Daily Text and Bible Reading: Tuesday, October 28 [Press play below]

Mark Chapter 9

9.1 Furthermore, he said to them: “Truly I say to you that there are some of those standing here who will not taste death at all until first they see the Kingdom of God already having come in power.”

9.2 Six days later Jesus took Peter and James and John along and led them up into a lofty mountain by themselves. And he was transfigured before them;

9.3 his outer garments began to glisten, becoming far whiter than any clothes cleaner on earth could whiten them.

9.4 Also, Elijah with Moses appeared to them, and they were conversing with Jesus.

9.5 Then Peter said to Jesus: “Rabbi, it is fine for us to be here. So let us erect three tents, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.”

9.6 In fact, he did not know how to react, for they were quite fearful.

9.7 And a cloud formed, overshadowing them, and a voice came out of the cloud: “This is my Son, the beloved. Listen to him.”

9.8 Then suddenly they looked around and saw that no one was with them any longer except Jesus.

9.9 As they were coming down from the mountain, he strictly ordered them not to relate to anybody what they had seen until after the Son of man had risen from the dead.

9.10 They took the word to heart, but discussed among themselves what this rising from the dead meant.

9.11 And they began to question him, saying: “Why do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?”

9.12 He said to them: “Elijah does come first and restore all things; but how is it that it is written about the Son of man that he must undergo many sufferings and be treated with contempt?

9.13 But I say to you that Elijah, in fact, has come, and they did to him whatever they wanted, just as it is written about him.”

9.14 When they came to the other disciples, they noticed a large crowd around them, and there were scribes arguing with them.

9.15 But as soon as all the crowd caught sight of him, they were astonished, and they ran up to him to greet him.

9.16 So he asked them: “What are you arguing about with them?”

9.17 And one of the crowd answered him: “Teacher, I brought my son to you because he has a speechless spirit.

9.18 Wherever it seizes him, it throws him to the ground, and he foams at the mouth and grinds his teeth and loses his strength. I asked your disciples to expel it, but they were not able to do so.”

9.19 In response he said to them: “O faithless generation, how long must I continue with you? How long must I put up with you? Bring him to me.”

9.20 So they brought the boy to him, but at the sight of him, the spirit at once threw the child into convulsions. After falling on the ground, he kept rolling about, foaming at the mouth.

9.21 Then Jesus asked the father: “How long has this been happening to him?” He said: “From childhood on,

9.22 and often it would throw him into the fire and also into the water to destroy him. But if you can do anything, have pity on us and help us.”

9.23 Jesus said to him: “That expression, ‘If you can’! Why, all things are possible for the one who has faith.”

9.24 Immediately the child’s father cried out and said: “I have faith! Help me out where I need faith!”

9.25 Jesus, now noticing that a crowd was rushing toward them, rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it: “You speechless and deaf spirit, I order you, get out of him and do not enter into him again!”

9.26 After crying out and going through many convulsions, it came out, and the child seemed to be dead, so that most of the people were saying: “He is dead!”

9.27 But Jesus took him by the hand and raised him up, and he stood up.

9.28 So after he entered into a house, his disciples asked him privately: “Why could we not expel it?”

9.29 He said to them: “This kind can come out only by prayer.”

9.30 They departed from there and went through Galilee, but he did not want anyone to get to know about it.

9.31 For he was teaching his disciples and telling them: “The Son of man is going to be betrayed into men’s hands, and they will kill him, but despite being killed, he will rise three days later.”

9.32 However, they did not understand his statement, and they were afraid to question him.

9.33 And they came into Capernaum. Now when he was inside the house, he put the question to them: “What were you arguing about on the road?”

9.34 They kept silent, for on the road they had been arguing among themselves about who is greater.

9.35 So he sat down and called the Twelve and said to them: “If anyone wants to be first, he must be last of all and minister of all.”

9.36 Then he took a young child and stood him in their midst; and putting his arms around him, he said to them:

9.37 “Whoever receives one of such young children on the basis of my name receives me also; and whoever receives me receives not me only but also Him who sent me.”

9.38 John said to him: “Teacher, we saw someone expelling demons by using your name, and we tried to prevent him, because he was not following us.”

9.39 But Jesus said: “Do not try to prevent him, for there is no one who will do a powerful work on the basis of my name who will quickly be able to say anything bad about me.

9.40 For whoever is not against us is for us.

9.41 And whoever gives you a cup of water to drink because you belong to Christ, I tell you truly, he will by no means lose his reward.

9.42 But whoever stumbles one of these little ones who have faith, it would be better for him if a millstone that is turned by a donkey were put around his neck and he were pitched into the sea.

9.43 “If ever your hand makes you stumble, cut it off. It is better for you to enter into life maimed than to go off with two hands into Gehenna, into the fire that cannot be put out.

9.44 ——

9.45 And if your foot makes you stumble, cut it off. It is better for you to enter into life lame than to be thrown with two feet into Gehenna.

9.46 ——

9.47 And if your eye makes you stumble, throw it away. It is better for you to enter one-eyed into the Kingdom of God than to be thrown with two eyes into Gehenna,

9.48 where the maggot does not die and the fire is not put out.

9.49 “For everyone must be salted with fire.

9.50 Salt is fine, but if the salt ever loses its saltiness, with what will you season it? Have salt in yourselves, and keep peace with one another.”

Chapter 10

10.1 From there he got up and came to the borders of Judea across the Jordan, and again crowds gathered to him. As he was accustomed to do, he again began teaching them.

10.2 And Pharisees approached, intent on testing him, and they asked whether it was lawful for a man to divorce a wife.

10.3 He answered them: “What did Moses command you?”

10.4 They said: “Moses allowed the writing of a certificate of dismissal and divorcing her.”

10.5 But Jesus said to them: “Out of regard for your hard-heartedness, he wrote this commandment for you.

10.6 However, from the beginning of creation, ‘He made them male and female.

10.7 For this reason a man will leave his father and his mother,

10.8 and the two will be one flesh,’ so that they are no longer two, but one flesh.

10.9 Therefore, what God has yoked together, let no man put apart.”

10.10 When they were again in the house, the disciples began to question him about this.

10.11 He said to them: “Whoever divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery against her,

10.12 and if ever a woman after divorcing her husband marries another, she commits adultery.”

10.13 People now began bringing him young children for him to touch them, but the disciples reprimanded them.

10.14 At seeing this, Jesus was indignant and said to them: “Let the young children come to me; do not try to stop them, for the Kingdom of God belongs to such ones.

10.15 Truly I say to you, whoever does not receive the Kingdom of God like a young child will by no means enter into it.”

10.16 And he took the children into his arms and began blessing them, laying his hands on them.

10.17 As he was going on his way, a man ran up and fell on his knees before him and put the question to him: “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit everlasting life?”

10.18 Jesus said to him: “Why do you call me good? Nobody is good except one, God.

10.19 You know the commandments: ‘Do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not bear false witness, do not defraud, honor your father and your mother.’”

10.20 The man said to him: “Teacher, all these things I have kept from my youth on.”

10.21 Jesus looked at him and felt love for him and said, “One thing is missing about you: Go, sell what things you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come be my follower.”

10.22 But he grew sad at the answer and went away grieved, for he had many possessions.

10.23 After looking around, Jesus said to his disciples: “How difficult it will be for those with money to enter into the Kingdom of God!”

10.24 But the disciples were surprised at his words. Jesus then responded: “Children, how difficult it is to enter into the Kingdom of God!

10.25 It is easier for a camel to go through a needle’s eye than for a rich man to enter into the Kingdom of God.”

10.26 They became still more astounded and said to him: “Who possibly can be saved?”

10.27 Looking straight at them, Jesus said: “With men it is impossible but not so with God, for all things are possible with God.”

10.28 Peter began to say to him: “Look! We have left all things and followed you.”

10.29 Jesus said: “Truly I say to you, no one has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for my sake and for the sake of the good news

10.30 who will not get 100 times more now in this period of time—houses, brothers, sisters, mothers, children, and fields, with persecutions—and in the coming system of things, everlasting life.

10.31 But many who are first will be last, and the last first.”

10.32 Now they were going on the road up to Jerusalem, and Jesus was going ahead of them, and they were astonished, but those who followed began to fear. Once again he took the Twelve aside and started to tell them these things that were about to happen to him:

10.33 “Look! We are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of man will be handed over to the chief priests and the scribes. They will condemn him to death and hand him over to men of the nations,

10.34 and these will mock him and spit on him and scourge him and kill him, but three days later he will rise.”

10.35 James and John, the sons of Zebedee, approached him and said to him: “Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we ask of you.”

10.36 He said to them: “What do you want me to do for you?”

10.37 They replied: “Grant us to sit down, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your glory.”

10.38 But Jesus said to them: “You do not know what you are asking for. Can you drink the cup that I am drinking or be baptized with the baptism with which I am being baptized?”

10.39 They said to him: “We can.” At that Jesus said to them: “The cup I am drinking, you will drink, and with the baptism with which I am being baptized, you will be baptized.

10.40 However, to sit down at my right hand or at my left is not mine to give, but it belongs to those for whom it has been prepared.”

10.41 When the ten others heard about it, they became indignant at James and John.

10.42 But Jesus called them to him and said to them: “You know that those who appear to be ruling the nations lord it over them and their great ones wield authority over them.

10.43 This must not be the way among you; but whoever wants to become great among you must be your minister,

10.44 and whoever wants to be first among you must be the slave of all.

10.45 For even the Son of man came, not to be ministered to, but to minister and to give his life as a ransom in exchange for many.”

10.46 They then came into Jericho. But as he and his disciples and a considerable crowd were going out of Jericho, Bartimaeus (the son of Timaeus), a blind beggar, was sitting beside the road.

10.47 When he heard that it was Jesus the Nazarene, he started shouting and saying: “Son of David, Jesus, have mercy on me!”

10.48 At this many began rebuking him, telling him to be silent, but all the more he kept shouting: “Son of David, have mercy on me!”

10.49 So Jesus stopped and said: “Call him to me.” So they called the blind man, saying to him: “Take courage! Get up; he is calling you.”

10.50 Throwing off his outer garment, he leaped to his feet and went to Jesus.

10.51 Then Jesus said to him: “What do you want me to do for you?” The blind man said to him: “Rabboni, let me recover my sight.”

10.52 And Jesus said to him: “Go. Your faith has made you well.” And immediately he recovered his sight, and he began to follow him on the road.