Henry: Welcome To Immerse: The Daily Bible Reading Experience.
Day 55.
when Jesus had finished telling these stories and illustrations,
he left that part of the country.
He returned to Nazareth, his hometown.
When he taught there in this synagogue, everyone was amazed
and said, where does he get this wisdom and the power to do miracles?
Then they scoffed.
He's just the carpenter's son, and we know Mary, his mother and his brothers,
James, Joseph, Simon, and Judas.
All his sisters live right here among us.
Where did he learn all these things?
And they were deeply offended and refused to believe in him.
Then Jesus told them, A prophet is honored everywhere except in his own
hometown and among his own family.
And so he did only a few miracles there because of their unbelief.
When Herod Antipas, the ruler of Galilee, heard about Jesus, he
said to his advisors, this must be John the Baptist Ray from the dead.
That is why he can do such miracles for Herod had arrested and imprisoned
John as a favor to his wife, Harus, the former wife of Harriet's brother Philip.
John had been telling Herod it is against God's law for you to marry her.
Herod wanted to kill John, but he was afraid of a riot because all the
people believed John was a prophet.
But at a birthday party for Herod, her radius's daughter performed
a dance that greatly pleased him.
So he promised with a vow to give her anything she wanted.
At her mother's urging, the girl said, I want the head of
John the Baptist on a tray.
Then the king regretted what he had said, but because of the vow
he had made in front of his guests, he issued the necessary orders.
So John was beheaded in the prison and his head was brought on a tray and given to
the girl who took it to her mother later.
John's disciples came for his body and buried it.
Then they went and told Jesus what had happened.
As soon as Jesus heard the news, he left in a boat to a remote area to be alone,
but the crowds heard where he was headed and followed on foot from many towns.
Jesus saw the huge crowd as he stepped from the boat and he had compassion
on them and healed their sick.
That evening, the disciples came to him and said, this is a remote
place and it's already getting late.
Send the crowds away so they can go to the villages and buy food for themselves.
But Jesus said that isn't necessary.
You feed them, but we have only five loaves of bread and two fish.
They answered, bring them here, he said.
Then he told the people to sit down on the grass.
Jesus took the five loaves and two fish looked up toward heaven and blessed them.
Then breaking the loaves into pieces.
He gave the bread to the disciples who distributed it to the people.
They all ate as much as they wanted, and afterward the disciples
picked up 12 baskets of leftovers.
About 5,000 men were fed that day.
In addition to all the women and children.
Immediately after this, Jesus insisted that his disciples get back into the
boat and cross to the other side of the lake while he sent the people home.
After sending them home, he went up into the hills by himself to pray.
Night fell while he was there alone.
Meanwhile, the disciples were in trouble far away from land, for a strong wind had
risen and they were fighting heavy waves.
About three o'clock in the morning, Jesus came toward them walking on the water.
When the disciples saw him walking on the water, they were terrified in their fear.
They cried out it's a ghost, but Jesus spoke to them at once.
Don't be afraid.
He said, take courage.
I am here.
Then Peter called to him, Lord, if it's really you, tell me to
come to you walking on the water.
Yes, come.
Jesus said.
So.
Peter went over the side of the boat and walked on the water toward Jesus.
But when he saw the strong wind in the waves, he was terrified and began to sink.
Save me Lord.
He shouted.
Jesus immediately reached out and grabbed him.
You have so little faith.
Jesus said, why did you doubt me?
When they climbed back into the boat, the wind stopped.
Then the disciples worshiped him.
You really are the son of God.
They exclaimed after they had crossed the lake, they landed at Ezra.
When the people recognized Jesus, the news of his arrival spread quickly throughout
the whole area, and soon people were bringing all their sick to be healed.
They begged him to let the sick touch at least the fringe of his robe,
and all who touched him were healed.
Some Pharisees and teachers of religious law now arrived
from Jerusalem to see Jesus.
They asked him, why do your disciples disobey our age old tradition for they
ignore our tradition of ceremonial hand washing before they eat?
Jesus replied.
Why do you by your traditions violate the direct commandments of God?
For instance, God says, honor your father and mother, and anyone who
speaks disrespectfully of father or mother must be put to death.
But you say it is all right for people to say to their parents, sorry, I can't
help you for, I have vowed to give to God what I would have given to you.
In this way you say they don't need to honor their parents, and
so you cancel the word of God for the sake of your own tradition.
You hypocrites.
Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you for, he wrote, these
people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.
Their worship is a farce for, they teach manmade ideas as commands from God.
Then Jesus called to the crowd to come and hear, listen, he
said, and try to understand.
It's not what goes into your mouth that defiles you.
You are defiled by the words that come out of your mouth.
Then the disciples came to him and asked, do you realize you offended
the Pharisees by what you just said?
Jesus replied.
Every plant not planted by my heavenly Father will be uprooted, so ignore them.
They are blind guides leading the blind, and if one blind person guides another,
they will both fall into a ditch.
Then Peter said to Jesus, explain to us the parable that says people
aren't defiled by what they eat.
Don't you understand yet?
Jesus asked.
Anything you eat passes through the stomach and then goes into the sewer, but
the word you speak come from the heart.
That's what defiles you for from the heart.
Come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, all sexual immorality,
theft, lying, and slander.
These are what defile you.
Eating with unwashed hands will never defile you.
Then Jesus left Galilee and went north to the region of tire and sight.
A gentile woman who lived there came to him pleading, have mercy on me, oh Lord,
son of David, for my daughter is possessed by a demon that torments her severely.
But Jesus gave her no reply, not even a word.
Then his disciples urged him to send her away, tell her to go away.
They said she is bothering us with all her begging.
Then Jesus said to the woman, I was sent only to help.
God's lost sheep, the people of Israel, but she came and worshiped him.
Pleading again, Lord, help me.
Jesus responded, it isn't right to take food from the children
and throw it to the dogs.
She replied.
That's true, Lord, but even dogs are allowed to eat the scraps that
fall beneath their master's table.
Dear woman, Jesus said to her, your faith is great.
Your request is granted, and her daughter was instantly healed.
Jesus returned to the Sea of Galilee and climbed a hill and sat down.
A vast crowd brought to him.
People who were lame, blind, crippled, those who couldn't speak and many others.
They laid them before Jesus and he healed them all.
The crowd was amazed.
Those who hadn't been able to speak were talking.
The crippled were made.
Well, the lame were walking and the blind could see again, and
they praised the God of Israel.
Then Jesus called his disciples and told them.
I feel sorry for these people.
They have been here with me for three days and they have nothing left to eat.
I don't want to send them away hungry, or they will faint.
Along the way, the disciples replied, where would we get enough food here in
the wilderness for such a huge crowd?
Jesus asked, how much bread do you have?
They replied, seven loaves and a few small fish.
So Jesus told all the people to sit down on the ground.
Then he took the seven loaves and the fish thanked God for
them and broke them into pieces.
He gave them to the disciples who distributed the food to the crowd.
They all ate as much as they wanted.
Afterward, the disciples picked up seven large baskets of leftover food.
There were 4,000 men who were fed that day in addition to all the women and children.
Then Jesus sent the people home and he got into a boat and crossed
over to the region of Magadan.
This concludes today's Immers reading experience.
Thank you for joining us.