Beginning
Obey God’s Law(A)
15 Then some Pharisees and ·teachers of the law [scribes] came to Jesus from Jerusalem. They asked him, 2 “Why don’t your ·followers [disciples] obey the ·unwritten laws which have been handed down to us [L traditions of the elders]? [L For] They don’t wash their hands before they eat [C a Jewish ritual for ceremonial purity].”
3 Jesus answered, “And why do you ·refuse to obey [break; violate] God’s command ·so that you can follow your own teachings [L for the sake of your traditions]? 4 God said, ‘Honor your father and your mother [Ex. 20:12; Deut. 5:16],’ and ‘Anyone who ·says cruel things to [speaks evil of; curses] his father or mother must be put to death [Ex. 21:17; Lev. 20:9].’ 5 But you say a person can tell his father or mother, ‘I have something I could use to help you, but I have ·given [dedicated; devoted] it to God already [C a practice known as Corban; see Mark 7:10–12].’ 6 You teach that person ·not to [that he need not] honor his father or his mother. You ·rejected [invalidated; canceled; nullified] ·what God said [L the word of God] for the sake of your own ·rules [tradition]. 7 You are hypocrites! Isaiah was right when he ·said [L prophesied] about you:
8 ‘These people show honor to me with ·words [L their lips],
but their hearts are far from me.
9 Their worship of me is ·worthless [futile; in vain].
The things [doctrines] they teach are nothing but human ·rules [commandments; Is. 29:13].’”
10 After Jesus called the crowd to him, he said, “Listen and ·understand what I am saying [try to understand]. 11 It is not what ·people put into their mouths [L goes into the mouth] that ·makes them unclean [pollutes/defiles the person]. It is what comes out of their mouths that ·makes them unclean [pollutes/defiles the person].”
12 Then his ·followers [disciples] came to him and asked, “Do you know that the Pharisees are ·angry [offended; shocked] because of what you said?”
13 Jesus answered, “Every plant that my Father in heaven has not planted himself will be pulled up by the roots. 14 ·Stay away from the Pharisees [L Leave/Ignore them]; they are blind ·leaders [guides].[a] And if a blind person ·leads [guides] a blind person, both will fall into a ·ditch [pit; hole].”
15 Peter said, “Explain the ·example [parable] to us.”
16 Jesus said, “·Do you still not understand [L Are you still so dull/foolish]? 17 ·Surely you know [L Don’t you know…?] that all the food that enters the mouth goes into the stomach and then goes ·out of the body [L into the sewer/latrine].” 18 But ·what people say with their mouths [L the things that come out of the mouth] comes from the ·way they think [L the heart]; these are the things that ·make people unclean [pollute/defiled a person]. 19 [L For] Out of the ·mind [heart] come evil ·thoughts [intentions; ideas], murder, adultery, sexual sins, stealing, ·lying [false witness/testimony], and ·speaking evil of others [slander; blasphemy]. 20 These things make people ·unclean [polluted; defiled]; eating with unwashed hands does not make them ·unclean [polluted; defiled].”
Jesus Helps a Gentile Woman(B)
21 Jesus left that place and went to the ·area [district; region] of Tyre and Sidon [C cities on the coast north of Israel]. 22 A ·Canaanite [C a non-Jewish (Gentile) resident of Palestine (Canaan was the ancient name for Palestine)] woman from that area came to Jesus and cried out, “Lord, Son of David [C a title for the Messiah], have mercy on me! My daughter ·has a demon, and she is suffering very much [is tormented; L is severely demon-possessed].”
23 But Jesus did not ·answer the woman [L answer her a word]. So his ·followers [disciples] came to Jesus and ·begged [asked; urged] him, “Tell the woman to go away. [L Because] She is following us and ·shouting [crying out].”
24 Jesus answered, “·God sent me [L I was sent] only to the lost sheep, the ·people [L house] of Israel.”
25 Then the woman came to Jesus again and bowed before him and said, “Lord, help me!”
26 Jesus answered, “It is not right to take the children’s bread and ·give [throw] it to the dogs.” [C “Children” refers to Israel; “dogs” to the Gentiles.]
27 The woman said, “Yes, Lord, but even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters’ table.”
28 Then Jesus answered, “[L O] Woman, you have great faith! ·I will do what you asked [L Let it be done for you as you wish].” And ·at that moment [L from that hour] the woman’s daughter was healed.
Jesus Heals Many People(C)
29 After leaving there, Jesus went along ·the shore of Lake Galilee [T the Sea of Galilee]. He went up on ·a hill [or the mountain] and sat there.
30 Great crowds came to Jesus, bringing with them the lame, the blind, the crippled, ·those who could not speak [the mute/deaf; C the word can refer to speech or hearing; v. 31 suggests it here means “mute”], and many others. They ·put [laid] them at Jesus’ feet, and he healed them. 31 The crowd was ·amazed [astonished; marveled] when they saw that ·people who could not speak before [the mute/deaf] were now able to speak. The crippled were ·made strong [well; whole]. The lame could walk, and the blind could see. And they ·praised [glorified] the God of Israel for this.
More than Four Thousand Fed(D)
32 Jesus called his ·followers [disciples] to him and said, “I ·feel sorry [have compassion] for these people, because they have already been with me three days, and they have nothing to eat. I don’t want to send them away hungry. They might ·faint [collapse] while going home.”
33 His ·followers [disciples] asked him, “·How [L From where] can we get enough bread in this ·remote place [desolate place; desert] to feed ·all these people [L so great a crowd]?”
34 Jesus asked, “How many loaves of bread do you have?”
They answered, “Seven, and a few small fish.”
35 Jesus told the people to ·sit [recline] on the ground. 36 He took the seven loaves of bread and the fish and gave thanks to God. Then he ·divided the food [L broke them] and gave it to his ·followers [disciples], and they gave it to the people. 37 All the people ate and were satisfied. Then his ·followers [disciples] filled seven ·baskets [large baskets; C a different word than in the feeding of the five thousand; 14:20] with the leftover pieces of food. 38 There were about four thousand men there who ate, besides women and children. 39 After ·sending the people home [dismissing the crowds], Jesus got into the boat and went to the ·area [region] of Magadan [C an unknown place, probably on the western shore of Lake Galilee; perhaps Magdala, the hometown of Mary Magdalene].
The Leaders Ask for a Miracle(E)
16 The Pharisees and Sadducees came to Jesus, wanting to ·trick [test] him. So they asked him to show them a ·miracle [sign] from ·God [L heaven; C possibly a sign in the sky, but more likely a Jewish way of saying “from God”].
2 Jesus answered,[b] “·At sunset [In the evening] you say we will have good weather, because the sky is red. 3 And in the morning you say that it will be ·a rainy day [stormy; bad weather], because the sky is red and ·dark [threatening; overcast]. You see ·these signs in [the appearance of] the sky and know ·what they mean [how to interpret them]. ·In the same way [or However; On the other hand], you ·see the things that I am doing now, but you don’t know their meaning [L cannot interpret the signs of the times]. 4 ·Evil and sinful people [L An evil/wicked and adulterous generation] ·ask for [seek; demand] a miracle as a sign, but they will not be given any sign, except the sign of Jonah [see 12:40; Jon. 1:17].” Then Jesus left them and went away.
Guard Against Wrong Teachings(F)
5 Jesus’ ·followers [disciples] went ·across the lake [L to the other side], but they had forgotten to bring bread. 6 Jesus said to them, “·Be careful [Watch out]! Beware of the ·yeast [leaven] of the Pharisees and the Sadducees [C yeast or leaven refers here to the dangerous permeating power of their influence].”
7 ·His followers [L They] discussed the meaning of this, saying, “He said this because we forgot to bring bread.”
8 Knowing what they were talking about, Jesus asked them, “Why are you ·talking [discussing; arguing] about not having bread? ·Your faith is small [What little faith you have!; T You of little faith]. 9 Do you still not understand? Remember the five loaves of bread that fed the five thousand? And remember that you filled many baskets with the leftovers? 10 Or the seven loaves of bread that fed the four thousand and the many [large] baskets you filled then also? 11 Why don’t you understand that I was not talking to you about bread? I am telling you to beware of the ·yeast [leaven] of the Pharisees and the Sadducees.” 12 Then ·the followers [L they] understood that Jesus was not telling them to beware of the ·yeast [leaven] used in bread but to beware of the teaching of the Pharisees and the Sadducees.
Peter Says Jesus Is the Christ(G)
13 When Jesus came to the area of Caesarea Philippi [C 25 miles north of Lake Galilee near Mount Hermon], he asked his ·followers [disciples], “Who do people say the Son of Man is?”
14 They answered, “Some say you are John the Baptist. Others say you are Elijah [C some Jews expected Elijah to return in the end times; Mal. 4:5], and still others say you are Jeremiah or one of the prophets [Deut. 18:15].”
15 Then Jesus asked them, “·And [But] who do you say I am?”
16 Simon Peter answered, “You are the ·Christ [Messiah], the Son of the living God.”
17 Jesus answered, “You are blessed, Simon son of Jonah, because ·no person taught you that [L flesh and blood did not reveal this to you]. [L But; Rather] My Father in heaven ·showed you who I am [revealed it]. 18 So I tell you, you are Peter [C the Greek petros, like the Aramaic cephas, means “rock” or “stone”]. On this rock I will build my church, and the ·power of death [L gates of Hades/the underworld] will not be able to ·defeat [overpower; conquer; prevail against] it. 19 I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; ·the things [and whatever] you ·don’t allow [forbid; L bind] on earth will be ·the things that God does not allow [forbidden/L bound in heaven], and ·the things [whatever] you ·allow [permit; L loose] on earth will be ·the things that God allows [permitted/L loosed in heaven].” 20 Then Jesus [sternly] warned his ·followers [disciples] not to tell anyone he was the ·Christ [Messiah].
Jesus Says that He Must Die(H)
21 From that time on Jesus began ·telling [showing; making it clear to] his ·followers [disciples] that he must go to Jerusalem, where the Jewish elders, the leading priests, and the ·teachers of the law [scribes] would make him suffer ·many things [greatly]. He told them he must be killed and then be raised from the dead on the third day.
22 Peter took Jesus aside and ·told him not to talk like that [L began to reprimand/rebuke him]. He said, “·God save you from those things [God forbid; May it never be; L (God) Be merciful], Lord! Those things ·will never [must certainly not] happen to you!”
23 Then Jesus turned and said to Peter, “·Go away from [Get behind] me, Satan! You are ·not helping [an obstacle/stumbling block to] me! You ·don’t care about [are not setting your mind on/thinking about] the things of God, but only ·about the things people think are important [on/about human concerns].”
24 Then Jesus said to his ·followers [disciples], “If ·people want [L anyone wants] to follow me, they must ·give up the things they want [deny themselves; turn from selfishness; set aside their own interests]. They must ·be willing even to give up their lives to [L take up their cross and] follow me. 25 Those who want to save their lives will ·give up true life [L lose their life/soul; C Greek psychē can mean “life” or “soul,” producing this play on words], and those who ·give up [lose; sacrifice] their lives for ·me [my sake] will ·have true life [find life]. 26 ·It is worthless [What good/profit/benefit is it…?] to ·have [gain] the whole world if they ·lose [forfeit] their souls. ·They could never pay enough [L Or what could they give…?] ·to buy back [in exchange for] their souls. 27 [L For] The Son of Man will come again with his Father’s glory and with his angels. At that time, he will ·reward [repay; give back; judge] them for what they have done [Ps. 62:12; Prov. 24:12]. 28 I tell you the truth, some people standing here will not ·die [L taste death] before they see the Son of Man [Dan. 7:13–14] coming with his kingdom.” [C This may refer to the Transfiguration which follows (17:1–8), Jesus’ resurrection, or the destruction of Jerusalem in ad 70.]
The Transfiguration on the Mountain(I)
17 Six days later, Jesus took Peter, James, and John, the brother of James, [L and led them] up on a high mountain by themselves. 2 ·While they watched [In their presence; In front of them], Jesus’ appearance was ·changed [transformed; T transfigured]; his face ·became bright [shined] like the sun, and his clothes became white as light. 3 Then Moses and Elijah appeared to them, talking with Jesus. [C God had given the Law through Moses, and Elijah was an important prophet (see Mark 6:15); together they signify that Jesus fulfills the OT.]
4 Peter said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good that we are here. If you want, I will put up three ·tents [shelters; shrines; tabernacles; Lev. 23:42] here—one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” [C Perhaps Peter wanted to prolong their stay or to commemorate their visit.]
5 While Peter was talking, [L look; T behold] a bright cloud ·covered [overshadowed; Ex. 24:15] them. A voice came from the cloud and said, “This is my ·Son, whom I love [dearly beloved Son; Ps. 2:7; Gen. 22:2], ·and I am very pleased with him [in whom I take great delight; Is. 42:1; Matt. 3:17]. Listen to him [Deut. 18:15; Acts 3:22]!”
6 When his ·followers [disciples] heard the voice, they were so frightened they fell ·to the ground [L on their faces]. 7 But Jesus went to them and touched them and said, “Stand up. Don’t be afraid.” 8 ·When they looked up [Lifting up their eyes], they saw ·Jesus was now alone [L no one except Jesus alone].
9 As they were coming down the mountain, Jesus ·commanded [instructed] them not to tell anyone about ·what they had seen [the vision] until the Son of Man had ·risen [been raised] from the dead.
10 Then his ·followers [disciples] asked him, “Why do the ·teachers of the law [scribes] say that Elijah must come first [C that is, before the Messiah comes; Mal. 3:1; 4:5]?”
11 Jesus answered, “·They are right to say that Elijah is coming and that [L Elijah is indeed coming, and] he will ·make everything the way it should be [restore/prepare everything]. 12 But I tell you that Elijah has already come, and they did not recognize him. They did to him whatever they wanted to do. It will be the same with the Son of Man; those same people will make the Son of Man suffer.” 13 Then the ·followers [disciples] understood that Jesus was talking about John the Baptist.
Jesus Heals a Sick Boy(J)
14 When Jesus and his ·followers [disciples] came back to the crowd, a man came to Jesus and ·bowed [knelt] before him. 15 The man said, “Lord, have mercy on my son. He ·has epilepsy [has seizures; or is demented/a lunatic; C the word for epilepsy could also mean “moonstruck” or demented; Mark 9:17 says the boy was demon possessed] and is suffering ·very much [terribly], because he often falls into the fire or into the water. 16 I brought him to your ·followers [disciples], but they could not ·cure [heal] him.”
17 Jesus answered, “·You people have no faith, and your lives are all wrong [L O faithless/unbelieving and perverse/corrupt generation]. How long must I ·put up [stay; L be] with you? How long must I ·continue to be patient [put up] with you? Bring the boy here to me.” 18 Jesus ·commanded [reprimanded; rebuked] the demon and it came out of him, and the boy was healed from that ·time on [moment; L hour].
19 The ·followers [disciples] came to Jesus when he was alone and asked, “Why couldn’t we ·force [drive; cast] the demon out?”
20 Jesus answered, “Because ·your faith is too small [you have so little faith]. I tell you the truth, if your faith is ·as big as [as small as; the size of; L as; like] a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. ·All things will be possible [L Nothing would be impossible] for you. |21 That kind of spirit comes out only if you use prayer and fasting.|”[c]
Jesus Talks About His Death(K)
22 While Jesus’ ·followers [disciples] were gathering in Galilee, he said to them, “The Son of Man will be ·handed over [betrayed/delivered over] to ·people [L human hands], 23 and they will kill him [C the “handing over” may be Judas’ betrayal or God’s actions in “giving up” his Son to accomplish salvation; Rom. 4:25]. But on the third day he will be raised from the dead.” And the ·followers [disciples] were ·filled with sadness [greatly distressed].
Jesus Talks About Paying Taxes
24 When ·Jesus and his followers [L they] came to Capernaum, the men who collected the ·Temple tax [L two-drachma; C the annual tax paid to support the Temple (Ex. 30:13–16)] came to Peter. They asked, “Does your teacher pay the ·Temple tax [L two-drachma]?”
25 Peter answered, “Yes.”
Peter went into the house, but before he could speak, Jesus said to him, “What do you think? From whom do the kings of the earth collect ·different kinds of taxes [tribute/tolls or taxes]—the king’s ·children [or own people/citizens] or ·others [or foreigners; C perhaps tribute paid by defeated nations]?”
26 Peter answered, “·Other people pay the taxes [L From others].”
Jesus said to Peter, “Then the ·children [or people; citizens] of the king ·don’t have to pay taxes [are exempt/free]. 27 But we don’t want to ·upset [offend] these tax collectors. So go to the lake and ·fish [throw out your hook]. After you catch the first fish, open its mouth and you will find a ·coin [shekel; C Greek: stater, worth four drachma, or two payments of the Temple tax]. Take that coin and give it to the tax collectors for you and me.”
The Expanded Bible, Copyright © 2011 Thomas Nelson Inc. All rights reserved.