Reading the Gospels in 2026: (1/23) Mark 6:13-29

Jan23

A 5-day per week study.

January 23 – Reading Mark 6:13-29.

Read and believe in Jesus.

“Herod feared John, knowing that he was a righteous and holy man, and he kept him safe.” Mark 6:29a

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The Gospel according to Mark 6:(12)-(30) – one extra verse on either end of today’s reading.

I stretched the regular amount of verses to show something that Mark often does.  He sandwiches something between two incidents or facts. (Jairus’s daughter/woman with issue of blood/ Jairus’s daughter, etc.)  If you follow these, it helps the flow of the “story” he is painting of Jesus and His men.

  • Verses 12/13 – “So they (the Twelve) went out and proclaimed that people should repent. And they cast out many demons and anointed with oil many who were sick and healed them.”
  • Verse 30 – “The apostles (sent ones) returned to Jesus and told Him all that they had done and taught.”

Let’s see what happened between them.

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Vss. 14-15.

When King Herod (ruler of Galilee), heard of all the healings and exorcisms that Jesus and His disciples were performing in the towns under his administration, he told his servants, “This is John the Baptist raised from the dead. That is why these miraculous powers are at work in Him!“  (Matthew 14:2)  And, “John, whom I beheaded, has been raised.”  

John had rebuked Herod severely and openly for his unlawful marriage to Herodias.  Not only had Herod Antipas taken her from his brother Philip’s marriage (adultery) to marry her himself, but Herodias was also his niece (incest).  Herodias hated John for his accusations and schemed to have him killed. 

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Vss. 16-20.

Herod had finally arrested John and put him in prison, probably at Machaerus, his hilltop palace-fortress near the north end of the Dead Sea.  Weirdly, Herod liked to debate with John.  He also feared the prophet, knowing he was a righteous and holy man, so he kept him safe from Herodias’s evil machinations.

But she was more devious.

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Vss, 21-28.

A BIRTHDAY PARTY!! 

To celebrate another of his years, King Herod held a grand birthday banquet for his nobles, military commanders, and the leading men of Galilee.  Everyone ate and drank to their fill – especially Herod.  To impress his guests, he called for Herodias’ sexually enticing daughter to dance for them.  She came into the hall on silent slippers, bowed to the king, and began to dance.

The gauzy veils and skimpy, flowing skirts, her sinuous movements, and alluring eyes mesmerized the guests and the king.  The men shouted their approval, and when the dance was over, the king beckoned for her.  When she stood before him, and he said, “Ask me for anything you wish, and I will give it to you.  Whatever you ask me, I will give you, up to half of my kingdom.”

The men shouted their approval once more and waited.  

Salome (her name) bowed and, with graceful steps, approached her mother at another table.  A few minutes later, she returned to the king with these instructions.

“I want you to give me at once the head of John the Baptist on a platter.”

The banquet hall was dead silent. No one had expected that, including the king. His mouth dropped open, and his eyes were wide. He did not want to and was even afraid to kill the holy man.  He was sorry for his vow. But he looked around at the men, his guests, all eager to see if he would keep his oath, and he caved.

He ordered a servant to tell the executioner to behead John and bring back his head … on a platter. Then the party went on, even though everyone waited tensely to see what would happen.  Eventually, there was a ruckus at the door, and the big executioner walked into the banquet hall.  He carried a silver platter with the bloody and gruesome head of John resting on it, his long Nazarite hair hanging over one edge.  

He bowed and gave it to Salome. (Did she flinch, grimace, or scream?  Or did she already have her mother’s mindset?)  She brought the platter to her mother, and then to her unlawful stepfather, King Herod. (A vision for future nightmares!)

(Herodias reminds me of the wicked Queen Jezebel, who lusted for the head of the prophet, Elijah. after he killed all her prophets of Baal.)

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Vss. 29-30.

John’s disciples retrieved their teacher’s body and buried it. Then they went and told Jesus.

At the same time, the Twelve returned – joyful and exhilarated – and told Jesus all that they had done. They told Him about some who had repented at their message.  They told Him how they’d cast out many demons, and had anointed the sick with oil, and they were healed.  

I know Jesus was happy to hear them, but He said,  “Come away by yourselves to a desolate place and rest a while.”  So they got into a boat and sailed across the Sea to a quiet place by themselves.

Jesus knew they needed rest and privacy.  And he would also tell them of John.  He would explain how discipleship wasn’t all victories and miracles.  There was a cost to proclaiming the Good News.

It might even mean their lives.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Reading the Gospels in 2026: (1/22) Mark 6:1-12.

Jan22

 A five-day-per-week study

January 22 – Reading Mark 6:1-12

Read and believe in Jesus. 

“And Jesus marveled because of their unbelief.” Mark 6:6

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The Gospel according to Mark 6:1-12.

After raising Jairus’ daughter from the dead, to keep the crowds from growing even larger and pressing Him so He couldn’t teach or minister, Jesus took His disciples 50 miles SW to His hometown of Nazareth. It was small and of little importance, and most of the crowds would not follow Him there.

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Vss. 1-6.

On the Sabbath, they went into the local synagogue, and Jesus began to teach. Many who heard Him were “astonished.”

In the synagogue in Capernaum, the people who heard Jesus were also “astonished” at his teaching.  To them, “he taught as one who had authority, and not as the scribes.”  (See Mark 1:22)

Not so in Jesus’ hometown.  Notice the questions that came from the people of Nazareth after their astonishment at His teaching….

  • Where did this man get these things?
  • What is the wisdom given to Him?
  • How are such mighty works done by His hands?
  • Is not this the carpenter?
  • The son of Mary? *
  • The brother to James, Joses, Judas, and Simon? **
  • The brother to his sisters?
  • “And they took offense at Him.”

Unbelief, pure and simple.  

And Jesus acknowledged it.  He told them, “A prophet is not without honor … except in his hometown, and among his relatives, and in his own household.”

Jesus could do no miracles there except that He laid his hands on a few sick people and healed them.

How sad. This town missed out on the huge blessings of Kingdom teaching and miracles … just because they would not accept Jesus for His claims (and Mary’s) 

So, Jesus went about among other villages teaching.

 

*Note: Calling Jesus the ‘son of Mary’ was degrading. Usually, a man was named after his father. (Simon, son of Jonah, James & John, the sons of Zebedee). With this title, they were saying they knew Jesus was conceived by a woman who was not married.)

**Note: Of Jesus’ brothers, James and Judas (Jude) did finally believe in Him and were saved.  James became the leader of the Jerusalem church and wrote the book of James. Judas also wrote the book of Jude and ministered in Galilee.  But now?  Now these brothers teased Him about his “visions of grandeur.”

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Vss. 7-12.

Away from Nazareth with its unbelief and Capernaum with its massive crowds, Jesus began another teaching exercise for the ‘Twelve.” He would send them out in pairs into the towns and villages in the area. And He gave them authority over unclean spirits. (Jesus had all authority, to give to whom He would).

There were requirements for their experience that would prepare them for later missionary work, when they would take the Gospel throughout the known world.

  • They were to take nothing except a staff – used for walking and protection against criminals and wild animals.
  • They were to take no food, no normal traveling sack, and no money. (This would be a faith-builder.)
  • They were to wear sandals, but only one tunic, so they could identify with the common people. (Those with comparative wealth would wear two tunics.)
  • They were to remain in the first house they approached that welcomed them for the duration of their stay. (Even if the neighbor had better accommodations or yummier food!)
  • If any home or town would not receive them, they were to “shake off the dust from their feet” as they left. This would show that the people had rejected Jesus and the gospel, and that they were rejected by the Lord.

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It’s interesting that Jesus chose the pairs of men to send out to different communities.

Don’t you wonder who made up those six teams?   Did the two sets of brothers go together, or did Jesus choose a fisherman with a scholar?  Did He send the tax collector out with the Roman-hating Zealot?  Who was sent with Judas Iscariot?

Jesus knew their hearts.  They each would be learning from the other and adjusting to circumstances every day.

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And so these men went out and proclaimed that people should repent. 

Did Jesus do the same, or did He go to a quiet place and spend days fasting and praying to His father for them, and for His own gruesome mission?

 

 

 

 

Reading the Gospels in 2026: (1/21) Mark 5:35-43

Jan21

A 5-day per week study.

January 21 – Reading Mark 5:35-43.

Read and believe in Jesus.

“Do not fear, only believe.” Mark 5:36b

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The Gospel according to Mark 5:35-43.

Synagogue ruler, Jairus, had come to Jesus for help. He was in desperate need.  His 12-year-old daughter was deathly ill, at death’s door. “Please come and lay hands on her that she may live,” he had begged Jesus.  And Jesus went with him.

But there was a delay.

Another amazing healing.

A woman released from a daily “death.”

And while Jairus waited, anxious and fearful… his daughter faded.

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Vs. 35.

While Jesus was still speaking (to the woman), there came from the ruler’s house someone who said, “Your daughter is dead. Why trouble the Teacher any further?”

Imagine the pain in his heart. The grief that almost caused him to collapse. The wistful questions, “If only I’d come sooner. If only that woman hadn’t interrupted.”

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Vs. 36.

Jesus overheard the message, although it was probably spoken in a low voice for Jairus’s ears only.  He looked right at Jairus and said, “Do not fear, only believe.”

Jairus had a choice at that moment.  He was to believe.  But whom?  The servant from his own house, or the Teacher-healer, Jesus?

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Vss 37-40a.

When Jesus and His inner three disciples (Peter, James, and John) began walking quickly towards Jairus’ house, the synagogue ruler followed, hope rising in his heart. 

But at his house, the mourners they’d hired (in case) had already begun their loud dirge, weeping and wailing, fists to the sky.  Perhaps Jairus’ hope plunged.  It was true. His little girl was dead. It was too late…

Then Jesus spoke, “Why are you making a commotion and weeping?  The child is not dead but sleeping.”  Jairus’s heart beat wildly. Sleeping?  Not dead? 

But the mourners laughed at Jesus. They were professionals. They had seen death many times. They knew the girl was dead. 

Jesus put them all outside.  Then, taking His three disciples and Jairus and his wife, He entered the room where their daughter lay.  Taking her by the hand He said to her, “Talitha cumi.” (Little girl, I say, arise.)  And immediately the girl got up and began walking!   Everyone (except Jesus) was overcome with amazement!

I can imagine her parents hugging her, running their hands through her hair and down her arms. Yes. YES! She was alive. O praise, God, she is alive!  Our daughter, who was dead, is now ALIVE!” Such joy and celebration. They wanted to tell the world.  

But Jesus strictly charged them not to let anyone know this.  Then, to keep her parents busy and also to help their daughter, He told them to get her something to eat.  (She’d probably gone days or more without food when she was sick.)  

Mark doesn’t tell us, but it’s likely that Jesus quickly dispersed the mourners. They were wrong. She is okay and eating a meal. 

Mark’s next chapter has Jesus leaving Capernaum and going to his hometown of Nazareth.  It seems the miracle of resurrection WAS kept a secret.  Or maybe that’s why Jesus and his disciples left Capernaum for a while. We’ll see what’s next tomorrow.

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( Ponderings:  It’s interesting that this little girl was twelve years old, and the woman with the discharge had suffered her affliction for twelve years. Her illness had begun the year the girl was born, and now it was near the time for the girl to begin her monthly issue.  In a society that honored boys and men, Jesus lovingly took time to touch and heal an “unclean” woman and the “unclean” body of a dead little girl. Another picture of why Jesus came … to ultimately heal our fatal sin problem and give us new spiritual life in Him.  Thank You, Jesus!)

 Now, if I were a historical fiction writer, I would write this story as a book and connect these two “women” in some way.

Reading the Gospels in 2026: (1/20) Mark 5:21-34

Jan20

A 5-day per week study.

January 20 – Reading Mark 5:21-34.

Read and believe in Jesus.

“Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace, and be healed of your disease.” Mark 5:34

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The Gospel according to Mark 5:21-34.

Jesus and His disciples had been on the Eastern side of the lake for a day, and now they were back in Capernaum.  It was as if Jesus had just “popped” over there to free the man possessed by demons.  Now he was back “at headquarters,” and again the crowds ‘thronged’ around him, all with desperate needs.

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Vss. 21-24

As soon as Jesus left the boat and began to walk among the crowd, one of the rulers of the synagogue, Jairus by name, came and fell at His feet, pleading earnestly, 

“My little daughter is at the point of death. Come and lay your hands on her, so that she may be made well and live.”

Jesus went with Jairus towards his house. And the great crowd went along, also calling and pleading for help.

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Vss. 25-28.

In that crowd was a woman who was suffering from a condition that made her not only physically weak but ceremonially “unclean.”  She had “an issue of blood,” and that meant she could not enter a synagogue or the temple.  And if anyone touched her, THEY would become unclean too. All who knew of her condition shunned her… almost like a leper.

We might automatically think this was something to do with her monthly period, but it had persisted for twelve years. Perhaps it was a cancerous tumor that was causing the constant bleeding.

This poor woman had gone to doctor after doctor until her money was gone, but none helped her.  She was desperate. But then Jesus came to her town. She’d seen him with the sick, the paralyzed, the leper.  He was kind. He touched them. And He healed them all. An unfamiliar hope rose in her.  Perhaps, if she could but touch His garment…..

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Vss. 29-34.

Finally, the woman got near enough to Jesus to reach out and touch the “fringe” of His garment. This could have been one of the four tassels on the corners of the prayer garment that all Jewish men wore, including Jesus. It was a flimsy thing, a few blue and white strings.  But this “unclean” woman touched it, and immediately she felt in her body that she was healed. 

She was going to slip away quietly to rejoice and take the ceremonial mikvah (bath), so she would be “clean” again….

“Who touched me?” Jesus said, pausing and looking around, for He had “perceived that power had gone out of Him.”

“Master,” the disciples said in amusement, “You see the crowd pressing around You, and You ask, ‘Who touched me?'”

The crowd had stopped, too. They stood around Him as Jesus scanned the crowd. Did His eyes stop on the woman an instant before she came forward?  She came in fear, trembling, and fell at His feet.  She confessed the whole truth. (Did the crowd move back a step when she mentioned her bleeding?)  She also confessed to the healing she KNEW she’d received.

What would Jesus do?  What would He say?  She and the crowd waited in silence.

“Daughter, your faith has made you well. Go in peace, and be healed of your disease.”

 WHOA!  Now she could rejoice openly.  And Jesus’ proclamation of healing had also freed her from condemnation and shunning by the people around her.  Oh, PRAISE GOD!  Her heart must have swelled in worship as she left.

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But what of Jairus and his desperately ill daughter?  He must have been waiting anxiously, fearful, while Jesus took time with the woman.

We’ll catch up with him tomorrow.

 

 

 

Reading the Gospels in 2026: (1/19) Mark 5:1-20

Jan19

A 5-day per week study.

January 19 – Reading Mark 5:1-20.

Read and believe in Jesus.

“Go home to your friends and tell them how much the Lord has done for you.” Mark 5:19b

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The Gospel according to Mark 5:1-20

First, Jesus was “mobbed” by the crowds seeking healing. Then He taught the parable of the soils, and it seems the crowd disappeared. Next, Jesus spoke to His own followers, explaining the parables and why He would use them to teach.  And when He decided to go to the quiet of the other side of the lake, the disciples saw the creative power and majesty of Jesus as He calmed the fierce wind and sea with His word. 

“Who then is this, that even the wind and sea obey Him?” they asked each other.

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Vss. 1-6.

Arriving at the Eastern side of the Sea of Galilee, in the country of the Gerasenes, when Jesus had barely stepped off the boat, immediately a “crazy” man ran towards Him.  (It seems the disciples remained in the boat, taking it all in.)

First, a raging sea and now a raging man, for indeed the man was tormented and out of his mind. He was filled with so many demons you couldn’t even count them!

Facts:

  • He lived among the tombs.
  • No one could bind him, not even with chains.
  • He broke off shackles and chains like they were threads.
  • No one had the strength to subdue him.
  • Day and night, among the tombs and on the mountains, he was always screaming and cutting himself.

And yet he ran towards Jesus and fell down before Him. (Only in Jesus is there hope for this man.)

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Vss 7-13.

The voices of the many demons spoke through the man’s lips, “What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God?”

Jesus: “Come out of the man, you unclean spirit.”

Demons (through the man’s mouth):  “I beg you by God, do not torment me!”

Jesus: “What is your name?”

Demons: “‘Legion,’ for we are many.”  (NOTE: A Roman legion is made up of 6,000 infantrymen.)  “We beg You, don’t send us out of the country. Send us… into those pigs!”

Jesus: “GO!”

All the demons were instantly transported into the large herd of pigs on the hillside.  The whole herd went instantly mad and plunged down the hill and over the cliff into the sea, where they all drowned.

(NOTE: Don’t, like me, question the sovereignty of the Son of God in this matter.  If nothing else, that huge herd of swine going mad was a picture to the man of what he had been ‘saved’ from.)

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Vss. 14-17.

The swineherds, the men, ran away. They told what happened in the city and all over the countryside. And people came out to see what had happened. 

What did they see?  (Not pigs, that’s for sure.)

They saw the formerly tormented man sitting there, clothed and in his right mind.  And the people were TERRIFIED! (NOT relieved. NOT happy. NOT praising God.)  No, they begged Jesus, “Go away, Jesus!  Leave our region!”

And Jesus complied. 

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Vss. 14-20.

As He was stepping back into the boat, the man came to Him and begged to go with them. But at this time, Jesus was discipling only Jewish men.  (Later Gentiles would join His sheep, but not now.) 

Instead, Jesus commissioned the man to be a “missionary” in his own hometown and to his family and former friends.  “Go, tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how He has had mercy on you.”

And the freed man obeyed.  “He went away and began to proclaim in the Decapolis (Ten Greek-influenced Cities east of the Jordan River) how much Jesus had done for him, and everyone who heard him marveled.

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(Jesus knew when He got into the boat with His disciples at Capernaum, that this tormented man would be awaiting them. Perhaps that’s why that fierce storm came, and the disciples called out, “Don’t you care if we perish?”  YES, Jesus cared.  And He cared about this demon-possessed man who was also “pershing”. 

Perhaps the disciples needed to see Jesus’ command of the wind and sea so they wouldn’t completely ‘lose it’ when they saw the man screaming and running towards their boat.  Jesus’ control and calm words over a ‘legion of demons’ were the same as they’d witnessed during the storm. 

Who is this, then?  Truly, the Son of God.

 

Reading the Gospels in 2026: (1/16) Mark 4:35-41

Jan16

A 5-day per week study.

January 16 – Reading Mark 4:35-41.

Read and believe in Jesus.

“Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?”  Mark 4:38b

The Gospel according to Mark 4:35-41.

Jesus and his disciples were in Capernaum. He had taught the crowd in a detailed agricultural parable about a Sower sowing seeds on different kinds of soil.  This left the people scratching their heads as to what Jesus meant, including the disciples.  But later, He explained to His disciples that the seeds were the Gospel message and the soils represented the hearts of people. 

Jesus said he would now speak only in parables to the crowds. They werem’t really interested in WHY He came, only in WHAT He could do for them. Their ears and eyes were blinded to the truth. They would get no more, while the disciples would receive MORE light.

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Vss. 35-38.

Now, Jesus wanted some quiet time away from the “maddening crowd.”  He got into the boat from which He’d been teaching earlier, and, with the disciples, started out to the other side of the lake.  Exhausted, Jesus went to the stern of the boat, lay down on some cushions, and was immediately asleep.

Then, as often happened on the Sea of Galilee, a storm came up suddenly.  The wind blew like mad, at almost hurricane strength, and soon the waves were pouring into the boat.  They couldn’t bail fast enough, and it was filling with water.

And Jesus slept on. 

In their need and exasperation, they turned to the sleeping Jesus. “Don’t you care that we are perishing?” they yelled over the noise of the wind. 

What a question!  In another sense, this was the very reason Jesus, the glorious Son of God, had become flesh and lived among them.  God cared so much for the world, which was perishing, that He sent Jesus to save them.  Yes, Jesus cared. He cared enough to die an agonizing death for them.

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Vss. 39-41.

At their desperate plea, Jesus woke up. And, perhaps while still sitting on the cushions, He rebuked the wind. (‘Hey, stop!’)  Then He said to the sea, “Peace! Be still.”  

Immediately, the wind ceased, and there was a great calm on the water. The elements of the storm recognized the voice of their Creator and obeyed!

Then Jesus turned to the disciples who had been freaking out at the storm (and who were now more terrified at what Jesus had just done), and said, “Why are you so afraid?  Have you still no faith?”

They had seen Jesus heal hundreds of sick people and even witnessed demons obeying His voice, but this…?  The wind!  The raging water!  Obeying His voice!!

And as Jesus (maybe) lay back down, they whispered to each other, “WHO then is THIS, that even the wind and sea obey Him?”  The disciples were beginning to see just WHO Jesus was. Not only the Messiah, but …. God.

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Lots of truth can be drawn from this short passage.  

It’s okay to REST when we are tired. 

Sometimes we feel driven to keep on “serving the Lord,” especially in busy, material ways, even to the harm of our health.  THAT is a form of “works” for approval, a temptation of the devil that we may not be worthy, and we need to work harder.

In His physical body, Jesus became exhausted. (Think of the constant “crush” of the needy crowds around Him until all hours, and the healing power going out of him. Think how stressful it was to teach the truth of the Kingdom, only to see people walk away.  Remember His early morning risings to pray to His Father, or even all-night prayers.)

God is a fan of rest.  Hey, He made a whole day for us to rest in, and at least 8 hours of darkness to sleep in every night.

“(My shepherd) … makes me to lie down in green pastures.  He restores my soul.” Psalm 23:2-3

“In peace I will both lie down and sleep; for You alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety.” Psalm 4:8

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The disciples were terrified and desperate in the storm. They were at their wits’ end. They could do no more to save themselves!

I’ve felt fear like that in other “storms” in my life, like when I got my cancer diagnosis.  THAT seemed overwhelming, as if I was sinking.  I may not have called out, but surely I said something like it in my heart.  “Don’t You care, Lord?”   And it was a while – an eternity, it seemed – before He sent calm and peace to my heart.  But it DID come, and it amazed me.  I felt ashamed of doubting Him.  

“Faith comes by hearing, and hearing through the Word (gospel) of Christ.” Romans 10:17.

“Increase our faith!”  Luke 17:5.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Reading the Gospels in 2026: (1/15) Mark 4:21-34

Jan15

A 5-day per week study.

January 15 – Reading Mark 4:21-34.

Read and believe in Jesus.

“With many such parables He spoke the word to them, as they were able to hear it.” Mark 4:33

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The Gospel according to Mark 4:21-34.

Unlike Matthew, but SO like Mark’s style, this short passage in Chapter 4 contains all the parables of Jesus that Mark recorded.  Other than the parable of the Sower, they are all “short and sweet…and pithy.”  (Mark liked action and didn’t spend too much time on Jesus’ discourses.)

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Vss. 21-25.

NOTE: From Mark 4:10 through 4:34, Jesus is in an intimate setting, speaking only to a small group of true followers and “the Twelve.”

Remember that Jesus and the good news about Him and His kingdom are often pictured as “light” to a dark world.  Even though Jesus is speaking to these few believers, the gospel is not meant to be hidden.  Jesus asks them, “Is a lamp brought in to be put under a basket, or under a bed…. or put on a stand?”  The answer is to be put on a stand so it will light the house. 

(Remember the little children’s song, “This little light of mine, I’m going to let it shine.”) 

Jesus was telling these men the truth (what the “Sower” parable meant), but they were not to keep it to themselves; they were to share it, eventually with the world. (See Matthew 28:19-20) 

“Pay attention to what you hear,” Jesus said. “With the measure you use, it will be measured to you, and still more will be added. For to the one who HAS, more will be given.”

These men were key to spreading the gospel throughout the then-known world.  Jesus told them to “pay attention.”  And as they learned, applied, and eventually shared the “light,” more would be given to them.  

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Vss. 26-28.

Only Mark records this Parable of the Seed Growing.  It complements the Parable of the Sower and how the seeds planted in GOOD SOIL grow.   In that good soil, the seed sprouts and grows. First, the blade appears, then the ear, and lastly the full grain in the ear. 

When the Gospel is presented, and the Word enters an open and fertile heart, it produces spiritual growth and, finally, the harvest, when God “saves” the person. 

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Vss. 30-32.

This Parable of the Mustard Seed pictures the kingdom of God. It begins as a small influence, but grows to a worldwide ministry.  

In this parable, Jesus says that “a grain of mustard seed” is the smallest of all seeds on the earth.”  (It isn’t actually the smallest seed in existence, but in comparison to all the seeds the Jews sowed, it was the smallest.)

A mustard seed “can” grow up to a major bush of fifteen feet or so, with branches capable of supporting birds’ nests.  So, Jesus is picturing a smallish sphere of salvation that could grow so large as to shelter and benefit many people. Even unbelievers are blessed by association with the gospel and the power of God in salvation. 

In both the Parable of the Lamp and this one, Jesus is encouraging his true followers that even though their influence seems very small, it will grow and reach many.  They are to be faithful to learn, grow, and apply.

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Vss 33-34.

“With many such parables…” (Mark doesn’t feel like putting them all down in writing)  “…He (Jesus) spoke the word to them, as much as they were able to bear.”   And while He explained everything to His close disciples, to the crowds (Mark says), Jesus “did not speak to them without a parable.”

Only if His hearers were interested and asked Jesus to teach them further, would He respond.  Sadly, most of the crowds came to Jesus for what they could get – healing, release from demons, a spectacle to watch, a riddle to ponder, and later, “free bread and fish.”

 

 

Reading the Gospels in 2026: (1/14) Mark 4:1-20

Jan14

A 5-day per week study.

January 14 – Reading Mark 4:1-20.

Read and believe in Jesus.

“To you has been given the secret of the kingdom of God, but for those outside everything is in parables…”  Mark 4:10-11

 

The Gospel according to Mark 4:1-20.

Vss.1-2

Up to this point, the crowds around Jesus have been coming for healing.  And Jesus healed them of every kind of disease, and cast out many kinds of unclean spirits. They have crowded and crushed around Him, and in His compassion, He met all their physical needs.

Now, when the great crowd came, Jesus began TO TEACH them. He got into that boat a little way out in the water and sat down. The people settled along the beach and up on the rising land. Eventually, they quieted, and Jesus began to teach them (many things) in parables, or object lessons.

Object lessons make some things clear to the listeners, but perplex others who have no interest. This was Jesus’ plan.

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Vss. 3-9

Jesus tells the very familiar parable of the Sower. This would have been a common sight in Galilee: farmers with a sack slung over a shoulder, sowing grain in wide, sweeping motions.  The people settled back to listen.

But it seems the lesson to be learned was about the soil, the makeup of the earth where the seeds landed.

The parable portrayed Jesus as the sower, sowing the “good news” of the Kingdom of God. His listeners were the different kinds of soils.

  1. Some seeds fell along the hard-packed pathway, where hundreds of feet wore a shortcut through the field. The seeds simply sat there until the birds noticed the treat and came to eat them.
  2. Some seeds fell on rocky ground – possibly the edges of the field where the plow had overturned the soil and left it in hard clumps.  The seeds sprouted and sprang up.  But they couldn’t send their roots deep into the soil where moisture was, and so soon shriveled in the hot sun.
  3. Some seeds fell where weeds and thorns grew, perhaps on the corners of the fields where the plow did not reach.  They sprouted and grew, but so did the stronger, established, and much more aggressive weeds. Eventually, the weeds overpowered the seedlings, drawing all the moisture and light. The weak plants yielded no grain.

The people listening had seen these scenarios many times in the countryside.  Perhaps some even nodded in appreciation at Jesus’s agricultural knowledge. They were ready for the final kind of soil.

     4.  Other seeds fell on good soil. These grew up and yielded 30x, 60x, and even 100x the amount of seed sown.  (All of these yields were HUGE amounts. Grain in that area usually produced only 8x or 10x.

Then Jesus says to his huge audience, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”

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(Maybe some responded in their hearts, “I have ears, I heard Him well enough, what’s the big deal?  How come He didn’t do any miracles?)

(And maybe others left quietly, thinking about Jesus’s words, grasping a bit of their meaning, and decided to return and hear more.)

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Vss 10-12.

Later, when Jesus was alone with them (perhaps even that evening), the twelve asked the meaning of the parables.  Jesus gave them what seems like a very chilling answer.

“To you has been given the secret of the kingdom of God, but for those outside everything is in parables, so that (and here He paraphrases Isaiah 6:9-10), ‘they may indeed see but not perceive, and may indeed hear but not understand, lest they should turn and be forgiven.'”

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The “mystery” of the parables is revealed to those who believe in Jesus, who may have heard John the Baptist point to Him and proclaim Him as the Lamb of God, or simply recognized His miracles as proof of His Messiahship. In all cases, it was the work of the Holy Spirit that caused saving faith.  (This is why blasphemy of Him is so deadly.)

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Vss. 13-20.

Then Jesus explained the parable of the “sower” to the disciples.  

  1. Seeds sown on the path are like people who hear the word, but immediately Satan comes and takes it away.
  2. Seeds sown on rocky ground are the ones who hear the Word, it sounds “good,” and they receive it with joy. They endure for a while, but since their belief lacks substance, when persecution or tribulation comes, they immediately fall away.
  3. Seeds sown among the weeds are those who HEAR the word, but the cares of the world, or the deceitfulness of riches, or the desires for other things, choke the Word (become more important), and it proves unfruitful. 
  4. Seeds that are sown on good soil are the ones who HEAR the Word, AND ACCEPT it, and BEAR FRUIT, thirtyfold, sixtyfold, and a hundredfold.

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Jesus will teach in many more parables, and sometimes He will have to explain some to His disciples. But the people who came only for healing or to see the miracles Jesus did went away without understanding.

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“Lord, open my eyes and ears to Your truths!”

 

Reading the Gospels in 2026: (1/13) Mark 3:20-35

Jan13

A 5-day per week study.

January 13 – Reading Mark 3:20-35.

Read and believe in Jesus.

“For whoever does the will of God, he is my brother and sister and mother.”  Mark 3:35

 

The Gospel According to Mark 3:20-35. 

Two groups responded to what Jesus was doing in Galilee: His family and some scribes (Pharisees) who came from Jerusalem.  Seeing Jesus “spending Himself” on the needs of the crowds, one group said He was crazy; the other said He was demon-possessed.  Let’s look at the first group first.

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Vss. 20, 31-35. Family.

After Jesus went up to a secluded spot on the mountain and chose His twelve special disciples to train for ministry, He went “home.”  This meant that He went back to Capernaum to Peter’s house, where He was staying. (See Mark 2:1)  

As soon as he got there, the crowds began gathering and maybe even accosting Him again, pressing in and seeking healing from their many health issues, and deliverance from foul spirits.   Before Jesus went up into the mountain, Mark says the crowd was about to “crush” Him. They pressed Jesus so much to heal them that He didn’t even have time to eat.

We might wonder why Jesus didn’t tell them to “back up” or “get in line,” or even “come back at two o’clock, after I have lunch.”  But Jesus didn’t.  He continued to meet the crowd’s needs, hour after hour.  In Mark 6:34, it says Jesus had compassion on the crowd because they were like sheep without a shepherd.  (The religious leaders of the day certainly were not “shepherding” them.)

Somehow, Jesus’ family (mom, sisters, and brothers) heard how hard and long He had been ministering to the crowds, some from as far away as Lebanon and the other side of the Jordan River. His family couldn’t understand this and came to “rescue” Jesus by force if needed.  They thought he was “out of His mind.”

  • (Note: Paul says in 2 Corinthians 5:13-14a, “if we are ‘beside ourselves,’ it is for God, if we are in our right mind, it is for you. For the love of Christ constrains/controls us … that those who live, might no longer live for themselves but for Him, who for their sake died and was raised.”  
  • This was Paul’s dedication to others. And Jesus’s.  Self-sacrificing LOVE.

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Vss. 31-35.

Jesus was finally inside Peter’s house.  There were still crowds around the house and even inside.  (Remember when the four men had to let down their paralysed friend through the roof?)  

A message from his family, who were outside, came to Jesus.  They wanted Him to come out.  They probably wanted him to go with them, to get some “peace and quiet,” a meal perhaps, to rest, and “catch His breath.” 

Jesus said, “Who are my mother and my brothers?  HERE are my mother and brothers! For whoever does the will of God, he is my brother and sister and mother.“

Do you think Mary was “hurt” to hear this, or was this another truth that she “pondered in her heart”?  Did it anger His half-siblings?  They teased Jesus about His ministry until after His death and resurrection, when at least two of them became believers (James and Jude). 

The verses don’t say, but it’s probably true that Jesus’ earthly family eventually went away, not understanding.  One day, they would.

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Vss. 22-30.  The scribes/Pharisees.

More religious leaders came from Jerusalem to check out Jesus. (Perhaps the local leaders sent for them after Jesus healed and cast out a demon on the Sabbath Day.)  These scribes, sometimes called lawyers, were mostly Pharisees, although a few were Sadducees. 

These ultra-religious men observed Jesus casting out unclean spirits. Did they envy this power? They knew that only a prophet sent from God could have such authority.  And yet they said, “He is possessed by Beelzebul (Satan), and by the Prince of the demons, He casts out the demons.”  

Did they think about what they were saying?  WHY would Satan cast out his own demons???

Jesus caught that too and said, “How can Satan cast out Satan?  If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand.  If Satan has risen up against himself and is divided … he can’t stand and is coming to an end.”

Then Jesus – in a parable of sorts – tells them that HE is the only one who has power over Satan and his minions.  “No one can enter a strong man’s house (Satan’s domain) and plunder his goods (cast out demons), unless he (Jesus Himself) first binds the strong men.  Then he can plunder as he wishes.”

Then Jesus turns to these scribes, who knew the Law and the Prophets in detail, and proclaimed a very chilling statement.  (Which has sent terror into the hearts of people even today.)

“Truly, I say to you, all sins will be forgiven the children of man, and whatever blasphemies they utter, BUT whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit NEVER HAS FORGIVENESS, but is guilty of AN ETERNAL SIN.”

Why is this so?

Because, in deliberately slandering the person and ministry of the Holy Spirit who points to the lordship and the redemption of Jesus Christ, they completely forfeit any possibility of present or future forgiveness of sins.  There is NO OTHER WAY.

Serious stuff.

 

 

 

 

 

Reading the Gospels in 2026: (1/12) Mark 3:13-19

Jan12

A 5-day per week study.

January 12 – Reading Mark 3:13-19.

Read and believe in Jesus.

“And He appointed twelve (whom He also named ‘apostles’) so that they might be with Him and He might send them out to preach.” Mark 3:13-19

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The Gospel according to Mark 3:13-19.

We left Jesus last time with an ever-growing crowd of needy people following and then almost crushing Him in order to get near and be healed.  He healed the sick of all diseases and cast out the demons who possessed others, silencing them as they left. 

The fishermen disciples had prepared a boat for Jesus, and at the end of the day, he got into it along with them and went to a deserted place. 

 

Vss. 13-15,

From there, Jesus went up on the mountain and called to Him the men whom He had chosen to be the special “Twelve.”  By His sovereign will, Jesus CHOSE these twelve men from among the many who followed Him.  He called them “Apostles” so they might 1) be with Him, and 2) He might send them out to preach and to have authority to cast out demons.

(A ‘disciple’ is a student being taught by another.  An ‘apostle’ is a qualified representative who is sent on a mission.)

These (with the replacement for Judas) are the foundation of His church. (See Ephesians 2:19-21.)

 

Vss. 16-19.

Here are those Jesus called and chose:

  1. Simon (to whom He gave the name Peter),
  2. James, the son of Zebedee,
  3. John, the brother of James (to whom He gave the name “Sons of Thunder”).
  4. Andrew,
  5. Philip,
  6. Bartholomew (or Nathaniel),
  7. Matthew (or Levi), the tax collector,
  8. Thomas,
  9. James, the son of Alphaeus,
  10. Thaddaeus (or Judas, the son of James),
  11. Simon, the Zealot,
  12. Judas Iscariot, who betrayed Him. (Iscariot = Ish Kerioth, “a man of Kerioth,” a town south of Hebron. (He was the only disciple from Judea and not Galilee.)

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Believers today are also called and chosen of God. (See John 15:16, and Romans 8:28-30.)