141 At that time Herod the tetrarch heard of the fame of Jesus, 2 and said to his servants, This is John the baptist: he is risen from the dead, and because of this these works of power display their force in him. 3 For Herod had seized John, and had bound him and put him in prison on account of Herodias the wife of Philip his brother. 4 For John said to him, It is not lawful for thee to have her. 5 And [while] desiring to kill him, he feared the crowd, because they held him for a prophet. 6 But when Herod's birthday was celebrated, the daughter of Herodias danced before them, and pleased Herod; 7 whereupon he promised with oath to give her whatsoever she should ask. 8 But she, being set on by her mother, says, Give me here upon a dish the head of John the baptist. 9 And the king was grieved; but on account of the oaths, and those lying at table with [him], he commanded [it] to be given. 10 And he sent and beheaded John in the prison; 11 and his head was brought upon a dish, and was given to the damsel, and she carried [it] to her mother. 12 And his disciples came and took the body and buried it, and came and brought word to Jesus.
13 And Jesus, having heard it, went away thence by ship to a desert place apart. And the crowds having heard [of it] followed him on foot from the cities. 14 And going out he saw a great crowd, and was moved with compassion about them, and healed their infirm. 15 But when even was come, his disciples came to him saying, The place is desert, and [much of] the [day] time already gone by; dismiss the crowds, that they may go into the villages and buy food for themselves. 16 But Jesus said to them, They have no need to go: give ye them to eat. 17 But they say to him, We have not here save five loaves and two fishes. 18 And he said, Bring them here to me. 19 And having commanded the crowds to recline upon the grass, having taken the five loaves and the two fishes, he looked up to heaven, and blessed: and having broken the loaves, he gave [them] to the disciples, and the disciples [gave them] to the crowds. 20 And all ate and were filled, and they took up what was over and above of fragments twelve hand-baskets full. 21 But those that had eaten were about five thousand men, besides women and children.
22 And immediately he compelled the disciples to go on board ship, and to go on before him to the other side, until he should have dismissed the crowds. 23 And having dismissed the crowds, he went up into the mountain apart to pray. And when even was come, he was alone there, 24 but the ship was already in the middle of the sea tossed by the waves, for the wind was contrary. 25 But in the fourth watch of the night he went off to them, walking on the sea. 26 And the disciples, seeing him walking on the sea, were troubled, saying, It is an apparition. And they cried out through fear. 27 But Jesus immediately spoke to them, saying, Take courage; it is I: be not afraid. 28 And Peter answering him said, Lord, if it be thou, command me to come to thee upon the waters. 29 And he said, Come. And Peter, having descended from the ship, walked upon the waters to go to Jesus. 30 But seeing the wind strong he was afraid; and beginning to sink he cried out, saying, Lord, save me. 31 And immediately Jesus stretched out his hand and caught hold of him, and says to him, O thou of little faith, why didst thou doubt? 32 And when they had gone up into the ship, the wind fell. 33 But those in the ship came and did homage to him, saying, Truly thou art God's Son.
34 And having crossed over they came to the land of Gennesaret. 35 And when the men of that place recognised him, they sent to that whole country around, and they brought to him all that were ill, 36 and besought him that they might only touch the hem of his garment; and as many as touched were made thoroughly well.
61 And he went out thence and came to his own country, and his disciples follow him. 2 And when sabbath was come he began to teach in the synagogue, and many hearing were amazed, saying, Whence [has] this [man] these things? and what [is] the wisdom that is given to him, and such works of power are done by his hands? 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 offended in him. 4 But Jesus said to them, A prophet is not despised save in his own country, and among [his] kinsmen, and in his own house. 5 And he could not do any work of power there, save that laying his hands on a few infirm persons he healed [them]. 6 And he wondered because of their unbelief. And he went round the villages in a circuit, teaching.
7 And he calls the twelve to [him]; and he began to send them out two [and] two, and gave to them power over the unclean spirits; 8 and he commanded them that they should take nothing for the way, save a staff only; no scrip, no bread, no money in their belt; 9 but be shod with sandals, and put not on two body-coats. 10 And he said to them, Wheresoever ye shall enter into a house, there remain till ye shall go thence. 11 And whatsoever place shall not receive you nor hear you, departing thence, shake off the dust which is under your feet for a testimony to them. 12 And they went forth and preached that they should repent; 13 and they cast out many demons, and anointed with oil many infirm, and healed them.
14 And Herod the king heard [of him] (for his name had become public), and said, John the baptist is risen from among [the] dead, and on this account works of power are wrought by him. 15 And others said, It is Elias; and others said, It is a prophet, as one of the prophets. 16 But Herod when he heard [it] said, John whom I beheaded, he it is; he is risen [from among the dead]. 17 For the same Herod had sent and seized John, and had bound him in prison on account of Herodias, the wife of Philip his brother, because he had married her. 18 For John said to Herod, It is not lawful for thee to have the wife of thy brother. 19 But Herodias kept it [in her mind] against him, and wished to kill him, and could not: 20 for Herod feared John knowing that he was a just and holy man, and kept him safe; and having heard him, did many things, and heard him gladly. 21 And a holiday being come, when Herod, on his birthday, made a supper to his grandees, and to the chiliarchs, and the chief [men] of Galilee; 22 and the daughter of the same Herodias having come in, and danced, pleased Herod and those that were with [him] at table; and the king said to the damsel, Ask of me whatsoever thou wilt and I will give it thee. 23 And he swore to her, Whatsoever thou shalt ask me I will give thee, to half of my kingdom. 24 And she went out, and said to her mother, What should I ask? And she said, The head of John the baptist. 25 And immediately going in with haste to the king, she asked saying, I desire that thou give me directly upon a dish the head of John the baptist. 26 And the king, [while] made very sorry, on account of the oaths and those lying at table with [him] would not break his word with her. 27 And immediately the king, having sent one of the guard, ordered his head to be brought. And he went out and beheaded him in the prison, 28 and brought his head upon a dish, and gave it to the damsel, and the damsel gave it to her mother. 29 And his disciples having heard [it], came and took up his body, and laid it in a tomb.
30 And the apostles are gathered together to Jesus. And they related to him all things, [both] what they had done and what they had taught. 31 And he said to them, Come ye yourselves apart into a desert place and rest a little. For those coming and those going were many, and they had not leisure even to eat. 32 And they went away apart into a desert place by ship. 33 And many saw them going, and recognised them, and ran together there on foot, out of all the cities, and got [there] before them. 34 And on leaving [the ship] [Jesus] saw a great crowd, and he was moved with compassion for them, because they were as sheep not having a shepherd. And he began to teach them many things. 35 And when it was already late in the day, his disciples coming to him say, The place is desert, and it is already late in the day; 36 send them away that they may go into the country and villages around, and buy themselves bread, for they have not anything they can eat. 37 And he answering said to them, Give ye them to eat. And they say to him, Shall we go and buy two hundred denarii worth of bread and give them to eat? 38 And he says to them, How many loaves have ye? Go [and] see. And when they knew they say, Five, and two fishes. 39 And he ordered them to make them all sit down by companies on the green grass. 40 And they sat down in ranks by hundreds and by fifties. 41 And having taken the five loaves and the two fishes, looking up to heaven, he blessed, and broke the loaves, and gave [them] to his disciples that they might set [them] before them. And the two fishes he divided among all. 42 And they all ate and were satisfied. 43 And they took up of fragments the fillings of twelve hand-baskets, and of the fishes. 44 And those that ate of the loaves were five thousand men.
45 And immediately he compelled his disciples to go on board ship, and to go on before to the other side to Bethsaida, while he sends the crowd away. 46 And, having dismissed them, he departed into the mountain to pray. 47 And when evening was come, the ship was in the midst of the sea, and he alone upon the land. 48 And seeing them labouring in rowing, for the wind was contrary to them, about the fourth watch of the night he comes to them walking on the sea, and would have passed them by. 49 But they, seeing him walking on the sea, thought that it was an apparition, and cried out. 50 For all saw him and were troubled. And immediately he spoke with them, and says to them, Be of good courage: it is I; be not afraid. 51 And he went up to them into the ship, and the wind fell. And they were exceedingly beyond measure astonished in themselves and wondered; 52 for they understood not through the loaves: for their heart was hardened.
53 And having passed over, they came to the land of Gennesaret and made the shore. 54 And on their coming out of the ship, immediately recognising him, 55 they ran through that whole country around, and began to carry about those that were ill on couches, where they heard that he was. 56 And wherever he entered into villages, or cities, or the country, they laid the sick in the market-places, and besought him that they might touch if it were only the hem of his garment; and as many as touched him were healed.
91 And having called together the twelve, he gave them power and authority over all demons, and to heal diseases, 2 and sent them to proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal the sick. 3 And he said to them, Take nothing for the way, neither staff, nor scrip, nor bread, nor money; nor to have two body-coats apiece. 4 And into whatsoever house ye enter, there abide and thence go forth. 5 And as many as may not receive you, going forth from that city, shake off even the dust from your feet for a witness against them. 6 And going forth they passed through the villages, announcing the glad tidings and healing everywhere.
7 And Herod the tetrarch heard of all the things which were done [by him], and was in perplexity, because it was said by some that John was risen from among [the] dead, 8 and by some that Elias had appeared, and by others that one of the old prophets had risen again. 9 And Herod said, John I have beheaded, but who is this of whom I hear such things? and he sought to see him.
10 And the apostles having returned related to him whatever they had done. And he took them and withdrew apart into [a desert place of] a city called Bethsaida. 11 But the crowds knowing [it] followed him; and he received them and spake to them of the kingdom of God, and cured those that had need of healing. 12 But the day began to decline, and the twelve came and said to him, Send away the crowd that they may go into the villages around, and [into] the fields, and lodge and find victuals, for here we are in a desert place. 13 And he said to them, Give ye them to eat. And they said, We have not more than five loaves and two fishes, unless we should go and buy food for all this people; 14 for they were about five thousand men. And he said to his disciples, Make them sit down in companies by fifties. 15 And they did so, and made them all sit down. 16 And taking the five loaves and the two fishes, looking up to heaven he blessed them, and broke and gave to the disciples to set before the crowd. 17 And they all ate and were filled; and there was taken up of what had remained over and above to them in fragments twelve hand-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.
