A Promise of Help and Healing

One in Christ

¹¹ So then, remember that at one time you gentiles by birth,^[a] called “the uncircumcision” by those who are called “the circumcision”—a circumcision made in the flesh by human hands^(A)— ¹² remember that you were at that time without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world.^{(B) 13} But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.^{(C) 14} For he is our peace; in his flesh he has made both into one and has broken down the dividing wall, that is, the hostility between us,^{(D) 15} abolishing the law with its commandments and ordinances, that he might create in himself one new humanity in place of the two, thus making peace,^{(E) 16} and might reconcile both to God in one body^[b] through the cross, thus putting to death that hostility through it.^{[c](F) 17} So he came and proclaimed peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near, ¹⁸ for through him both of us have access in one Spirit to the Father.^{(G) 19} So then, you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and also members of the household of God,^{(H) 20} built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the cornerstone;^{[d](I) 21} in him the whole structure is joined together and grows into a holy temple in the Lord,^{(J) 22} in whom you also are built together spiritually^[e] into a dwelling place for God.

Feeding the Five Thousand

³⁰ The apostles gathered around Jesus and told him all that they had done and taught. ³¹ He said to them, “Come away to a deserted place all by yourselves and rest a while.” For many were coming and going, and they had no leisure even to eat.^{(A) 32} And they went away in the boat to a deserted place by themselves.^{(B) 33} Now many saw them going and recognized them, and they hurried there on foot from all the towns and arrived ahead of them. ³⁴ As he went ashore, he saw a great crowd, and he had compassion for them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd, and he began to teach them many things.^{(C) 35} When it grew late, his disciples came to him and said, “This is a deserted place, and the hour is now very late; ³⁶ send them away so that they may go into the surrounding country and villages and buy something for themselves to eat.” ³⁷ But he answered them, “You give them something to eat.” They said to him, “Are we to go and buy two hundred denarii worth of bread and give it to them to eat?”^{(D) 38} And he said to them, “How many loaves have you? Go and see.” When they had found out, they said, “Five, and two fish.”^{(E) 39} Then he ordered them to get all the people to sit down in groups on the green grass. ⁴⁰ So they sat down in groups of hundreds and of fifties. ⁴¹ Taking the five loaves and the two fish, he looked up to heaven and blessed and broke the loaves and gave them to his disciples to set before the people, and he divided the two fish among them all.^{(F) 42} And all ate and were filled, ⁴³ and they took up twelve baskets full of broken pieces and of the fish. ⁴⁴ Those who had eaten the loaves numbered five thousand men.