The whole Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem were flocking to him, and they were baptized by him in the Jordan River as they confessed their sins.

As He was passing along by the Sea of Galilee, He saw Simon and Andrew, Simon’s brother. They were casting a net into the sea, since they were fishermen.

Immediately they left their nets and followed Him.

Going on a little farther, He saw James the son of Zebedee and his brother John. They were in their boat mending their nets.

Immediately He called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired men and followed Him.

Then they went into Capernaum, and right away He entered the synagogue on the Sabbath and began to teach.

They were astonished at His teaching because, unlike the scribes, He was teaching them as one having authority.

Then they were all amazed, so they began to argue with one another, saying, “What is this? A new teaching with authority! He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey Him.”

As soon as they left the synagogue, they went into Simon and Andrew’s house with James and John.

Simon’s mother-in-law was lying in bed with a fever, and they told Him about her at once.

When evening came, after the sun had set, they began bringing to Him all those who were sick and those who were demon-possessed.

and He healed many who were sick with various diseases and drove out many demons. But He would not permit the demons to speak, because they knew Him.

They found Him and said, “Everyone’s looking for You!”

Yet he went out and began to proclaim it widely and to spread the news, with the result that Jesus could no longer enter a town openly. But He was out in deserted places, and they would come to Him from everywhere.

Then they came to Him bringing a paralytic, carried by four men.

Since they were not able to bring him to Jesus because of the crowd, they removed the roof above where He was. And when they had broken through, they lowered the mat on which the paralytic was lying.

Right away Jesus understood in His spirit that they were thinking like this within themselves and said to them, “Why are you thinking these things in your hearts?

Immediately he got up, picked up the mat, and went out in front of everyone. As a result, they were all astounded and gave glory to God, saying, “We have never seen anything like this!”

When the scribes of the Pharisees saw that He was eating with sinners and tax collectors, they asked His disciples, “Why does He eat with tax collectors and sinners?”

Jesus said to them, “The wedding guests cannot fast while the groom is with them, can they? As long as they have the groom with them, they cannot fast.

But the time will come when the groom is taken away from them, and then they will fast in that day.

The Pharisees said to Him, “Look, why are they doing what is not lawful on the Sabbath?”

In order to accuse Him, they were watching Him closely to see whether He would heal him on the Sabbath.

Then He said to them, “Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do what is good or to do what is evil, to save life or to kill?” But they were silent.

Immediately the Pharisees went out and started plotting with the Herodians against Him, how they might destroy Him.

Jerusalem, Idumea, beyond the Jordan, and around Tyre and Sidon. The large crowd came to Him because they heard about everything He was doing.

Then He went up the mountain and summoned those He wanted, and they came to Him.

Then He went home, and the crowd gathered again so that they were not even able to eat.

When His family heard this, they set out to restrain Him, because they said, “He’s out of His mind.”

I assure you: People will be forgiven for all sins and whatever blasphemies they may blaspheme.

because they were saying, “He has an unclean spirit.”

Then His mother and His brothers came, and standing outside, they sent word to Him and called Him.

so that

they may look and look,
yet not perceive;
they may listen and listen,
yet not understand;
otherwise, they might turn back—
and be forgiven.”

These are the ones along the path where the word is sown: when they hear, immediately Satan comes and takes away the word sown in them.

And these are the ones sown on rocky ground: when they hear the word, immediately they receive it with joy.

But they have no root in themselves; they are short-lived. When pressure or persecution comes because of the word, they immediately stumble.

He would speak the word to them with many parables like these, as they were able to understand.

So they left the crowd and took Him along since He was already in the boat. And other boats were with Him.

But He was in the stern, sleeping on the cushion. So they woke Him up and said to Him, “Teacher! Don’t You care that we’re going to die?”

And they were terrified and asked one another, “Who then is this? Even the wind and the sea obey Him!”

Then they came to the other side of the sea, to the region of the Gerasenes.

They came to Jesus and saw the man who had been demon-possessed by the legion, sitting there, dressed and in his right mind; and they were afraid.

Then they began to beg Him to leave their region.

So he went out and began to proclaim in the Decapolis how much Jesus had done for him, and they were all amazed.

They came to the leader’s house, and He saw a commotion—people weeping and wailing loudly.

They started laughing at Him, but He put them all outside. He took the child’s father, mother, and those who were with Him, and entered the place where the child was.

Immediately the girl got up and began to walk. (She was 12 years old.) At this they were utterly astounded.

When the Sabbath came, He began to teach in the synagogue, and many who heard Him were astonished. “Where did this man get these things?” they said. “What is this wisdom given to Him, and how are these miracles performed by His hands?

Isn’t this the carpenter, the son of Mary, and the brother of James, Joses, Judas, and Simon? And aren’t His sisters here with us?” So they were offended by Him.

They were to wear sandals, but not put on an extra shirt.

So they went out and preached that people should repent.

And they were driving out many demons, anointing many sick people with olive oil, and healing them.

When his disciples heard about it, they came and removed his corpse and placed it in a tomb.

The apostles gathered around Jesus and reported to Him all that they had done and taught.

He said to them, “Come away by yourselves to a remote place and rest for a while.” For many people were coming and going, and they did not even have time to eat.

So they went away in the boat by themselves to a remote place,

So as He stepped ashore, He saw a huge crowd and had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. Then He began to teach them many things.

Send them away, so they can go into the surrounding countryside and villages to buy themselves something to eat.”

“You give them something to eat,” He responded.

They said to Him, “Should we go and buy 200 denarii worth of bread and give them something to eat?”

And He asked them, “How many loaves do you have? Go look.”

When they found out they said, “Five, and two fish.”

So they sat down in ranks of hundreds and fifties.

Then they picked up 12 baskets full of pieces of bread and fish.

He saw them being battered as they rowed, because the wind was against them. Around three in the morning He came toward them walking on the sea and wanted to pass by them.

When they saw Him walking on the sea, they thought it was a ghost and cried out;

for they all saw Him and were terrified. Immediately He spoke with them and said, “Have courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.”

Then He got into the boat with them, and the wind ceased. They were completely astounded,

because they had not understood about the loaves. Instead, their hearts were hardened.

When they had crossed over, they came to land at Gennesaret and beached the boat.

As they got out of the boat, people immediately recognized Him.

They hurried throughout that vicinity and began to carry the sick on mats to wherever they heard He was.

Wherever He would go, into villages, towns, or the country, they laid the sick in the marketplaces and begged Him that they might touch just the tassel of His robe. And everyone who touched it was made well.

They observed that some of His disciples were eating their bread with unclean—that is, unwashed—hands.

(For the Pharisees, in fact all the Jews, will not eat unless they wash their hands ritually, keeping the tradition of the elders.

When they come from the marketplace, they do not eat unless they have washed. And there are many other customs they have received and keep, like the washing of cups, jugs, copper utensils, and dining couches.)

They worship Me in vain,
teaching as doctrines the commands of men.

They brought to Him a deaf man who also had a speech difficulty, and begged Jesus to lay His hand on him.

Then He ordered them to tell no one, but the more He would order them, the more they would proclaim it.

They were extremely astonished and said, “He has done everything well! He even makes deaf people hear, and people unable to speak, talk!”

In those days there was again a large crowd, and they had nothing to eat. He summoned the disciples and said to them,

“I have compassion on the crowd, because they’ve already stayed with Me three days and have nothing to eat.

If I send them home hungry, they will collapse on the way, and some of them have come a long distance.”

“How many loaves do you have?” He asked them.

“Seven,” they said.

Then He commanded the crowd to sit down on the ground. Taking the seven loaves, He gave thanks, broke the loaves, and kept on giving them to His disciples to set before the people. So they served the loaves to the crowd.

They also had a few small fish, and when He had blessed them, He said these were to be served as well.

They ate and were filled. Then they collected seven large baskets of leftover pieces.

They had forgotten to take bread and had only one loaf with them in the boat.

They were discussing among themselves that they did not have any bread.

When I broke the five loaves for the 5,000, how many baskets full of pieces of bread did you collect?”

“Twelve,” they told Him.

“When I broke the seven loaves for the 4,000, how many large baskets full of pieces of bread did you collect?”

“Seven,” they said.

Then they came to Bethsaida. They brought a blind man to Him and begged Him to touch him.

He looked up and said, “I see people—they look to me like trees walking.”

They answered Him, “John the Baptist; others, Elijah; still others, one of the prophets.”

Then He said to them, “I assure you: There are some standing here who will not taste death until they see the kingdom of God come in power.”

Elijah appeared to them with Moses, and they were talking with Jesus.

because he did not know what he should say, since they were terrified.

Then suddenly, looking around, they no longer saw anyone with them except Jesus alone.

As they were coming down from the mountain, He ordered them to tell no one what they had seen until the Son of Man had risen from the dead.

They kept this word to themselves, discussing what “rising from the dead” meant.

Then they began to question Him, “Why do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?”

But I tell you that Elijah really has come, and they did whatever they pleased to him, just as it is written about him.”