Then Herod secretly sent for the magi and learned from them the [exact] time the star [had first] appeared.

“You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt has lost its taste (purpose), how can it be made salty? It is no longer good for anything, but to be thrown out and walked on by people [when the walkways are wet and slippery].

But if your eye is bad [spiritually blind], your whole body will be full of darkness [devoid of God’s precepts]. So if the [very] light inside you [your inner self, your heart, your conscience] is darkness, how great and terrible is that darkness!

And why are you worried about clothes? See how the lilies and wildflowers of the field grow; they do not labor nor do they spin [wool to make clothing],

Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me get the speck out of your eye,’ when there is a log in your own eye?

If you then, evil (sinful by nature) as you are, know how to give good and advantageous gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven [perfect as He is] give what is good and advantageous to those who keep on asking Him.

But when they hand you over, do not worry about how or what you are to say; for what you are to say will be given you within that [very] hour;

It is enough for the disciple to be like his teacher, and the bond-servant like his master. If they have called the head of the house Beelzebul (Satan), how much more [will they speak evil of] the members of his household.

how he went into the house of God, and they ate the consecrated bread, which was not lawful for him to eat nor for those with him, but for the priests only?

How much more valuable then is a man than a sheep! So it is lawful and permissible to do good on the Sabbath.”

But the Pharisees went out and conspired against Him, discussing how they could destroy Him.

If Satan casts out Satan [that is, his demons], he has become divided against himself and disunited; how then will his kingdom stand?

Or how can anyone go into a strong man’s house and steal his property unless he first overpowers and ties up the strong man? Then he will ransack and rob his house.

You brood of vipers, how can you speak good things when you are evil? For the mouth speaks out of that which fills the heart.

The servants of the owner came to him and said, ‘Sir, did you not sow good seed in your field? Then how does it have weeds in it?’

And Jesus asked them, “How many loaves [of bread] do you have?” They replied, “Seven, and a few small fish.”

And in the morning, ‘It will be stormy today, for the sky is red and has a threatening look.’ You know how to interpret the appearance of the sky, but cannot interpret the signs of the times?

But Jesus, aware of this, said, “You men of little faith, why are you discussing among yourselves that you have no bread?

Do you still not understand or remember the five loaves for the five thousand, and how many baskets you picked up?

Or the seven loaves for the four thousand, and how many large baskets you picked up?

How is it that you fail to understand that I was not talking to you about bread? But beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees.”

And Jesus answered, “You unbelieving and perverted generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring him here to Me.”

Then Peter came to Him and asked, “Lord, how many times will my brother sin against me and I forgive him and let it go? Up to seven times?”

When the disciples saw it, they were astonished and asked, “How is it that the fig tree has withered away all at once?”

and he said, ‘Friend, how did you come in here without wearing the wedding clothes [that were provided for you]?’ And the man was speechless and without excuse.

Then the Pharisees went and conspired together plotting how to trap Him by [distorting] what He said.

Jesus asked them, “How is it then that David by the inspiration of the Spirit, calls Him ‘Lord,’ saying,

So then, if David calls Him (the Son, the Messiah) ‘Lord,’ how is He David’s son?”

You serpents, you spawn of vipers, how can you escape the penalty of hell?

“O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who murders the prophets and stones [to death] those [messengers] who are sent to her [by God]! How often I wanted to gather your children together [around Me], as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were unwilling.

How then will the Scriptures be fulfilled, that it must happen this way?”

Then Pilate said to Him, “Do You not hear how many things they are testifying against You?”

and said, “Sir, we have remembered that when He was still alive that deceiver said, ‘After three days I will rise [from the dead].’

how he went into the house of God in the time of Abiathar the high priest, and ate the sacred bread, which is not lawful for anyone but the priests to eat, and how he also gave it to the men who were with him?”

Then the Pharisees went out and immediately began conspiring with the Herodians [to plot] against Him, as to how they might [fabricate some legal grounds to] put Him to death.

So He called them to Himself and spoke to them in parables, “How can Satan drive out Satan?

Then He said to them, “Do you not understand this parable? How will you understand and grasp the meaning of all the parables?

and he goes to bed at night and gets up every day, and [in the meantime] the seed sprouts and grows; how [it does this], he does not know.

Jesus said to them, “Why are you afraid? Do you still have no faith and confidence [in Me]?”

Jesus did not let him [come], but [instead] He said to him, “Go home to your family and tell them all the great things that the Lord has done for you, and how He has had mercy on you.”

So he [obeyed and] went away and began to publicly proclaim in Decapolis [the region of the ten Hellenistic cities] all the great things that Jesus had done for him; and all the people were astonished.

He said to them, “How many loaves do you have? Go look!” And when they found out, they said, “Five [loaves], and two fish.”

His disciples replied to Him, “Where will anyone be able to find enough bread here in this isolated place to feed these people?”

He asked them, “How many loaves [of bread] do you have?” They said, “Seven.”

when I broke the five loaves for the five thousand, how many baskets full of broken pieces you picked up?” They answered, “Twelve.”

“And [when I broke] the seven [loaves] for the four thousand, how many large baskets full of broken pieces did you pick up?” And they answered, “Seven.”

He answered them, “Elijah does come first and restores and reestablishes all things. And yet how is it written of the Son of Man that He will suffer many things [grief and physical distress] and be treated with contempt [utterly despised and rejected]?

He replied, “O unbelieving (faithless) generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring him to Me!”

Jesus asked his father, “How long has this been happening to him?” And he answered, “Since childhood.

where their worm [that feeds on the dead] does not die, and the fire is not put out.

The disciples were amazed and bewildered by His words. But Jesus said to them again, “Children, how difficult it is [for those who place their hope and confidence in riches] to enter the kingdom of God!

But concerning the raising of the dead, have you not read in the book of Moses, in the passage about the burning bush, how God spoke to him, saying, ‘I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’?

Jesus began to say, as He taught in [a portico or court of] the temple, “How can the scribes say that the Christ is the son of David?

David himself calls Him (the Son, the Messiah) ‘Lord’; so how can it be that He is David’s Son?” The large crowd enjoyed hearing Jesus and listened to Him with delight.

And He sat down opposite the [temple] treasury, and began watching how the people were putting money into the treasury. And many rich people were putting in large sums.

Immediately a rooster crowed the second time. And Peter remembered what Jesus said to him: “Before a rooster crows twice, you will deny Me three times.” And thinking of this, he began weeping [in anguish].

Then Pilate again asked Him, “Have You no answer [to give]? See how many charges they are bringing against You!”

Mary said to the angel, “How will this be, since I am a virgin and have no intimacy with any man?”

And how has it happened to me, that the mother of my Lord would come to me?

And He answered, “Why did you have to look for Me? Did you not know that I had to be in My Father’s house?”

how he went into the house of God, and took and ate the consecrated bread, which is not lawful [for anyone] to eat except the priests alone, and [how he also] gave it to the men who were with him?”

How can you say to your brother, ‘Brother, allow me to take out the speck that is in your eye,’ when you yourself do not see the log that is in your own eye? You hypocrite (play actor, pretender), first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take out the speck that is in your brother’s eye.

So be careful how you listen; for whoever has [a teachable heart], to him more [understanding] will be given; and whoever does not have [a longing for truth], even what he thinks he has will be taken away from him.”

Those who had seen it told them how the man who had been demon-possessed had been healed.

“Return home and tell [about] all the great things God has done for you.” So the man went away, proclaiming throughout the whole city what great things Jesus had done for him.

When the woman saw that she had not escaped notice, she came up trembling and fell down before Him. She declared in the presence of all the people the reason why she had touched Him, and how she had been immediately healed.

Jesus answered, “You unbelieving and perverted generation! How long shall I be with you and put up with you? Bring your son here [to Me].”

Jesus said to him, “What is written in the Law? How do you read it?”

If you, then, being evil [that is, sinful by nature], know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask and continue to ask Him!”

If Satan also is divided against himself, how will his kingdom stand and continue to survive? For you are saying that I drive out demons by [the power of] Beelzebul.

When they bring you before the synagogues and the magistrates and the authorities, do not be worried about how you are to defend yourselves or what you are to say;

So it is for the one who continues to store up and hoard possessions for himself, and is not rich [in his relationship] toward God.”

Consider the ravens, for they neither sow [seed] nor reap [the crop]; they have no storehouse or barn, and yet God feeds them. How much more valuable are you than the birds!

Consider the lilies and wildflowers, how they grow [in the open field]. They neither labor nor spin [wool to make clothing]; yet I tell you, not even Solomon in all his glory and splendor dressed himself like one of these.

But if this is how God clothes the grass which is in the field today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, how much more will He clothe you? You of little faith!

“I have come to cast fire (judgment) on the earth; and how I wish that it were already kindled!

I have a baptism [of great suffering] with which to be baptized, and how [greatly] I am distressed until it is accomplished!

You hypocrites (play-actors, pretenders)! You know how to analyze and intelligently interpret the appearance of the earth and sky [to forecast the weather], but why do you not intelligently interpret this present time?

O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills the prophets and stones [to death] those [messengers] who are sent to her [by God]! How often I have wanted to gather your children together [around Me], just as a hen gathers her young under her wings, but you were not willing!

Now Jesus began telling a parable to the invited guests when He noticed how they had been selecting the places of honor at the table, saying to them,

“Therefore, salt is good; but if salt has become tasteless, with what will it be seasoned?

But when he [finally] came to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired men have more than enough food, while I am dying here of hunger!

So he summoned his master’s debtors one by one, and he said to the first, ‘How much do you owe my master?’

Then he said to another, ‘And how much do you owe?’ He said, ‘A hundred measures of wheat.’ He said to him, ‘Take your bill, and write eighty.’

Jesus looked at him and said, “How difficult it is for those who are wealthy to enter the kingdom of God!

When he returned, after receiving the kingdom, he ordered that these servants, to whom he had given the money, be called to him, that he might find out what business they had done.

Then He said to them, “How is it that people say that the Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed) is David’s son?

So David calls Him (the Son) ‘Lord,’ and how then is He David’s son?”

So make up your minds not to prepare beforehand to defend yourselves;

The chief priests and the scribes were looking for a way to put Him to death; for they were afraid of the people [who listened devotedly to His teaching, and who respected His spiritual wisdom].

And he went away and discussed with the chief priests and officers how he might betray Him and hand Him over to them.

The Lord turned and looked at Peter. And Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how He had told him, “Before a rooster crows today, you will deny Me three times.”

Now the women who had come with Him from Galilee followed [closely], and saw the tomb and how His body was laid.

He is not here, but has risen. Remember how He told you, while He was still in Galilee,

and how the chief priests and our rulers handed Him over to be sentenced to death, and crucified Him.

They began describing in detail what had happened on the road, and how Jesus was recognized by them when He broke the bread.

Nathanael said to Jesus, “How do You know [these things about] me?” Jesus answered, “Before Philip called you, when you were still under the fig tree, I saw you.”

Nicodemus said to Him, “How can a man be born when he is old? He cannot enter his mother’s womb a second time and be born, can he?”

Nicodemus said to Him, “How can these things be possible?”

If I told you earthly things [that is, things that happen right here on earth] and you do not believe, how will you believe and trust Me if I tell you heavenly things?