“That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life—whether you have enough food and drink, or enough clothes to wear. Isn’t life more than food, and your body more than clothing?

Can all your worries add a single moment to your life?

But the gateway to life is very narrow and the road is difficult, and only a few ever find it.

Jesus Heals in Response to Faith

As Jesus was saying this, the leader of a synagogue came and knelt before him. “My daughter has just died,” he said, “but you can bring her back to life again if you just come and lay your hand on her.”

If you cling to your life, you will lose it; but if you give up your life for me, you will find it.

the blind see, the lame walk, those with leprosy are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised to life, and the Good News is being preached to the poor.”

The seed that fell among the thorns represents those who hear God’s word, but all too quickly the message is crowded out by the worries of this life and the lure of wealth, so no fruit is produced.

If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it.

So if your hand or foot causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It’s better to enter eternal life with only one hand or one foot than to be thrown into eternal fire with both of your hands and feet.

And if your eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away. It’s better to enter eternal life with only one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into the fire of hell.

The Rich Man

Someone came to Jesus with this question: “Teacher, what good deed must I do to have eternal life?”

“Why ask me about what is good?” Jesus replied. “There is only One who is good. But to answer your question—if you want to receive eternal life, keep the commandments.”

And everyone who has given up houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or property, for my sake, will receive a hundred times as much in return and will inherit eternal life.

For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

“And they will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous will go into eternal life.”

Then he turned to his critics and asked, “Does the law permit good deeds on the Sabbath, or is it a day for doing evil? Is this a day to save life or to destroy it?” But they wouldn’t answer him.

but all too quickly the message is crowded out by the worries of this life, the lure of wealth, and the desire for other things, so no fruit is produced.

If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake and for the sake of the Good News, you will save it.

If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It’s better to enter eternal life with only one hand than to go into the unquenchable fires of hell with two hands.

If your foot causes you to sin, cut it off. It’s better to enter eternal life with only one foot than to be thrown into hell with two feet.

The Rich Man

As Jesus was starting out on his way to Jerusalem, a man came running up to him, knelt down, and asked, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?”

will receive now in return a hundred times as many houses, brothers, sisters, mothers, children, and property—along with persecution. And in the world to come that person will have eternal life.

For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

The women fled from the tomb, trembling and bewildered, and they said nothing to anyone because they were too frightened.

[The most ancient manuscripts of Mark conclude with verse 16:8. Later manuscripts add one or both of the following endings.]

[Shorter Ending of Mark]

Then they briefly reported all this to Peter and his companions. Afterward Jesus himself sent them out from east to west with the sacred and unfailing message of salvation that gives eternal life. Amen.

Then Jesus said to his critics, “I have a question for you. Does the law permit good deeds on the Sabbath, or is it a day for doing evil? Is this a day to save life or to destroy it?”

Then he told John’s disciples, “Go back to John and tell him what you have seen and heard—the blind see, the lame walk, those with leprosy are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised to life, and the Good News is being preached to the poor.”

The seeds that fell among the thorns represent those who hear the message, but all too quickly the message is crowded out by the cares and riches and pleasures of this life. And so they never grow into maturity.

And at that moment her life returned, and she immediately stood up! Then Jesus told them to give her something to eat.

If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it.

The Most Important Commandment

One day an expert in religious law stood up to test Jesus by asking him this question: “Teacher, what should I do to inherit eternal life?”

If you are filled with light, with no dark corners, then your whole life will be radiant, as though a floodlight were filling you with light.”

Then he said, “Beware! Guard against every kind of greed. Life is not measured by how much you own.”

Teaching about Money and Possessions

Then, turning to his disciples, Jesus said, “That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life—whether you have enough food to eat or enough clothes to wear.

For life is more than food, and your body more than clothing.

Can all your worries add a single moment to your life?

“If you want to be my disciple, you must, by comparison, hate everyone else—your father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters—yes, even your own life. Otherwise, you cannot be my disciple.

for this son of mine was dead and has now returned to life. He was lost, but now he is found.’ So the party began.

We had to celebrate this happy day. For your brother was dead and has come back to life! He was lost, but now he is found!’”

If you cling to your life, you will lose it, and if you let your life go, you will save it.

The Rich Man

Once a religious leader asked Jesus this question: “Good Teacher, what should I do to inherit eternal life?”

will be repaid many times over in this life, and will have eternal life in the world to come.”

“Watch out! Don’t let your hearts be dulled by carousing and drunkenness, and by the worries of this life. Don’t let that day catch you unaware,

The Word gave life to everything that was created, and his life brought light to everyone.

Humans can reproduce only human life, but the Holy Spirit gives birth to spiritual life.

so that everyone who believes in him will have eternal life.

“For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.

And anyone who believes in God’s Son has eternal life. Anyone who doesn’t obey the Son will never experience eternal life but remains under God’s angry judgment.”

But those who drink the water I give will never be thirsty again. It becomes a fresh, bubbling spring within them, giving them eternal life.”

The harvesters are paid good wages, and the fruit they harvest is people brought to eternal life. What joy awaits both the planter and the harvester alike!

For just as the Father gives life to those he raises from the dead, so the Son gives life to anyone he wants.

“I tell you the truth, those who listen to my message and believe in God who sent me have eternal life. They will never be condemned for their sins, but they have already passed from death into life.

The Father has life in himself, and he has granted that same life-giving power to his Son.

and they will rise again. Those who have done good will rise to experience eternal life, and those who have continued in evil will rise to experience judgment.

“You search the Scriptures because you think they give you eternal life. But the Scriptures point to me!

Yet you refuse to come to me to receive this life.

Jesus, the Bread of Life

The next day the crowd that had stayed on the far shore saw that the disciples had taken the only boat, and they realized Jesus had not gone with them.

But don’t be so concerned about perishable things like food. Spend your energy seeking the eternal life that the Son of Man can give you. For God the Father has given me the seal of his approval.”

The true bread of God is the one who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.”

Jesus replied, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry again. Whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.

For it is my Father’s will that all who see his Son and believe in him should have eternal life. I will raise them up at the last day.”

“I tell you the truth, anyone who believes has eternal life.

Yes, I am the bread of life!

So Jesus said again, “I tell you the truth, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you cannot have eternal life within you.

But anyone who eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise that person at the last day.

The Spirit alone gives eternal life. Human effort accomplishes nothing. And the very words I have spoken to you are spirit and life.

Simon Peter replied, “Lord, to whom would we go? You have the words that give eternal life.

Jesus, the Light of the World

Jesus spoke to the people once more and said, “I am the light of the world. If you follow me, you won’t have to walk in darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life.”

The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life.

“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd sacrifices his life for the sheep.

just as my Father knows me and I know the Father. So I sacrifice my life for the sheep.

“The Father loves me because I sacrifice my life so I may take it back again.

No one can take my life from me. I sacrifice it voluntarily. For I have the authority to lay it down when I want to and also to take it up again. For this is what my Father has commanded.”

I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one can snatch them away from me,

Jesus told her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Anyone who believes in me will live, even after dying.

Those who love their life in this world will lose it. Those who care nothing for their life in this world will keep it for eternity.

And I know his commands lead to eternal life; so I say whatever the Father tells me to say.”

Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.

When I am raised to life again, you will know that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you.

There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.

For you have given him authority over everyone. He gives eternal life to each one you have given him.

And this is the way to have eternal life—to know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, the one you sent to earth.

But these are written so that you may continue to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing in him you will have life by the power of his name.

But God released him from the horrors of death and raised him back to life, for death could not keep him in its grip.

You have shown me the way of life, and you will fill me with the joy of your presence.’

You killed the author of life, but God raised him from the dead. And we are witnesses of this fact!

“Go to the Temple and give the people this message of life!”

Moses was with our ancestors, the assembly of God’s people in the wilderness, when the angel spoke to him at Mount Sinai. And there Moses received life-giving words to pass on to us.

He was humiliated and received no justice. Who can speak of his descendants? For his life was taken from the earth.”

but God raised him to life on the third day. Then God allowed him to appear,

When the others heard this, they stopped objecting and began praising God. They said, “We can see that God has also given the Gentiles the privilege of repenting of their sins and receiving eternal life.”

Then Paul and Barnabas spoke out boldly and declared, “It was necessary that we first preach the word of God to you Jews. But since you have rejected it and judged yourselves unworthy of eternal life, we will offer it to the Gentiles.

When the Gentiles heard this, they were very glad and thanked the Lord for his message; and all who were chosen for eternal life became believers.

and human hands can’t serve his needs—for he has no needs. He himself gives life and breath to everything, and he satisfies every need.

Some of the officials of the province, friends of Paul, also sent a message to him, begging him not to risk his life by entering the amphitheater.

where he stayed for three months. He was preparing to sail back to Syria when he discovered a plot by some Jews against his life, so he decided to return through Macedonia.

But my life is worth nothing to me unless I use it for finishing the work assigned me by the Lord Jesus—the work of telling others the Good News about the wonderful grace of God.

The Good News is about his Son. In his earthly life he was born into King David’s family line,

This Good News tells us how God makes us right in his sight. This is accomplished from start to finish by faith. As the Scriptures say, “It is through faith that a righteous person has life.”

He will give eternal life to those who keep on doing good, seeking after the glory and honor and immortality that God offers.

And this is the message I proclaim—that the day is coming when God, through Christ Jesus, will judge everyone’s secret life.