October 27

Mark 6:30 — 9:13
(words in gray are deemed interpolations)
 

30 And the apostles gathered together before Jesus and reported to him all the things they had done and taught. 31 And he said to them: “Come, YOU yourselves, privately into a lonely place and rest up a bit.” For there were many coming and going, and they had no leisure time even to eat a meal. 32 So off they went in the boat for a lonely place to themselves. 33 But people saw them going and many got to know it, and from all the cities they ran there together on foot and got ahead of them. 34 Well, on getting out, he saw a great crowd, but he was moved with pity for them, because they were as sheep without a shepherd. And he started to teach them many things.

35 By now the hour had grown late, and his disciples came up to him and began to say: “The place is isolated, and the hour is already late. 36 Send them away, that they may go off into the countryside and villages round about and buy themselves something to eat.” 37 In reply he said to them: “YOU give them something to eat.” At this they said to him: “Shall we go off and buy two hundred denarii worth of loaves and give [them] to the people to eat?” 38 He said to them: “How many loaves have YOU? Go see!” After ascertaining it, they said: “Five, besides two fishes.” 39 And he instructed all the people to recline by companies on the green grass. 40 And they laid themselves down in groups of a hundred and of fifty. 41 Taking now the five loaves and the two fishes he looked up to heaven and said a blessing, and broke the loaves up and began giving them to the disciples, that these might place them before the people; and he divided up the two fishes for all. 42 So they all ate and were satisfied; 43 and they took up fragments, twelve baskets full, aside from the fishes. 44 Furthermore, those who ate of the loaves were five thousand men.

45 And, without delay, he compelled his disciples to board the boat and go on ahead to the opposite shore toward Bethsaida, while he himself dismissed the crowd. 46 But after saying good-bye to them he went off into a mountain to pray. 47 Evening having now fallen, the boat was in the midst of the sea, but he was alone on the land. 48 And when he saw them being hard put to it in their rowing, for the wind was against them, about the fourth watch of the night he came toward them, walking on the sea; but he was inclined to pass them by. 49 At catching sight of him walking on the sea they thought: “It is an apparition!” and they cried aloud. 50 For they all saw him and were troubled. But immediately he spoke with them, and he said to them: “Take courage, it is I; have no fear.” 51 And he got up into the boat with them, and the wind abated. At this they were very much amazed within themselves, 52 for they had not grasped the meaning of the loaves, but their hearts continued dull of understanding.

53 And when they got across to land, they came into Gennesaret and anchored ship nearby. 54 But as soon as they got out of the boat, people recognized him, 55 and they ran around all that region and started to carry about on cots those who were ailing to where they heard he was. 56 And wherever he would enter into villages or cities or countryside they would place the sick ones in the marketplaces, and they would plead with him that they might touch just the fringe of his outer garment. And as many as did touch it were made well.

7 Now the Pharisees and some of the scribes that had come from Jerusalem gathered about him. 2 And when they saw some of his disciples eat their meal with defiled hands, that is, unwashed ones— 3 for the Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat unless they wash their hands up to the elbow, holding fast the tradition of the men of former times, 4 and, when back from market, they do not eat unless they cleanse themselves by sprinkling; and there are many other traditions that they have received to hold fast, baptisms of cups and pitchers and copper vessels;— 5 so these Pharisees and scribes asked him: “Why is it your disciples do not conduct themselves according to the tradition of the men of former times, but they take their meal with defiled hands?” 6 He said to them: “Isaiah aptly prophesied about YOU hypocrites, as it is written, ‘This people honor me with [their] lips, but their hearts are far removed from me. 7 It is in vain that they keep worshiping me, because they teach as doctrines commands of men.’ 8 Letting go the commandment of God, YOU hold fast the tradition of men.”

9 Further, he went on to say to them: “Adroitly YOU set aside the commandment of God in order to retain YOUR tradition. 10 For example, Moses said, ‘Honor your father and your mother,’ and, ‘Let him that reviles father or mother end up in death.’ 11 But YOU men say, ‘If a man says to his father or his mother: “Whatever I have by which you may get benefit from me is corban, (that is, a gift dedicated to God,)”’— 12 YOU men no longer let him do a single thing for his father or his mother, 13 and thus YOU make the word of God invalid by YOUR tradition which YOU handed down. And many things similar to this YOU do.” 14 So, calling the crowd to him again, he proceeded to say to them: “Listen to me, all of YOU, and get the meaning. 15 There is nothing from outside a man that passes into him that can defile him; but the things that issue forth out of a man are the things that defile a man.” 16 ——

17 Now when he had entered a house away from the crowd, his disciples began to question him respecting the illustration. 18 So he said to them: “Are YOU also without perception like them? Are YOU not aware that nothing from outside that passes into a man can defile him, 19 since it passes, not into [his] heart, but into [his] intestines, and it passes out into the sewer?” Thus he declared all foods clean. 20 Further, he said: “That which issues forth out of a man is what defiles a man; 21 for from inside, out of the heart of men, injurious reasonings issue forth: fornications, thieveries, murders, 22 adulteries, covetings, acts of wickedness, deceit, loose conduct, an envious eye, blasphemy, haughtiness, unreasonableness. 23 All these wicked things issue forth from within and defile a man.”

24 From there he rose up and went into the regions of Tyre and Sidon. And he entered into a house and did not want anyone to get to know it. Yet he could not escape notice; 25 but immediately a woman whose little daughter had an unclean spirit heard about him and came and prostrated herself at his feet. 26 The woman was a Grecian, a Syrophoenician nationally; and she kept asking him to expel the demon from her daughter. 27 But he began by saying to her: “First let the children be satisfied, for it is not right to take the bread of the children and throw it to the little dogs.” 28 In reply, however, she said to him: “Yes, sir, and yet the little dogs underneath the table eat of the crumbs of the little children.” 29 At that he said to her: “Because of saying this, go; the demon has gone out of your daughter.” 30 So she went away to her home and found the young child laid on the bed and the demon gone out.

31 Now coming back out of the regions of Tyre he went through Sidon to the sea of Galilee up through the midst of the regions of Decapolis. 32 Here they brought him a man deaf and with a speech impediment, and they entreated him to lay his hand upon him. 33 And he took him away from the crowd privately and put his fingers into the man’s ears and, after spitting, he touched his tongue. 34 And with a look up into heaven he sighed deeply and said to him: “Ephphatha,” that is, “Be opened.” 35 Well, his hearing powers were opened, and the impediment of his tongue was loosed, and he began speaking normally. 36 With that he charged them not to tell anyone; but the more he would charge them, that much more they would proclaim it. 37 Indeed, they were being astounded in a most extraordinary way and they said: “He has done all things well. He even makes the deaf hear and the speechless speak.”


8 In those days, when there was again a big crowd and they had nothing to eat, he summoned the disciples and said to them: 2 “I feel pity for the crowd, because it is already three days that they have remained near me and they have nothing to eat; 3 and if I should send them off to their homes fasting, they will give out on the road. Indeed, some of them are from far away.” 4 But his disciples answered him: “From where will anybody here in an isolated place be able to satisfy these people with loaves?” 5 Still he went on to ask them: “How many loaves have YOU?” They said: “Seven.” 6 And he instructed the crowd to recline on the ground, and he took the seven loaves, gave thanks, broke them, and began to give them to his disciples to serve, and they served them to the crowd. 7 They also had a few little fishes; and, having blessed these, he told them also to serve these. 8 Accordingly they ate and were satisfied, and they took up surpluses of fragments, seven provision baskets full. 9 Yet there were about four thousand [men]. Finally he sent them away.

10 And immediately he boarded the boat with his disciples and came into the parts of Dalmanutha. 11 Here the Pharisees came out and started disputing with him, seeking from him a sign from heaven, to put him to the test. 12 So he groaned deeply with his spirit, and said: “Why does this generation seek a sign? Truly I say, No sign will be given to this generation.” 13 With that he left them, got aboard again, and went off to the opposite shore.

14 As it was, they forgot to take loaves along, and except for one loaf they had nothing with them in the boat. 15 And he began to order them expressly and say: “Keep YOUR eyes open, look out for the leaven of the Pharisees and the leaven of Herod.” 16 So they went arguing with one another over the fact that they had no loaves. 17 Noting this, he said to them: “Why do YOU argue over your having no loaves? Do YOU not yet perceive and get the meaning? Do YOU have YOUR hearts dull of understanding? 18 ‘Though having eyes, do YOU not see; and though having ears, do YOU not hear?’ And do YOU not remember, 19 when I broke the five loaves for the five thousand [men], how many baskets full of fragments YOU took up?” They said to him: “Twelve.” 20 “When I broke the seven for the four thousand [men], how many provision baskets full of fragments did YOU take up?” And they said to him: “Seven.” 21 With that he said to them: “Do YOU not yet get the meaning?”

22 Now they put in at Bethsaida. Here people brought him a blind man, and they entreated him to touch him. 23 And he took the blind man by the hand, brought him outside the village, and, having spit upon his eyes, he laid his hands upon him and began to ask him: “Do you see anything?” 24 And the man looked up and began saying: “I see men, because I observe what seem to be trees, but they are walking about.” 25 Then he laid his hands again upon the man’s eyes, and the man saw clearly, and he was restored, and he was seeing everything distinctly. 26 So he sent him off home, saying: “But do not enter into the village.”

27 Jesus and his disciples now left for the villages of Caesarea Philippi, and on the way he began questioning his disciples, saying to them: “Who are men saying that I am?” 28 They said to him: “John the Baptist, and others, Elijah, still others, One of the prophets.” 29 And he put the question to them: “YOU, though, who do YOU say I am?” In answer Peter said to him: “You are the Christ.” 30 At that he strictly charged them not to tell anyone about him. 31 Also, he started teaching them that the Son of man must undergo many sufferings and be rejected by the older men and the chief priests and the scribes and be killed, and rise three days later. 32 Indeed, with outspokenness he was making that statement. But Peter took him aside and started rebuking him. 33 He turned, looked at his disciples and rebuked Peter, and said: “Get behind me, Satan, because you think, not God’s thoughts, but those of men.”

34 He now called the crowd to him with his disciples and said to them: “If anyone wants to come after me, let him disown himself and pick up his torture stake and follow me continually. 35 For whoever wants to save his soul will lose it; but whoever loses his soul for the sake of me and the good news will save it. 36 Really, of what benefit is it for a man to gain the whole world and to forfeit his soul? 37 What, really, would a man give in exchange for his soul? 38 For whoever becomes ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of man will also be ashamed of him when he arrives in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.”

9 Furthermore, he went on to say to them: “Truly I say to YOU, There are some of those standing here that will not taste death at all until first they see the kingdom of God already come in power.” 2 Accordingly six days later Jesus took Peter and James and John along, and brought them up into a lofty mountain to themselves alone. And he was transfigured before them, 3 and his outer garments became glistening, far whiter than any clothes cleaner on earth could whiten them. 4 Also, Elijah with Moses appeared to them, and they were conversing with Jesus. 5 And responsively Peter said to Jesus: “Rabbi, it is fine for us to be here, so let us erect three tents, one for you and one for Moses and one for Elijah.” 6 In fact, he did not know what response he should make, for they became quite fearful. 7 And a cloud formed, overshadowing them, and a voice came out of the cloud: “This is my Son, the beloved; listen to him.” 8 Suddenly, however, they looked around and saw no one with them any longer, except Jesus alone.

9 As they were coming down out of the mountain, he expressly ordered them not to relate to anybody what they saw, until after the Son of man had risen from the dead. 10 And they took the word to heart, but discussed among themselves what this rising from the dead meant. 11 And they began to question him, saying: “Why do the scribes say that first Elijah must come?” 12 He said to them: “Elijah does come first and restore all things; but how is it that it is written respecting the Son of man that he must undergo many sufferings and be treated as of no account? 13 But I say to YOU, Elijah, in fact, has come, and they did to him as many things as they wanted, just as it is written respecting him.”