And they began making fun of him.<n id="1" /> But he put them all outside<n id="2" /> and he took the child&#8217;s father and mother and his own companions<n id="3" /> and went into the room where the child was.<n id="4" />

because Herod stood in awe of<n id="1" /> John and protected him, since he knew that John<n id="2" /> was a righteous and holy man. When Herod<n id="3" /> heard him, he was thoroughly baffled,<n id="4" /> and yet<n id="5" /> he liked to listen to John.<n id="6" />p>

<t /><p class="bodytext">Then Jesus and his disciples went to the villages of Caesarea Philippi.<n id="1" /> On the way he asked his disciples,<n id="2" /> &#8220;Who do people say that I am?&#8221;

<t /><p class="bodytext">Then<n id="1" /> Jesus<n id="2" /> called the crowd, along with his disciples, and said to them, &#8220;If anyone wants to become my follower,<n id="3" /> he must deny<n id="4" /> himself, take up his cross,<n id="5" /> and follow me.

<t /><p class="bodytext">They came to Jericho.<n id="1" /> As Jesus<n id="2" /> and his disciples and a large crowd were leaving Jericho, Bartimaeus the son of Timaeus, a blind beggar, was sitting by the road.

&#8220;Teacher, Moses wrote for us: &#8216;<i><b>If a manb>&#8217;<b>s brother dies and leaves a wife but no children, that manb>i><n id="1" /> <b><i>must marryi>b><n id="2" /> <b><i>the widow and father childreni>b><n id="3" /> <b><i>for his brotheri>b>.&#8217;<n id="4" />

<t /><p class="bodytext">Right away, while Jesus<n id="1" /> was still speaking, Judas, one of the twelve, arrived.<n id="2" /> With him came a crowd armed with swords and clubs, sent by the chief priests and experts in the law<n id="3" /> and elders.

<p class="otpoetry"><b><i>the voice of one shouting in the wilderness,i>b>p> <p class="otpoetry">&#8216;<b><i>Prepare the way for the Lord,i>b>p> <p class="otpoetry"><b><i>makei>b><n id="1" /> <b><i>his paths straight.i>b>&#8217;&#8221;<n id="2" />p>

After throwing him into convulsions, the unclean spirit cried out with a loud voice and came out of him.

Moved with compassion,<n id="1" /> Jesus<n id="2" /> stretched out his hand and touched<n id="3" /> him, saying, &#8220;I am willing. Be clean!&#8221;

So<n id="1" /> the Pharisees<n id="2" /> went out immediately and began plotting with the Herodians,<n id="3" /> as to how they could assassinate<n id="4" /> him.p>

Because of the crowd, he told his disciples to have a small boat ready for him so the crowd<n id="1" /> would not press toward him.

He<n id="1" /> appointed twelve (whom he named apostles<n id="2" />),<n id="3" /> so that they would be with him and he could send them to preach

For whoever has will be given more, but<n id="1" /> whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him.&#8221;<n id="2" />p>

Just as Jesus<n id="1" /> was getting out of the boat, a man with an unclean spirit<n id="2" /> came from the tombs and met him.<n id="3" />

Then<n id="1" /> one of the synagogue rulers,<n id="2" /> named Jairus,<n id="3" /> came up, and when he saw Jesus,<n id="4" /> he fell at his feet.

When she heard about Jesus, she came up behind him in the crowd and touched his cloak,<n id="1" />

And they saw that some of Jesus&#8217; disciples ate their bread with unclean hands, that is, unwashed.

<p class="bodytext">Now<n id="1" /> when Jesus<n id="2" /> had left the crowd and entered the house, his disciples asked him about the parable.

His disciples answered him, &#8220;Where can someone get enough bread in this desolate place to satisfy these people?&#8221;