Read the Modern Pastor’s Version

As he stepped down from the mountain, great crowds followed him. A man with leprosy approached, falling at his feet in worship. "Lord," he said, "if you are willing, you can heal me." Jesus reached out and touched him, saying, "I am willing; be made clean." And immediately, the man's leprosy was cured.

Jesus instructed him to keep this quiet for now and instead go show himself to a priest as proof of his healing. As he entered Capernaum, a Roman centurion approached him with a plea. "Lord, my servant lies ill at home," he said. "He is paralyzed and in great distress." Jesus agreed to visit the man, but the centurion replied, "I'm not worthy for you to enter under my roof. Just speak the word, and my servant will be healed."

The centurion explained that as a man under authority, he had learned to give orders to his soldiers with confidence. Jesus was amazed at the centurion's faith and said, "Many people from east and west will come to sit down with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven. But those who are considered first will be last, and those who are last will be first." He then told the centurion, "Go; as you have believed, so it will be done for you." And his servant was healed at that very moment.

Jesus went to Peter's house and found his mother-in-law lying in bed with a fever. He reached out and touched her hand, saying, "You are healed." She got up and began serving them. As evening approached, people brought their loved ones who were possessed by demons, and Jesus cast out the evil spirits with just a word. He also healed all those who were sick.

As he ministered to the crowds, Jesus saw that they had followed him from far and wide. To fulfill a prophecy made by Isaiah, he took on our infirmities and bore our diseases. When evening fell, he ordered his disciples to cross over to the other side of the lake.

One scribe approached Jesus and said, "Teacher, I'll follow you wherever you go." But Jesus replied, "The Son of Man has no place to rest his head; like a bird without a nest or a fox without a den, I'm always on the move."

Another disciple asked permission to bury his father first. Jesus responded, "Follow me, and let the dead take care of their own dead." His disciples then boarded a ship with him.

A fierce storm arose in the middle of the sea, but Jesus was undisturbed. When his disciples woke him up, crying out for help, he stood up and rebuked the winds and waves, calming the tempest instantly. The disciples were amazed, wondering who this man was that even the wind and waves obeyed him.

When they reached the other side of the lake, Jesus met two men possessed by demons emerging from the tombs with such ferocity that no one could pass through that way. They cried out to him, "What do you have to do with us, Jesus, Son of God? Have you come here to torment us before our time?"

A herd of pigs was nearby, and the demons begged Jesus to allow them to enter this herd instead. When he gave his permission, they left the men and entered the pigs, which then rushed down a steep cliff into the sea, perishing in the waters.

The people who were taking care of the pigs fled in terror and ran into the city to tell everyone what had happened. As Jesus continued on his way, the entire city came out to meet him, begging him to leave their region.