Jesus hears the good news of the disciples travels and suggests they go for a quiet retreat.  But the crowds are not to be denied.  So, Jesus teaches them, and then he feeds them a giant picnic dinner.

Peter shares a grizzly story today, and very sad, as he tells us of John the Baptists death.  This has all the makings of a prime time tawdry tale: Money, power, influence, pride, boasting, vanity, revenge, blood, and grief beyond tears.

Today Jesus takes the disciples back to his home town.  You can almost hear him say, “Oh this will be fun, I grew up here.”  But it isn’t fun.  It is the people who we love the most who have the power to hurt us the deepest. Then Jesus sends out the 12 on their …

This story is plucked from its nesting place in Mark, originally surrounded by the story of Jairus’s daughter.  For continuity and brevity, I have placed it after that.  The woman’s healing is remarkable because she did not ask for healing, and it was not Jesus’ intent to heal her, but she was healed.

The boat returns to Judea and crowds immediately confront Jesus.  Jairus pleads for Jesus to come and save his daughter, which Jesus agrees to do.  Our narrative skips until next week the inserted story of the woman who touches Jesus hem.  But part way to her they are informed that she has died.  Jesus continues …

This story follows the amazing story of the storm, with the story of thousands of dead pigs. The boat makes land in the country of Gerasene’s near a cemetery.  What ensues is beyond perplexing, but it ends with Jesus first evangelist sharing the good news with people who were not aware of Jesus at all.

Peter’s boat is often the scene for Jesus events. Today, Jesus calms the storm.  I added conversation with Andrew and Peter to augment the first person narrative without changing any meaning.  At the end Jesus just goes back to sleep like nothing ever happened.  But for the Disciples something amazing had just happened.  They are …

Peter remembers some of the parables Jesus shared with him.  Having recounted the Parable of the Good Soil, Peter rattles off a whole list of them in quick succession: lamp, providence of the farmer, mustard seed.  Then he adds, that Jesus always explained to them in private, so they could understand.

The Parable of the Sower might more appropriately be called The Parable of the Good Soil. The sower is foolishly extravagant, he has so much seed he scatters it everywhere. The word of God is the seed and God showers all of us with it. The question for us is what kind of soil are …

Two dramatic events take place today:  Jesus has a run in with the family and he arrogantly taunts the Scribes who have come to denounce him.  I both cases Jesus is not bowing down to people who would like to wield some authority over him.  His words about family must have hurt Mary, but they …