Reading for December 13th

Read Mark 1.16-28. 16-20 (Mt 4.18-22; Lk 5.1-11; Jn 1.35-42). The First Disciples.
Simon will be nicknamed "Peter" or "rock" (3.16).
The four disciples are not peasants but boat owners from Capernaum, a mid-sized Calilean city.
The Gospels never mention the larger cities of Sepphoris and Tiberias,
although Sepphoris is just a few miles from Nazareth.
The Sea of Galilee is also known as the Sea of Tiberias and Lake Gennesaret.
In verses 21-29 (Lk 4.33-37) The Capernaum synagogue.
Synagogues are places of worship and assembly; visitors were welcome to teach.
In verse 22 Scribes, trained in interpretation of Torah, cited their teachers ("in the name of ...");
Jesus speaks on his own authority.
In verses 24-25 demons recognize Jesus, but his disciples do not (3.11; 5.6-7).
Be silent begins the messianic secret (see sidebar above, "The Messianic Secret").
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