Day 287 of 364

^7:1Then the Pharisees and some of the scribes gathered together to him, having come from Jerusalem. ^7:2Now when they saw some of his disciples eating bread with defiled, that is unwashed, hands, they found fault. ^7:3(For the Pharisees and all the Jews don’t eat unless they wash their hands and forearms, holding to the tradition of the elders. ^7:4They don’t eat when they come from the marketplace unless they bathe themselves, and there are many other things which they have received to hold to: washings of cups, pitchers, bronze vessels, and couches.) ^7:5The Pharisees and the scribes asked him, “Why don’t your disciples walk according to the tradition of the elders, but eat their bread with unwashed hands?” ^7:6He answered them, “Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written, ‘This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me. ^7:7They worship me in vain, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’ ^7:8“For you set aside the commandment of God, and hold tightly to the tradition of men—the washing of pitchers and cups, and you do many other such things.” ^7:9He said to them, “Full well do you reject the commandment of God, that you may keep your tradition. ^7:10For Moses said, ‘Honor your father and your mother;’ and, ‘He who speaks evil of father or mother, let him be put to death.’ ^7:11But you say, ‘If a man tells his father or his mother, “Whatever profit you might have received from me is Corban,”’” that is to say, given to God, ^7:12“then you no longer allow him to do anything for his father or his mother, ^7:13making void the word of God by your tradition which you have handed down. You do many things like this.” ^7:14He called all the multitude to himself and said to them, “Hear me, all of you, and understand. ^7:15There is nothing from outside of the man that going into him can defile him; but the things which proceed out of the man are those that defile the man. ^7:16If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear!” ^7:17When he had entered into a house away from the multitude, his disciples asked him about the parable. ^7:18He said to them, “Are you also without understanding? Don’t you perceive that whatever goes into the man from outside can’t defile him, ^7:19because it doesn’t go into his heart, but into his stomach, then into the latrine, making all foods clean?” ^7:20He said, “That which proceeds out of the man, that defiles the man. ^7:21For from within, out of the hearts of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, sexual sins, murders, thefts, ^7:22covetings, wickedness, deceit, lustful desires, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, and foolishness. ^7:23All these evil things come from within and defile the man.” ^7:24From there he arose and went away into the borders of Tyre and Sidon. He entered into a house and didn’t want anyone to know it, but he couldn’t escape notice. ^7:25For a woman whose little daughter had an unclean spirit, having heard of him, came and fell down at his feet. ^7:26Now the woman was a Greek, a Syrophoenician by race. She begged him that he would cast the demon out of her daughter. ^7:27But Jesus said to her, “Let the children be filled first, for it is not appropriate to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs.” ^7:28But she answered him, “Yes, Lord. Yet even the dogs under the table eat the children’s crumbs.” ^7:29He said to her, “For this saying, go your way. The demon has gone out of your daughter.” ^7:30She went away to her house, and found the child having been laid on the bed, with the demon gone out. ^7:31Again he departed from the borders of Tyre and Sidon, and came to the sea of Galilee through the middle of the region of Decapolis. ^7:32They brought to him one who was deaf and had an impediment in his speech. They begged him to lay his hand on him. ^7:33He took him aside from the multitude privately and put his fingers into his ears; and he spat and touched his tongue. ^7:34Looking up to heaven, he sighed, and said to him, “Ephphatha!” that is, “Be opened!” ^7:35Immediately his ears were opened, and the impediment of his tongue was released, and he spoke clearly. ^7:36He commanded them that they should tell no one, but the more he commanded them, so much the more widely they proclaimed it. ^7:37They were astonished beyond measure, saying, “He has done all things well. He makes even the deaf hear and the mute speak!” ^8:1In those days, when there was a very great multitude, and they had nothing to eat, Jesus called his disciples to himself and said to them, ^8:2“I have compassion on the multitude, because they have stayed with me now three days and have nothing to eat. ^8:3If I send them away fasting to their home, they will faint on the way, for some of them have come a long way.” ^8:4His disciples answered him, “From where could one satisfy these people with bread here in a deserted place?” ^8:5He asked them, “How many loaves do you have?” They said, “Seven.” ^8:6He commanded the multitude to sit down on the ground, and he took the seven loaves. Having given thanks, he broke them and gave them to his disciples to serve, and they served the multitude. ^8:7They also had a few small fish. Having blessed them, he said to serve these also. ^8:8They ate and were filled. They took up seven baskets of broken pieces that were left over. ^8:9Those who had eaten were about four thousand. Then he sent them away. ^8:10Immediately he entered into the boat with his disciples and came into the region of Dalmanutha. ^8:11The Pharisees came out and began to question him, seeking from him a sign from heaven and testing him. ^8:12He sighed deeply in his spirit and said, “Why does this generation seek a sign? Most certainly I tell you, no sign will be given to this generation.” ^8:13He left them, and again entering into the boat, departed to the other side. ^8:14They forgot to take bread; and they didn’t have more than one loaf in the boat with them. ^8:15He warned them, saying, “Take heed: beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and the yeast of Herod.” ^8:16They reasoned with one another, saying, “It’s because we have no bread.” ^8:17Jesus, perceiving it, said to them, “Why do you reason that it’s because you have no bread? Don’t you perceive yet or understand? Is your heart still hardened? ^8:18Having eyes, don’t you see? Having ears, don’t you hear? Don’t you remember? ^8:19When I broke the five loaves among the five thousand, how many baskets full of broken pieces did you take up?” They told him, “Twelve.” ^8:20“When the seven loaves fed the four thousand, how many baskets full of broken pieces did you take up?” They told him, “Seven.” ^8:21He asked them, “Don’t you understand yet?” ^8:22He came to Bethsaida. They brought a blind man to him and begged him to touch him. ^8:23He took hold of the blind man by the hand, and brought him out of the village. When he had spat on his eyes, and laid his hands on him, he asked him if he saw anything. ^8:24He looked up, and said, “I see men, but I see them like walking trees.” ^8:25Then again he laid his hands on his eyes. He looked intently, and was restored, and saw everyone clearly. ^8:26He sent him away to his house, saying, “Don’t enter into the village, nor tell anyone in the village.” ^8:27Jesus went out, with his disciples, into the villages of Caesarea Philippi. On the way he asked his disciples, “Who do men say that I am?” ^8:28They told him, “John the Baptizer, and others say Elijah, but others, one of the prophets.” ^8:29He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” Peter answered, “You are the Christ.” ^8:30He commanded them that they should tell no one about him. ^8:31He began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things, and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again. ^8:32He spoke to them openly. Peter took him and began to rebuke him. ^8:33But he, turning around and seeing his disciples, rebuked Peter, and said, “Get behind me, Satan! For you have in mind not the things of God, but the things of men.” ^8:34He called the multitude to himself with his disciples and said to them, “Whoever wants to come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. ^8:35For whoever wants to save his life will lose it; and whoever will lose his life for my sake and the sake of the Good News will save it. ^8:36For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his life? ^8:37For what will a man give in exchange for his life? ^8:38For whoever will be ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man also will be ashamed of him when he comes in his Father’s glory with the holy angels.” ^9:1He said to them, “Most certainly I tell you, there are some standing here who will in no way taste death until they see God’s Kingdom come with power.” ^9:2After six days Jesus took with him Peter, James, and John, and brought them up onto a high mountain privately by themselves, and he was changed into another form in front of them. ^9:3His clothing became glistening, exceedingly white, like snow, such as no launderer on earth can whiten them. ^9:4Elijah and Moses appeared to them, and they were talking with Jesus. ^9:5Peter answered Jesus, “Rabbi, it is good for us to be here. Let’s make three tents: one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” ^9:6For he didn’t know what to say, for they were very afraid. ^9:7A cloud came, overshadowing them, and a voice came out of the cloud, “This is my beloved Son. Listen to him.” ^9:8Suddenly looking around, they saw no one with them any more, except Jesus only. ^9:9As they were coming down from the mountain, he commanded them that they should tell no one what things they had seen, until after the Son of Man had risen from the dead. ^9:10They kept this saying to themselves, questioning what the “rising from the dead” meant. ^9:11They asked him, saying, “Why do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?” ^9:12He said to them, “Elijah indeed comes first, and restores all things. How is it written about the Son of Man, that he should suffer many things and be despised? ^9:13But I tell you that Elijah has come, and they have also done to him whatever they wanted to, even as it is written about him.” ^9:14Coming to the disciples, he saw a great multitude around them, and scribes questioning them. ^9:15Immediately all the multitude, when they saw him, were greatly amazed, and running to him, greeted him. ^9:16He asked the scribes, “What are you asking them?” ^9:17One of the multitude answered, “Teacher, I brought to you my son, who has a mute spirit; ^9:18and wherever it seizes him, it throws him down; and he foams at the mouth, grinds his teeth, and becomes rigid. I asked your disciples to cast it out, and they weren’t able.” ^9:19He answered him, “Unbelieving generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I bear with you? Bring him to me.” ^9:20They brought him to him, and when he saw him, immediately the spirit convulsed him and he fell on the ground, wallowing and foaming at the mouth. ^9:21He asked his father, “How long has it been since this has been happening to him?” He said, “From childhood. ^9:22Often it has cast him both into the fire and into the water to destroy him. But if you can do anything, have compassion on us and help us.” ^9:23Jesus said to him, “If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes.” ^9:24Immediately the father of the child cried out with tears, “I believe. Help my unbelief!” ^9:25When Jesus saw that a multitude came running together, he rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to him, “You mute and deaf spirit, I command you, come out of him, and never enter him again!” ^9:26After crying out and convulsing him greatly, it came out of him. The boy became like one dead, so much that most of them said, “He is dead.” ^9:27But Jesus took him by the hand and raised him up; and he arose. ^9:28When he had come into the house, his disciples asked him privately, “Why couldn’t we cast it out?” ^9:29He said to them, “This kind can come out by nothing but by prayer and fasting.” ^9:30They went out from there and passed through Galilee. He didn’t want anyone to know it, ^9:31for he was teaching his disciples, and said to them, “The Son of Man is being handed over to the hands of men, and they will kill him; and when he is killed, on the third day he will rise again.” ^9:32But they didn’t understand the saying, and were afraid to ask him. ^9:33He came to Capernaum, and when he was in the house he asked them, “What were you arguing among yourselves on the way?” ^9:34But they were silent, for they had disputed with one another on the way about who was the greatest. ^9:35He sat down and called the twelve; and he said to them, “If any man wants to be first, he shall be last of all, and servant of all.” ^9:36He took a little child and set him in the middle of them. Taking him in his arms, he said to them, ^9:37“Whoever receives one such little child in my name receives me; and whoever receives me, doesn’t receive me, but him who sent me.” ^9:38John said to him, “Teacher, we saw someone who doesn’t follow us casting out demons in your name; and we forbade him, because he doesn’t follow us.” ^9:39But Jesus said, “Don’t forbid him, for there is no one who will do a mighty work in my name and be able quickly to speak evil of me. ^9:40For whoever is not against us is on our side. ^9:41For whoever will give you a cup of water to drink in my name because you are Christ’s, most certainly I tell you, he will in no way lose his reward. ^9:42“Whoever will cause one of these little ones who believe in me to stumble, it would be better for him if he were thrown into the sea with a millstone hung around his neck. ^9:43If your hand causes you to stumble, cut it off. It is better for you to enter into life maimed, rather than having your two hands to go into Gehenna, into the unquenchable fire, ^9:44‘where their worm doesn’t die, and the fire is not quenched.’ ^9:45If your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off. It is better for you to enter into life lame, rather than having your two feet to be cast into Gehenna, into the fire that will never be quenched— ^9:46‘where their worm doesn’t die, and the fire is not quenched.’ ^9:47If your eye causes you to stumble, throw it out. It is better for you to enter into God’s Kingdom with one eye, rather than having two eyes to be cast into the Gehenna of fire, ^9:48‘where their worm doesn’t die, and the fire is not quenched.’ ^9:49For everyone will be salted with fire, and every sacrifice will be seasoned with salt. ^9:50Salt is good, but if the salt has lost its saltiness, with what will you season it? Have salt in yourselves, and be at peace with one another.”