Key Verse
4 Then they said, “Come, let us build ourselves a city and a tower with its top in the heavens, and let us make a name for ourselves, lest we be dispersed over the face of the whole earth.”
 
Meditation
God’s creation is declared “very good,” yet humanity often misdirects the stewardship of God’s good gifts toward the glory of people rather than the glory of God. The gospel frees believers to re-order all of life so everything is directed toward God’s glory (1 Corinthians 10:31).
 
Today’s reading includes the technology used to construct the tower of Babel (vv. 1-9). Bricks and bitumen (v. 2) became the means by which humanity sought to “make a name for themselves” (v. 4). In doing so, they rejected God’s command to “fill the earth” (Genesis 1:28; 9:7)  and refused to cultivate their domain for God’s majesty (Psalm 8). Their failure was not technological innovation itself, but the misdirected stewardship of that innovation.

The same materials used to build Babel were also used for salvation and the preservation of life. The ark that saved Noah and his family from God’s judgment was sealed with bitumen (Genesis 6:14), and the basket that protected the infant Moses was likewise waterproofed with it (Exodus 2:3). The structure of God’s creation remains good, and the problem is not creation or technology. Rather, the human heart bends good gifts toward self-glory. Jesus laid aside His name to give us Himself, so we can redeem everything, including technology, by re-directing all of life for God’s glory. 

Historically, Christians have sought to redirect technology for God’s glory, from Roman roads used by the apostles to advance the gospel to the printing press employed by Reformers to mass produce God’s Word. From God’s grace, believers are enabled to do everything in Jesus’ name (Colossians 3:17) with confident that our work is not in vain (1 Corinthians 15:58).
 
Today’s Reading
Now the whole earth had one language and the same words. 2 And as people migrated from the east, they found a plain in the land of Shinar and settled there. 3 And they said to one another, “Come, let us make bricks, and burn them thoroughly.” And they had brick for stone, and bitumen for mortar. 4 Then they said, “Come, let us build ourselves a city and a tower with its top in the heavens, and let us make a name for ourselves, lest we be dispersed over the face of the whole earth.” 5 And the Lord came down to see the city and the tower, which the children of man had built. 6 And the Lord said, “Behold, they are one people, and they have all one language, and this is only the beginning of what they will do. And nothing that they propose to do will now be impossible for them. 7 Come, let us go down and there confuse their language, so that they may not understand one another’s speech.” 8 So the Lord dispersed them from there over the face of all the earth, and they left off building the city. 9 Therefore its name was called Babel, because there the Lord confused the language of all the earth. And from there the Lord dispersed them over the face of all the earth.

Shem’s Descendants
10 These are the generations of Shem. When Shem was 100 years old, he fathered Arpachshad two years after the flood. 11 And Shem lived after he fathered Arpachshad 500 years and had other sons and daughters.
12 When Arpachshad had lived 35 years, he fathered Shelah. 13 And Arpachshad lived after he fathered Shelah 403 years and had other sons and daughters.
14 When Shelah had lived 30 years, he fathered Eber. 15 And Shelah lived after he fathered Eber 403 years and had other sons and daughters.
16 When Eber had lived 34 years, he fathered Peleg. 17 And Eber lived after he fathered Peleg 430 years and had other sons and daughters.
18 When Peleg had lived 30 years, he fathered Reu. 19 And Peleg lived after he fathered Reu 209 years and had other sons and daughters.
20 When Reu had lived 32 years, he fathered Serug. 21 And Reu lived after he fathered Serug 207 years and had other sons and daughters.
22 When Serug had lived 30 years, he fathered Nahor. 23 And Serug lived after he fathered Nahor 200 years and had other sons and daughters.
24 When Nahor had lived 29 years, he fathered Terah. 25 And Nahor lived after he fathered Terah 119 years and had other sons and daughters.
26 When Terah had lived 70 years, he fathered Abram, Nahor, and Haran.

Terah’s Descendants
27 Now these are the generations of Terah. Terah fathered Abram, Nahor, and Haran; and Haran fathered Lot. 28 Haran died in the presence of his father Terah in the land of his kindred, in Ur of the Chaldeans. 29 And Abram and Nahor took wives. The name of Abram’s wife was Sarai, and the name of Nahor’s wife, Milcah, the daughter of Haran the father of Milcah and Iscah. 30 Now Sarai was barren; she had no child.

31 Terah took Abram his son and Lot the son of Haran, his grandson, and Sarai his daughter-in-law, his son Abram’s wife, and they went forth together from Ur of the Chaldeans to go into the land of Canaan, but when they came to Haran, they settled there. 32 The days of Terah were 205 years, and Terah died in Haran.
 
Richly Dwelling               
-What stands out to you from the tower of Babel? Why?
 
-Where do you identify, stewarding God’s creation (i.e., using technology) for your own glory by trying to make your own name great? What has resulted? How has your heart been impacted?
 
-How does the finished work of Jesus free you to see your work, using technology, as a way to further His glory and build eternal treasure? Be specific.
 
Key Verse
4 Then they said, “Come, let us build ourselves a city and a tower with its top in the heavens, and let us make a name for ourselves, lest we be dispersed over the face of the whole earth.”

Key verse
8     In peace I will both lie down and sleep; for you alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety.
 
Meditation
God’s steadfast love gives security to those who trust Him. This evening Psalm offers the same shalom for sleep and security Jesus embodied when He snoozed in the storm (Mark 4:37-39).
 
God’s past faithfulness is the foundation for present trust in His personal care. Because the Lord hears prayer (v. 1), we can rest in Him even when questions remain unanswered (v. 2). This psalm assures us that God is attentive to the cries of His people, and in Christ, believers are set apart as God’s treasured possession (v. 3).
 
The apostle Paul draws on this psalm when instructing the church to speak the truth in love (Ephesians 4:26). He warns believers not to sin in their anger by going to sleep while unresolved anger lingers. Satan seeks to steal our shalom by gaining a foothold, but prayer anchors our trust in the Lord and restores peace through God’s presence, power, and promises (vv. 4-5).
 
God’s sovereign grace frees us to lift our hearts toward Him in faith. Verse 6 echoes Aaron’s blessing from Numbers 6:22-27, reminding us that the Lord delights to bless His people. When our hearts are directed heavenward in prayer, God plants deep joy within us (v. 7) and grants peace as we lie down to sleep (v. 8).
 
Trusting in the steadfast love of the Lord through prayer is the starting point for resting in God’s sovereign grace. God’s personal care invites believers to cast all their anxieties on Him, confident that He truly cares for us (Psalm 55:22; 1 Peter 5:7).
 
Today’s Reading
Answer me when I call, O God of my righteousness!
You have given me relief when I was in distress.
Be gracious to me and hear my prayer!
2     O men, how long shall my honor be turned into shame?
How long will you love vain words and seek after lies? Selah
3     But know that the Lord has set apart the godly for himself;
the Lord hears when I call to him.
4     Be angry, and do not sin;
ponder in your own hearts on your beds, and be silent. Selah
5     Offer right sacrifices,
and put your trust in the Lord.
6     There are many who say, “Who will show us some good?
Lift up the light of your face upon us, O Lord!”
7     You have put more joy in my heart
than they have when their grain and wine abound.
8     In peace I will both lie down and sleep;
for you alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety.
 
 
Richly Dwelling
-What part of this evening Psalm stands out to you the most? Why? Take a moment to practice prayer that casts your cares on the Lord. Be specific.
 
-Where do you cast your cares other than to the Lord in prayer? Does that give you sustaining shalom, enough to sleep?
 
-God’s covenant faithfulness promises to always provide. Where have you seen God sustain you in the past? How does this give you both present strength and hope for tomorrow?
 
Key verse
8     In peace I will both lie down and sleep; for you alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety.

Key Verse
32 These are the clans of the sons of Noah, according to their genealogies, in their nations, and from these the nations spread abroad on the earth after the flood. 
 
Meditation
The Lord is the ruler of time, or as one of my favorite hymns proclaims, He is “The Potentate of time.” God orders the years, the nations, and the story of the world according to His purposes and for His glory. And genealogies help us see where His-story is going.
 
Moses tells us exactly why today’s reading matters: the sons of Noah who survived the flood spread out and filled the earth (v. 32). These names carry origin stories, future conflicts, and the unfolding promises of God woven into history. Every word of Scripture has meaning and invites our attention.
 
From Ham came peoples and kingdoms that would later oppose God’s people… Babel, Assyria, and other powerful enemies (vv. 6–14). From Canaan came the many “-ites” who would later dwell within the Promised Land and challenge Israel from the inside (vv. 15–20), flowing from Noah’s cursed son. From Shem came the line of promise, the covenant family through whom God would carry forward His plan of redemption, reaching back to Genesis 3:15 and stretching all the way to Jesus Christ (vv. 21–31; Luke 3:38 ).

God’s faithfulness reaches its fullness in the birth and work of Jesus. From the days after the flood to the coming of Jesus, God sovereignly directs history, moving His promises forward and sustaining hope in the human heart. Genesis 10 reminds us that God is always at work through families, nations, and generations we are tempted to overlook.

God is patiently and powerfully working all things for His glory and for the good of His redeemed people.
 
Today’s Reading
These are the generations of the sons of Noah, Shem, Ham, and Japheth. Sons were born to them after the flood.
 
2 The sons of Japheth: Gomer, Magog, Madai, Javan, Tubal, Meshech, and Tiras. 3 The sons of Gomer: Ashkenaz, Riphath, and Togarmah. 4 The sons of Javan: Elishah, Tarshish, Kittim, and Dodanim. 5 From these the coastland peoples spread in their lands, each with his own language, by their clans, in their nations.
 
6 The sons of Ham: Cush, Egypt, Put, and Canaan. 7 The sons of Cush: Seba, Havilah, Sabtah, Raamah, and Sabteca. The sons of Raamah: Sheba and Dedan. 8 Cush fathered Nimrod; he was the first on earth to be a mighty man. 9 He was a mighty hunter before the Lord. Therefore it is said, “Like Nimrod a mighty hunter before the Lord.” 10 The beginning of his kingdom was Babel, Erech, Accad, and Calneh, in the land of Shinar. 11 From that land he went into Assyria and built Nineveh, Rehoboth-Ir, Calah, and 12 Resen between Nineveh and Calah; that is the great city. 13 Egypt fathered Ludim, Anamim, Lehabim, Naphtuhim, 14 Pathrusim, Casluhim (from whom the Philistines came), and Caphtorim.
 
15 Canaan fathered Sidon his firstborn and Heth, 16 and the Jebusites, the Amorites, the Girgashites, 17 the Hivites, the Arkites, the Sinites, 18 the Arvadites, the Zemarites, and the Hamathites. Afterward the clans of the Canaanites dispersed. 19 And the territory of the Canaanites extended from Sidon in the direction of Gerar as far as Gaza, and in the direction of Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, and Zeboiim, as far as Lasha. 20 These are the sons of Ham, by their clans, their languages, their lands, and their nations.
 
21 To Shem also, the father of all the children of Eber, the elder brother of Japheth, children were born. 22 The sons of Shem: Elam, Asshur, Arpachshad, Lud, and Aram. 23 The sons of Aram: Uz, Hul, Gether, and Mash. 24 Arpachshad fathered Shelah; and Shelah fathered Eber. 25 To Eber were born two sons: the name of the one was Peleg, for in his days the earth was divided, and his brother’s name was Joktan. 26 Joktan fathered Almodad, Sheleph, Hazarmaveth, Jerah, 27 Hadoram, Uzal, Diklah, 28 Obal, Abimael, Sheba, 29 Ophir, Havilah, and Jobab; all these were the sons of Joktan. 30 The territory in which they lived extended from Mesha in the direction of Sephar to the hill country of the east. 31 These are the sons of Shem, by their clans, their languages, their lands, and their nations.
 
32 These are the clans of the sons of Noah, according to their genealogies, in their nations, and from these the nations spread abroad on the earth after the flood.
 
Richly Dwelling
-Why would it have been important for the original audience of Genesis to know the origin story of their external enemies AND their enemies inside the land?
 
-How quickly do you dismiss genealogies in Scripture? Why?
 
-Why is it important for you to see God’s promises pushed forward through His story, finding fullness in Jesus Christ? How does this fuel hope in your heart?
 
Key Verse
32 These are the clans of the sons of Noah, according to their genealogies, in their nations, and from these the nations spread abroad on the earth after the flood. 

Key Verse
5 And the Pharisees and the scribes asked him, “Why do your disciples not walk according to the tradition of the elders, but eat with defiled hands?” 
 
Meditation
Jesus is King, and He displays God’s steadfast love by doing for His people what is impossible for us to do on our own. Today’s reading reveals God’s compassion through Jesus’ ministry of cleansing and healing.  
 
Jesus cleanses: 
The Old Testament “cleaning laws” used physical dirt to symbolize impurity of sin, offering instruction to avoid things like mildew, unwashed hands, and dead bodies. The laws rightly illustrated how sin defiles, but they became destructive when people “left the commandment of God and held to the tradition of men” (v. 8). 
 
The Pharisees exemplified this distortion. They defined righteousness by external cleanliness, adding layers of human tradition to God’s law. In doing so, they exchanged God’s purpose for personal pride, judging others who failed to conform to their standards (vv. 1-5). Jesus diagnosed their disconnect: Though their hands may be clean, their hearts were far from the Lord (vv. 6-13). Actions reveal the conditions of the heart (vv. 14-23), and Jesus alone cleanses hearts.
 
Jesus heals: 
The faith of the Syrophoenician woman who begged Jesus for mercy powerfully illustrates this truth. An “unclean” Gentile comes to Jesus in faith, confirming Jesus’ teaching. Her faith echoes another Canaanite woman, Rahab, who was also saved by faith (Joshua 2). The gospel is the power of God to cleanse all who believe.
 
The healing of her daughter, followed by Jesus healing the mute man (vv. 31-37), validates Jesus as King… compassionate, sovereign,  and able to do what we cannot do for ourselves.
 
Jesus’ gospel invites everyone to be cleansed and healed through faith in Him!
 
Today’s Reading
Now when the Pharisees gathered to him, with some of the scribes who had come from Jerusalem, 2 they saw that some of his disciples ate with hands that were defiled, that is, unwashed. 3 (For the Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat unless they wash their hands properly, holding to the tradition of the elders, 4 and when they come from the marketplace, they do not eat unless they wash. And there are many other traditions that they observe, such as the washing of cups and pots and copper vessels and dining couches.) 5 And the Pharisees and the scribes asked him, “Why do your disciples not walk according to the tradition of the elders, but eat with defiled hands?” 6 And he said to them, “Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written,

“‘This people honors me with their lips,
    but their heart is far from me;
7 in vain do they worship me,
    teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’

8 You leave the commandment of God and hold to the tradition of men.”
9 And he said to them, “You have a fine way of rejecting the commandment of God in order to establish your tradition! 10 For Moses said, ‘Honor your father and your mother’; and, ‘Whoever reviles father or mother must surely die.’ 11 But you say, ‘If a man tells his father or his mother, “Whatever you would have gained from me is Corban”’ (that is, given to God)— 12 then you no longer permit him to do anything for his father or mother, 13 thus making void the word of God by your tradition that you have handed down. And many such things you do.”

What Defiles a Person
14 And he called the people to him again and said to them, “Hear me, all of you, and understand:15 There is nothing outside a person that by going into him can defile him, but the things that come out of a person are what defile him.” 17 And when he had entered the house and left the people, his disciples asked him about the parable. 18 And he said to them, “Then are you also without understanding? Do you not see that whatever goes into a person from outside cannot defile him, 19 since it enters not his heart but his stomach, and is expelled?” (Thus he declared all foods clean.) 20 And he said, “What comes out of a person is what defiles him. 21 For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, 22 coveting, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride, foolishness. 23 All these evil things come from within, and they defile a person.”

The Syrophoenician Woman's Faith
24 And from there he arose and went away to the region of Tyre and Sidon.  And he entered a house and did not want anyone to know, yet he could not be hidden. 25 But immediately a woman whose little daughter had an unclean spirit heard of him and came and fell down at his feet. 26 Now the woman was a Gentile, a Syrophoenician by birth. And she begged him to cast the demon out of her daughter. 27 And he said to her, “Let the children be fed first, for it is not right to take the children's bread and throw it to the dogs.” 28 But she answered him, “Yes, Lord; yet even the dogs under the table eat the children's crumbs.”29 And he said to her, “For this statement you may go your way; the demon has left your daughter.” 30 And she went home and found the child lying in bed and the demon gone.

Jesus Heals a Deaf Man
31 Then he returned from the region of Tyre and went through Sidon to the Sea of Galilee, in the region of the Decapolis. 32 And they brought to him a man who was deaf and had a speech impediment, and they begged him to lay his hand on him. 33 And taking him aside from the crowd privately, he put his fingers into his ears, and after spitting touched his tongue. 34 And looking up to heaven, he sighed and said to him, “Ephphatha,” that is, “Be opened.” 35 And his ears were opened, his tongue was released, and he spoke plainly. 36 And Jesus charged them to tell no one. But the more he charged them, the more zealously they proclaimed it. 37 And they were astonished beyond measure, saying, “He has done all things well. He even makes the deaf hear and the mute speak.”
 
Richly Dwelling
-What stands out to you from today’s reading, especially the cleansing and healing work of Jesus?
 
-Where do you identify with the pharisees, defining yourself by not getting dirty, and missing the heart of faith in Christ?
 
-Where do you need Jesus to cleanse you? Come to Him in faith, asking with David to be washed thoroughly and cleansed so you, too, can begin again.
 
Key Verse
5 And the Pharisees and the scribes asked him, “Why do your disciples not walk according to the tradition of the elders, but eat with defiled hands?” 

Key Verse
12 And God said, “This is the sign of the covenant that I make between me and you and every living creature that is with you, for all future generations: 13 I have set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between me and the earth.
 
Meditation
Creation is regained through God’s covenant commitment to redeem and restore. Rather than flush away a world gone wrong, God renews through His redeeming work.
 
Today’s reading highlights God’s redemptive work after the flood of judgement: New Creation. Echoing Eden, God blesses Noah and commands him to be fruitful and multiply, filling the earth (vv. 1, 7). God’s covenant faithfulness provides the context to cultivate a new world. This covenant is stressed through repeated promises (vv. 9, 11, 12, 13, 15), not a contract contingent on human performance but a divine commitment guaranteed by God’s word.
 
The rainbow is an eternal sign (Revelation 4:3) to everyone, everywhere on earth (v. 16). God promises never again to destroy the earth by flood. Crucially, God’s covenant commitment is not undone by poor performance of His people. Noah’s drunken nakedness does not derail God’s faithfulness (vv. 20-27), but it does reveal why creation still groans, awaiting greater redemption through Jesus’ consummated work (Romans 8:18-21). 
 
The curse continues, evidenced with the line that will become Canaanites (vv. 18, 22, 25). Yet the promise continues as well: Through Shem will come salvation to all who believe.
 
“Bless the Lord, the God of Shem!” (v. 26) Jesus will bring a greater covenant through His blood (Matthew 26:28), His cross serving as a sign of salvation far greater than the rainbow. New creation is claimed by faith in the covenant blessings proclaimed through Christ’s work. Jesus took the flood of judgement for our sin so that, in Him, we are free to begin again.
 
Today’s Reading
And God blessed Noah and his sons and said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth. 2 The fear of you and the dread of you shall be upon every beast of the earth and upon every bird of the heavens, upon everything that creeps on the ground and all the fish of the sea. Into your hand they are delivered. 3 Every moving thing that lives shall be food for you. And as I gave you the green plants, I give you everything. 4 But you shall not eat flesh with its life, that is, its blood. 5 And for your lifeblood I will require a reckoning: from every beast I will require it and from man. From his fellow man I will require a reckoning for the life of man.

6     “Whoever sheds the blood of man,
by man shall his blood be shed,
       for God made man in his own image.

7 And you, be fruitful and multiply, increase greatly on the earth and multiply in it.”
8 Then God said to Noah and to his sons with him, 9 “Behold, I establish my covenant with you and your offspring after you, 10 and with every living creature that is with you, the birds, the livestock, and every beast of the earth with you, as many as came out of the ark; it is for every beast of the earth. 11 I establish my covenant with you, that never again shall all flesh be cut off by the waters of the flood, and never again shall there be a flood to destroy the earth.” 12 And God said, “This is the sign of the covenant that I make between me and you and every living creature that is with you, for all future generations: 13 I have set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between me and the earth. 14 When I bring clouds over the earth and the bow is seen in the clouds, 15 I will remember my covenant that is between me and you and every living creature of all flesh. And the waters shall never again become a flood to destroy all flesh. 16 When the bow is in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is on the earth.” 17 God said to Noah, “This is the sign of the covenant that I have established between me and all flesh that is on the earth.”

Noah’s Descendants
18 The sons of Noah who went forth from the ark were Shem, Ham, and Japheth. (Ham was the father of Canaan.) 19 These three were the sons of Noah, and from these the people of the whole earth were dispersed.
 
20 Noah began to be a man of the soil, and he planted a vineyard. 21 He drank of the wine and became drunk and lay uncovered in his tent. 22 And Ham, the father of Canaan, saw the nakedness of his father and told his two brothers outside. 23 Then Shem and Japheth took a garment, laid it on both their shoulders, and walked backward and covered the nakedness of their father. Their faces were turned backward, and they did not see their father’s nakedness. 24 When Noah awoke from his wine and knew what his youngest son had done to him, 25 he said,

       “Cursed be Canaan;
a servant of servants shall he be to his brothers.”
26 He also said,
       “Blessed be the Lord, the God of Shem;
and let Canaan be his servant.
27    May God enlarge Japheth,
and let him dwell in the tents of Shem,
and let Canaan be his servant.”
28 After the flood Noah lived 350 years. 29 All the days of Noah were 950 years, and he died.
 
Richly Dwelling
-What stands out to you from today’s reading, especially in regards to creation regained through God’s covenant renewal for creation?
 
-Where do you see the need for renewal in the world? In your home? In your city? Do you groan with creation for a new beginning?
 
-How does the promise of creation regained and reclaimed through the redeeming work of Jesus give you strength and hope to live as a new creation in Him?
 
Key Verse
12 And God said, “This is the sign of the covenant that I make between me and you and every living creature that is with you, for all future generations: 13 I have set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between me and the earth.

Key Verse
5 And he could do no mighty work there, except that he laid his hands on a few sick people and healed them. 6 And he marveled because of their unbelief.
 
Meditation
Jesus desires for His disciples to move from familiarity to fresh faith in Him and His word.
 
Today’s reading is bookended by two very different responses to Jesus. In His hometown of Nazareth, Jesus was rejected and He “marveled” at their unbelief (vv. 1-6). In contrast, in the Gentile region of Gennesaret, the people marveled at Jesus and brought their sick for healing- everywhere Jesus went (vv. 53-56). These extremes invite honest heart evaluation: Do you have fresh faith in Jesus, or has familiarity made your faith complacent? 

Jesus was literally “amazed” at the unbelief of those from His home town who were most familiar with Him. Yet in grace, Jesus reveals He is worthy of our faith. 

By His word, Jesus sent out His disciples, and through their belief, God worked miracles (vv. 7-13). A boy believed Jesus could transform his lunch to provide a buffet to feed thousands… and Jesus did it (vv. 30-42). Jesus walks on water and calms storms with Divine authority (vv. 45-52), yet those obsessed with power and personal honor will cut the throat of people speaking God’s word (vv. 14-29). In contrast, disciples of Jesus will focus faith on Him and His word.
 
The only other time Jesus marvels in the gospels is when a Gentile leader hears His word and believes (Luke 7:9). Our Maker will marvel one way or the other, at our belief or unbelief in Him and His word. 
 
Lord, we believe… help our unbelief, and give us fresh faith in You and Your word!
 
Today’s Reading
He went away from there and came to his hometown, and his disciples followed him. 2 And on the Sabbath he began to teach in the synagogue, and many who heard him were astonished, saying, “Where did this man get these things? What is the wisdom given to him? How are such mighty works done by his hands? 3 Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary and brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon? And are not his sisters here with us?” And they took offense at him. 4 And Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor, except in his hometown and among his relatives and in his own household.” 5 And he could do no mighty work there, except that he laid his hands on a few sick people and healed them. 6 And he marveled because of their unbelief. And he went about among the villages teaching.

Jesus Sends Out the Twelve Apostles
7 And he called the twelve and began to send them out two by two, and gave them authority over the unclean spirits. 8 He charged them to take nothing for their journey except a staff—no bread, no bag, no money in their belts— 9 but to wear sandals and not put on two tunics. 10 And he said to them, “Whenever you enter a house, stay there until you depart from there. 11 And if any place will not receive you and they will not listen to you, when you leave, shake off the dust that is on your feet as a testimony against them.” 12 So they went out and proclaimed that people should repent. 13 And they cast out many demons and anointed with oil many who were sick and healed them.

The Death of John the Baptist
14 King Herod heard of it, for Jesus' name had become known. Some said, “John the Baptist has been raised from the dead. That is why these miraculous powers are at work in him.” 15 But others said, “He is Elijah.” And others said, “He is a prophet, like one of the prophets of old.” 16 But when Herod heard of it, he said, “John, whom I beheaded, has been raised.” 17 For it was Herod who had sent and seized John and bound him in prison for the sake of Herodias, his brother Philip's wife, because he had married her. 18 For John had been saying to Herod, “It is not lawful for you to have your brother's wife.” 19 And Herodias had a grudge against him and wanted to put him to death. But she could not, 20 for Herod feared John, knowing that he was a righteous and holy man, and he kept him safe. When he heard him, he was greatly perplexed, and yet he heard him gladly.

21 But an opportunity came when Herod on his birthday gave a banquet for his nobles and military commanders and the leading men of Galilee. 22 For when Herodias's daughter came in and danced, she pleased Herod and his guests. And the king said to the girl, “Ask me for whatever you wish, and I will give it to you.” 23 And he vowed to her, “Whatever you ask me, I will give you, up to half of my kingdom.” 24 And she went out and said to her mother, “For what should I ask?” And she said, “The head of John the Baptist.” 25 And she came in immediately with haste to the king and asked, saying, “I want you to give me at once the head of John the Baptist on a platter.” 26 And the king was exceedingly sorry, but because of his oaths and his guests he did not want to break his word to her. 27 And immediately the king sent an executioner with orders to bring John's head. He went and beheaded him in the prison 28 and brought his head on a platter and gave it to the girl, and the girl gave it to her mother. 29 When his disciples heard of it, they came and took his body and laid it in a tomb.

Jesus Feeds the Five Thousand
30 The apostles returned to Jesus and told him all that they had done and taught. 31 And he said to them, “Come away by yourselves to a desolate place and rest a while.” For many were coming and going, and they had no leisure even to eat.32 And they went away in the boat to a desolate place by themselves. 33 Now many saw them going and recognized them, and they ran there on foot from all the towns and got there ahead of them. 34 When he went ashore he saw a great crowd, and he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. And he began to teach them many things. 35 And when it grew late, his disciples came to him and said, “This is a desolate place, and the hour is now late.36 Send them away to go into the surrounding countryside and villages and buy themselves something to eat.” 37 But he answered them, “You give them something to eat.” And they said to him, “Shall we go and buy two hundred denarii worth of bread and give it to them to eat?” 38 And he said to them, “How many loaves do you have? Go and see.” And when they had found out, they said, “Five, and two fish.” 39 Then he commanded them all to sit down in groups on the green grass. 40 So they sat down in groups, by hundreds and by fifties. 41 And taking the five loaves and the two fish, he looked up to heaven and said a blessing and broke the loaves and gave them to the disciples to set before the people. And he divided the two fish among them all. 42 And they all ate and were satisfied. 43 And they took up twelve baskets full of broken pieces and of the fish. 44 And those who ate the loaves were five thousand men.

Jesus Walks on the Water
45 Immediately he made his disciples get into the boat and go before him to the other side, to Bethsaida, while he dismissed the crowd. 46 And after he had taken leave of them, he went up on the mountain to pray. 47 And when evening came, the boat was out on the sea, and he was alone on the land. 48 And he saw that they were making headway painfully, for the wind was against them. And about the fourth watch of the night he came to them, walking on the sea. He meant to pass by them, 49 but when they saw him walking on the sea they thought it was a ghost, and cried out, 50 for they all saw him and were terrified. But immediately he spoke to them and said, “Take heart; it is I. Do not be afraid.”51 And he got into the boat with them, and the wind ceased. And they were utterly astounded, 52 for they did not understand about the loaves, but their hearts were hardened.

Jesus Heals the Sick in Gennesaret
53 When they had crossed over, they came to land at Gennesaret and moored to the shore. 54 And when they got out of the boat, the people immediately recognized him 55 and ran about the whole region and began to bring the sick people on their beds to wherever they heard he was. 56 And wherever he came, in villages, cities, or countryside, they laid the sick in the marketplaces and implored him that they might touch even the fringe of his garment. And as many as touched it were made well.
 
Richly Dwelling
-What stands out to you from today’s reading, especially the contrast between those who have faith in Jesus and His word and those who do not?
 
-Is Jesus working mightily through His word in your life and through your life? If not, evaluate your faith- is it fresh? Or stale from familiarity?
 
-Where in your life, specifically, can you believe God’s word more fully, trusting the word of Jesus for a more fruitful life?
 
Key Verses
5 And he could do no mighty work there, except that he laid his hands on a few sick people and healed them. 6 And he marveled because of their unbelief.