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Jesus Shared Our Flesh and Blood to Destroy Death (Hebrews 2:14-18)

Now since the children share in blood and flesh, he likewise shared in them, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, 15 and free those who through fear of death had been subject to slavery all their life. 16 Surely he did not help angels but rather the descendants of Abraham; 17 therefore, he had to become like his brothers in every way, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest before God to expiate the sins of the people. 18 Because he himself was tested through what he suffered, he is able to help those who are being tested. In Heb. 2:5-13, the author of the Letter to the Hebrews (whose human author is unknown) explains that God’s “ world to come ” is not placed under angels but is ordered toward humanity. He recalls the dignity God intended for man, then acknowledges that we do not yet see that destiny fulfilled in ourselves. We do see it in Jesus, who entered our human condition, accepted suffering and death, and is no...

The Beatitudes: The Inner Disposition of the Disciple (Matthew 5:1-12)

When he saw the crowds, he went up the mountain, and after he had sat down, his disciples came to him. 2 He began to teach them, saying: 3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 4 Blessed are they who mourn, for they will be comforted. 5 Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the land. 6 Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be satisfied. 7 Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy. 8 Blessed are the clean of heart, for they will see God. 9 Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. 10 Blessed are they who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 11 Blessed are you when they insult you and persecute you and utter every kind of evil against you [falsely] because of me. 12 Rejoice and be glad, for your reward will be great in heaven. Thus they persecuted the prophets who were before you. Jesus sees the crowds and goes up the mountain, the...

Jesus Calms the Storm - Fear, Faith, and His Authority (Mark 4:35-41)

On that day, as evening drew on, he said to them, “Let us cross to the other side.” 36 Leaving the crowd, they took him with them in the boat just as he was. And other boats were with him. 37 A violent squall came up and waves were breaking over the boat, so that it was already filling up. 38 Jesus was in the stern, asleep on a cushion. They woke him and said to him, “Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?” 39 He woke up, rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, “Quiet! Be still!” The wind ceased and there was great calm. 40 Then he asked them, “Why are you terrified? Do you not yet have faith?” 41 They were filled with great awe and said to one another, “Who then is this whom even wind and sea obey?” After a full day of teaching, Jesus tells the disciples to cross to the other side as evening is coming. The crowd is left behind. Jesus is taken “ in the boat just as he was ,” and Mark adds a small detail that makes the scene feel crowded and real: “ other boats were with him .” ...

God’s Kingdom Grows of Its Own Accord (Mark 4:26-34)

He said, “This is how it is with the kingdom of God; it is as if a man were to scatter seed on the land 27 and would sleep and rise night and day and the seed would sprout and grow, he knows not how. 28 Of its own accord the land yields fruit, first the blade, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear. 29 And when the grain is ripe, he wields the sickle at once, for the harvest has come.” 30 He said, “To what shall we compare the kingdom of God, or what parable can we use for it? 31 It is like a mustard seed that, when it is sown in the ground, is the smallest of all the seeds on the earth. 32 But once it is sown, it springs up and becomes the largest of plants and puts forth large branches, so that the birds of the sky can dwell in its shade.” 33 With many such parables he spoke the word to them as they were able to understand it. 34 Without parables he did not speak to them, but to his own disciples he explained everything in private. God’s Kingdom does not arrive the way people o...

Your Light Must Be Seen - Take Care What You Hear (Mark 4:21-25)

He said to them, “Is a lamp brought in to be placed under a bushel basket or under a bed, and not to be placed on a lampstand? 22 For there is nothing hidden except to be made visible; nothing is secret except to come to light. 23 Anyone who has ears to hear ought to hear.” 24 He also told them, “Take care what you hear. The measure with which you measure will be measured out to you, and still more will be given to you. 25 To the one who has, more will be given; from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away.” Jesus continues His teaching with three short sayings that belong together. He speaks about light, about what is hidden, and about hearing. Each saying presses the same point: what God is doing in and through Jesus is not meant to remain covered up, and the way a person receives His word will shape what follows. Jesus begins with a plain picture. A lamp is brought in so it can do what a lamp is for. It is not meant to be tucked away under something that blocks its ...

The Parable of the Seed and the Soil (Mark 4:1-20)

On another occasion he began to teach by the sea. A very large crowd gathered around him so that he got into a boat on the sea and sat down. And the whole crowd was beside the sea on land. 2 And he taught them at length in parables, and in the course of his instruction he said to them, 3 “Hear this! A sower went out to sow. 4 And as he sowed, some seed fell on the path, and the birds came and ate it up. 5 Other seed fell on rocky ground where it had little soil. It sprang up at once because the soil was not deep. 6 And when the sun rose, it was scorched and it withered for lack of roots. 7 Some seed fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked it and it produced no grain. 8 And some seed fell on rich soil and produced fruit. It came up and grew and yielded thirty, sixty, and a hundredfold.” 9 He added, “Whoever has ears to hear ought to hear.” 10 And when he was alone, those present along with the Twelve questioned him about the parables. 11 He answered them, “The mystery of th...

Jesus Defines His True Family (Mark 3:31-35)

His mother and his brothers arrived. Standing outside they sent word to him and called him. 32 A crowd seated around him told him, “Your mother and your brothers [and your sisters] are outside asking for you.” 33 But he said to them in reply, “Who are my mother and [my] brothers?” 34 And looking around at those seated in the circle he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers. 35 [For] whoever does the will of God is my brother and sister and mother.” Jesus is teaching inside a house when his mother and his brothers arrive. They remain “outside,” send word in, and call for him. The crowd is “ seated around him ,” and they relay the message, adding the detail found in some ancient witnesses, “ and your sisters .” Mark then places Jesus’ response at the center: he answers the message with a saying that redefines kinship. He looks around at those seated “ in the circle ” and identifies them as his mother and his brothers, and then he states the criterion plainly: “ whoever does the will o...

Jesus Warns the Scribes About Blasphemy Against the Holy Spirit (Mark 3:22-30)

The scribes who had come from Jerusalem said, “He is possessed by Beelzebul,” and “By the prince of demons he drives out demons.” 23 Summoning them, he began to speak to them in parables, “How can Satan drive out Satan? 24 If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. 25 And if a house is divided against itself, that house will not be able to stand. 26 And if Satan has risen up against himself and is divided, he cannot stand; that is the end of him. 27 But no one can enter a strong man’s house to plunder his property unless he first ties up the strong man. Then he can plunder his house. 28 Amen, I say to you, all sins and all blasphemies that people utter will be forgiven them. 29 But whoever blasphemes against the holy Spirit will never have forgiveness, but is guilty of an everlasting sin.” 30 For they had said, “He has an unclean spirit.” The scribes come from Jerusalem to where Jesus is teaching in Galilee. They make a serious charge: they say Jesus is “ posses...

Jesus Begins His Preaching: Repent, for the Kingdom Is at Hand (Matthew 4:12-17)

When he heard that John had been arrested, he withdrew to Galilee. 13 He left Nazareth and went to live in Capernaum by the sea, in the region of Zebulun and Naphtali, 14 that what had been said through Isaiah the prophet might be fulfilled: 15 “Land of Zebulun and land of Naphtali, the way to the sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles, 16 the people who sit in darkness have seen a great light, on those dwelling in a land overshadowed by death light has arisen.” 17 From that time on, Jesus began to preach and say, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” When Jesus hears that John has been arrested, he “ withdrew to Galilee .” The movement matters because Matthew has already used “ withdrew ” language when danger rises and God’s plan continues by another path. John’s arrest is not an incidental detail. It signals that opposition has begun, and it foreshadows what will later happen to Jesus as well. Mark describes the same sequence in brief: after John is arrested, Jesus...

Jesus Comes Home, and His Relatives Set Out to Seize Him (Mark 3:20-21)

He came home. Again [the] crowd gathered, making it impossible for them even to eat. 21 When his relatives heard of this they set out to seize him, for they said, “He is out of his mind.” Mark brings Jesus back “ home ,” and the crowd gathers again. The pressure is so constant that “ it [is] impossible for them even to eat .” Mark is showing the unrelenting demand around Jesus. The house is not a private refuge. It becomes the place where the public presses in. This is also Mark’s way of showing momentum. The earlier conflicts did not cool down. The healings, the teaching, and the gathering of disciples have made Jesus a public figure whom people will not leave alone. The house is packed, the day is crowded, and even basic human needs are crowded out. Mark wants the reader to feel how exposed Jesus and his close followers now are. When word of this reaches Jesus’ relatives, they “ set out to seize him .” Mark gives the reason in the form of a report: “ for they said, ‘He is out of his ...

Jesus Calls and Appoints the Twelve (Mark 3:13-19)

He went up the mountain and summoned those whom he wanted and they came to him. 14 He appointed twelve [whom he also named apostles] that they might be with him and he might send them forth to preach 15 and to have authority to drive out demons: 16 [he appointed the twelve:] Simon, whom he named Peter; 17 James, son of Zebedee, and John the brother of James, whom he named Boanerges, that is, sons of thunder; 18 Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James the son of Alphaeus; Thaddeus, Simon the Cananean, 19 and Judas Iscariot who betrayed him. Jesus goes up the mountain and then acts with purpose. In Mark, a mountain often signals a solemn, decisive moment—an act that discloses Jesus’ authority and sets the direction of his mission. Here it frames the appointment of the Twelve as foundational, echoing Israel’s defining moments on the mountain, but now with the disciples drawn close to Jesus. He summons “ those whom he wanted ,” and they come. Mark’s first emphasis is that this ...

Jesus Heals Many, and Unclean Spirits Are Silenced (Mark 3:7-12)

Jesus withdrew toward the sea with his disciples. A large number of people [followed] from Galilee and from Judea. 8 Hearing what he was doing, a large number of people came to him also from Jerusalem, from Idumea, from beyond the Jordan, and from the neighborhood of Tyre and Sidon. 9 He told his disciples to have a boat ready for him because of the crowd, so that they would not crush him. 10 He had cured many and, as a result, those who had diseases were pressing upon him to touch him. 11 And whenever unclean spirits saw him they would fall down before him and shout, “You are the Son of God.” 12 He warned them sternly not to make him known. Jesus has just faced open hostility, and Mark now shows the public response to His works. Jesus withdraws “ toward the sea ” with His disciples. Mark presents this as a deliberate move from the synagogue setting to the shoreline, where the crowd can gather and where His disciples can manage what is happening. The scale is striking. People come not ...

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