The Gospel of St. Mark

Aquarian Gospel

Chapter Two

Chapter 90 (continued)

14) And then the sick in throngs pressed hard upon the healer and the twelve, imploring to be healed.
15) And they were so importunate that little could be done, and so the Christines left the crowded thoroughfares, and went to desert places where they taught the multitudes that followed them.

1: And again he entered into Capernaum, after some days; and it was noised that he was in the house.

16) Now, after many days the Christines came back to Capernaum. When it was noised around that Jesus was at home,

2: And straightway many were gathered together, insomuch that there was no room to receive them, no, not so much as about the door: and he preached the word unto them.

the people came; they filled the house till there was no more room, not even at the door.
17) And there were present scribes and Pharisees and doctors of the law from every part of Galilee, and from Jerusalem, and Jesus opened up for them the way of life.

3: And they come unto him, bringing one sick of the palsy, which was borne of four.

4: And when they could not come nigh unto him for the press, they uncovered the roof where he was: and when they had broken it up, they let down the bed wherein the sick of the palsy lay.

and when they could not pass the door they took the sick man to the roof, and opened up a way, then let him down before the healer's face.

5: When Jesus saw their faith, he said unto the sick of the palsy, Son, thy sins be forgiven thee.

19) When Jesus saw their faith, he said unto the palsied man, My son, be of good cheer; your sins are all forgiven.

6: But there were certain of the scribes sitting there, and reasoning in their hearts,

20) And when the scribes and Pharisees heard what he said, they said,

7: Why does this man speak blasphemies? who can forgive sins but God only?

Why does this man speak thus? who can forgive the sins of men but God?

8: And immediately when Jesus perceived in his spirit that they so reasoned within themselves, he said to them, Why do you reason  these things in your hearts?

21) And Jesus caught their thought; he knew they questioned thus among themselves; he said to them,
22) Why reason thus among yourselves?

9: Whether is it easier to say to the sick of the palsy, Thy sins be forgiven thee; or to say, Arise, and take up thy bed, and walk?

What matters it if I should say, Your sins are blotted out; or say, Arise, take up your bed and walk?

10: But that ye may know that the Son of man has power on earth to forgive sins, (he said to the sick of the palsy,)

23) But just to prove that men may here forgive the sins of men, I say,
(and then he spoke unto the palsied man)

11: I say to you, Arise, and take up your bed, and go thy way into your house.

12: And immediately he arose, took up the bed, and went forth before them all; insomuch that they were all amazed, and glorified God, saying, We never saw it on this fashion.

25) And in the presence of them all the man arose, took up his bed, and went his way.
26) The people could not comprehend the things they heard and saw. They said among themselves,
This is a day we never can forget; we have seen wondrous things today.

27) And when the multitudes had gone the twelve remained, and Jesus said to them,
28) The Jewish festival draws near; next week we will go to Jerusalem, that we may meet our brethren from afar, and open up to them the way that they may see the king.
29) The Christines sought the quiet of their homes, where they remained in prayer for certain days.

Chapter 119

13: And he went forth again by the sea side; and all the multitude resorted unto him, and he taught them.

THE news soon spread through all the land that Jesus was at home and then the people came in throngs to welcome him.

14: And as he passed by, he saw Levi the son of Alphaeus sitting at the receipt of custom, and said unto him, Follow me. And he arose and followed him.

2) And Matthew, one of the twelve, a man of wealth,

15: And it came to pass, that, as Jesus sat at meat in his house, many publicans and sinners sat also together with Jesus and his disciples: for there were many, and they followed him.

whose home was in Capernaum, spread forth a sumptuous feast, and Jesus and the foreign masters and the twelve, and people of all shades of thought, were guests. 

16: And when the scribes and Pharisees saw him eat with publicans and sinners, they said to his disciples, How is it that he eats and drinks with publicans and sinners?

3) And when the Pharisees observed that Jesus sat and ate with publicans and those of ill repute they said,
4) For shame! This man who claims to be man of God, consorts with publicans and courtesans and with the common herd of men. For shame!

17: When Jesus heard it, he said to them, They that are whole have no need of the physician, but they that are sick: I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.

5) When Jesus knew their thoughts he said, They who are well cannot be healed; the pure need not be saved.
6) They who are well are whole; they who are pure are saved.
7) They who love justice and do right need not repent; I came not unto them, but to the sinner I am come.

18: And the disciples of John and of the Pharisees used to fast: and they come and said to him, Why do the disciples of John and of the Pharisees fast, but thy disciples fast not?

8) A band of John's disciples who had heard that John was dead were wearing badges for their dead;
9) Were fasting and were praying in their hearts, which when the Pharisees observed they came to Jesus and they said,
10) Why fast the followers of John and your disciples do not fast?

19: And Jesus said unto them, Can the children of the bridechamber fast, while the bridegroom is with them? as long as they have the bridegroom with them, they cannot fast.

11) And Jesus said, Lo, you are masters of the law; you ought to know; perhaps you will make known your knowledge to these men.
12) What are the benefits derived from fasts?
The Pharisees were mute; they answered not.
13) Then Jesus said, The vital force of men depends on what they eat and drink.
14) Is spirit-life the stronger when the vital force is weak? Is sainthood reached by starving, self imposed?
15) A glutton is a sinner in the sight of God, and he is not a saint who makes himself a weakling and unfitted for the heavy tasks of life by scorning to make use of God's own means of strength.
16) Lo, John is dead, and his devoted followers are fasting in their grief.
17) Their love for him impels them on to show respect, for they have thought, and have been taught that it is sin to lightly treat the memory of the dead.
18) To them it is a sin, and it is well that they should fast.
19) When men defy their consciences and listen not to what they say, the heart is grieved and they become unfitted for the work of life; and thus they sin.
20) The conscience may be taught. One man may do in conscience what another cannot do.
21) What is a sin for me to do may not be sin for you to do. The place you occupy upon the way of life determines what is sin.
22) There is no changeless law of good; for good and evil both are judged by other things.
23) One man may fast and in his deep sincerity of heart is blest.
24) Another man may fast and in the faithlessness of such a task imposed is cursed.
25) You cannot make a bed to fit the form of every man. If you can make a bed to fit yourself you have done well.
26) Why should these men who follow me resort to fasting, or to anything that would impair their strength? They need it all to serve the race.

20: But the days will come, when the bridegroom shall be taken away from them, and then shall they fast in those days.

27) The time will come when God will let you have your way, and you will do to me what Herod did to John;
28) And in the awfulness of that sad hour these men will fast.
29) They who have ears to hear may hear; they who have hearts to feel may understand.

Chapter 120

NOW, Nicodemus, who once came to Jesus in the night to learn the way of life, was one among the guests.
2) And standing forth he said,
Rabboni, it is true that Jewish laws and Jewish practices do not agree.
3) The priesthood needs to be reformed; the rulers should become more merciful and kind; the lawyers should become more just; the common people should not bear such loads.
4) But could we not gain these reforms and not destroy the service of the Jews?
5) Could you not harmonize your mighty work with that of Pharisee and scribe? Might not the priesthood be a benefit to your divine philosophy?

21: No man also sews a piece of new cloth on an old garment: else the new piece that filled it up takes away from the old, and the rent is made worse.

22: And no man puts new wine into old bottles: or else the new wine will burst the bottles, and the wine is spilled, and the bottles will be marred: but new wine must be put into new bottles.  

6) But Jesus said,
You cannot put new wine in ancient skins, for when it purifies itself, lo, it expands; the ancient bottles cannot bear the strain; they burst, and all the wine is lost.
7) Men do not mend a worn-out garment with a piece of cloth unworn, which cannot yield to suit the fabric, weak with age, and then a greater rent appears.
8) Old wine may be preserved in ancient skins; but new wine calls for bottles new.
9) This spirit-truth I bring is to this generation new, and if we put it in the ancient skins of Jewish forms, lo, it will all be lost.
10) It must expand; the ancient bottles cannot yield and they would burst.
11) Behold the kingdom of the Christ! it is as old as God himself, and yet it is as new as morning sun; it only can contain the truth of God.

continued at Mark 5:22

Chapter 93

23: And it came to pass, that he went through the corn fields on the sabbath day; and his disciples began, as they went, to pluck the ears of corn.

ANOTHER Sabbath day had come and Jesus and the twelve walked through a field of ripened wheat.
2) And they were hungry and they took the heads of wheat and in their hands threshed out the grain and ate.

24: And the Pharisees said to him, Behold, why do they on the sabbath day that which is not lawful?

3) Among the men who followed them were Pharisees of strictest sect, and when they saw the twelve thresh out the wheat and eat, they said to Jesus,
4) Sir, why do the twelve do that which is not lawful on the Sabbath day?

25: And he said to them, Have you never read what David did, when he had need, and was hungry, he, and they that were with him?

5) And Jesus said, Have you not heard what David did when he and those who followed him had need of food?

26: How he went into the house of God in the days of Abiathar the high priest, and did eat the shewbread, which is not lawful to eat but for the priests, and gave also to them which were with him?

6) How he went to the house of God and from the table in the Holy Place took of the presence bread and ate, and gave to those who followed him?
7) I tell you, men, the needs of man are higher than the law of rites.
8) And in our sacred books we read how priests profane the Sabbath day in many ways while they are serving in the Holy Place, and still are free from guilt.

27: And he said to them, The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath:

9) The Sabbath day was made for man; man was not made to fit the Sabbath day.

10) The man is son of God and under the eternal law of right, which is the highest law, he may annul the statute laws.
11) The law of sacrifice is but the law of man, and in our law we read that God desires mercy first; and mercy stands above all statute laws.
12) The son of man is Lord of every law. Did not a prophet sum the duties of the man when in the book he wrote: In mercy follow justice and walk humbly with your God?