The Leper’s Prayer (Leviticus 14:1–32; Mark 1:40–45; Luke 5:12–16)
1 UST When Jesus went down from the hill, large groups of people went wherever he went. BSB BSB: When Jesus came down from the mountain, large crowds followed Him.
2 UST Then, a man who had a skin disease came and knelt before Jesus. He said to Jesus,“Lord,{ please heal me!} I know that you are able to heal me if you are willing!” BSB BSB: Suddenly a leper came and knelt before Him, saying, “Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean.”
3 UST Then Jesus stretched out his hand and touched the man. He said,“I am willing{ to heal you}, and I heal you now!” At that time, Jesus healed the man from his skin disease. BSB BSB: Jesus reached out His hand and touched the man. “I am willing,” He said. “Be clean!” And immediately his leprosy was cleansed.
4 UST Then Jesus told him,“Do not tell anyone what just happened. Instead, go and show yourself to a priest{ so that he can examine you and see that you no longer have the skin disease}. Also, present the offering that Moses required{ for people whom God has healed from skin disease}. This will prove to the community{ that you no longer have the skin disease}.” BSB BSB: Then Jesus instructed him, “See that you don’t tell anyone. But go, show yourself to the priest and offer the gift prescribed by Moses, as a testimony to them.”
The Faith of the Centurion (Luke 7:1–10; John 4:43–54)
5 UST While Jesus was visiting the city of Capernaum, an important Roman officer came to him. He urged Jesus{ to help him}. BSB BSB: When Jesus had entered Capernaum, a centurion came and pleaded with Him,
6 UST He said,“Lord, one of my servants is lying in bed at my home because he cannot move. He is suffering very much.{ Please help him.}” BSB BSB: “Lord, my servant lies at home, paralyzed and in terrible agony.”
7 UST Jesus answered,“I will go{ to your home} and cure him.” BSB BSB: “I will go and heal him,” Jesus replied.
8 UST The important officer responded,“Lord, I am not important enough for you to come into my house. Instead{ of going to my house}, you can cure my servant just by speaking a command. BSB BSB: The centurion answered, “Lord, I am not worthy to have You come under my roof. But just say the word, and my servant will be healed.
9 UST { I know that you can do this} because I myself am a man who must obey the orders of my superiors. I also have soldiers who must obey my orders. When I say to one of them,‘Go there!’ he goes there. When I say to another one,‘Come here!’ he comes{ to me}. When I say to my slave,‘Perform this task!’ he does it.” BSB BSB: For I myself am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. I tell one to go, and he goes, and another to come, and he comes. I tell my servant to do something, and he does it.”
10 UST What the officer said impressed Jesus. Jesus declared to the people who were with him,“I have not met any Israelite who trusts me as much as this man does! What I have said is true. BSB BSB: When Jesus heard this, He marveled and said to those following Him, “Truly I tell you, I have not found anyone in Israel with such great faith.
11 UST So, here is what I want to tell you: many people from every part of the world{, including many non- Jewish people,} will arrive in God’ s heavenly kingdom. They will feast along with{ our Jewish ancestors,} Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. BSB BSB: I say to you that many will come from the east and the west to share the banquet with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven.
12 UST However, God will cast out many people who think that they will participate in his kingdom. He will punish them in a dark place, where they will cry and sorrowfully grind their teeth.” BSB BSB: But the sons of the kingdom will be thrown into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”
13 UST Then, Jesus told the important officer,“Return home. I will do for you what you have trusted me to do.” Jesus healed the servant at that exact time. BSB BSB: Then Jesus said to the centurion, “Go! As you have believed, so will it be done for you.” And his servant was healed at that very hour.
Jesus Heals at Peter’s House (Mark 1:29–34; Luke 4:38–41)
15 UST He touched her hand, and she recovered from the fever. Then she stood up and offered Jesus some food. BSB BSB: So He touched her hand, and the fever left her, and she got up and began to serve Him.
16 UST When it was evening, people brought to Jesus many men and women whom evil spiritual beings controlled. Jesus drove these evil spiritual beings out of those men and women just by speaking words. Also, he cured everyone who was sick. BSB BSB: When evening came, many who were demon-possessed were brought to Jesus, and He drove out the spirits with a word and healed all the sick.
17 UST So, what God said by speaking through the prophet Isaiah came true:“When we were sick, he helped us. When we were ill, he cured us.” BSB BSB: This was to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet Isaiah: “He took up our infirmities and carried our diseases.”
The Cost of Discipleship (Luke 9:57–62; Luke 14:25–33; John 6:59–66)
18 UST When Jesus saw that there was a large group of people around him, he told his apprentices to take him{ by boat} to the other side of the Sea of Galilee. BSB BSB: When Jesus saw a large crowd around Him, He gave orders to cross to the other side of the sea.
19 UST { Before they got into the boat}, a teacher of the Jewish law came up to Jesus and said to him,“My instructor, I want to go with you and be your apprentice.” BSB BSB: And one of the scribes came to Him and said, “Teacher, I will follow You wherever You go.”
20 UST Jesus replied,“Foxes have holes in the ground to live in, and birds have nests to live in, but I, the Son of Man, do not have a home to sleep in!” BSB BSB: Jesus replied, “Foxes have dens and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay His head.”
21 UST A different person who was one of Jesus’ apprentices said to him,“Lord, let me first go home and stay there until I bury my father.{ Then I will go with you}.” BSB BSB: Another of His disciples requested, “Lord, first let me go and bury my father.”
22 UST Jesus responded,“Come with me and be my apprentice{ now}. You cannot help anyone who has died.” BSB BSB: But Jesus told him, “Follow Me, and let the dead bury their own dead.”
Jesus Calms the Storm (Psalm 107:1–43; Mark 4:35–41; Luke 8:22–25)
23 UST After that, Jesus got on the boat, and his apprentices went with him.{ They started sailing to the other side of the Sea of Galilee.} BSB BSB: When He got into the boat, His disciples followed Him.
24 UST { As they were sailing} a strong windstorm developed over the Sea of Galilee! Very high waves were splashing into the boat and filling it, but Jesus was asleep. BSB BSB: Suddenly a violent storm came up on the sea, so that the boat was engulfed by the waves. But Jesus was sleeping.
25 UST So Jesus’ apprentices came over to wake him up. They said to him,“Lord, please help us! We are all going to die!” BSB BSB: The disciples went and woke Him, saying, “Lord, save us! We are perishing!”
26 UST Jesus answered,“You should not be so afraid. You should trust God more than you do!” Then he stood up. He scolded the wind and the water, and everything became calm. BSB BSB: “You of little faith,” Jesus replied, “why are you so afraid?” Then He got up and rebuked the winds and the sea, and it was perfectly calm.
27 UST { What happened} impressed the apprentices. They wondered,“What kind of person is Jesus? The wind and the water do what he says!” BSB BSB: The men were amazed and asked, “What kind of man is this? Even the winds and the sea obey Him!”
The Demons and the Pigs (Mark 5:1–20; Luke 8:26–39)
28 UST After that, they arrived on the other side{ of the Sea of Galilee}, in the region where the Gadarene people lived.{ When they landed}, two men whom demons controlled came up to Jesus. They came from the burial caves. They were strong and dangerous. Because of them, no one could travel on the road{ that went near the burial caves}. BSB BSB: When Jesus arrived on the other side in the region of the Gadarenes, He was met by two demon-possessed men coming from the tombs. They were so violent that no one could pass that way.
29 UST They shouted to Jesus,“Leave us alone, you who are God’ s Son! You should not arrive to punish us before it is the time{ that God has appointed}.” BSB BSB: “What do You want with us, Son of God?” they shouted. “Have You come here to torture us before the appointed time?”
30 UST Now there was a large herd of pigs grazing relatively far away from them. BSB BSB: In the distance a large herd of pigs was feeding.
31 UST The demons pleaded with Jesus,“When you drive us out{ of these two men}, please allow us to control that herd of pigs!” BSB BSB: So the demons begged Jesus, “If You drive us out, send us into the herd of pigs.”
32 UST Jesus answered,“I will allow that!” So, the demons left the men and began to control the pigs. Then, the whole herd of pigs rushed down the steep bank into the Sea of Galilee! They died there in the sea. BSB BSB: “Go!” He told them. So they came out and went into the pigs, and the whole herd rushed down the steep bank into the sea and died in the waters.
33 UST Then those who were taking care of the pigs ran away. They went to the nearby town, where they told people about everything that had happened, including what had happened to the men whom the demons had controlled. BSB BSB: Those tending the pigs ran off into the town and reported all this, including the account of the demon-possessed men.
34 UST Then many people who lived in that town went to see Jesus! When they met him, they pleaded with him to leave their area. BSB BSB: Then the whole town went out to meet Jesus. And when they saw Him, they begged Him to leave their region.