Matthew 14; Mark 6; Luke 9:1-17

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Matthew 14

1 At that time Herod the ruler heard the news about Jesus.

2 He said to his servants, "This is John the Baptist. He's been raised from the dead. This is why these miraculous powers are at work through him."

3 Herod had arrested John, bound him, and put him in prison because of Herodias, the wife of Herod's brother Philip.

4 That's because John told Herod, "It's against the law for you to marry her."

5 Although Herod wanted to kill him, he feared the crowd because they thought John was a prophet.

6 But at Herod's birthday party Herodias' daughter danced in front of the guests and thrilled Herod.

7 Then he swore to give her anything she asked.

8 At her mother's urging, the girl said, "Give me the head of John the Baptist here on a plate."

9 Although the king was upset, because of his solemn pledge and his guests he commanded that they give it to her.

10 Then he had John beheaded in prison.

11 They brought his head on a plate and gave it to the young woman, and she brought it to her mother.

12 But John's disciples came and took his body and buried it. Then they went and told Jesus what had happened.

13 When Jesus heard about John, he withdrew in a boat to a deserted place by himself. When the crowds learned this, they followed him on foot from the cities.

14 When Jesus arrived and saw a large crowd, he had compassion for them and healed those who were sick.

15 That evening his disciples came and said to him, "This is an isolated place and it's getting late. Send the crowds away so they can go into the villages and buy food for themselves."

16 But Jesus said to them, "There's no need to send them away. You give them something to eat."

17 They replied, "We have nothing here except five loaves of bread and two fish."

18 He said, "Bring them here to me."

19 He ordered the crowds to sit down on the grass. He took the five loaves of bread and the two fish, looked up to heaven, blessed them and broke the loaves apart and gave them to his disciples. Then the disciples gave them to the crowds.

20 Everyone ate until they were full, and they filled twelve baskets with the leftovers.

21 About five thousand men plus women and children had eaten.

22 Right then, Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go ahead to the other side of the lake while he dismissed the crowds.

23 When he sent them away, he went up onto a mountain by himself to pray. Evening came and he was alone.

24 Meanwhile, the boat, fighting a strong headwind, was being battered by the waves and was already far away from land.

25 Very early in the morning he came to his disciples, walking on the lake.

26 When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified and said, "It's a ghost!" They were so frightened they screamed.

27 Just then Jesus spoke to them, "Be encouraged! It's me. Don't be afraid."

28 Peter replied, "Lord, if it's you, order me to come to you on the water."

29 And Jesus said, "Come." Then Peter got out of the boat and was walking on the water toward Jesus.

30 But when Peter saw the strong wind, he became frightened. As he began to sink, he shouted, "Lord, rescue me!"

31 Jesus immediately reached out and grabbed him, saying, "You man of weak faith! Why did you begin to have doubts?"

32 When they got into the boat, the wind settled down.

33 Then those in the boat worshipped Jesus and said, "You must be God's Son!"

34 When they had crossed the lake, they landed at Gennesaret.

35 When the people who lived in that place recognized him, they sent word throughout that whole region, and they brought to him everyone who was sick.

36 Then they begged him that they might just touch the edge of his clothes. Everyone who touched him was cured.

Mark 6

1 Jesus left that place and came to his hometown. His disciples followed him.

2 On the Sabbath, he began to teach in the synagogue. Many who heard him were surprised. "Where did this man get all this? What's this wisdom he's been given? What about the powerful acts accomplished through him?

3 Isn't this the carpenter? Isn't he Mary's son and the brother of James, Joses, Judas, and Simon? Aren't his sisters here with us?" They were repulsed by him and fell into sin.

4 Jesus said to them, "Prophets are honored everywhere except in their own hometowns, among their relatives, and in their own households."

5 He was unable to do any miracles there, except that he placed his hands on a few sick people and healed them.

6 He was appalled by their disbelief. Then Jesus traveled through the surrounding villages teaching.

7 He called for the Twelve and sent them out in pairs. He gave them authority over unclean spirits.

8 He instructed them to take nothing for the journey except a walking stick—no bread, no bags, and no money in their belts.

9 He told them to wear sandals but not to put on two shirts.

10 He said, "Whatever house you enter, remain there until you leave that place.

11 If a place doesn't welcome you or listen to you, as you leave, shake the dust off your feet as a witness against them."

12 So they went out and proclaimed that people should change their hearts and lives.

13 They cast out many demons, and they anointed many sick people with olive oil and healed them.

14 Herod the king heard about these things, because the name of Jesus had become well-known. Some were saying, "John the Baptist has been raised from the dead, and this is why miraculous powers are at work through him."

15 Others were saying, "He is Elijah." Still others were saying, "He is a prophet like one of the ancient prophets."

16 But when Herod heard these rumors, he said, "John, whom I beheaded, has been raised to life."

17 He said this because Herod himself had arranged to have John arrested and put in prison because of Herodias, the wife of Herod's brother Philip. Herod had married her,

18 but John told Herod, "It's against the law for you to marry your brother's wife!"

19 So Herodias had it in for John. She wanted to kill him, but she couldn't.

20 This was because Herod respected John. He regarded him as a righteous and holy person, so he protected him. John's words greatly confused Herod, yet he enjoyed listening to him.

21 Finally, the time was right. It was on one of Herod's birthdays, when he had prepared a feast for his high-ranking officials and military officers and Galilee's leading residents.

22 Herod's daughter Herodias came in and danced, thrilling Herod and his dinner guests. The king said to the young woman, "Ask me whatever you wish, and I will give it to you."

23 Then he swore to her, "Whatever you ask I will give to you, even as much as half of my kingdom."

24 She left the banquet hall and said to her mother, "What should I ask for?" "John the Baptist's head," Herodias replied.

25 Hurrying back to the ruler, she made her request: "I want you to give me John the Baptist's head on a plate, right this minute."

26 Although the king was upset, because of his solemn pledge and his guests, he didn't want to refuse her.

27 So he ordered a guard to bring John's head. The guard went to the prison, cut off John's head,

28 brought his head on a plate, and gave it to the young woman, and she gave it to her mother.

29 When John's disciples heard what had happened, they came and took his dead body and laid it in a tomb.

30 The apostles returned to Jesus and told him everything they had done and taught.

31 Many people were coming and going, so there was no time to eat. He said to the apostles, "Come by yourselves to a secluded place and rest for a while."

32 They departed in a boat by themselves for a deserted place.

33 Many people saw them leaving and recognized them, so they ran ahead from all the cities and arrived before them.

34 When Jesus arrived and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them because they were like sheep without a shepherd. Then he began to teach them many things.

35 Late in the day, his disciples came to him and said, "This is an isolated place, and it's already late in the day.

36 Send them away so that they can go to the surrounding countryside and villages and buy something to eat for themselves."

37 He replied, "You give them something to eat." But they said to him, "Should we go off and buy bread worth almost eight months' pay and give it to them to eat?"

38 He said to them, "How much bread do you have? Take a look." After checking, they said, "Five loaves of bread and two fish."

39 He directed the disciples to seat all the people in groups as though they were having a banquet on the green grass.

40 They sat down in groups of hundreds and fifties.

41 He took the five loaves and the two fish, looked up to heaven, blessed them, broke the loaves into pieces, and gave them to his disciples to set before the people. He also divided the two fish among them all.

42 Everyone ate until they were full.

43 They filled twelve baskets with the leftover pieces of bread and fish.

44 About five thousand had eaten.

45 Right then, Jesus made his disciples get into a boat and go ahead to the other side of the lake, toward Bethsaida, while he dismissed the crowd.

46 After saying good-bye to them, Jesus went up onto a mountain to pray.

47 Evening came and the boat was in the middle of the lake, but he was alone on the land.

48 He saw his disciples struggling. They were trying to row forward, but the wind was blowing against them. Very early in the morning, he came to them, walking on the lake. He intended to pass by them.

49 When they saw him walking on the lake, they thought he was a ghost and they screamed.

50 Seeing him was terrifying to all of them. Just then he spoke to them, "Be encouraged! It's me. Don't be afraid."

51 He got into the boat, and the wind settled down. His disciples were so baffled they were beside themselves.

52 That's because they hadn't understood about the loaves. Their hearts had been changed so that they resisted God's ways.

53 When Jesus and his disciples had crossed the lake, they landed at Gennesaret, anchored the boat,

54 and came ashore. People immediately recognized Jesus

55 and ran around that whole region bringing sick people on their mats to wherever they heard he was.

56 Wherever he went—villages, cities, or farming communities—they would place the sick in the marketplaces and beg him to allow them to touch even the hem of his clothing. Everyone who touched him was healed.

Luke 9:1-17

1 Jesus called the Twelve together and he gave them power and authority over all demons and to heal sicknesses.

2 He sent them out to proclaim God's kingdom and to heal the sick.

3 He told them, "Take nothing for the journey—no walking stick, no bag, no bread, no money, not even an extra shirt.

4 Whatever house you enter, remain there until you leave that place.

5 Wherever they don't welcome you, as you leave that city, shake the dust off your feet as a witness against them."

6 They departed and went through the villages proclaiming the good news and healing people everywhere.

7 Herod the ruler heard about everything that was happening. He was confused because some people were saying that John had been raised from the dead,

8 others that Elijah had appeared, and still others that one of the ancient prophets had come back to life.

9 Herod said, "I beheaded John, so now who am I hearing about?" Herod wanted to see him.

10 When the apostles returned, they described for Jesus what they had done. Taking them with him, Jesus withdrew privately to a city called Bethsaida.

11 When the crowds figured it out, they followed him. He welcomed them, spoke to them about God's kingdom, and healed those who were sick.

12 When the day was almost over, the Twelve came to him and said, "Send the crowd away so that they can go to the nearby villages and countryside and find lodging and food, because we are in a deserted place."

13 He replied, "You give them something to eat." But they said, "We have no more than five loaves of bread and two fish—unless we go and buy food for all these people."

14 (They said this because about five thousand men were present.) Jesus said to his disciples, "Seat them in groups of about fifty."

15 They did so, and everyone was seated.

16 He took the five loaves and the two fish, looked up to heaven, blessed them, and broke them and gave them to the disciples to set before the crowd.

17 Everyone ate until they were full, and the disciples filled twelve baskets with the leftovers.