Study Desk

Then the perfect time came for Herodias to cause John's death. On Herod's birthday, he gave a dinner party for the most important government leaders, the commanders of his army, and the most important people in Galilee.

Although the king was very sad, he had made a promise, and his dinner guests had heard it. So he did not want to refuse what she asked.

Crowds of people were coming and going so that Jesus and his followers did not even have time to eat. He said to them, "Come away by yourselves, and we will go to a lonely place to get some rest."

When it was late in the day, his followers came to him and said, "No one lives in this place, and it is already very late.

Then Jesus told his followers to have the people sit in groups on the green grass.

Jesus took the five loaves and two fish and, looking up to heaven, he thanked God for the food. He divided the bread and gave it to his followers for them to give to the people. Then he divided the two fish among them all.

Immediately Jesus told his followers to get into the boat and go ahead of him to Bethsaida across the lake. He stayed there to send the people home.

He saw his followers struggling hard to row the boat, because the wind was blowing against them. Between three and six o'clock in the morning, Jesus came to them, walking on the water, and he wanted to walk past the boat.

And everywhere he went—into towns, cities, or countryside—the people brought the sick to the marketplaces. They begged him to let them touch just the edge of his coat, and all who touched it were healed.

Moses said, ‘Honor your father and your mother,' and ‘Anyone who says cruel things to his father or mother must be put to death.'

But you say a person can tell his father or mother, ‘I have something I could use to help you, but it is Corban—a gift to God.'

You no longer let that person use that money for his father or his mother.

When Jesus left the people and went into the house, his followers asked him about this story.

A woman whose daughter had an evil spirit in her heard that he was there. So she quickly came to Jesus and fell at his feet.

While he was there, some people brought a man to him who was deaf and could not talk plainly. The people begged Jesus to put his hand on the man to heal him.

Jesus led the man away from the crowd, by himself. He put his fingers in the man's ears and then spit and touched the man's tongue.

Instantly the man was able to hear and to use his tongue so that he spoke clearly.

Another time there was a great crowd with Jesus that had nothing to eat. So Jesus called his followers and said,

Jesus told the people to sit on the ground. Then he took the seven loaves, gave thanks to God, and divided the bread. He gave the pieces to his followers to give to the people, and they did so.

The followers also had a few small fish. After Jesus gave thanks for the fish, he told his followers to give them to the people also.