February 6, 2009

A Portrait of Jesus in the gospel of Mark, part 3

These are very brief summaries of each chapter from the gospel of Mark. Here are chapters 5 and 6:

5. After the storm, Jesus and his students went to the other side of the sea, where they met a man who was possessed with many violent demons. Jesus drove the demons out of the man into a herd of pigs, which ran into the sea and drowned. The town's people were very afraid when they saw what happened, so they begged Jesus to leave them. Then the man who had been restored to his right mind wanted to follow Jesus, but Jesus told him to go home and tell his friends "how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you." (Mark 5:19). So he went through ten cities telling all about how much Jesus had done for him, and the people marveled. Jesus also blessed a woman for her faith when she touched his robe and was instantly healed. Then he went to a religious leader's house and restored the man's daughter to life, so that her parents received their daughter back with amazement.

6. People were also amazed at the wisdom of Jesus. But even his own home town still did not believe him. He then sent his 12 students to the towns, giving them power to heal as they preached everywhere that people should repent. During this time, King Herod killed John the Baptist, who was the forerunner for Christ. With all the crowds of people seeking Jesus, it was hard for him and his students to find rest. But Jesus had compassion on the people, and fed 5,000 men (plus thousands of women and children) with only five loaves of bread and two fish. His students recovered 12 full baskets left over after everyone was satisfied. Then he went up a mountain by himself to pray. He returned to his students late in the night, walking on the water toward their boat. They were terrified when they saw him, thinking it was a ghost, but he said, "Take heart; it is I. Do not be afraid." (Mark 6:50). Then he climbed into the boat with them and the wind calmed down. As Jesus traveled through more towns and villages, multitudes came to be healed of their sicknesses, even by a touch of his robe.

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