Contemplative Bible Reading

Mark 7:1-5 (New Living Translation) 1 One day some Pharisees and teachers of religious law arrived from Jerusalem to see Jesus. 2 They noticed that some of his disciples failed to follow the Jewish ritual of hand washing before eating. 3 (The Jews, especially the Pharisees, do not eat until they have poured water over […]

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Mark 10:51-52 (New Living Translation) 51 “What do you want me to do for you?” Jesus asked. “My Rabbi,” the blind man said, “I want to see!” 52 And Jesus said to him, “Go, for your faith has healed you.” Instantly the man could see, and he followed Jesus down the road At one point in […]

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Mark 10:49-50 (New Living Translation) When Jesus heard him, he stopped and said, “Tell him to come here.” So they called the blind man. “Cheer up,” they said. “Come on, he’s calling you!” 50 Bartimaeus threw aside his coat, jumped up, and came to Jesus. Many translations of this passage use the word “cloak” instead […]

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Mark 7:8-13 (New Living Translation) 8 You have let go of the commands of God and are holding on to human traditions.” 9 And he continued, “You have a fine way of setting aside the commands of God in order to observe your own traditions! 10 For Moses said, ‘Honor your father and mother,’ and, […]

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Mark 6:12 (New Living Translation) So the disciples went out, telling everyone they met to repent of their sins and turn to God. This isn’t complicated. The followers of Jesus went out with a two-point message: repent of sins turn to God I wonder how many missionary seminars they attended before they traveled with this […]

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Mark 7:32-35 (New Living Translation) 32 A deaf man with a speech impediment was brought to him, and the people begged Jesus to lay his hands on the man to heal him. 33 Jesus led him away from the crowd so they could be alone. He put his fingers into the man’s ears. Then, spitting […]

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Mark 5:4 (New Living Translation) Whenever he was put into chains and shackles—as he often was—he snapped the chains from his wrists and smashed the shackles. No one was strong enough to subdue him. This verse described a demon-possessed man.  The man was possessed by “Legion, because there are many of us inside this man” […]

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Mark 2:27 (New Living Translation) Then Jesus said to them, “The Sabbath was made to meet the needs of people, and not people to meet the requirements of the Sabbath. This verse is part of yet another of those instances when the lawyers were after Jesus concerning obedience of the Sabbath day. Let’s be clear about […]

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Mark 9:25 (New International Version 2011) When Jesus saw that a crowd was running to the scene, he rebuked the impure spirit. “You deaf and mute spirit,” he said, “I command you, come out of him and never enter him again.” Jesus casts a demon or impure spirit out of a person. Note the instruction that Jesus […]

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Mark 4:1 (New International Version 2011) Again Jesus began to teach by the lake. The crowd that gathered around him was so large that he got into a boat and sat in it out on the lake, while all the people were along the shore at the water’s edge. I guess we could start a […]

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