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.
Mark 6
6
1 And departing from there, he went away to his own country; and his disciples followed him.
2 And when the Sabbath arrived, he began to teach in the synagogue. And many, upon hearing him, were amazed at his doctrine, saying: "Where did this one get all these things?" and, "What is this wisdom, which has been given to him?" and, "Such powerful deeds, which are wrought by his hands!"
3 "Is this not the carpenter, the son of Mary, the brother of James, and Joseph, and Jude, and Simon? Are not his sisters also here with us?" And they took great offense at him.
4 And Jesus said to them, "A prophet is not without honor, except in his own country, and in his own house, and among his own kindred."
5 And he was not able to perform any miracles there, except that he cured a few of the infirm by laying his hands on them.
6 And he wondered, because of their unbelief, and he traveled around in the villages, teaching.
7 And he called the twelve. And he began to send them out in twos, and he gave them authority over unclean spirits.
8 And he instructed them not to take anything for the journey, except a staff: no traveling bag, no bread, and no money belt,
9 but to wear sandals, and not to wear two tunics.
10 And he said to them: "Whenever you have entered into a house, stay there until you depart from that place.
11 And whoever will neither receive you, nor listen to you, as you go away from there, shake off the dust from your feet as a testimony against them."
12 And going out, they were preaching, so that people would repent.
13 And they cast out many demons, and they anointed many of the sick with oil and healed them.
14 And king Herod heard of it, (for his name had become well-known) and he said: "John the Baptist has risen again from the dead, and because of this, miracles are at work in him."
15 But others were saying, "Because it is Elijah." Still others were saying, "Because he is a prophet, like one of the prophets."
16 When Herod had heard it, he said, "John whom I beheaded, the same has risen again from the dead."
17 For Herod himself had sent to capture John, and had chained him in prison, because of Herodias, the wife of his brother Philip; for he had married her.
18 For John was saying to Herod, "It is not lawful for you to have your brother's wife."
19 Now Herodias was devising treachery against him; and she wanted to kill him, but she was unable.
20 For Herod was apprehensive of John, knowing him to be a just and holy man, and so he guarded him. And he heard that he was accomplishing many things, and so he listened to him willingly.
21 And when an opportune time had arrived, Herod held a feast on his birthday, with the leaders, and the tribunes, and the first rulers of Galilee.
22 And when the daughter of the same Herodias had entered, and danced, and pleased Herod, along with those who were at table with him, the king said to the girl, "Request from me whatever you want, and I will give it to you."
23 And he swore to her, "Anything that you request, I will give to you, even up to half my kingdom."
24 And when she had gone out, she said to her mother, "What shall I request?" But her mother said, "The head of John the Baptist."
25 And immediately, when she had entered with haste to the king, she petitioned him, saying: "I want you to give me at once the head of John the Baptist on a platter."
26 And the king was greatly saddened. But because of his oath, and because of those who were sitting with him at table, he was not willing to disappoint her.
27 So, having sent an executioner, he instructed that his head be brought on a platter.
28 And he beheaded him in prison, and he brought his head on a platter. And he gave it to the girl, and the girl gave it her mother.
29 When his disciples heard about it, they came and took his body, and they placed it in a tomb.
30 And the Apostles, returning to Jesus, reported to him everything that they had done and taught.
31 And he said to them, "Go out alone, into a deserted place, and rest for a little while." For there were so many who were coming and going, that they did not even have time to eat.
32 And climbing into a boat, they went away to a deserted place alone.
33 And they saw them going away, and many knew about it. And together they ran by foot from all the cities, and they arrived before them.
34 And Jesus, going out, saw a great multitude. And he took pity on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd, and he began to teach them many things.
35 And when many hours had now passed, his disciples drew near to him, saying: "This is a deserted place, and the hour is now late.
36 Send them away, so that by going out to nearby villages and towns, they might buy provisions for themselves to eat."
37 And responding, he said to them, "Give them something to eat yourselves." And they said to him, "Let us go out and buy bread for two hundred denarii, and then we will give them something to eat."
38 And he said to them: "How many loaves do you have? Go and see." And when they had found out, they said, "Five, and two fish."
39 And he instructed them to make them all sit down in groups on the green grass.
40 And they sat down in divisions by hundreds and by fifties.
41 And having received the five loaves and the two fish, gazing up to heaven, he blessed and broke the bread, and he gave it to his disciples to set before them. And the two fish he divided among them all.
42 And they all ate and were satisfied.
43 And they brought together the remainder: twelve baskets full of fragments and of fish.
44 Now those who ate were five thousand men.
45 And without delay he urged his disciples to climb into the boat, so that they might precede him across the sea to Bethsaida, while he dismissed the people.
46 And when he had dismissed them, he went to the mountain to pray.
47 And when it was late, the boat was in the midst of the sea, and he was alone on the land.
48 And seeing them struggling to row, (for the wind was against them,) and about the fourth watch of the night, he came to them, walking upon the sea. And he intended to pass by them.
49 But when they saw him walking upon the sea, they thought it was an apparition, and they cried out.
50 For they all saw him, and they were very disturbed. And immediately he spoke with them, and he said to them: "Be strengthened in faith. It is I. Do not be afraid."
51 And he climbed into the boat with them, and the wind ceased. And they became even more astonished within themselves.
52 For they did not understand about the bread. For their heart had been blinded.
53 And when they had crossed over, they arrived in the land of Genesaret, and they reached the shore.
54 And when they had disembarked from the boat, the people immediately recognized him.
55 And running throughout that entire region, they began to carry on beds those who had maladies, to where they heard that he would be.
56 And in whichever place he entered, in towns or villages or cities, they placed the infirm in the main streets, and they pleaded with him that they might touch even the hem of his garment. And as many as touched him were made healthy.
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