One Story That Leads to Jesus, Day 253
Mark 7
7One day some Pharisees and teachers of religious law arrived from Jerusalem to see Jesus.G2532G4863G4314G846G5330G2532G5100G1122G2064G575G24142They noticed that some of his disciples failed to follow the Jewish ritual of hand washing before eating.G2532G1492G5100G846G3101G2068G740G2839G5123G449G5495G32013(The Jews, especially the Pharisees, do not eat until they have poured water over their cupped hands, as required by their ancient traditions.G1063G5330G2532G3956G2453G3362G3538G5495G4435G2068G3756G2902G3862G42454Similarly, they don't eat anything from the market until they immerse their hands in water. This is but one of many traditions they have clung to—such as their ceremonial washing of cups, pitchers, and kettles.)G2532G575G58G3362G907G2068G3756G2532G4183G243G2076G3739G3880G2902G909G4221G2532G3582G2532G5473G2532G28255So the Pharisees and teachers of religious law asked him, "Why don't your disciples follow our age-old tradition? They eat without first performing the hand-washing ceremony."G1899G5330G2532G1122G1905G846G1302G4043G3756G4675G3101G2596G3862G4245G235G2068G740G449G54956Jesus replied, "You hypocrites! Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you, for he wrote, 'These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.G611G1161G2036G846G3754G2573G2268G4395G4012G5216G5273G5613G1125G3778G2992G5091G3165G5491G1161G846G2588G568G4206G575G17007Their worship is a farce, for they teach man-made ideas as commands from God.'G1161G3155G4576G3165G1321G1319G1778G4448For you ignore God's law and substitute your own tradition."G1063G863G1785G2316G2902G3862G444G909G3582G2532G4221G2532G4183G243G5108G3946G41609Then he said, "You skillfully sidestep God's law in order to hold on to your own tradition.G2532G3004G846G2573G114G1785G2316G2443G5083G5216G386210For instance, Moses gave you this law from God: 'Honor your father and mother,' and 'Anyone who speaks disrespectfully of father or mother must be put to death.'G1063G3475G2036G5091G4675G3962G2532G4675G3384G2532G2551G3962G2228G3384G5053G228811But you say it is all right for people to say to their parents, 'Sorry, I can't help you. For I have vowed to give to God what I would have given to you.'G1161G5210G3004G1437G444G2036G3962G2228G3384G2878G3603G1435G1537G3739G1437G5623G170012In this way, you let them disregard their needy parents.G2532G863G846G3765G4160G3762G846G3962G2228G846G338413And so you cancel the word of God in order to hand down your own tradition. And this is only one example among many others."G208G3056G2316G208G5216G3862G3739G3860G2532G4183G5108G3946G416014Then Jesus called to the crowd to come and hear. "All of you listen," he said, "and try to understand.G2532G4341G3956G3793G3004G846G191G3450G3956G2532G492015It's not what goes into your body that defiles you; you are defiled by what comes from your heart."G2076G3762G1855G444G3739G1531G1519G846G1410G2840G846G235G1607G575G846G1565G2076G2840G44416G1536G2192G3775G191G19117Then Jesus went into a house to get away from the crowd, and his disciples asked him what he meant by the parable he had just used.G2532G3753G1525G1519G3624G575G3793G846G3101G1905G846G4012G385018"Don't you understand either?" he asked. "Can't you see that the food you put into your body cannot defile you?G2532G3004G846G2075G5210G3779G801G2532G3539G3756G3539G3754G3956G1855G1531G1519G444G3756G1410G2840G84619Food doesn't go into your heart, but only passes through the stomach and then goes into the sewer." G3754G1531G3756G1519G846G2588G235G1519G2836G2532G1607G1519G856G2511G3956G103320And then he added, "It is what comes from inside that defiles you.G1161G3004G3754G1607G1537G444G1565G2840G44421For from within, out of a person's heart, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder,G1063G2081G1537G2588G444G1607G2556G1261G3430G4202G540822adultery, greed, wickedness, deceit, lustful desires, envy, slander, pride, and foolishness.G2829G4124G4189G1388G766G4190G3788G988G5243G87723All these vile things come from within; they are what defile you."G3956G5023G4190G1607G2081G2532G2840G44424Then Jesus left Galilee and went north to the region of Tyre. He didn't want anyone to know which house he was staying in, but he couldn't keep it a secret.G2532G1564G450G565G1519G3181G5184G2532G4605G2532G1525G1519G3614G2309G3762G1097G2532G1410G3756G299025Right away a woman who had heard about him came and fell at his feet. Her little girl was possessed by an evil spirit,G1063G1135G3739G846G2365G2192G169G4151G191G4012G846G2064G4363G4314G846G422826and she begged him to cast out the demon from her daughter. Since she was a Gentile, born in Syrian Phoenicia,G1161G1135G2258G1674G4949G1085G2532G2065G846G2443G1544G1140G1537G846G236427Jesus told her, "First I should feed the children—my own family, the Jews. It isn't right to take food from the children and throw it to the dogs."G1161G2424G2036G846G863G5043G4412G5526G1063G2076G3756G2570G2983G5043G740G2532G906G295228She replied, "That's true, Lord, but even the dogs under the table are allowed to eat the scraps from the children's plates."G1161G611G2532G3004G846G3483G2962G2532G1063G2952G5270G5132G2068G575G3813G558929"Good answer!" he said. "Now go home, for the demon has left your daughter."G2532G2036G846G1223G5126G3056G5217G1140G1831G1537G4675G236430And when she arrived home, she found her little girl lying quietly in bed, and the demon was gone.G2532G565G1519G846G3624G2147G1140G1831G2532G2364G906G1909G282531Jesus left Tyre and went up to Sidon before going back to the Sea of Galilee and the region of the Ten Towns.G2532G3825G1831G1537G3725G5184G2532G4605G2064G4314G2281G1056G303G3319G3725G117932A deaf man with a speech impediment was brought to him, and the people begged Jesus to lay his hands on the man to heal him.G2532G5342G846G2974G3424G2532G3870G846G2443G2007G5495G84633Jesus led him away from the crowd so they could be alone. He put his fingers into the man's ears. Then, spitting on his own fingers, he touched the man's tongue.G2532G618G846G2596G2398G575G3793G906G846G1147G1519G846G3775G2532G4429G680G846G110034Looking up to heaven, he sighed and said, "Ephphatha," which means, "Be opened!"G2532G308G1519G3772G4727G2532G3004G846G2188G3603G127235Instantly the man could hear perfectly, and his tongue was freed so he could speak plainly!G2532G2112G846G189G1272G2532G1199G846G1100G3089G2532G2980G372336Jesus told the crowd not to tell anyone, but the more he told them not to, the more they spread the news.G2532G1291G846G2443G2036G3367G1161G3745G846G1291G846G3123G4054G278437They were completely amazed and said again and again, "Everything he does is wonderful. He even makes the deaf to hear and gives speech to those who cannot speak."G2532G5249G1605G3004G4160G3956G2573G4160G2532G2974G191G2532G216G2980
Mark 8
8About this time another large crowd had gathered, and the people ran out of food again. Jesus called his disciples and told them,G1722G1565G2250G3793G5607G3827G2532G2192G3361G5101G5315G2424G4341G846G3101G3004G8462"I feel sorry for these people. They have been here with me for three days, and they have nothing left to eat.G4697G1909G3793G3754G4357G2235G4357G3427G5140G2250G2532G2192G3756G5101G53153If I send them home hungry, they will faint along the way. For some of them have come a long distance."G2532G1437G630G846G630G3523G1519G846G3624G1590G1722G3598G1063G5100G846G2240G31134His disciples replied, "How are we supposed to find enough food to feed them out here in the wilderness?"G2532G846G3101G611G846G4159G1410G5100G5526G5128G740G5602G1909G20475Jesus asked, "How much bread do you have?" "Seven loaves," they replied.G2532G1905G846G4214G740G2192G1161G2036G20336So Jesus told all the people to sit down on the ground. Then he took the seven loaves, thanked God for them, and broke them into pieces. He gave them to his disciples, who distributed the bread to the crowd.G2532G3853G3793G377G1909G1093G2532G2983G2033G740G2168G2806G2532G1325G846G3101G2443G3908G2532G3908G37937A few small fish were found, too, so Jesus also blessed these and told the disciples to distribute them.G2532G2192G3641G2485G2532G2127G2036G3908G846G2532G39088They ate as much as they wanted. Afterward, the disciples picked up seven large baskets of leftover food.G1161G5315G2532G5526G2532G142G2801G4051G2033G47119There were about 4,000 people in the crowd that day, and Jesus sent them home after they had eaten.G1161G5315G2258G5613G5070G2532G630G846G63010Immediately after this, he got into a boat with his disciples and crossed over to the region of Dalmanutha.G2532G2112G1684G1519G4143G3326G846G3101G2064G1519G3313G114811When the Pharisees heard that Jesus had arrived, they came and started to argue with him. Testing him, they demanded that he show them a miraculous sign from heaven to prove his authority.G2532G5330G1831G2532G756G4802G846G2212G3844G846G4592G575G3772G3985G84612When he heard this, he sighed deeply in his spirit and said, "Why do these people keep demanding a miraculous sign? I tell you the truth, I will not give this generation any such sign."G2532G389G846G4151G3004G5101G1934G3778G1074G1934G4592G281G3004G5213G1487G4592G1325G5026G107413So he got back into the boat and left them, and he crossed to the other side of the lake.G2532G863G846G1684G1519G4143G3825G565G1519G400814But the disciples had forgotten to bring any food. They had only one loaf of bread with them in the boat.G2532G1950G2983G740G2532G3756G2192G1722G4143G3326G1438G1508G1520G74015As they were crossing the lake, Jesus warned them, "Watch out! Beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and of Herod."G2532G1291G846G3004G3708G991G575G2219G5330G2532G2219G226416At this they began to argue with each other because they hadn't brought any bread.G2532G1260G4314G240G3004G3754G2192G3756G74017Jesus knew what they were saying, so he said, "Why are you arguing about having no bread? Don't you know or understand even yet? Are your hearts too hard to take it in?G2532G2424G1097G3004G846G5101G1260G3754G2192G3756G740G3539G3768G3761G4920G2192G5216G2588G2089G445618'You have eyes—can't you see? You have ears—can't you hear?' Don't you remember anything at all?G2192G3788G991G3756G2532G2192G3775G191G3756G2532G3421G3756G342119When I fed the 5,000 with five loaves of bread, how many baskets of leftovers did you pick up afterward?" "Twelve," they said.G3753G2806G4002G740G1519G4000G4214G2894G4134G2801G142G3004G846G142720"And when I fed the 4,000 with seven loaves, how many large baskets of leftovers did you pick up?" "Seven," they said.G1161G3753G2033G1519G5070G4214G4711G4138G2801G142G1161G2036G203321"Don't you understand yet?" he asked them.G2532G3004G846G4459G4920G3756G492022When they arrived at Bethsaida, some people brought a blind man to Jesus, and they begged him to touch the man and heal him.G2532G2064G1519G966G2532G5342G5185G846G2532G3870G846G2443G680G84623Jesus took the blind man by the hand and led him out of the village. Then, spitting on the man's eyes, he laid his hands on him and asked, "Can you see anything now?"G2532G1949G5185G5495G1806G846G1854G2968G2532G4429G1519G846G3659G2007G5495G846G1905G846G1536G991G153624The man looked around. "Yes," he said, "I see people, but I can't see them very clearly. They look like trees walking around."G2532G308G3004G3754G991G444G5613G3708G1186G404325Then Jesus placed his hands on the man's eyes again, and his eyes were opened. His sight was completely restored, and he could see everything clearly.G1534G2007G5495G3825G1909G846G3788G2532G4160G846G308G2532G600G2532G1689G537G508126Jesus sent him away, saying, "Don't go back into the village on your way home."G2532G649G846G649G1519G846G3624G3004G3366G1525G1519G2968G3366G2036G5100G1722G296827Jesus and his disciples left Galilee and went up to the villages near Caesarea Philippi. As they were walking along, he asked them, "Who do people say I am?"G2532G2424G1831G2532G846G3101G1519G2968G2542G5376G2532G1722G3598G1905G846G3101G3004G846G5101G3004G444G3004G3165G151128"Well," they replied, "some say John the Baptist, some say Elijah, and others say you are one of the other prophets."G1161G611G2491G910G1161G243G2243G2532G243G1520G439629Then he asked them, "But who do you say I am?" Peter replied, "You are the Messiah."G2532G846G3004G846G1161G5101G3004G5210G3165G1511G1161G4074G611G3004G846G4771G1488G554730But Jesus warned them not to tell anyone about him.G2532G2008G846G2443G3004G3367G4012G84631Then Jesus began to tell them that the Son of Man must suffer many terrible things and be rejected by the elders, the leading priests, and the teachers of religious law. He would be killed, but three days later he would rise from the dead.G2532G756G1321G846G3754G5207G444G1163G3958G4183G2532G593G575G4245G2532G749G2532G1122G2532G615G2532G3326G5140G2250G45032As he talked about this openly with his disciples, Peter took him aside and began to reprimand him for saying such things.G2532G2980G3056G3954G2532G4074G4355G846G756G2008G84633Jesus turned around and looked at his disciples, then reprimanded Peter. "Get away from me, Satan!" he said. "You are seeing things merely from a human point of view, not from God's."G1161G1994G2532G1492G846G3101G2008G4074G3004G5217G3694G3450G4567G3754G5426G3756G2316G235G44434Then, calling the crowd to join his disciples, he said, "If any of you wants to be my follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross, and follow me.G2532G4341G3793G4862G846G3101G2036G846G3748G2309G2064G3694G3450G533G1438G2532G142G846G4716G2532G190G342735If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake and for the sake of the Good News, you will save it.G1063G3739G302G2309G4982G846G5590G622G846G1161G3739G302G622G846G5590G1752G1700G2532G2098G3778G4982G84636And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul?G1063G5101G5623G444G1437G2770G3650G2889G2532G2210G846G559037Is anything worth more than your soul?G2228G5101G1325G444G1325G465G846G559038If anyone is ashamed of me and my message in these adulterous and sinful days, the Son of Man will be ashamed of that person when he returns in the glory of his Father with the holy angels."G3739G302G1063G1870G3165G2532G1699G3056G1722G5026G3428G2532G268G1074G846G2532G1870G5207G444G1870G3752G2064G1722G1391G846G3962G3326G40G32
Psalms 98
98[A psalm.] Sing a new song to the Lord, for he has done wonderful deeds. His right hand has won a mighty victory; his holy arm has shown his saving power!H4210H7891H3068H2319H7892H6213H6381H3225H6944H2220H34672The Lord has announced his victory and has revealed his righteousness to every nation!H3068H3045H3444H6666H1540H5869H14713He has remembered his promise to love and be faithful to Israel. The ends of the earth have seen the victory of our God.H2142H2617H530H1004H3478H657H776H7200H3444H4304Shout to the Lord, all the earth; break out in praise and sing for joy!H7321H3068H776H6476H7442H21675Sing your praise to the Lord with the harp, with the harp and melodious song,H2167H3068H3658H3658H6963H21726with trumpets and the sound of the ram’s horn. Make a joyful symphony before the Lord, the King!H2689H6963H7782H7321H6440H3068H44287Let the sea and everything in it shout his praise! Let the earth and all living things join in.H3220H7481H4393H8398H34278Let the rivers clap their hands in glee! Let the hills sing out their songs of joyH5104H4222H3709H2022H7442H31629before the Lord. For the Lord is coming to judge the earth. He will judge the world with justice, and the nations with fairness.H6440H3068H935H8199H776H6664H8199H8398H5971H4339
Dublin, OH
, as required by their ancient traditions.G1063
