Part 2

Jesus told His disciples He needed to get out into a small boat lest the multitude should throng Him. For He had healed many and many who had plagues now pressed upon Him just to touch Him. Unclean spirits, when they saw Him, fell down before Him and cried, Thou art the Son of God. Jesus directly charged them that they should not make Him known.

Then Jesus went up into a mountain. He called to whom He would and they came to Him. Here He ordained twelve to be with Him, and that He might send forth to preach, to heal sickness, and to cast out devils. Then He took these twelve into a house: Simon surnamed Peter; James, the son of Zebedee, John, the brother of James (He named them Boanerges, which is, The sons of thunder); Andrew; Philip; Bartholomew; Matthew; Thomas; James, the son of Alphaeus; Thaddaeus; Simon the Canaanite; and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed Him.

Then the multitude came again so that they could not eat bread undisturbed. When His friends heard about this, they lay hold of Him and said, This is too much. And the scribes who came down from Jerusalem said, He has Beelzebub, and, by the prince of the devils, He casts out devils.

Jesus called them to Him and said, How can Satan cast out Satan? And if a kingdom be divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. And if a house be divided against itself, that house cannot stand. And if Satan rise up against himself, and be divided, he cannot stand and is finished. Nor can a man enter into a strong man's house and spoil his goods unless he first binds up the strong man so he can then spoil his house.

Verily I say to you, All sins shall be forgiven to the sons of men, and blasphemies also, however they blaspheme. But he that blasphemes against the Holy Ghost will never have forgiveness, but is in danger of eternal damnation. He said this because they said, He has an unclean spirit.

His brethren and His mother came and, standing outside, they called for Him. The multitude that sat around Him said, Behold, thy mother and thy brethren are outside and seek for thee. Jesus answered, Who is my mother, or my brethren? Then He looked around on those who sat about Him and said, Behold, my mother and my brethren! Whosoever shall do the will of God, the same is my brother, and my sister, and mother.

4 Later, as Jesus was again by the seaside, there gathered a great multitude. He entered into a boat and began to address the large crowd on shore. He taught them many things by parables. Jesus began, Hearken. Behold, there went out a sower of seeds. It came to pass, as he sowed, some seed fell by the wayside. The fowls of the air came and devoured it. Some seed fell on stony ground where there was no good soil. It sprang up quickly. But, because it had no roots, it was scorched by the sunlight and withered away.

Some seed fell among thorns. The thorns grew up and choked it, and it yielded no fruit. Other seed fell on good ground. This did yield fruit that sprang up and increased; and brought forth some thirty, some sixty, and some a hundredfold. And Jesus finished by saying, He that has ears to hear, let him hear.

After this, when the twelve were alone with Jesus, they asked Him about the parable and why He told the people a parable. Jesus said to them, To you it is given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God. But, to those who are without, the teachings are in parables: That seeing they may see, and not perceive; and hearing they may hear, and not understand; lest at any time they should be converted, and their sins should be forgiven them.

And Jesus said to them, Know ye not this parable? The sower sows the word. And these are the people by the wayside, where the word is sown. When they have heard, Satan comes immediately and takes away the word that was sown in their hearts.

And these are likewise those who are sown on stony ground. When they have heard the word, they receive it with gladness. But they have no root and endure only for a while. When affliction or persecution arises for the word's sake, they are offended.

And these are also the seed sown among the thorns of the cares of this world, the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things. All these thorns enter in, choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful. And, finally, are those who are sown on good ground. In hearing the word, they receive it and bring forth fruit, some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some a hundredfold.

Then Jesus said, Is a candle lighted to be put under a bushel, or under a bed instead of set on a candlestick? You see, if there is nothing hidden which shall not be manifested, then there is nothing kept secret, which shall not be uncovered. If any man has ears to hear, let him hear.

And He said to them, Take heed what ye hear. With what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you. And to you that hear, more shall be given. For he that has, to him shall be given. He that has not, from him shall be taken away even that which he has.

Then Jesus said, Such is the kingdom of God like a man who casts seed into the ground. He passes nights and days, and the seed springs up and grows, he knows not how. For the earth brings forth fruit of herself; first the blade, then the ear, and, after that, the full ear of corn. When the fruit is ripe, immediately he puts the sickle to it because the harvest is come.

And He said, Whereto shall we liken the kingdom of God? With what shall we compare it? It is like a grain of mustard seed, which, when it is sown in the earth, it is less than all the seeds on earth. But when it is sown, it grows up and becomes greater than all. It shoots out branches so great that the fowls of the air may lodge under the shadow of it. To those without, Jesus spoke in parables. He explained all these things to His disciples when they were alone.

That evening, Jesus told His disciples that they should cross over to the other side. And when they sent away the multitude, they took Him even as He was in the boat. There were also other little ships. And there arose a great storm. Wind and waves beat into the boat and it was now full of water. Jesus was in the back part of the boat, asleep on a pillow. They woke Him and said, Master, carest thou not that we perish? Then Jesus arose, rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, Peace, be still.

The wind ceased and there was a great calm. Jesus said to them, Why are ye so fearful? How is it that ye have no faith? Then those nearby said one to another, What kind of man is this that even the wind and the sea obey?

5 They arrived on the other side of the sea, into the country of the Gadarenes. When Jesus got out of the boat, He was immediately met by a man who came out of his dwelling place in the tombs. The man had an unclean spirit and no man could bind him. Whenever he had been bound with fetters and chains, he plucked the chains asunder and broke the fetters in pieces. No one could tame him and night and day he was in the mountains or in the tombs, crying, and cutting himself with stones.

Yet, when he saw Jesus from afar, he ran and worshipped Him. The man cried with a loud voice, What have I to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of the most high God? I adjure thee by God that thou torment me not. Jesus turned to the man saying, Come out of the man, thou unclean spirit. Then Jesus asked, What is thy name? The man answered, My name is Legion: for we are many. And he besought Jesus that he not send them away out of the country.

Nearby, in the mountains, there was a great herd of swine feeding. The devils, in one voice, said, Send us to those swine that we may enter into them. Right away, Jesus gave them leave. The unclean spirits left the man and entered into the swine. The herd ran violently down a steep slope into the sea and drowned (there were about two thousand).

The swine tenders fled and told it in the city and in the country. The people went out to see what was done. When they approached Jesus, they saw the man that was possessed with the devil and had the legion, sitting, clothed, and in his right mind. The people became fearful. Those who saw it told the others how it befell the man who was possessed, and also told about the swine. The people then begged Jesus to leave their coasts.

When He returned to the boat, the man who had been possessed prayed Jesus to let him stay with Him. Howbeit, Jesus suffered him not but said, Go home to thy friends. Tell them the great things the Lord has done for thee, and tell them He has had compassion on thee. Then the man departed and began to tell all in Decapolis the great things Jesus had done for him. Then all men did marvel.

After Jesus crossed again by boat to the other side, many people gathered to Him. And, behold, there came one of the rulers of the synagogue, Jairus by name. When he saw Jesus, he fell at His feet and besought Him saying, My little daughter is at the point of death. I pray thee, come and lay thy hands on her that she may be healed and shall live. Jesus went with him and the people followed and thronged Him.

In the crowd was a woman who had an issue of blood for twelve years. She had been to many physicians, spent all that she had, and nothing was bettered, but, instead, grew worse. She had heard of Jesus and, pressing through the crowd, she came up behind Him and touched His garment. She said, If I may but touch His clothes, I shall be whole. After she did this the fountain of her blood was dried up and she felt in her body that she was healed.

Presently, Jesus, knowing in Himself that virtue had gone out of Him, turned about and said, Who touched my clothes? His disciples said, Thou seest the multitude thronging thee and ask Who touched me? Then Jesus spotted her who had done this thing. The woman, in fear and trembling, but knowing what was done in her, came and fell down before Him and spoke the truth. He said to her, Daughter, thy faith has made thee whole; go in peace, and be whole of thy plague.

While He yet spoke, messengers came from the ruler of the synagogue's house and announced, Thy daughter is dead. Why trouble the Master any further? As soon as Jesus heard the message, He said to the ruler of the synagogue, Be not afraid, only believe. Jesus allowed no one to follow Him except Peter, James, and John, the brother of James. When they got to the house of the ruler of the synagogue, Jesus saw the tumult and many weeping and wailing.

Inside the house Jesus said to them, Why make this commotion and weep? The damsel is not dead, but sleeps. They laughed Him to scorn. But when He had put them all out, He took the father and mother of the damsel and those who were with Him and entered where she was lying. Then Jesus took her by the hand and said, Talitha cumi; Damsel, I say to thee, arise.