Then Jesus was led up to the desert by the Holy Spirit in order to be put to the test by the devil.

the people who lived [there] in [spiritual] darkness saw a great light. Light shone upon these people, who lived in an area that was under the shadow of death."

You people are [like] light in the world. A city built on a hill will not go unnoticed.

Neither does a person light an [olive oil] lamp and place it under a bushel-sized container, but on a stand where it can illuminate everything in the house.

In that same way, you should allow your light [i.e., influence] to shine in front of people, so that they will see your good deeds and [be led to] honor your Father in heaven.

It was also said [Deut. 24:1-3], 'Whoever divorces his wife, let it be done with a [legally binding] divorce decree, which he must give her.'

And if anyone takes you to court in order to take your shirt away from you, let him have your coat also [i.e., if he insists on it].

But if your eye sees things wrongly, [then] your whole body [i.e., your entire life] will be full of darkness [i.e., will not be lived properly]. If therefore, the light you have is [really] darkness [i.e., if you are not seeing life properly], that darkness will be very great [i.e., you cannot possibly live properly].

Look at the birds in the sky; they do not plant seeds or harvest [a crop] or store [things] in barns, yet your heavenly Father feeds them [adequately]. Are you not a lot more valuable than they are?

Or, how can you say to your brother, 'Let me take that speck of sawdust out of your eye,' while there is a board in your own eye?

"You should enter [God's kingdom] by means of the narrow door, for the wide door and the broad road are the ones that lead to [spiritual and physical] destruction. And many people will enter [that wide door].

But the door that is narrow and the road that is restricted lead to [spiritual] life and [only] a few people will find them.

But Jesus answered him, "Become my follower, and let the [spiritually] dead bury them" [i.e., let a person's relatives care for their own family members until they die].

Now as Jesus moved on from there, two blind men followed Him [i.e., probably being led by sighted persons]. They were shouting, "Have pity on us, son of David!"

Then He touched their eyes and said, "Let what you expect be done for you."

What I am telling you in the darkness [i.e., in obscurity], you tell it in the light [i.e., openly]. And what you hear [whispered] in your ear [you should] declare it from the housetops.

For my reins [on your life] are easy [to respond to] and the burden I place [on you] is light."

Let both of them grow together until it is time for the harvest; then at that time, I will tell the harvesters, "Gather up the weeds first, and bind them up into bundles to burn. But gather the wheat into my barn."'"

And they were led to doubt His true identity. But Jesus said to them, "A prophet does not go without being honored, except in His own home town and among His own family members."

When it became evening, the disciples came to Him and said, "This place is deserted and it is getting late. Send the crowds away so they can go into the towns and buy food [for their supper]."

[So], let these Pharisees alone; they are blind leaders. And if a blind person leads a blind person, both of them will fall into a ditch."

Large crowds came to Him, bringing crippled, blind, deaf-mute, disabled and many other [sick] people and laid them down at His feet. And He healed [all of] them,

There His whole appearance was [miraculously] changed in front of them. His face shone [as brilliantly] as the sun and His clothing became as bright as light.

But that person who causes one of these little ones [i.e., humble followers of the Lord] who believes in me to be led astray [from God], he would have been better off to have had a huge millstone tied around his neck and dumped into a deep ocean [Note: This "millstone" was a heavy circular stone rolled over grain to crush it and was moved by an animal walking in a circle].

saying, 'These men [you hired] last have worked only one hour and you gave them wages equal to ours when we carried the heaviest load of the day's work and [put up with] the scorching heat [all day long].'

Jesus answered them, "Let me also ask you a question. If you answer it, then I will tell you by what authority I am doing these things.

But when the tenant farmers saw the son, they said to one another, 'This is the heir [to the vineyard]. Come on, let us kill him so we can take over his inheritance.'

For many [false teachers] will come, claiming to be me, and saying, 'I am the Christ [i.e., God's specially chosen one]' and they will lead many people away [from the truth].

And many false prophets will appear and will lead many people away [from the truth].

"Therefore, when you see that disgusting thing which causes total destruction [i.e., the Roman armies. See Luke 21:20], which Daniel the prophet spoke about [Dan. 9:27; 11:31; 12:11], standing in the sacred place [i.e., Jerusalem and especially the Temple area], (let the reader understand [what is meant by this]),

For false Christs and false prophets will appear and they will perform great [miraculous] signs and [supernatural] wonders in order to lead astray even the elect [i.e., God's people], if possible.

"But immediately after the terrible trouble of those days, [i.e., the next major event on God's calendar], the sun will become dark, and [therefore] the moon will not [be able to] shed its [reflected] light. The stars will fall from the sky and the forces of the heavens will be shaken [Note: From the description of these same events in Luke 21:25-26, it is possible that this is figurative language for great calamities happening on the earth].

"Then the kingdom of heaven will be similar to ten bridesmaids who took their lamps and went out to meet the [bride and] groom. [Note: The picture here is that of a newly married couple returning from a festive reception to the groom's home where they continued celebrating and were welcomed by a late evening wedding party]

Now when the [bride and] groom were late [in arriving], the bridesmaids all got drowsy and fell asleep.

Then at midnight someone shouted, 'Look, the [bride and] groom are here. Come on, let us go out and meet them.'

And He went on ahead a short distance and fell face-down and prayed, "My Father, allow this cup [i.e., of suffering] to pass away from me if it is [at all] possible; nevertheless, let it not be what I want, but what You want [for me]."

He [then] went away a second time and prayed, "My Father, if this [cup of suffering] cannot pass away unless I drink it [i.e., experience the suffering], [then] let what You want be done."

Get up, let us be going. Look, the one who will turn me over [to the Jewish leaders] is nearby."

And those who had arrested Jesus led Him away to the house of Caiaphas, the head priest, where the experts in the law of Moses and the [Jewish] elders were gathered.

So, they chained Him, led Him away and turned Him over to Pilate, the [Roman] governor.

Pilate replied, "Then what should I do to Jesus, who is called 'Christ'?" They all shouted, "Let him be crucified!"

And he said, "Why [should he be]? What wrong has he done?" But they shouted out even louder, "Let him be crucified!"

And all the people answered, "Let his blood be on our hands, and on our children's [as well]."

And after mocking Him [some more], they removed the [scarlet] robe and put His own clothes back on Him. Then they led Him away to crucify Him.

"He saved other people, [but] he cannot [even] save himself [i.e., from dying]. He is 'the king of Israel;' let him now come down from the cross and then we will believe in him.

He trusted in God; now let God deliver him, if He wants [to save him from dying], for he said, 'I am the Son of God.'"

Then about three in the afternoon Jesus called out in a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama, sabachthani? [Note: These words were spoken in the commonly used Aramaic language], which mean, My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?

But the rest of them said, "Let him alone; let us see if Elijah [really] comes to save him."

Then Jesus called out again with a loud voice and [finally] gave up His spirit [to God. See Luke 23:46].