good is it for
someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? 37
Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul? 38 If
anyone is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful
generation, the Son of Man will be ashamed of them when he comes in his
Father’s glory with the holy angels.”
Mark 9
1 And he said to them, “Truly I tell you, some who are
standing here will not taste death before they see that the kingdom of God
has come with power.”
The Transfiguration
2 After six days Jesus took Peter, James and John with him
and led them up a high mountain, where they were all alone. There he was
transfigured before them. 3 His clothes became dazzling
white, whiter than anyone in the world could bleach them. 4
And there appeared before them Elijah and Moses, who were talking with
Jesus.
5 Peter said to Jesus, “Rabbi, it is good for us to be
here. Let us put up three shelters—one for you, one for Moses and one for
Elijah.” 6 (He did not know what to say, they were so
frightened.)
7 Then a cloud appeared and covered them, and a voice came
from the cloud: “This is my Son, whom I love. Listen to him!”
8 Suddenly, when they looked around, they no longer saw
anyone with them except Jesus.
9 As they were coming down the mountain, Jesus gave them
orders not to tell anyone what they had seen until the Son of Man had risen
from the dead. 10 They kept the matter to themselves,
discussing what “rising from the dead” meant.
11 And they asked him, “Why do the teachers of the law say
that Elijah must come first?”
12 Jesus replied, “To be sure, Elijah does come first, and
restores all things. Why then is it written that the Son of Man must suffer
much and be rejected? 13 But I tell you, Elijah has come,
and they have done to him everything they wished, just as it is written
about him.”
Jesus Heals a Boy Possessed by an Impure Spirit
14 When they came to the other disciples, they saw a large
crowd around them and the teachers of the law arguing with them. 15
As soon as all the people saw Jesus, they were overwhelmed with wonder and
ran to greet him.
16 “What are you arguing with them about?” he asked.
17 A man in the crowd answered, “Teacher, I brought you my
son, who is possessed by a spirit that has robbed him of speech. 18
Whenever it seizes him, it throws him to the ground. He foams at the mouth,
gnashes his teeth and becomes rigid. I asked your disciples to drive out the
spirit, but they could not.”
19 “You unbelieving generation,” Jesus replied, “how long
shall I stay with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring the boy to
me.”
20 So they brought him. When the spirit saw Jesus, it
immediately threw the boy into a convulsion. He fell to the ground and
rolled around, foaming at the mouth.
21 Jesus asked the boy’s father, “How long has he been
like this?”
“From childhood,” he answered. 22 “It has often thrown him
into fire or water to kill him. But if you can do anything, take pity on us
and help us.”
23 “‘If you can’?” said Jesus. “Everything is possible for
one who believes.”
24 Immediately the boy’s father exclaimed, “I do believe;
help me overcome my unbelief!”
25 When Jesus saw that a crowd was running to the scene,
he rebuked the impure spirit. “You deaf and mute spirit,” he said, “I
command you, come out of him and never enter him again.”
26 The spirit shrieked, convulsed him violently and came
out. The boy looked so much like a corpse that many said, “He’s dead.”
27 But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him to his feet,
and he stood up.
28 After Jesus had gone indoors, his disciples asked him
privately, “Why couldn’t we drive it out?”
29 He replied, “This kind can come out only by prayer.”
Jesus Predicts His Death a Second Time
30 They left that place and passed through Galilee. Jesus
did not want anyone to know where they were, 31 because he
was teaching his disciples. He said to them, “The Son of Man is going to be
delivered into the hands of men. They will kill him, and after three days he
will rise.” 32 But they did not understand what he meant
and were afraid to ask him about it.
33 They came to Capernaum. When he was in the house, he
asked them, “What were you arguing about on the road?” 34
But they kept quiet because on the way they had argued about who was the
greatest.
35 Sitting down, Jesus called the Twelve and said, “Anyone
who wants to be first must be the very last, and the servant of all.”
36 He took a little child whom he placed among them.
Taking the child in his arms, he said to them, 37 “Whoever
welcomes one of these little children in my name welcomes me; and whoever
welcomes me does not welcome me but the one who sent me.”
Whoever Is Not Against Us Is for Us
38 “Teacher,” said John, “we saw someone driving out
demons in your name and we told him to stop, because he was not one of us.”
39 “Do not stop him,” Jesus said. “For no one who does a
miracle in my name can in the next moment say anything bad about me,
40 for whoever is not against us is for us. 41
Truly I tell you, anyone who gives you a cup of water in my name because you
belong to the Messiah will certainly not lose their reward.
Causing to Stumble
42 “If anyone causes one of these little ones—those who
believe in me—to stumble, it would be better for them if a large millstone
were hung around their neck and they were thrown into the sea. 43
If your hand causes you to stumble, cut it off. It is better for you to
enter life maimed than with two hands to go into hell, where the fire never
goes out. [44] 45 And if your foot
causes you to stumble, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life
crippled than to have two feet and be thrown into hell. [46]
47 And if your eye causes you to stumble, pluck it out. It
is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than to have two
eyes and be thrown into hell, 48 where
“‘the worms that eat them do not die,
and the fire is not quenched.’
49 Everyone will be salted with fire.
50 “Salt is good, but if it loses its saltiness, how can
you make it salty again? Have salt among yourselves, and be at peace with
each other.”