The Parable of the Soils

Matt. 13:1–23; Mark 4:1–20

4 cAnd when a great multitude had gathered, and they had come to Him from every city, He spoke by a parable: 5 “A sower went out to sow his seed. And as he sowed, some fell by the wayside; and it was trampled down, and the birds of the air devoured it. 6 Some fell on rock; and as soon as it sprang up, it withered away because it lacked moisture. 7 And some fell among thorns, and the thorns sprang up with it and choked it. 8 But others fell on good ground, sprang up, and yielded 5a crop a hundredfold.” When He had said these things He cried, d“He who has ears to hear, let him hear!”

9 eThen His disciples asked Him, saying, “What does this parable mean?”

10 And He said, “To you it has been given to know the 6mysteries of the kingdom of God, but to the rest it is given in parables, that

f‘Seeing they may not see,

And hearing they may not understand.’

11 g“Now the parable is this: The seed is the hword of God. 12 Those by the wayside are the ones who hear; then the devil comes and takes away the word out of their hearts, lest they should believe and be saved. 13 But the ones on the rock are those who, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and these have no root, who believe for a while and in time of 7temptation fall away. 14 Now the ones that fell among thorns are those who, when they have heard, go out and are choked with cares, iriches, and pleasures of life, and bring no fruit to maturity. 15 But the ones that fell on the good ground are those who, having heard the word with a noble and good heart, keep it and bear fruit with jpatience. 8

Parable of the Lamp

Mark 4:21–25

16 k“No one, when he has lit a lamp, covers it with a vessel or puts it under a bed, but sets it on a lampstand, that those who enter may see the llight. 17 mFor nothing is secret that will not be nrevealed, nor anything hidden that will not be known and come to light. 18 Therefore take heed how you hear. oFor whoever has, to him more will be given; and whoever does not have, even what he 9seems to phave will be taken from him.”

Christ’s True Brethren

Matt. 12:46–50; Mark 3:31–35

19 qThen His mother and brothers came to Him, and could not approach Him because of the crowd. 20 And it was told Him by some, who said, “Your mother and Your brothers are standing outside, desiring to see You.”

21 But He answered and said to them, “My mother and My brothers are these who hear the word of God and do it.”

The Storm is Stilled

Matt. 8:23–27; Mark 4:35–41

22 rNow it happened, on a certain day, that He got into a boat with His disciples. And He said to them, “Let us cross over to the other side of the lake.” And they launched out. 23 But as they sailed He fell asleep. And a windstorm came down on the lake, and they were filling with water, and were in 1jeopardy. 24 And they came to Him and awoke Him, saying, “Master, Master, we are perishing!”

Then He arose and rebuked the wind and the raging of the water. And they ceased, and there was a calm. 25 But He said to them, s“Where is your faith?”

And they were afraid, and marveled, saying to one another, t“Who can this be? For He commands even the winds and water, and they obey Him!”

Demons are Cast into Swine

Matt. 8:28–34; Mark 5:1–20

26 uThen they sailed to the country of the 2Gadarenes, which is opposite Galilee. 27 And when He stepped out on the land, there met Him a certain man from the city who had demons 3for a long time. And he wore no clothes, nor did he live in a house but in the tombs. 28 When he saw Jesus, he vcried out, fell down before Him, and with a loud voice said, w“What have I to do with xYou, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beg You, do not torment me!” 29 For He had commanded the unclean spirit to come out of the man. For it had often seized him, and he was kept under guard, bound with chains and shackles; and he broke the bonds and was driven by the demon into the wilderness.

30 Jesus asked him, saying, “What is your name?”

And he said, “Legion,” because many demons had entered him. 31 And they begged Him that He would not command them to go out yinto the abyss.

32 Now a herd of many zswine was feeding there on the mountain. So they begged Him that He would permit them to enter them. And He permitted them. 33 Then the demons went out of the man and entered the swine, and the herd ran violently down the steep place into the lake and drowned.

34 When those who fed them saw what had happened, they fled and told it in the city and in the country. 35 Then they went out to see what had happened, and came to Jesus, and found the man from whom the demons had departed, asitting at the bfeet of Jesus, clothed and in his cright mind. And they were afraid. 36 They also who had seen it told them by what means he who had been demon-possessed was 4healed. 37 dThen the whole multitude of the surrounding region of the 5Gadarenes easked Him to fdepart from them, for they were seized with great gfear. And He got into the boat and returned.

38 Now hthe man from whom the demons had departed begged Him that he might be with Him. But Jesus sent him away, saying, 39 “Return to your own house, and tell what great things God has done for you.” And he went his way and proclaimed throughout the whole city what great things Jesus had done for him.

40 So it was, when Jesus returned, that the multitude welcomed Him, for they were all waiting for Him.

A Woman is Healed

Matt. 9:18–22; Mark 5:21–34

41 iAnd behold, there came a man named Jairus, and he was a ruler of the synagogue. And he fell down at Jesus’ feet and begged Him to come to his house, 42 for he had an only daughter about twelve years of age, and she jwas dying.

But as He went, the multitudes thronged Him. 43 kNow a woman, having a lflow of blood for twelve years, who had spent all her livelihood on physicians and could not be healed by any, 44 came from behind and mtouched the border of His garment. And immediately her flow of blood stopped.

45 And Jesus said, “Who touched Me?”

When all denied it, Peter 6and those with him said, “Master, the multitudes throng and press You, 7and You say, ‘Who touched Me?’ ”

46 But Jesus said, “Somebody touched Me, for I perceived npower going out from Me.” 47 Now when the woman saw that she was not hidden, she came trembling; and falling down before Him, she declared to Him in the presence of all the people the reason she had touched Him and how she was healed immediately.

48 And He said to her, “Daughter, 8be of good cheer; oyour faith has made you well. pGo in peace.”

Jairus’s Daughter is Raised

Matt. 9:23–26; Mark 5:35–43

49 qWhile He was still speaking, someone came from the ruler of the synagogue’s house, saying to him, “Your daughter is dead. Do not trouble the 9Teacher.”

50 But when Jesus heard it, He answered him, saying, “Do not be afraid; ronly believe, and she will be made well.” 51 When He came into the house, He permitted no one to go 1in except 2Peter, James, and John, and the father and mother of the girl. 52 Now all wept and mourned for her; but He said, s“Do not weep; she is not dead, tbut sleeping.” 53 And they ridiculed Him, knowing that she was dead.

54 But He 3put them all outside, took her by the hand and called, saying, “Little girl, uarise.” 55 Then her spirit returned, and she arose immediately. And He commanded that she be given something to eat. 56 And her parents were astonished, but vHe charged them to tell no one what had happened.

Twelve are Sent to Preach

Matt. 10:1–14; 14:1–14; Mark 6:7–16, 30–34

9 Then aHe called His twelve disciples together and bgave them power and authority over all demons, and to cure diseases. 2 cHe sent them to preach the kingdom of God and to heal the sick. 3 dAnd He said to them, “Take nothing for the journey, neither staffs nor bag nor bread nor money; and do not have two tunics apiece.

4 e“Whatever house you enter, stay there, and from there depart. 5 fAnd whoever will not receive you, when you go out of that city, gshake off the very dust from your feet as a testimony against them.”

6 hSo they departed and went through the towns, preaching the gospel and healing everywhere.

7 iNow Herod the tetrarch heard of all that was done by Him; and he was perplexed, because it was said by some that John had risen from the dead, 8 and by some that Elijah had appeared, and by others that one of the old prophets had risen again. 9 Herod said, “John I have beheaded, but who is this of whom I hear such things?” jSo he sought to see Him.

10 kAnd the apostles, when they had returned, told Him all that they had done. lThen He took them and went aside privately into a deserted place belonging to the city called Bethsaida. 11 But when the multitudes knew it, they followed Him; and He received them and spoke to them about the kingdom of God, and healed those who had need of healing.

Five Thousand are Fed

Matt. 14:15–21; Mark 6:35–44; John 6:1–14

12 mWhen the day began to wear away, the twelve came and said to Him, “Send the multitude away, that they may go into the surrounding towns and country, and lodge and get provisions; for we are in a deserted place here.”

13 But He said to them, “You give them something to eat.”

And they said, “We have no more than five loaves and two fish, unless we go and buy food for all these people.” 14 For there were about five thousand men.

Then He said to His disciples, “Make them sit down in groups of fifty.” 15 And they did so, and made them all sit down.

16 Then He took the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven, He nblessed and broke them, and gave them to the disciples to set before the multitude. 17 So they all ate and were 1filled, and twelve baskets of the leftover fragments were taken up by them.

Peter’s Confession of Faith

Matt. 16:13–21; Mark 8:27–31

18 oAnd it happened, as He was alone praying, that His disciples joined Him, and He asked them, saying, “Who do the crowds say that I am?”

19 So they answered and said, p“John the Baptist, but some say Elijah; and others say that one of the old prophets has risen again.”

20 He …