The Gospel of Mark for Readers | Page 7

ye them to eat. And they said, Shall we go and
buy two hundred pennyworth of bread and give it to them to eat? He
asked them, How many loaves have ye? Go and see. They came back
and told Him, Five, and two fish.
Jesus commanded them to make all the people sit down in groups upon
the green grass. They sat down in ranks, by hundreds and by fifties.
Then, when He had taken the five loaves and the two fish, He looked
up to heaven and blessed it. He broke the loaves and gave them to His
disciples to set before them all. And He divided the two fish among
them. They all ate and were filled. After, they took up twelve baskets
full of the fragments of bread and fish. Those who ate of the loaves
were about five thousand men.
And immediately He instructed His disciples to get into the boat and go

to the other side to Bethsaida while He sent the people away and He
departed into a mountain to pray. At evening time the boat was in the
midst of the sea. Jesus was alone on the land.
He looked out and saw them rowing with great difficulty for the wind
was contrary to them. At about the fourth watch of the night He came
to them, walking upon the sea, and would have passed by them. But,
when they saw Him walking upon the sea, they supposed it was a spirit.
They cried out and were troubled.
Immediately Jesus talked with them and said, Be of good cheer. It is I.
Be not afraid. And He went up to them in the boat. Then the wind
ceased and they were amazed beyond measure. They wondered and did
not even remember the miracle of the loaves for their hearts were
hardened.
They reached the other shore and came into the land of Gennesaret. As
they drew into shore and got out of the boat, the people immediately
recognized Jesus. After they ran to all the area around the region, many
arrived carrying in beds those that were sick. And wheresoever He
entered into villages or cities or country, they laid the sick in the streets
and besought Him to allow the sick to touch but the border of His
garment. And as many as touched Him, He made them whole.
7 Pharisees and some scribes from Jerusalem observed that some of His
disciples ate bread with unwashed hands. They found fault with this
defilement for the Pharisees, and all the Jews, do not eat unless they
wash their hands, holding the tradition of the elders along with the
washing of cups, and pots, brasen vessels, and of tables. Then the
Pharisees and scribes asked Him, Why do thy disciples not walk
according to the tradition of the elders, but eat bread with unwashed
hands?
Jesus answered, Well has Esaias prophesied of you hypocrites. It is
written, This people honor me with their lips but their heart is far from
me. Howbeit in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the
commandments of men. In laying aside the commandment of God, ye
hold the tradition of men, as the washing of pots and cups and many
other things that ye do. And He said to them, Full well ye reject the
commandment of God in order to keep your own tradition.
Moses said, Honour thy father and thy mother and, whoso curses father
or mother, let him die. But ye say, If a man says to his father or mother,

It is Corban, a gift, by whatsoever thou might be gained by me; he shall
be free. Ye allow him to do nothing for his father or mother and make
the word of God worthless through your tradition and many other
things like this.
Then He called all the people to Him and said, Hearken to me every
one of you. Understand that there is nothing from outside a man that,
entering into him, can defile him; but the things which come out of him
are those that defile the man. If any man has ears to hear, let him hear.
After He went into the house, His disciples asked Him about the
parable. Jesus replied, Are ye without understanding also? Do ye not
perceive that whatsoever thing from without enters into the man it
cannot defile him because it enters not into his heart, but into the belly
and goes out into the draught, purging all meats? But that which comes
out of the man is what defiles him. It is from inside, out of the heart of
men, that proceed: evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders,
thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye,
blasphemy, pride, foolishness. All these evil things come from