Some Women Accompany Jesus

1After this, Jesusa traveled from one city and village to another, preaching and spreading the good news about God’s kingdom. The Twelve were with him, 2as well as some women who had been healed of evil spirits and illnesses: Mary, also called Magdalene,b from whom seven demons had gone out; 3Joanna, the wife of Herod’s household manager Chuza; Susanna; and many others. These womenc continued to support themd out of their personal resources.

The Parable about a Farmer

(Matthew 13:1-9; Mark 4:1-9)

4Now while a large crowd was gathering and people were coming to Jesuse from every city, he said in a parable: 5“A farmer went out to sow his seed. As he was sowing, some seeds fell along the path, were trampled on, and birds from the sky ate them up. 6Others fell on stony ground, and as soon as they came up, they dried up because they had no moisture. 7Others fell among thorn bushes, and the thorn bushes grew with them and choked them. 8But others fell on good soil, and when they came up, they produced 100 times as much as was planted.” As he said this, he called out, “Let the person who has ears to hear, listen!”

The Purpose of the Parables

(Matthew 13:10-17; Mark 4:10-12)

9Then his disciples began to ask him what this parable meant. 10So he said, “You have been given knowledge about the secrets of the kingdom of God. But to others they are givenf in parables, so that

‘they might look but not see,

and they might listen but not understand.’”g

Jesus Explains the Parable about the Farmer

(Matthew 13:18-23; Mark 4:13-20)

11“Now this is what the parable means. The seed is God’s word. 12The ones on the path are the people who listen, but then the devil comes and takes the word away from their hearts, so that they may not believe and be saved. 13The ones on the stony ground are the people who joyfully welcome the word when they hear it. But since they don’t have any roots, they believe for a while, but in a time of testing they fall away. 14The ones that fell among the thorn bushes are the people who listen, but as they go on their way they are choked by the worries, wealth, and pleasures of life, and their fruit doesn’t mature. 15But the ones on the good soil are the people who hear the word but also hold on to it with good and honest hearts, producing a crop through endurance.”

A Light under a Bowl

(Mark 4:21-25)

16“No one lights a lamp and hides it under a bowl or puts it under a bed. Instead, he puts it on a lamp stand so that those who come in will see the light. 17There is nothing hidden that won’t be revealed, and there is nothing secret that won’t become known and come to light. 18So pay attention to how you listen, because to the one who has something, more will be given. However, from the one who doesn’t have, even what he thinks he has will be taken away from him.”

The True Family of Jesus

(Matthew 12:46-50; Mark 3:31-35)

19His mother and his brothers came to him, but they couldn’t get near him because of the crowd. 20Jesush was told, “Your mother and your brothers are standing outside and want to see you.”

21But he answered those people,i “My mother and my brothers are those who hear a message from God and heed it.”

Jesus Calms the Sea

(Matthew 8:23-27; Mark 4:35-41)

22One day, Jesusj and his disciples got into a boat. He told them, “Let’s cross to the other side of the lake.” So they started out.

23Now as they were sailing, Jesusk fell asleep. A violent storm swept over the lake, and they were taking on water and were in great danger. 24So his disciplesl went to him, woke him up, and kept telling him, “Master! Master! We’re going to die!” He got up and rebuked the wind and the raging waves. They stopped, and there was calm.

25Then he asked the disciples,m “Where’s your faith?”

Frightened and amazed, they asked one another, “Who is this man? He commands even the winds and the water, and they obey him!”

Jesus Heals a Demon-Possessed Man

(Matthew 8:28-34; Mark 5:1-20)

26They landed in the region of the Gerasenes,n which is just across the lake from Galilee. 27When Jesuso stepped out on the shore, a man from the city met him. This man was controlled byp demons and had not worn clothes for a long time. He did not live in a house but in the tombs. 28When he saw Jesus, he screamed, fell down in front of him, and cried out in a loud voice, “What do you want from me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beg you not to torture me!” 29because Jesusq was in the process of ordering the unclean spirit to come out of the man. On many occasions the unclean spiritr had seized the man,s and though he was kept under guard and bound with chains and shackles, he would break the chains and be driven by the demon into deserted places.

30Jesus asked the man,t “What’s your name?”

He answered, “Legion,”u because many demons had gone into him. 31Then the demonsv began begging Jesusw not to order them to go into the bottomless pit.x

32Now a large herd of pigs was grazing there on the hillside. So the demonsy begged Jesusz to let them go into those pigs, and he consented to that. 33Then the demons came out of the man and went into the pigs, and the herd rushed down the cliff into the lake and drowned.

34Now when those who had been taking care of the pigs saw what had happened, they ran away and reported it in the city and in the countryside. 35So the peopleaa went out to see what had happened. When they came to Jesus and found the man from whom the demons had gone out sitting at Jesus’ feet, dressed and in his right mind, they were frightened. 36The people who had seen it told them how the demon-possessed man had been healed. 37Then all the people from the region surrounding the Gerasenesbb asked Jesuscc to leave them, because they were terrified. So he got into a boat and started back.

38Now the man from whom the demons had gone out kept begging Jesusdd to let him go with him. But Jesusee sent him away, saying, 39“Go home and tell what God has done for you.” So the manff left and kept proclaiming throughout the whole city how much Jesus had done for him.

Jesus Heals a Woman and Resurrects a Girl

(Matthew 9:18-26; Mark 5:21-43)

40When Jesus came back, the crowd welcomed him, because everyone was expecting him. 41Just then a synagogue leader by the name of Jairus arrived. He fell at Jesus’ feet and kept begging him to come to his home, 42because his only daughter, who was about twelve years old, was dying. While Jesusgg was on his way, the crowds continued to press in on him.

43A woman was therehh who had been suffering from chronic bleeding for twelve years. Although she had spent all she had on doctors,ii no one could heal her. 44She came up behind Jesusjj and touched the tassel of his garment, and her bleeding stopped at once.

45Jesus asked, “Who touched me?”

While everyone was denying it, Peter and those who were with himkk said, “Master, the crowds are surrounding you and pressing in on you.”

46Still Jesus said, “Somebody touched me, because I know that power has gone out of me.”

47When the woman saw that she couldn’t hide, she came forward trembling. Bowing down in front of him, she explained in the presence of all the people why she had touched Jesusll and how she had been instantly healed. 48Then he told her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well. Go in peace.”

49While he was still speaking, someone came from the synagogue leader’s homemm and told him,nn “Your daughter is dead. Stop bothering the teacher anymore.”

50But when Jesus heard this, he told the synagogue leader,oo “Stop being afraid! Just believe, and she will get well.”

51When he arrived at the man’spp house, he allowed no one to go in with him except Peter, John, James, and the young girl’s father and mother. 52Now everyone was crying and wailing for her. But Jesusqq said, “Stop crying! She’s not dead. She’s sleeping.” 53They laughed and laughed at him, because they knew she was dead. 54But he took her hand and called out, “Young lady, get up!” 55So her spirit returned, and she got up at once. Then Jesusrr directed that she be given something to eat. 56Her parents were amazed, but he ordered them not to tell anyone what had happened.