Episode 252: The spit miracles

Mark 7-8

The Pharisees criticize Jesus's disciples (for not washing their hands before eating)

7 ^1-5 When the Pharisees and scribes saw some of Jesus's disciples eating without washing their hands, they said to Jesus, “Why don't your disciples wash their hands before eating?”

Jesus criticizes the Pharisees (for not killing disobedient children)

^6-10 Jesus said,

Why do you reject God's commandment that says,

"Kill whoever curses their father or mother"?

Things that defile a person

¹⁴ Jesus called all the people together, and said to them,

¹⁵ A person is defiled by what comes out of the body, not by what goes into it.

¹⁷ When Jesus entered the house, his disciples asked him what the parable meant.

¹⁸ Jesus said to them,

Don't you understand anything?

Can't you see that nothing that enters the body can defile it.

¹⁹ Whatever enters through the mouth passes through the belly and leaves the body.

²⁰ It's what comes out that defiles a person.

^21-23 Bad thoughts, adultery, fornication, murder, theft, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness -- these things come from within and defile people.

Jesus removes a devil from a Canaanite woman's daughter

²⁴ From there Jesus went to Tyre and Sidon and stayed in a house where he hoped he wouldn't be found. But the people found him anyway.

²⁵ A woman whose daughter had an unclean spirit came and fell at his feet.

²⁶ She asked him to remove the devil from her daughter.

²⁷ But Jesus said to her, “It's not right to take children's bread and cast it to the dogs.”

²⁸ She said to Jesus, “Even dogs feed from the children's crumbs.”

²⁹ Jesus said, “Go on your way. The devil has gone out of your daughter.”

³⁰ When she came into her house, she found the devil gone from her daughter.

Jesus heals a deaf man with a speech impediment

³¹ After Jesus left Tyre, he traveled toward the Decapolis, by way of Sidon and the Sea of Galilee.

³² A deaf man with a speech impediment was brought to him.

³³ Jesus put his fingers in the man's ears, then he spit, and rubbed some of his spit on the deaf man's tongue.

³⁴ Then he looked up to heaven, sighed, and said, "Be opened."

³⁵ And immediately the man could hear and speak plainly.

³⁶ Jesus told them not to tell anyone, but they told everyone anyway.

Jesus feeds four thousand

8 ^1-2 Jesus said to his disciples, "I feel sorry for the people. They haven't eaten anything in three days.”

⁴ They replied, “Where can we find food for them in the wilderness?”

⁵ Jesus said, "How many loaves do you have?"

They answered, "Seven."

⁶ Jesus told the people to sit down on the ground. Then he took the seven loaves, gave thanks, broke them, and gave the bread to his disciples, who distributed it to the people.

⁷ There were also a few small fishes that they distributed among the people.

⁸ Everyone ate as much as they wanted. Then the disciples gathered seven baskets of leftovers.

⁹ About four thousand people were fed. Then Jesus sent them away.

The Pharisees ask Jesus for a sign

¹¹ The Pharisees tempted Jesus by asking him for a sign from heaven.

¹² Jesus sighed and said, “Why does this generation ask for a sign? There'll be no sign given to this generation.”

The yeast of the Pharisees and of Herod

¹⁴ The disciples forgot to bring bread with them.

¹⁵ Jesus said to them, “Beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and of Herod.”

¹⁶ The disciples said to one another, “Is he saying this because we have no bread?”

¹⁷ But Jesus knew what they were thinking, so he said, “Why are you talking about not having bread?

¹⁹ I fed five thousand with five loaves. How many baskets were leftover?”

They answered, "Twelve."

²⁰ Jesus said, “And when I fed four thousand with seven loaves, how many baskets were leftover?”

And they said, "Seven."

²¹ Jesus said, “So why don't you understand?”

Jesus spits on a blind man's eyes (and he sees trees walking)

²² When Jesus came to Bethsaida, they brought a blind man and asked him to touch him.

²³ Jesus took the blind man by the hand and led him out of town. Then he spit on his eyes and asked him if he could see.

²⁴ The man looked up and said, “I see men that look like trees walking.”

²⁵ Jesus put his hands on the man's eyes and then he could see clearly.

²⁶ He sent him away and told him not to tell anyone.

Who am I? (Don't tell anyone)

²⁷ Jesus and his disciples went to the towns of Caesarea and Philippi. On their way, Jesus asked them, “Who do people say that I am?”

²⁸ They answered, “Some say you're John the Baptist, others Elijah or one of the prophets.”

²⁹ Jesus said, "Who do you say that I am?"

Peter said, "You are the Christ."

³⁰ Jesus said, "Don't tell anyone."

Jesus foretells his death and resurrection (and calls Peter "Satan")

³¹ Jesus told his disciples that he'd be rejected, suffer, and die. Then he'd rise from the dead after three days.

³² Peter rebuked him for saying it.

³³ Jesus rebuked Peter, saying, “Get away from me, Satan!”

³⁴ Then Jesus called all the people to him and said,

If you want to follow me, you must deny yourself and pick up your cross.

³⁵ If you want to save your life, you'll lose it. If you lose your life for me and my gospel, you'll save it.

³⁶ What good is it to gain the whole world if you lose your soul.

³⁸ If any of you in this sinful and adulterous generation is ashamed of me and my words, then I'll be ashamed of you when I come in the glory of God with his angels.