And you, Bethlehem in the country of Judah, are not among the least [towns in furnishing] rulers for Judah, for you will produce a leader who will become shepherd of my [i.e., God's] people Israel.'"

So, he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, "Go and find out the details about the young child, and when you have found him, come and tell me, so I can go and worship him myself."

They stayed there until Herod died, so that what was spoken by the Lord through the prophet would be fulfilled, saying [Hosea 11:1], "I [i.e., God] called my Son out of Egypt."

"I certainly am immersing you in water following [your] repentance, but the One who follows my [ministry], whose sandals I do not deserve to remove [as His slave], will immerse you people with the Holy Spirit and with fire [i.e., the punishment in hell. See verses

But John tried to discourage Him [from being immersed], saying, "I should be immersed by you, and you are coming to me [for immersion]?"

Then a voice came out of heaven, saying, "This is my dearly loved Son. I am very pleased with Him."

and said to Him, "I will give you all these things if you fall to the ground and worship me."

Then Jesus replied to him, "Get away from me Satan, for it is written [Deut. 6:13], 'You are supposed to worship the Lord your God, and serve only Him.'"

And He said to them, "Come with me, and I will make you fishermen for people."

You will be blessed when people speak against you and harm you and say bad things about you that are untrue, because of [your devotion to] me.

You should not take an oath, [saying] 'by my head,' for you cannot make a single hair white or black.

so that your giving to poor people may be done secretly. Then your Father, who sees what is done secretly, will pay you back.

Therefore, you should pray this way: 'Our Father in heaven, may your name be highly honored.

May your kingdom come [to earth]; may your will be done on earth just as it is [already being done] in heaven.

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?

"Not every person who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven; but [only] that person who does what my Father in heaven requires.

Many persons will say to me on the [judgment] day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy by [the authority of] your name, and drive out evil spirits and perform many powerful [supernatural] deeds by your name?'

And then I will declare to them, 'I never acknowledged you [as my people]; go away from me, you people who have done sinful things.'

Just then a person with an infectious skin disease came and worshiped Him, saying, "Lord, if you want to, you can heal me."

"Sir, my slave-boy is at home sick in bed with a paralyzing disease and in serious pain."

But the military officer answered, "Sir, I do not deserve for you to come into my house; just say the word and [I know] my slave-boy will be healed.

For I also am a man [who serves] under the authority [of others], and I have soldiers [who serve] under me. I can say to this one 'Go,' and he goes, and to another one, 'Come,' and he comes, and to my slave 'Do this,' and he does it."

And Jesus said to the military officer, "Go on your way; since you have believed [in my power to heal], what you desired will be done for you." And the slave-boy was healed that [very] hour.

Then another one of His disciples said to Him, "Allow me to go and bury my father first."

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].

But in order that you may know that the Son of man has authority to forgive people's sins on earth, (then He said to the man afflicted with paralysis), 'Get up, pick up your cot and go home.'"

As Jesus moved on from there, He saw a man named Matthew sitting at the toll booth [i.e., collecting taxes]. He said to him, "Become my follower." And he got up and followed Him.

Go and learn what this means: 'I desire mercy and not [only] sacrifice.' For I did not come to call righteous people [to be my followers] but sinners."

While Jesus spoke these things, a leader [of the Jewish synagogue, named Jairus. See Mark 5:22-43] came and worshiped Him, saying, "My daughter has just died, but if you come and place your hand on her, she will live [again]."

And if the people seem trustworthy, express your wish for blessings to rest upon them. But if they prove to be untrustworthy, may those blessings remain on you [instead].

Yes, you will [even] be brought in front of governors and kings for being loyal to me. [This will give you an opportunity] for witnessing to them [as well] as to the [unconverted] Gentiles.

And you will be hated by everyone for being loyal to me. But the person who endures [this persecution by remaining faithful] to the end [of his life] is the one who will be saved [i.e., from spiritual and physical destruction].

Therefore, every person who acknowledges me in front of people [i.e., to be their Lord and Christ], I will acknowledge him [i.e., to be my disciple] in front of my Father in heaven.

But whoever disowns me in front of people [i.e., denies that I am the Christ, or that he is a disciple. See John 18:15-17, 25-27], I will disown him in front of my Father in heaven.

The person who loves his father and mother more than me does not deserve me [i.e., to be my disciple]. And the person who loves his son or daughter more than me does not deserve me [i.e., to be my disciple].

And the person who does not accept his cross [i.e., his responsibilities with all their difficulties] and become my follower does not deserve me.

The person who finds [everything to satisfy him in] this life [here on earth] will lose [never ending life]. But the person who [is willing to] lose [the comforts and security of] this life [here on earth] for my sake [i.e., in loyal service to me] will find it [i.e., never ending life]. [See Mark 10:29-30]

The person who welcomes you [into his home] welcomes me. And the person who welcomes me [into his life] welcomes God, who sent me.

The person who does not find an occasion for having doubts about my identity is fortunate indeed."

He is the one about whom it was written [Mal. 3:1], 'Look, I [will] send my messenger on ahead of you. He will prepare the pathway in front of you.'

"All things have been entrusted to me by my Father and no one [truly] knows the Son except the Father. And neither does anyone [truly] know the Father except the Son and that person to whom the Son wants to reveal Him.

Come to me, all of you who are overworked and overburdened and I will give you rest [i.e., spiritual refreshment].

Accept my reins [on your life], and learn about me, because I am gentle and humble, and [in my service] you will experience rest in your spirits.

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

[Isa. 13:1ff] "Look, see my [i.e., God's] servant whom I have chosen; my dear One [i.e., Jesus] with whom my soul is very pleased: I will put my Holy Spirit on Him, and He will proclaim judgment to the [unconverted] Gentiles.

But if I drive out evil spirits by [the power of] the Holy Spirit, then [that is evidence that] the kingdom of God has come into your midst [i.e., by my presence and ministry].

The person who is not on my side is [actually] against me. And the person who does not gather [people to me] is [actually] driving them away [from me].

Then it says [to itself], I will return to my house which I came out of [i.e., the body of the person it dominated]. But when it returns [to that body] it finds it empty, cleaned out and [newly] decorated.

He answered the person who told Him, "[Just] who is my mother? And who are my brothers?"

Then He stretched out His hand toward His disciples and said, "Look, [here is] my mother and my brothers!"

"For whoever will do what my Father in heaven desires, is my brother and sister and mother."

And he said to them, 'An enemy [of mine] has done this [to me].' The hired hands replied, 'Do you want us then to go and gather up the weeds?'

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."'"

[This was] so that what was spoken by the prophet would be fulfilled, when he said [Psa. 78:2], "I will open my mouth [to speak] with parables. I will say things that have been hidden from the beginning of time."

Her mother persuaded her to say, "Give me the head of John, the Immerser, here on this [large] platter."

And He said, "Bring the bread and fish here to me."

Peter answered Him, "Lord, if it is [really] you, ask me to come to you [walking] on the water."

But when he saw the [furious] wind he became fearful and began to sink, shouting out, "Lord, save me!"

These people [claim to] honor me with their lips [i.e., by what they say], but their heart is far from [honoring] me.

They are worshiping me for nothing [because they are] teaching principles that are [merely] the requirements of men.'"

But He answered and said, "Every plant that my heavenly Father did not plant will be uprooted.

Just then a Canaanite woman came out of that area [Note: Mark 7:26 calls her a Syrophoenician Gentile], crying, "O Lord, son of David, have pity on me. My daughter is seriously troubled by an evil spirit."

But she came and worshiped Him, saying, "Lord, help me."

Then Jesus answered her, "O, woman, how great your faith is. May what you want be done for you." And her daughter was healed that very moment.

Jesus called His disciples to Him and said, "I feel deeply moved over this crowd, because they have continued listening to me for three days now, and have nothing [left] to eat. I do not want to send them away hungry because they will become weak along the way."

Jesus replied, "Simon, son of Jonah, you are fortunate [indeed], for this [truth] was not revealed to you by human beings but [rather] by my Father who is in heaven.

And I also tell you, [although] you are Peter [i.e., a stone], it is on this rock [i.e., the truth you have just confessed] that I will build my church and [not even] the gates of the unseen place of departed spirits will win out over it [i.e., all efforts to stamp out the church by killing Christians will fail].

But Jesus turned to Peter and said, "Get away from me, Satan; you are causing a hindrance to me because you are not thinking about God's things but about men's."

Then Jesus said to His disciples, "If anyone wants to be my follower, he should deny self [i.e., of always having its own way] and lift up his cross [of responsibility] and [then he can] become my follower.

For whoever would [try to] save his life [i.e., by neglecting spiritual things] will lose it [i.e., miss out on the blessings of God]. But whoever [is willing to] lose his life [i.e., in commitment to God's service] for my sake will find it [i.e., obtain both temporal and spiritual blessings].

While he was still talking, suddenly a bright cloud engulfed them. Just then, a voice spoke out of the cloud, saying, "This is my dearly loved Son, who is very pleasing to me; listen to Him."

"Lord, take pity on my son, for he has violent seizures and suffers intense pain. He often falls into a fire or into water. [Note: This man was also dominated by an evil spirit. See verse 18].

Jesus replied [to the crowd], "You perverse generation of faithless people! How long must I be with you [i.e., before you understand]? How long do I have to be patient with you? Bring the sick boy to me."

But, so that we do not become a hindrance to these [tax collectors], go to the lake and cast in your hook [and line]. Then take the first fish [you catch], open its mouth and you will find a coin [i.e., worth twice the amount of an individual's Temple tax assessment]. Take it and give it [to the tax collectors] for you and me."

And the person who welcomes one little child like this, in my name [i.e., because he belongs to me], welcomes me [also].

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].

Make sure you do not look down on any one of these little ones [i.e., humble followers of Christ]. For I tell you, their angels in heaven always see the face of my Father in heaven. {[{[Some ancient manuscripts include verse

For I am in the presence of two or three [disciples] wherever they are gathered in my name."

Then Peter came and said to Jesus, "Lord, how often must I forgive my brother when he sins against me? As many as seven times?"

The servant then fell to the ground [before his master] and humbly implored him, saying, 'Master, [please] be patient with me and I will repay you everything [I owe].'

But that [same] servant went out and found one of his fellow-servants who owed him a small sum of money [Note: The amount was about days of a farm laborer's pay or about $7,000 in 1994]. He grabbed him by the throat, saying, 'Pay [me] what you owe.'

His fellow-servant fell [on the ground before him] and begged him, saying, '[Please] be patient with me and I will repay you [all I owe you].'

Then his master called for him and said to him, 'You wicked servant! I canceled all of your debt because you begged me to.

In the same way my heavenly Father will also deal with you [i.e., punish you] unless every one of you forgives his brother from the heart."

But Jesus said, "Allow these little children to come to me and stop trying to prevent them. For the kingdom of heaven belongs to such [humble ones] as these." [See 18:4].

Jesus answered him, "Why do you ask me about what is good? There is [only] One who is good [i.e., God]. But if you want to enter [never ending] life, [then] obey His commandments."

Jesus replied, "If you want to be complete, go and sell your possessions and give [the money] to poor people; then become my follower and you will have treasure in heaven."

Jesus said to them, "Truly I tell you, [since] you have become my followers, in the time of new beginnings [i.e., the church age], when the Son of man sits on His glorious throne, you apostles will also sit on twelve thrones, judging [i.e., through their writings] the twelve tribes of Israel [i.e., God's people].

And every person who has left his house, or brothers, or sisters, or father, or mother, or children or property, for my name's sake [i.e., to become a servant of the Lord], will receive [back] a hundred times as much [in this life] and will [also] inherit never ending life.

He said to them, 'You men also go and work in my vineyard, and I will pay you whatever is right.' So, they went to work.

They replied, 'Because no one has hired us.' He said to them, 'You men also may go to work in my vineyard.'

But he answered one of them, saying, 'Friend, I have not done anything wrong to you. Did you not agree with me to accept the usual pay for one full day's work?

Is it against the law for me to do what I want with my own money? Or, is it that your eye is envious because I choose to be so generous?'

He responded to her, "What would you like me to do for you?" She answered, "Appoint my two sons to sit at your right side and at your left in your [coming] kingdom."

He said to them, "Indeed you will drink my cup [of suffering]. But it is not my prerogative to appoint who sits at my right side and at my left, but rather these places are for those to whom it has been assigned by my Father."

Then Jesus stopped, and calling to them, said, "What do you want me to do for you?"

saying to them, "Go into the village there and immediately you will find a donkey tied up with her colt. Untie them and bring them to me.

And the crowds that walked ahead and followed behind Him shouted, "Hosanna to the son of David. [Note: The Syriac word 'Hosanna' originally meant 'save now' but came to be used as an expression of welcome, praise, blessing or acclamation]. May He, who comes in the name [i.e., by the authority] of the Lord, be blessed. Hosanna in the highest [i.e., may this blessing reach to the highest heaven]."

And He said to them, "It is written [Isa. 56:7], 'My house [i.e., the Temple] will be called a house for prayer', but [Jer. 7:11 says], 'You have made it a hideout for thieves.'"

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.