Read the Gospels in 40 Days
Chapter 7
Traditions That Falsify the Law of God.[a] 1 When the Pharisees, along with some scribes who had come from Jerusalem, gathered around Jesus, 2 they noted that some of his disciples were eating with defiled hands, that is, without washing them. 3 For the Pharisees, and in fact all Jews, do not eat without thoroughly washing their hands, thereby observing the tradition of the elders. 4 And on coming from the marketplace they do not eat without first washing. In addition, there are many other traditions that they observe, such as the washing of cups and jugs and bronze kettles and tables.[b]
5 Therefore, the Pharisees and the scribes asked him, “Why do your disciples not follow the tradition of the elders but eat with unclean hands?” 6 He answered, “How rightly Isaiah prophesied about you hypocrites, as it is written:
‘This people honors me with their lips,
but their hearts are far from me;
7 in vain do they worship me,
teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’
8 You thrust aside the commandment of God in order to preserve the traditions of men.”[c]
9 Then he said to them, “How cleverly you have set aside the commandment of God to preserve your own tradition! 10 For Moses said, ‘Honor your father and your mother,’ and ‘Whoever curses father or mother will be put to death.’ 11 But you say, ‘If anyone tells his father or mother: “Anything I might have used for your support is Corban” ’[d] (that is, dedicated to God), 12 then he is forbidden by you from that very moment to do anything for his father or mother. 13 You nullify the word of God for the sake of your tradition that you have handed down. And you do many other things just like that.”
14 Clean and Unclean.[e] Then he called the people to him and said to them: “Listen to me, all of you, and understand. 15 There is nothing that goes into a person from outside that can defile him. The things that come out of a person are what defile him. [ 16 If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear!]”[f]
17 When he had gone into the house, away from the crowds, his disciples questioned him about the parable. 18 He said to them, “Then are you also without understanding? Do you not realize that whatever goes into a person from outside cannot defile him, 19 since it enters not into the heart but into the stomach and is discharged into the sewer?” Thus, he pronounced all foods clean.
20 Then he went on, “It is what comes out of a person that defiles. 21 For from within, from the human heart, come evil thoughts, unchastity, theft, murder, 22 adultery, avarice, malice, deceit, indecency, envy, slander, arrogance, and folly. 23 All these evils come from within, and they defile a person.”
24 The Faith of a Gentile Woman.[g] He moved on from that place to the region of Tyre. He went into a house and did not want anyone to know he was there, but he was not able to avoid being recognized. 25 Almost immediately, a woman whose daughter was possessed by an unclean spirit heard about him and hastened to fall down at his feet. 26 The woman was a Gentile of Syrophoenician origin, and she begged him to drive the demon out of her daughter.
27 Jesus said to her, “Let the children be fed first. For it is not right to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs.” 28 She replied, “Yes, Lord; but even the dogs under the table eat the scraps from the children.” 29 Then Jesus said to her, “For saying this, you may go. The demon has gone out of your daughter.” 30 And when she returned home, she found the child lying in bed and the demon gone.
31 Jesus Heals a Deaf Man.[h] Returning from the region of Tyre, Jesus traveled by way of Sidon to the Sea of Galilee, and into the region of the Decapolis. 32 Thereupon people brought to him a deaf man who had a speech impediment and begged him to lay his hand on him. 33 He took him aside, away from the crowd, and put his fingers into the man’s ears and, spitting, touched his tongue. 34 Then, looking up to heaven, he sighed and said to him, “Ephphatha!” which means, “Be opened!” 35 At once, the man’s ears were opened, his tongue was loosened, and he spoke properly.
36 Then he ordered them not to tell anyone, but the more he ordered them not to do so, the more widely they proclaimed it. 37 Their astonishment was beyond measure. “He has done all things well,” they said. “He even makes the deaf able to hear and the mute able to speak.”
Chapter 8
Jesus Feeds Four Thousand.[i] 1 In those days, a great crowd had again assembled, and they had nothing to eat. Jesus called his disciples to him and said to them, 2 “I am moved with compassion for these people, because they have been with me now for three days and have nothing to eat. 3 If I send them away hungry to their homes, they will collapse on the way—and some of them have come from far off.”
4 His disciples replied, “How can anyone find enough bread here in this deserted place to feed these men?” 5 He asked them, “How many loaves do you have?” They replied, “Seven.”
6 Jesus ordered the crowd to sit down on the ground. Then he took the seven loaves, and after giving thanks he broke them and gave them to his disciples to distribute, and they distributed them to the people. 7 There were also a few small fish, and after blessing them he commanded that these too should be distributed. 8 They ate and were satisfied. Afterward, the disciples picked up the fragments left over—seven full baskets. 9 The people there numbered about four thousand. And when he had sent them away, 10 he immediately got into the boat with his disciples and went to the district of Dalmanutha.[j]
11 The Demand for a Sign.[k] The Pharisees came forward and began to argue with him. To put him to the test they asked him to show them a sign from heaven. 12 Sighing from the depths of his spirit, he said, “Why does this generation ask for a sign? Amen, I say to you, no sign will be given to this generation.” 13 Then he left them, got into the boat again, and sailed across to the other side.
14 The Yeast of the Pharisees.[l] They had forgotten to bring any bread with them, and they had only one loaf in the boat. 15 Jesus then gave them this warning, “Be careful, and beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and the yeast of Herod.” 16 They talked about this to one another and concluded: “It is because we have no bread.”
17 Becoming aware of what they were discussing, he said to them, “Why are you talking about having no bread? Do you still not understand or comprehend? Are your hearts hardened? 18 Do you have eyes and fail to see? Do you have ears and fail to hear?
“And do you not remember? 19 When I broke the five loaves for the five thousand, how many baskets filled with fragments did you collect?” They answered, “Twelve.” 20 “When I broke the seven loaves for the four thousand, how many baskets filled with fragments did you collect?” They answered, “Seven.” 21 He said to them, “Do you still not understand?”
22 Jesus Heals a Blind Man.[m] They arrived at Bethsaida, and some people brought a blind man to Jesus and begged that he touch him. 23 He took the blind man by the hand and led him outside the village. Then, putting saliva on his eyes, he laid his hands on him and asked, “Can you see anything?” 24 Looking up, the man responded, “I can see people, but they look like trees walking around.” 25 Jesus placed his hands on the man’s eyes again, and the man looked around intently. His sight was restored, and he was able to see everything clearly. 26 Then he sent him away to his home, saying, “Do not even go into the village.”
27 Peter’s Confession That Jesus Is the Messiah.[n] Then Jesus and his disciples set out for the villages of Caesarea Philippi. Along the way he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that I am?” 28 They responded, “[Some say] John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, one of the prophets.” 29 “But you,” he asked, “who do you say that I am?” Peter answered him, “You are the Christ.” 30 Then he gave them strict orders not to tell anyone about him.
The Mystery of Jesus Is Revealed[o]
The Way of the Son of Man[p]
31 Jesus Predicts His Passion.[q] After that, he began to teach them that the Son of Man must endure great suffering, be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes,[r] and be put to death, and rise again after three days. 32 He told them these facts in plain words.
Then Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. 33 At this, Jesus turned and, looking at his disciples, rebuked Peter and said, “Get behind me, Satan! You are thinking not as God does, but as men do.”
34 The Conditions of Discipleship.[s] He then called the people and his disciples to him and said to them, “Anyone who wishes to follow me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me. 35 [t]For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and the sake of the gospel will save it. 36 What does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his very life? 37 Indeed, what can he give in exchange for his life?
38 “If anyone in this adulterous and sinful generation is ashamed of me and of my words, the Son of Man will also be ashamed of him when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.”
Chapter 9
1 Then he said to them, “Amen, I say to you, there are some standing here who will not taste death before they see that the kingdom of God has come with power.”[u]
Jesus Is Transfigured.[v] 2 Six days later, Jesus took Peter, James, and John and led them up a high mountain apart by themselves. And in their presence he was transfigured; 3 his clothes became dazzling white—whiter than anyone on earth could bleach them. 4 And Elijah with Moses appeared, conversing with Jesus.
5 Then Peter said to Jesus, “Rabbi, it is good for us to be here. Let us make three tents—one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” 6 He did not know what to say, for they were so frightened. 7 Then a cloud cast a shadow over them, and a voice came out of the cloud: “This is my beloved Son. Listen to him.” 8 Suddenly, when they looked around, they saw no one with them anymore, but only Jesus.
Elijah Has Already Come.[w] 9 As they were coming down from the mountain, Jesus ordered them to tell no one what they had seen until the Son of Man had risen from the dead. 10 Therefore, they kept the matter to themselves, although they did argue about what rising from the dead could possibly mean.
11 And they asked him, “Why do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?” 12 He said to them, “Elijah will indeed come first and restore all things. Yet how is it written about the Son of Man?—that he must endure great suffering and be treated with contempt! 13 However, I tell you that Elijah has come, and they did to him whatever they pleased, as it is written about him.”
14 Jesus Heals a Boy Possessed by a Spirit.[x] When they returned to the disciples, they saw a large crowd surrounding them, and some scribes were engaged in an argument with them. 15 As soon as the people saw Jesus, they were overcome with awe and ran forward to greet him. 16 He asked them, “What are you arguing about with them?”
17 A man in the crowd answered him, “Teacher, I have brought you my son who is possessed by a spirit that makes him unable to speak. 18 Wherever it seizes him, it flings him to the ground, and he foams at the mouth, grinds his teeth, and becomes rigid. I asked your disciples to drive it out, but they were unable to do so.”
19 Jesus said to them in reply, “O unbelieving generation, how much longer shall I remain with you? How much longer must I put up with you? Bring the boy to me.” 20 When they brought the boy to him, the spirit saw him and immediately threw the child into convulsions. He fell to the ground and rolled around, foaming at the mouth.
21 Jesus asked the father, “How long has the boy been in this condition?” “From childhood,” he replied. 22 “It has often tried to kill him by throwing him into a fire or into water. If it is possible for you to do anything, have pity on us and help us.” 23 Jesus answered, “If it is possible! All things are possible for one who has faith.” 24 Immediately, the father of the child cried out, “I do believe. Help my unbelief.”
25 When Jesus saw that a crowd was rapidly gathering around them, he rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it, “Deaf and mute spirit, I command you: come out of him and never enter him again!” 26 Shrieking and throwing the boy into convulsions, it came out of him. He lay there like a corpse, so that many remarked, “He is dead.” 27 But Jesus, taking him by the hand, raised him, and he stood up.
28 When he went indoors, his disciples asked him privately, “Why were we not able to cast it out?” 29 He answered, “This kind cannot be driven out except by prayer [and by fasting].”[y]
30 Jesus Predicts His Passion a Second Time.[z] They proceeded from there and began to journey through Galilee, but Jesus did not want anyone to know about it 31 because he was teaching his disciples. He told them, “The Son of Man[aa] will be handed over into the power of men. They will kill him, and three days after being killed he will rise.” 32 But they did not understand what he was saying, and they were afraid to ask him about it.
33 The Greatest in the Kingdom.[ab] They came to Capernaum, and once they were in the house he asked them, “What were you arguing about during the journey?” 34 But they remained silent, for on the way they had been arguing about which one of them was the greatest.
35 Then he sat down, summoned the Twelve, and said to them, “If anyone wishes to be first, he must become the last of all and the servant of all.” 36 He then took a child, placed it in their midst, and put his arms around it as he said, 37 “Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me; and whoever receives me receives not me but the one who sent me.”
38 Whoever Is Not against Us Is for Us. John said to him, “Teacher, we observed someone expelling demons in your name, and we forbade him because he was not one of us.”[ac] 39 Jesus replied, “Do not hinder him, for no one who performs a miracle in my name will be able soon afterward to speak evil of me. 40 Whoever is not against us is for us. 41 Amen, I say to you, whoever gives you a cup of water to drink because you bear the name of Christ will certainly not go unrewarded.
42 Woe to the World because of Scandals.[ad]“If anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him if a great millstone were hung around his neck and he were thrown into the sea.
43 “If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off.[ae] It is preferable for you to enter life maimed than to have two hands and go into the unquenchable fire of Gehenna [ 44 where the devouring worm never dies and the fire is never quenched][af] 45 And if your foot causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life crippled than to have two feet and be thrown into Gehenna [ 46 where the devouring worm never dies and the fire is never quenched]. 47 And if your eye causes you to sin, tear it out. It is preferable for you to enter into the kingdom of God with one eye than to have two eyes and be cast into Gehenna, 48 where the devouring worm never dies and the fire is never quenched.
49 The Simile of Salt.“For everyone will be salted with fire.[ag] 50 Salt is good, but if salt loses its saltiness, how can you revive its flavor? Have salt in yourselves, and be at peace with one another.”
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