August 30 Daily Devotional

Matthew 15; Mark 7 and 8

Jesus came again to Decapolis, where he had healed the man with the evil spirits, which had entered into the swine, feeding on the mountain side. And a multitude came unto him. “And they bring unto him one that was deaf, and had’ an impediment in his speech; and they beseech him to put his hand upon him. And he took him aside from the multitude, and put his finger into his ears, and he spit, and touched his tongue; and looking up to heaven, he sighed, and said to him, Ephphatha, that is, Be opened. And straightway his ears were opened, and the string of his tongue was loosed, and he spake plain. And he charged them that they should tell no man: but the more he charged them, so much the more they published it; and they were beyond measure astonished, saying, He hath done all things well: he maketh both the deaf to hear, and the dumb to speak.”

And Jesus came to Bethsaida; and they brought unto him a blind man and besought him to touch him. “And he took the blind man by his hand, and led him out of the town; and when he had spit on his eyes, and put his hands upon him, he asked him if he saw ought. And he looked up, and said, I see men as trees, walking. After that he put his hands again upon his eyes, and made him look up; and he was restored and saw every man clearly. And he sent him away to his house, saying, Neither go into the town, nor tell it to any in the town.”

At one time, when a great multitude had come to Jesus, he called his disciples unto him and said, “I have compassion on the multitude, because they have now been with me three days, · and have nothing to eat; and if I send them away fasting to their own houses, they will faint by the way: for divers came from far. And his disciples answered him, From whence can a man satisfy these men with bread in the wilderness? And he asked them, How many loaves have ye? And they said, Seven. And he commanded the people to sit down on the ground: and he took the seven loaves, and gave thanks, and brake, and gave to his disciples to set before them … And they had a few small fishes: and he blessed, and commanded to set them also before the people. So they did eat, and were filled: and they took up of the broken meat that was left, seven baskets. And they that had eaten were about four thousand men, beside women and children.” And Jesus sent away the multitude; after that he took a ship and came into the coasts of Magdala.