Part 6

When they got into the boat the wind ceased. Then those who were in the boat came and worshipped Jesus. They said, Surely thou art the Son of God. Then they reached the land of Gennesaret. When the people heard, they sent word all around the country. They brought to Jesus all who were diseased. They besought Him that they might only touch the hem of His garment. And all who touched His garment were made perfectly whole.

15 Then scribes and Pharisees from Jerusalem came to Jesus. They asked, Why do your disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? They do not wash their hands when they eat bread. Jesus answered, Why do you also transgress the commandment of God by your tradition? God commanded: Honor thy father and mother. Let him be put to death who curses father or mother. But ye say that whoever says to his father or mother that it is a gift by whatever thou might profit by me, dishonoring the father or mother, shall be free. Your tradition has made the commandment of God useless.

Ye hypocrites. Well did Isaiah prophesy: This people draw nigh unto me with their mouth, and honor me with their lips. But their hearts are far from me. In vain do they worship me. They teach the commandments of men as doctrines.

Jesus then called the multitude and said, Hear and understand. Nothing that goes into the mouth defiles a man. But that which comes out of the mouth defiles a man. His disciples approached him and said, Do you know that the Pharisees were offended by your words? Jesus said, Every plant that was not planted by my heavenly Father will be uprooted. Ignore them. They are blind leaders of the blind. If the blind lead the blind, both will fall into the ditch.

Next, Peter approached Him and said, Explain the parable to us. Jesus replied, Are ye still without understanding? Do ye not yet understand that whatever goes in at the mouth goes into the belly and is expelled. But those things which come out of the mouth come from the heart. They defile the man because out of the heart come evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, and blasphemies. These are the things that defile a man. To eat with unwashed hands does not defile a man.

Then Jesus went into the coasts of Tyre and Sidon. A woman of Canaan came to Him and said, Have mercy on me, O Lord, thou son of David. My daughter is grievously tormented with a devil. Jesus said not a word to her. Finally, His disciples came and said, Send her away for she cries after us. Jesus replied, I am not here for the lost sheep of the house of Israel only.

She came forward and worshipped Him. She said, Lord, help me. He answered, It is not fit to take the children's bread and cast it to dogs. She answered, True, Lord. Yet dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters' table. Jesus said to her, O woman, great is thy faith. Be it done unto thee as thou wilt. So her daughter was made whole from that very hour.

Jesus left and went to rest in the mountains near the sea of Galilee. Soon, great multitudes came to Him. They brought those who were lame, blind, dumb, maimed, and many others. They placed them at Jesus' feet and He healed them. The multitude wondered when they saw the dumb speaking, the maimed made whole, the lame walking, and the blind seeing. They glorified the God of Israel.

Jesus called His disciples aside and said, I have compassion on the multitude because they have been with me three days and have nothing to eat. I will not send them away hungry lest they faint on the way. His disciples said, Where should we find enough bread in the wilderness to fill so great a multitude? Jesus asked them, How many loaves have ye? They said, Seven and a few little fish.

Jesus commanded the multitude to sit down on the ground. He took the seven loaves and the fish and gave thanks. He broke them and gave them to His disciples and the disciples gave them to the multitude. They all ate and were full. They took up the food that was left, seven baskets full. Those who ate were four thousand men, besides women and children. Then Jesus sent away the multitude and took a boat to the coasts of Magdala.

16 The Pharisees and the Sadducees came and, testing Jesus, asked Him to show them a sign from heaven. He answered and said, When it is evening, ye say it will be fair weather because the sky is red. In the morning, ye say it will be foul weather because the sky is red.

O ye hypocrites. Ye can discern the face of the sky but cannot discern the signs of the times! It is a wicked and adulterous generation that seeks a sign. There shall be no sign given except the sign of the prophet, Jonah. Then He left them, and departed to the other side.

Jesus uttered, Take heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees. The disciples thought He referred to their not remembering to bring bread along with them. When Jesus perceived this, He said, O ye of little faith, why do you concern yourselves because ye have brought no bread? Do ye not yet understand or remember the five loaves for the five thousand and how many baskets of leftovers ye took up? Do ye not remember the seven loaves for the four thousand and how many baskets of leftovers ye took up?

How is it that ye do not understand that I spoke not about the leaven of bread but that ye should beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees? Then they understood that the leaven was the doctrine and teachings of the Pharisees and the Sadducees.

When Jesus came to the coast of Caesarea Philippi, He asked His disciples, Who do men say that I, the Son of man, am? They answered, Some say that thou art John the Baptist. Some say Elias. Others say Jeremiah or one of the prophets.

Then Jesus asked them, But who do you say that I am? Simon Peter spoke up, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. Jesus answered and said, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona, for flesh and blood has not revealed it to thee, but my Father who is in heaven.

I say also unto thee, Thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church. The gates of hell shall not prevail against it. I will give thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven. Whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth, shall be bound in heaven. Whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth, shall be loosed in heaven. Then He charged His disciples to tell no one that He was Jesus the Christ.

From that time, Jesus instructed His disciples about how He must go into Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the elders, chief priests, and scribes. He told them He would be killed and be raised again on the third day. Peter began to rebuke Him and said, Far be it from thee, Lord. This shall not be. Jesus turned quickly, stopped Peter, and said, Get thee behind me, Satan. Thou art an offence to me. Thou savor not the things of God, but those of men.

Then Jesus said to His disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me. Whoever saves his life shall lose it. Whoever loses his life, for my sake, shall find it.

What is a man profited if he gains the whole world and loses his own soul? What can a man give in exchange for his soul? The Son of man shall come in the glory of His Father, with His angels and shall reward every man according to his works. I tell you, there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see the Son of man coming in His kingdom.

17 After six days Jesus took Peter, James and his brother, John up into a high mountain. Here Jesus was transfigured before them. His face shone as bright as the sun. His raiment was as white as pure light. And, behold, Moses and Elias appeared and talked with Him.

Peter then said, Lord, it is good for us to be here. If thou wilt, let us make three tabernacles; one for thee, one for Moses, and one for Elias. But, as he was speaking, a bright cloud overshadowed them. From the cloud, a voice said, This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased. Hear ye Him.

When the disciples heard, they fell on their faces and were afraid. Then Jesus came, touched them, and said, Arise. Be not afraid. When they looked up they saw no one but Jesus. As they came down from the mountain, Jesus charged them to tell no one what they witnessed until the Son of man had risen from the dead.

His disciples asked Him, Why, then, do the scribes say that Elias must come first? Jesus answered, Elias comes first and restores all things. But I tell you that Elias has already come. They knew him not and caused him to suffer at their hands. Likewise, the Son of man shall also suffer of them. Then the disciples understood that Jesus meant John the Baptist.

As they approached the multitude, a man came up to Jesus. Kneeling down, the man said, Lord, have mercy on my son. He is lunatic and greatly vexed. He often falls into the fire and into the water. I brought my son to thy disciples but they could not cure him.

Jesus said, O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I suffer you? Bring the boy here to me. When Jesus rebuked the devil, he left the child and the boy was cured from that very hour.

The disciples took Jesus aside and asked, Why could we not cast the devil out? Jesus answered, Because of your unbelief. Verily, I say to you, if ye have the faith of a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say to this mountain, Move yonder and it shall move. Nothing shall be impossible. This kind of devil goes out only after much strengthening of faith by prayer and fasting.

During their time in Galilee, Jesus told all His disciples, The Son of man shall be betrayed into the hands of men. They shall kill Him and, on the third day, He shall be raised again. The disciples felt great sorrow.