Mark 6
6
A Prophet Without Honor
1Jesus left there and went to his hometown of Nazareth. His disciples came with him. 2On the Sabbath day, he began to teach in the synagogue. Many who heard him were amazed.
“Where did this man get these things?” they asked. “What’s this wisdom that has been given to him? What are these remarkable miracles that he’s doing? Isn’t this the carpenter? 3Isn’t he Mary’s son? Isn’t he the brother of James, Joseph, Judas, and Simon? And aren’t his sisters here with us?” They didn’t think he really was who he seemed to be.
4Jesus told them, “A prophet is honored everywhere except in his own town, among his relatives and in his own home.” 5He couldn’t do any miracles there except place his hands on a few sick people and heal them. 6He was amazed at their lack of faith.
Jesus Sends Out the 12 Disciples
Then Jesus went around from village to village teaching. 7He called for the 12 disciples and began to send them out two by two, giving them authority to drive out evil spirits.
8“Take only a walking stick for your trip,” he told them. “Don’t bring bread or a pack, and don’t carry any money in your belts. 9You can wear sandals, but don’t bring extra clothes. 10When you’re invited into a house, stay there until you leave town. 11If the people of any place don’t welcome you or listen to you, leave there and shake the dust off your feet as a witness against them.”
12They went out and preached that people should turn away from their sins. 13They drove out many demons, and they poured olive oil on many sick people and healed them.
John the Baptist Is Killed
14King Herod heard about this because Jesus’ name had become well known. Some were saying, “He’s John the Baptist, raised from the dead! That’s why he has the power to do miracles.”
15Others said, “He’s Elijah!”
Still others claimed, “He’s a prophet, like those of long ago.”
16But when Herod heard this, he said, “I had John’s head cut off, but now he has been raised from the dead!”
17It was Herod himself who’d given the orders to arrest John. He had him tied up and put in prison because of Herodias, the woman who had been the wife of his brother Philip, but who was now married to him. 18John had been saying to Herod, “The Law of Moses doesn’t permit you to be married to your brother’s wife.” 19Herodias had a grudge against John because he said that, and she wanted to kill him. But she wasn’t able to, 20because Herod was afraid of John and kept him safe. Herod knew John was a holy man who did what was right. When he listened to him, he always felt uncomfortable, but he still liked to hear John speak.
21Herodias got her opportunity when Herod gave a banquet on his birthday. He invited his high officials, his military commanders, and the most important leaders of Galilee. 22The daughter of Herodias came in and danced for Herod and his dinner guests, and they were all very pleased.
The king told the girl, “Ask me for anything you want, and I’ll give it to you.” 23He made this promise in front of everyone. “I’ll give you anything you ask for,” he insisted, “even up to half of my kingdom.”
24She went out to her mother and said, “What should I ask for?”
She answered, “The head of John the Baptist.”
25The girl hurried back to the king and said, “I want you to give me the head of John the Baptist on a platter, right now.”
26The king was very upset. But because he’d made a promise in front of all his dinner guests, he didn’t want to say no to the girl. 27So right away he sent a man out with orders to bring John’s head. The man went to the prison and cut John’s head off, 28and then he brought it back on a platter. He gave it to the girl, and she gave it to her mother. 29When John’s disciples heard about this, they came and took his body and placed it in a tomb.
Jesus Feeds Five Thousand
30The apostles gathered around Jesus and told him everything they’d done and taught. 31So many people were coming and going around them that they didn’t even have a chance to eat. So Jesus told them, “I want you to come with me to a quiet place where you can get some rest.”
32So they headed off by themselves in a boat to a quiet place. 33But many people saw them leaving and recognized who they were. People ran from all the towns to where they were heading, and they got there ahead of them. 34When Jesus came ashore, he found a large crowd. He felt deep concern for them because they were like sheep without a shepherd. So he began to teach them many things.
35Later in the day his disciples came to him and said, “We’re in the middle of nowhere, and it’s already very late. 36Send the people away so they can go to the nearby countryside and villages and buy something to eat.”
37But Jesus answered, “You give them something to eat.”
They said to him, “That would cost more than half a year’s wages! Should we go and spend that much on bread so we can feed them?”
38“How many loaves do you have?” Jesus asked. “Go and see.”
When they found out, they told him, “Five loaves, and two fish.”
39Then Jesus asked them to have all the people sit down in groups on the green grass. 40So everyone sat down in groups of 100 or 50. 41Jesus took the five loaves and the two fish, and he looked up to heaven and gave thanks. Then he broke the loaves into pieces and gave them to his disciples to pass around to the people. He also divided the two fish among them all. 42Everyone had as much to eat as they needed. 43And afterwards, the disciples picked up 12 full baskets of leftover pieces of bread and fish. 44Just counting the men, about 5,000 people were fed.
Jesus Walks on the Water
45Jesus made his disciples get right into the boat and go on ahead of him to Bethsaida while he said goodbye to the crowd. 46Once the crowd was gone, he went up on a mountainside to pray.
47Later that night, the boat was in the middle of the Sea of Galilee, and Jesus was still on land by himself. 48He saw the disciples pulling hard on the oars, because the wind was blowing against them. Shortly before dawn, he went out to them, walking on the lake. He was about to pass by them, but when 49they saw him walking on the lake, they thought he was a ghost. They screamed, 50because they all saw him and were terrified.
But right away Jesus told them, “Don’t worry, it’s me! Don’t be afraid.” 51When he climbed into the boat with them, the wind died down. They were completely amazed, 52because they hadn’t realized the meaning of what had just happened with the loaves. Instead, their hearts were hardened.
53They went across the lake and landed at Gennesaret, and there they tied up the boat. 54As soon as Jesus got out with his disciples, the people recognized him. 55They ran through that whole area to get those who were sick, and they carried them on mats to wherever they heard he was. 56He went into the villages, the towns, and the countryside, and everywhere he went, people brought the sick to the marketplaces. Those who were sick begged him to let them touch just a tassel on his clothes, and anyone who did so was healed.
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Mark 6
6
Just a Carpenter
1-2He left there and returned to his hometown. His disciples came along. On the Sabbath, he gave a lecture in the meeting place. He stole the show, 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?”
3But 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.
4-6Jesus told them, “A prophet has little honor in his hometown, among his relatives, on the streets he played in as a child.” Jesus wasn’t able to do much of anything there—he laid hands on a few sick people and healed them, that’s all. He couldn’t get over their stubbornness. He left and made a circuit of the other villages, teaching.
The Twelve
7-8a Jesus called the Twelve to him, and sent them out in pairs. He gave them authority and power to deal with the evil opposition. He sent them off with these instructions:
8b-9 “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.”
12-13Then they were on the road. They preached with joyful urgency that life can be radically different; right and left they sent the demons packing; they brought wellness to the sick, anointing their bodies, healing their spirits.
The Death of John
14King 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!”
15Others said, “No, it’s Elijah.”
Others said, “He’s a prophet, just like one of the old-time prophets.”
16But Herod wouldn’t budge: “It’s John, sure enough. I cut off his head, and now he’s back, alive.”
17-20Herod 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. For John had provoked Herod by naming his relationship with Herodias “adultery.” Herodias, smoldering with hate, wanted to kill him, but didn’t dare 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.
21-22a But a portentous day arrived when Herod threw a birthday party, inviting all the brass and bluebloods in Galilee. Herodias’s daughter entered the banquet hall and danced for the guests. She charmed Herod and the guests.
22b-23 The king said to the girl, “Ask me anything. I’ll give you anything you want.” Carried away, he kept on, “I swear, I’ll split my kingdom with you if you say so!”
24She went back to her mother and said, “What should I ask for?”
“Ask for the head of John the Baptizer.”
25Excited, 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!”
26-29That sobered the king up fast. But unwilling to lose face with his guests, he caved in and let her have her wish. The king sent the executioner off to the prison with orders to bring back John’s head. He went, cut off John’s head, brought it back on a platter, and presented it to the girl, who gave it to her mother. When John’s disciples heard about this, they came and got the body and gave it a decent burial.
Supper for Five Thousand
30-31The apostles then rendezvoused with Jesus and reported on all that they had done and taught. 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.
32-34So they got in the boat and went off to a remote place by themselves. 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. 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.
35-36When 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. Pronounce a benediction and send these folks off so they can get some supper.”
37Jesus 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?”
38But 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.”
39-44Jesus 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! 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. They all ate their fill. The disciples gathered twelve baskets of leftovers. More than five thousand were at the supper.
Walking on the Sea
45-46As 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. After sending them off, he climbed a mountain to pray.
47-49Late at night, the boat was far out at sea; Jesus was still by himself on land. 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. But when they saw him walking on the sea, they thought it was a ghost and screamed, scared to death.
50-52Jesus was quick to comfort them: “Courage! It’s me. Don’t be afraid.” As soon as he climbed into the boat, the wind died down. They were stunned, shaking their heads, wondering what was going on. They didn’t understand what he had done at the supper. None of this had yet penetrated their hearts.
53-56They beached the boat at Gennesaret and tied up at the landing. As soon as they got out of the boat, word got around fast. People ran this way and that, bringing their sick on stretchers to where they heard he was. 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.
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THE MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary Language copyright © 1993, 2002, 2018 by Eugene H. Peterson. All rights reserved. Used by permission of NavPress. Represented by Tyndale House Publishers.