Study Desk

Jesus was angry as he looked around at them, but at the same time he felt sorry for them, because they were so stubborn and wrong. Then he said to the man, "Stretch out your hand." He stretched it out, and it became well again.

from Jerusalem, from the territory of Idumea, from the territory on the east side of the Jordan, and from the region around the cities of Tyre and Sidon. All these people came to Jesus because they had heard of the things he was doing.

When his family heard about it, they set out to take charge of him, because people were saying, "He's gone mad!"

But whoever says evil things against the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven, because he has committed an eternal sin."

(Jesus said this because some people were saying, "He has an evil spirit in him.")

Some of it fell on rocky ground, where there was little soil. The seeds soon sprouted, because the soil wasn't deep.

Then, when the sun came up, it burned the young plants; and because the roots had not grown deep enough, the plants soon dried up.

But it does not sink deep into them, and they don't last long. So when trouble or persecution comes because of the message, they give up at once.

When the grain is ripe, the man starts cutting it with his sickle, because harvest time has come.

(He said this because Jesus was saying, "Evil spirit, come out of this man!")

He was greatly surprised, because the people did not have faith. Then Jesus went to the villages around there, teaching the people.

Now King Herod heard about all this, because Jesus' reputation had spread everywhere. Some people were saying, "John the Baptist has come back to life! That is why he has this power to perform miracles."

Herod himself had ordered John's arrest, and he had him tied up and put in prison. Herod did this because of Herodias, whom he had married, even though she was the wife of his brother Philip.

So Herodias held a grudge against John and wanted to kill him, but she could not because of Herod.

Herod was afraid of John because he knew that John was a good and holy man, and so he kept him safe. He liked to listen to him, even though he became greatly disturbed every time he heard him.

This made the king very sad, but he could not refuse her because of the vows he had made in front of all his guests.

When Jesus got out of the boat, he saw this large crowd, and his heart was filled with pity for them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. So he began to teach them many things.

He saw that his disciples were straining at the oars, because they were rowing against the wind; so sometime between three and six o'clock in the morning, he came to them, walking on the water. He was going to pass them by,

because they had not understood the real meaning of the feeding of the five thousand; their minds could not grasp it.

It is no use for them to worship me, because they teach human rules as though they were my laws!'