141 At that time did Herod the tetrarch hear the fame of Jesus, 2 and said to his servants, 'This is John the Baptist, he did rise from the dead, and because of this the mighty energies are working in him.' 3 For Herod having laid hold on John, did bind him, and did put him in prison, because of Herodias his brother Philip's wife, 4 for John was saying to him, 'It is not lawful to thee to have her,' 5 and, willing to kill him, he feared the multitude, because as a prophet they were holding him. 6 But the birthday of Herod being kept, the daughter of Herodias danced in the midst, and did please Herod, 7 whereupon with an oath he professed to give her whatever she might ask. 8 And she having been instigated by her mother—'Give me (says she) here upon a plate the head of John the Baptist; 9 and the king was grieved, but because of the oaths and of those reclining with him, he commanded 'it' to be given; 10 and having sent, he beheaded John in the prison, 11 and his head was brought upon a plate, and was given to the damsel, and she brought 'it' nigh to her mother. 12 And his disciples having come, took up the body, and buried it, and having come, they told Jesus,
13 and Jesus having heard, withdrew thence in a boat to a desolate place by himself, and the multitudes having heard did follow him on land from the cities. 14 And Jesus having come forth, saw a great multitude, and was moved with compassion upon them, and did heal their infirm; 15 and evening having come, his disciples came to him, saying, 'The place is desolate, and the hour hath now past, let away the multitudes that, having gone to the villages, they may buy to themselves food.' 16 And Jesus said to them, 'They have no need to go away—give ye them to eat.' 17 And they say to him, 'We have not here except five loaves, and two fishes.' 18 And he said, 'Bring ye them to me hither.' 19 And having commanded the multitudes to recline upon the grass, and having taken the five loaves and the two fishes, having looked up to the heaven, he did bless, and having broken, he gave the loaves to the disciples, and the disciples to the multitudes, 20 and they did all eat, and were filled, and they took up what was over of the broken pieces twelve hand-baskets full; 21 and those eating were about five thousand men, apart from women and children.
22 And immediately Jesus constrained his disciples to go into the boat, and to go before him to the other side, till he might let away the multitudes; 23 and having let away the multitudes, he went up to the mountain by himself to pray, and evening having come, he was there alone, 24 and the boat was now in the midst of the sea, distressed by the waves, for the wind was contrary. 25 And in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went away to them, walking upon the sea, 26 and the disciples having seen him walking upon the sea, were troubled saying—'It is an apparition,' and from the fear they cried out; 27 and immediately Jesus spake to them, saying, 'Be of good courage, I am 'he', be not afraid.' 28 And Peter answering him said, 'Sir, if it is thou, bid me come to thee upon the waters;' 29 and he said, 'Come;' and having gone down from the boat, Peter walked upon the waters to come unto Jesus, 30 but seeing the wind vehement, he was afraid, and having begun to sink, he cried out, saying, 'Sir, save me.' 31 And immediately Jesus, having stretched forth the hand, laid hold of him, and saith to him, 'Little faith! for what didst thou waver?' 32 and they having gone to the boat the wind lulled, 33 and those in the boat having come, did bow to him, saying, 'Truly—God's Son art thou.'
34 And having passed over, they came to the land of Gennesaret, 35 and having recognized him, the men of that place sent forth to all that region round about, and they brought to him all who were ill, 36 and were calling on him that they might only touch the fringe of his garment, and as many as did touch were saved.
61 And he went forth thence, and came to his own country, and his disciples do follow him, 2 and sabbath having come, he began in the synagogue to teach, and many hearing were astonished, saying, 'Whence hath this one these things? and what the wisdom that was given to him, that also such mighty works through his hands are done? 3 Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary, and brother of James, and Joses, and Judas, and Simon? and are not his sisters here with us?'—and they were being stumbled at him. 4 And Jesus said to them—'A prophet is not without honor, except in his own country, and among his kindred, and in his own house;' 5 and he was not able there any mighty work to do, except on a few infirm people having put hands he did heal 'them'; 6 and he wondered because of their unbelief. And he was going round the villages, in a circle, teaching,
7 and he doth call near the twelve, and he began to send them forth two by two, and he was giving them power over the unclean spirits, 8 and he commanded them that they may take nothing for the way, except a staff only—no scrip, no bread, no brass in the girdle, 9 but having been shod with sandals, and ye may not put on two coats. 10 And he said to them, 'Whenever ye may enter into a house, there remain till ye may depart thence, 11 and as many as may not receive you, nor hear you, going out thence, shake off the dust that is under your feet for a testimony to them; verily I say to you, It shall be more tolerable for Sodom or Gomorrah in a day of judgment than for that city.' 12 And having gone forth they were preaching that 'men' might reform, 13 and many demons they were casting out, and they were anointing with oil many infirm, and they were healing 'them'.
14 And the king Herod heard, (for his name became public,) and he said—'John the Baptist out of the dead was raised, and because of this the mighty powers are working in him.' 15 Others said—'It is Elijah,' and others said—'It is a prophet, or as one of the prophets.' 16 And Herod having heard, said—'He whom I did behead—John—this is he; he was raised out of the dead.' 17 For Herod himself, having sent forth, did lay hold on John, and bound him in the prison, because of Herodias the wife of Philip his brother, because he married her, 18 for John said to Herod—'It is not lawful to thee to have the wife of thy brother;' 19 and Herodias was having a quarrel with him, and was willing to kill him, and was not able, 20 for Herod was fearing John, knowing him a man righteous and holy, and was keeping watch over him, and having heard him, was doing many things, and hearing him gladly. 21 And a seasonable day having come, when Herod on his birthday was making a supper to his great men, and to the chiefs of thousands, and to the first men of Galilee, 22 and the daughter of that Herodias having come in, and having danced, and having pleased Herod and those reclining (at meat) with him, the king said to the damsel, 'Ask of me whatever thou wilt, and I will give to thee,' 23 and he sware to her—'Whatever thou mayest ask me, I will give to thee—unto the half of my kingdom.' 24 And she, having gone forth, said to her mother, 'What shall I ask for myself?' and she said, 'The head of John the Baptist;' 25 and having come in immediately with haste unto the king, she asked, saying, 'I will that thou mayest give me presently, upon a plate, the head of John the Baptist.' 26 And the king—made very sorrowful—because of the oaths and of those reclining (at meat) with him, would not put her away, 27 and immediately the king having sent a guardsman, did command his head to be brought, 28 and he having gone, beheaded him in the prison, and brought his head upon a plate, and did give it to the damsel, and the damsel did give it to her mother; 29 and having heard, his disciples came and took up his corpse, and laid it in the tomb.
30 And the apostles are gathered together unto Jesus, and they told him all, and how many things they did, and how many things they taught, 31 and he said to them, 'Come ye yourselves apart to a desert place, and rest a little,' for those coming and those going were many, and not even to eat had they opportunity, 32 and they went away to a desert place, in the boat, by themselves. 33 And the multitudes saw them going away, and many recognised him, and by land from all the cities they ran thither, and went before them, and came together to him, 34 and having come forth, Jesus saw a great multitude, and was moved with compassion on them, that they were as sheep not having a shepherd, and he began to teach many things. 35 And now the hour being advanced, his disciples having come near to him, say,—'The place is desolate, and the hour is now advanced, 36 let them away, that, having gone away to the surrounding fields and villages, they may buy to themselves loaves, for what they may eat they have not.' 37 And he answering said to them, 'Give ye them to eat,' and they say to him, 'Having gone away, may we buy two hundred denaries' worth of loaves, and give to them to eat?' 38 And he saith to them, 'How many loaves have ye? go and see;' and having known, they say, 'Five, and two fishes.' 39 And he commanded them to make all recline in companies upon the green grass, 40 and they sat down in squares, by hundreds, and by fifties. 41 And having taken the five loaves and the two fishes, having looked up to the heaven, he blessed, and brake the loaves, and was giving to his disciples, that they may set before them, and the two fishes divided he to all, 42 and they did all eat, and were filled, 43 and they took up of broken pieces twelve hand-baskets full, and of the fishes, 44 and those eating of the loaves were about five thousand men.
45 And immediately he constrained his disciples to go into the boat, and to go before to the other side, unto Bethsaida, till he may let the multitude away, 46 and having taken leave of them, he went away to the mountain to pray. 47 And evening having come, the boat was in the midst of the sea, and he alone upon the land; 48 and he saw them harassed in the rowing, for the wind was against them, and about the fourth watch of the night he doth come to them walking on the sea, and wished to pass by them. 49 And they having seen him walking on the sea, thought 'it' to be an apparition, and cried out, 50 for they all saw him, and were troubled, and immediately he spake with them, and saith to them, 'Take courage, I am 'he', be not afraid.' 51 And he went up unto them to the boat, and the wind lulled, and greatly out of measure were they amazed in themselves, and were wondering, 52 for they understood not concerning the loaves, for their heart hath been hard.
53 And having passed over, they came upon the land of Gennesaret, and drew to the shore, 54 and they having come forth out of the boat, immediately having recognised him, 55 having run about through all that region round about, they began upon the couches to carry about those ill, where they were hearing that he is, 56 and wherever he was going, to villages, or cities, or fields, in the market-places they were laying the infirm, and were calling upon him, that they may touch if it were but the fringe of his garment, and as many as were touching him were saved.
91 And having called together his twelve disciples, he gave them power and authority over all the demons, and to cure sicknesses, 2 and he sent them to proclaim the reign of God, and to heal the ailing. 3 And he said unto them, 'Take nothing for the way, neither staff, nor scrip, nor bread, nor money; neither have two coats each; 4 and into whatever house ye may enter, there remain, and thence depart; 5 and as many as may not receive you, going forth from that city, even the dust from your feet shake off, for a testimony against them.' 6 And going forth they were going through the several villages, proclaiming good news, and healing everywhere.
7 And Herod the tetrarch heard of all the things being done by him, and was perplexed, because it was said by certain, that John hath been raised out of the dead; 8 and by certain, that Elijah did appear, and by others, that a prophet, one of the ancients, was risen; 9 and Herod said, 'John I did behead, but who is this concerning whom I hear such things?' and he was seeking to see him.
10 And the apostles having turned back, declared to him how great things they did, and having taken them, he withdrew by himself to a desert place of a city called Bethsaida, 11 and the multitudes having known did follow him, and having received them, he was speaking to them concerning the reign of God, and those having need of service he cured. 12 And the day began to decline, and the twelve having come near, said to him, 'Let away the multitude, that having gone to the villages and the fields round about, they may lodge and may find provision, because here we are in a desert place.' 13 And he said unto them, 'Give ye them to eat;' and they said, 'We have no more than five loaves, and two fishes: except, having gone, we may buy for all this people victuals;' 14 for they were about five thousand men. And he said unto his disciples, 'Cause them to recline in companies, in each fifty;' 15 and they did so, and made all to recline; 16 and having taken the five loaves, and the two fishes, having looked up to the heaven, he blessed them, and brake, and was giving to the disciples to set before the multitude; 17 and they did eat, and were all filled, and there was taken up what was over to them of broken pieces, twelve baskets.
(Read Luke 9:1-9)
Christ sent his twelve disciples abroad, who by this time were able to teach others what they had received from the Lord. They must not be anxious to commend themselves to people's esteem by outward appearance. They must go as they were. The Lord Jesus is the fountain of power and authority, to whom all creatures must, in one way or another, be subject; and if he goes with the word of his ministers in power, to deliver sinners from Satan's bondage, they may be sure that he will care for their wants. When truth and love thus go together, and yet the message of God is rejected and despised, it leaves men without excuse, and turns to a testimony against them. Herod's guilty conscience was ready to conclude that John was risen from the dead. He desired to see Jesus; and why did he not go and see him? Probably, because he thought it below him, or because he wished not to have any more reprovers of sin. Delaying it now, his heart was hardened, and when he did see Jesus, he was as much prejudiced against him as others, Luke 23:11.
(Read Luke 9:10-17)
The people followed Jesus, and though they came unseasonably, yet he gave them what they came for. He spake unto them of the kingdom of God. He healed those who had need of healing. And with five loaves of bread and two fishes, Christ fed five thousand men. He will not see those that fear him, and serve him faithfully, want any good thing. When we receive creature-comforts, we must acknowledge that we receive them from God, and that we are unworthy to receive them; that we owe them all, and all the comfort we have in them, to the mediation of Christ, by whom the curse is taken away. The blessing of Christ will make a little go a great way. He fills every hungry soul, abundantly satisfies it with the goodness of his house. Here were fragments taken up: in our Father's house there is bread enough, and to spare. We are not straitened, nor stinted in Christ.
