Chapter 15
Treasures New and Old
Verse 1: “Have you understood all these things?” They answered, “Yes.” | Matthew 13:51
2 And he then said to them, “Therefore anyone who has become a student of the kingdom of heaven is like the head of a house who brings out of his treasure for the benefit of all.” | Matthew 13:52
3 If anyone becomes my disciples and listen to my words, these stones will become your servants. | Gospel of Thomas 19
4 For you have five trees in paradise which remain unaffected summer and winter and whose leaves do not fall. Whoever becomes acquainted with them will not experience death. | Gospel of Thomas 19
5 Blessed are those who came into being before they came into being. | Gospel of Thomas 19
Jesus Stills a Storm
6 In the evening of that same day, he said to them, “Let us go and cross over to the other side.” | Mark 4:35
7 And leaving the crowd behind, the disciples took Jesus with them in the boat. Other boats were with him. | Mark 4:36
8 A big storm of wind and rain erupted, sending waves crashing into the boat, so much that the boat was already being swamped. | Mark 4:37
9 And Jesus was in the stern, asleep on a cushion. The disciples rushed over, woke him up and said, “Teacher, do you not care that we are about to die?” | Mark 4:38
10 Having awoke and rising up, he rebuked the wind and said to the sea, “Be quiet! Be still!” And the wind ceased, and everything was dead calm. | Mark 4:39
11 “Why are you afraid?”, he asked them, “Have you still no faith?” | Mark 4:40
12 And they were overwhelmed with great fear and amazement and began to say to one another, “Who is this, then? For even the wind and the sea obey him?” | Mark 4:41
Jesus Heals the Gerasene Demoniac
13 Crossing over to the other side of the sea, they entered region of the Gerasenes. | Mark 5:1
14 And as soon as he had stepped out of the boat, a man with an unclean spirit emerged from the tombs to met him. | Mark 5:2
15 Who made his home among the tombs, and could no longer be restrained any more, even with chains, | Mark 5:3
16 Because he had often been bound with chains and shackles, he had broken the chains and shattered the shackles. Now there was no one with the strength to subdue him. | Mark 5:4
17 And during every night and day among the tombs and in the mountains, he would often cry out, shriek and howl and cutting himself with stones. | Mark 5:5
18 Seeing Jesus from a distance, he ran and fell on his knees before him, | Mark 5:6
19 and crying out with a loud voice, he shouted, “What have you to do with me, Son of Man, I know where you come from. Do not torment me.” | Mark 5:7
20 “Be silent, you unclean spirit!”, Jesus rebuked. | Mark 5:8
21 Then Jesus questioned him, “What is your name?” And the man replied, “My name is Legion, for there are many of us.” | Mark 5:9
22 And then the demons began to beg him not to order them to go back into the darkness of the abyss. | Luke 8:31
23 Meanwhile on the mountainside, there was a great herd of swine which was feeding, | Mark 5:11
24 and the demonic spirits begged him, “Send us into the swine; so that we may enter into them.” | Mark 5:12
25 He gave them permission, and the unclean spirits surged out and went into the pigs, and the herd, of about two thousand, rushed down the steep bank into the sea and drowned in the sea. | Mark 5:13
26 Those tending the swine ran off and reported it to the city leadership and word reached the country. Then people went to see what it was that had happened. | Mark 5:14
27 When they came to Jesus and found the formerly demon-possessed man sitting there, fully clothed and perfectly sane, the man who had had the legion in him, and they were afraid. | Mark 5:15
28 Those who had seen what had happened to the demon possessed man and to the swine described what happened to the townspeople. | Mark 5:16
29 Then they began to beg Jesus to leave, for they were seized with great fear and awe. | Mark 5:17
30 As Jesus was boarding the boat, the once demon possessed man pleaded with him to accompany them. | Mark 5:18
31 But Jesus refused, “Go to your home and people, and tell them all what my Father has done for you and he had mercy on you.” | Mark 5:19
32 And he departed and began to proclaim in the Decapolis the great things Jesus had done for him, and they all were astonished and amazed. | Mark 5:20
The Fields of Gadara
33 They sailed down the coast from that place, coming to the territory of Gadara in the Decapolis.
34 As they walked, they saw a great estate with olive groves and villas of basalt stone.
35 As they passed by, within a field of stubble, many children were laboring in the heat of the sun, some no more than twelve years of age.
36 They were clothed in rags and their feet were bare upon the dry ground.
37 One among them, a small boy, carried a heavy jar of water for the others, for he was too small for the weeding.
38 Now an overseer sat upon a horse with a whip in his hand.
39 When he saw one boy falter, he raised his hand to strike him.
40 Jesus was already running to place himself between them.
41 The lash fell upon the shoulder of Jesus, yet he did not cry out.
42 Then Peter and the sons of Zebedee drew their swords, but Jesus stood in silence, and the overseer was afraid.
43 When the manager of the estate arrived, Jesus said to him, “In truth I say to you, no soul can demand this of a child and stand unblemished before my Father.”
44 He asked them, “Take me to your master.” The manager visibly anxious of the gathering crowds outside of the estate reluctantly accepted.
45 So they brought him into the mansion.
46 When the master of the house saw Jesus, he was astonished and said, “Is this not the son of Joseph of Nazareth?”
47 He remembered how Jesus had worked with his father in Antioch as a master craftsman.
48 Jesus said to him, “The world needs more than timber framed true. Release these children to me, for their bodies are at the limit of what they can bear.
49 Whatever debt is owed, I will take it as my own.”
50 The master answered, “I only operate within the world as it is.”
51 But Jesus said, “Then let one act today be outside it.”
52 Because of the memory of Joseph, the master touching his desk was moved and said, “Take them; they are yours.”
53 And as they passed through the gate to depart, the master spoke a word to his servant. The servant ran and placed a purse of silver coins into the hand of Peter, saying nothing.
54 Peter was amazed and showed the money to Jesus and Jesus said, “Give this to Mary. Let her find homes for these little ones.
55 Tell them, whoever receives one such child in my name receives me; and whoever receives me receives the one who sent me.”
56 Then Jesus knelt before the small boy who carried the water and said to his disciples, “Remember his face, it is for such as these that I was sent.”