Study Desk

He did not speak to them without a parable. But privately he explained everything to his own disciples.

On that day, when evening came, Jesus said to his disciples, "Let's go across to the other side of the lake."

For his hands and feet had often been bound with chains and shackles, but he had torn the chains apart and broken the shackles in pieces. No one was strong enough to subdue him.

They came to Jesus and saw the demon-possessed man sitting there, clothed and in his right mind—the one who had the "Legion"—and they were afraid.

Then one of the synagogue rulers, named Jairus, came up, and when he saw Jesus, he fell at his feet.

When she heard about Jesus, she came up behind him in the crowd and touched his cloak,

for she kept saying, "If only I touch his clothes, I will be healed."

His disciples said to him, "You see the crowd pressing against you and you say, ‘Who touched me?'"

And they began making fun of him. But he put them all outside and he took the child's father and mother and his own companions and went into the room where the child was.

Now Jesus left that place and came to his hometown, and his disciples followed him.

When the Sabbath came, he began to teach in the synagogue. Many who heard him were astonished, saying, "Where did he get these ideas? And what is this wisdom that has been given to him? What are these miracles that are done through his hands?

Isn't this the carpenter, the son of Mary and brother of James, Joses, Judas, and Simon? And aren't his sisters here with us?" And so they took offense at him.

Then Jesus said to them, "A prophet is not without honor except in his hometown, and among his relatives, and in his own house."

He was not able to do a miracle there, except to lay his hands on a few sick people and heal them.

For Herod himself had sent men, arrested John, and bound him in prison on account of Herodias, his brother Philip's wife, because Herod had married her.

But a suitable day came, when Herod gave a banquet on his birthday for his court officials, military commanders, and leaders of Galilee.

When his daughter Herodias came in and danced, she pleased Herod and his dinner guests. The king said to the girl, "Ask me for whatever you want and I will give it to you."

Although it grieved the king deeply, he did not want to reject her request because of his oath and his guests.

He brought his head on a platter and gave it to the girl, and the girl gave it to her mother.

When John's disciples heard this, they came and took his body and placed it in a tomb.