Now Jesus was born in Bethlehem [a small town] in Judea during the time when Herod [the Great] was king [of Judea]. About that time some astrologer/sages from the east [i.e., Persia] came to Jerusalem, saying,

Be happy and very glad, for your reward in heaven will be great. For they persecuted the prophets [who lived] before you in the same way.

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.

No person can serve two masters, for he will either hate the one and love the other, or else he will cling to the one and look down on the other. You cannot serve God and material things [at the same time].

Now a large herd of [wild] hogs [i.e., about of them. See Mark 5:13] was grazing some distance away from them.

Some of John's disciples came to Jesus saying, "Why is it that we and the Pharisees fast frequently [i.e., going without food and/or drink for religious reasons], but your disciples do not fast [at all]?"

Philip, Bartholomew [i.e., the same as Nathaniel. See John 1:45], Thomas [i.e., the same as Didymus. See John 11:16], Matthew, the tax collector [i.e., the same as Levi. See Mark 2:14], James, the son of Alphaeus, Thaddaeus [i.e., the same as Judas, son of James. See Luke 6:16],

Simon, the Cananean [i.e., the same as the Zealot. See Luke 6:15], and Judas Iscariot, who also [besides being an apostle] was His betrayer.

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].

[At that time] a person will turn his brother over to be killed, and the father [will do the same to] his child. And children will rebel against their parents and turn them over to be killed.

A disciple is doing well if he can be [as good] as his teacher, and the slave [as good] as his master. If they have called the master of the house [i.e., Jesus] Beelzebub [i.e., the chief of evil spirits. See Mark 3:22], how much more [likely] will they call members of his household [i.e., the disciples] the same thing!

[In fact] a person's enemies will be members of his own family [i.e., in some cases].

The person who welcomes a prophet because he is a prophet will receive the [same] reward the prophet gets. And the person who welcomes a good man because he is good will receive the [same] reward the good man gets.

About that time Jesus was walking through a grainfield on the Sabbath day. His disciples were hungry so began picking off some heads of grain to eat [the kernels]. [Note: It was an accepted practice for people in that day to be permitted to do this as they walked along paths bordering a grainfield].

Jesus replied, "Have you not read what King David did when he and his men were hungry? [I Sam. 21:6]

Then certain experts in the law of Moses and some Pharisees answered Jesus, saying, "Teacher, we would like to see you perform a [supernatural] sign."

Then it goes and takes with it seven other spirits, more evil than itself, and they reenter [the body] and [begin to] live there, so that the latter state of that person becomes worse than the former [state]. It will be the same way with the people of this evil generation."

On that [same] day, Jesus went out of the house and sat down on the shore of the lake [i.e., Lake Galilee].

And some of the seed he sowed [i.e., scattering it by hand] landed along the side of the road and birds came and ate it.

And [still] other seed fell onto fertile soil, where some of it produced a crop of one hundred, some sixty and some thirty times [as much as was planted].

But the farmer said, 'No, for while you are gathering up the weeds, you might root up [some of] the wheat with them.

"Again, the kingdom of heaven is similar to a [retail] merchant searching to buy some fine pearls.

At the end of the world it will be that same way. The angels will come and divide the sinful people from the ones who did what was right,

[Meanwhile] the boat, still some distance from shore, was being severely battered by the waves because of the opposing winds.

Then some Pharisees and experts in the law of Moses came to Jesus from Jerusalem and said,

They replied, "Some say you are John the Immerser; some [the prophet] Elijah; and others [the prophet] Jeremiah, or one of the [other] prophets [come back to life]."

It is true when I tell you, some of those standing here will not die before they see the Son of man coming in His kingdom."

But I tell you that Elijah has already come, but they [i.e., the Jewish leaders] did not understand who he was, but [instead] did to him what they wanted to. In the same way, the Son of man will also suffer from what the Jews will do."

I brought him to [some of] your disciples [for help] but they were not able to heal him."

He answered them, "[It was] because you had such little faith. For truly I tell you, if you have faith as [small as] a mustard tree seed, you could say to this mountain, 'Move from here to that place over there' and it would move. And nothing will be impossible for you [to do]." {[{[Some manuscripts contain the following verse:

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

In the same way, it is not the will of your Father in heaven that [a single] one of these little ones [i.e., humble followers of Christ] should be lost.

When he began figuring, one of his servants, who owed him a huge sum of money [Note: The amount is variously estimated to be as much as $50,000,000 in 1994], was brought to him.

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.'

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."

Some Pharisees came to Him, [attempting] to put Him to a test. They said, "Is it permissible by the law of Moses for a man to divorce his wife for any reason [he chooses]?"

Then some little children were brought to Jesus so he could pray and place His hands on them [i.e., to bestow a blessing on them]. But His disciples spoke harshly to the people [for doing this].

Show honor to your father and mother. And you must love your neighbor the same as you love yourself."

But many will be last [i.e., in importance and blessings] who [seem to] be first, and those [who seem to be] first will [end up] being last."

[Then] he went out again about noon and again at three o'clock in the afternoon and made the same offer.

Take what belongs to you and go on your way. I want to give this last person [hired] the same wages I gave you.

He went to the second son and said the same thing. That son replied, '[Yes], sir, I will,' [but] then did not go.

The owner of the farm then sent additional slaves and they were treated the same way.

Jesus [then] said to the leading priests and elders of the Jewish people, "Did you not ever read in the Scriptures [Psa. 118:22-23], 'The building block rejected by the builders is the same one that was made the principal stone by which the entire building was aligned. This was planned by the Lord and is a marvelous thing to us'?

Some Sadducees [Note: These were the Jewish party that denied there was a resurrection] came to Jesus that day and asked Him,

The same thing happened to the second and the third and [on through to] the seventh [brother].

A second one, similar to it is [Lev. 19:18], 'You must love your neighbor the same way that you love yourself.'

Therefore look, I am sending to you prophets, wise men and scholarly teachers. You will murder and crucify some of them; you will whip some of them in your synagogues and pursue them from town to town.

"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].

In the same way also, when you see all these things happening, you [should] know that He [i.e., Jesus] is as near as your [front] door.

And the people [i.e., of Noah's day] did not know [when it would happen] until the Flood came and swept them all away. It will be the same way when the presence of the Son of man [arrives].

And [that master] will whip him to shreds and will turn him over to suffer the same fate as hypocrites do. That fate will involve crying and excruciating pain."

The foolish ones said to the sensible ones, 'Give us some of your oil, because our lamps are going out.'

But the sensible ones answered, 'There might not be enough for us and you, [so] instead, you should go to the store and buy some for yourselves.'

"For the kingdom of heaven is similar to a man who planned to go on a trip to a distant country, so called his servants and entrusted to each of them a large sum of money [Note: The narrative that follows suggests that the man was turning over some of his assets to financial managers to invest for him].

He gave one servant five talents [Note: This 'talent' was a large sum of money in the form of a certain weight of silver. It was the equivalent of sixty years of a farm laborer's wages, or about $750,000 in income]. He gave two talents to another servant and one talent to another. He gave to each one an amount in keeping with his ability [to invest it wisely], and then left on his trip.

In the same way the one who was given two talents made two more.

For this perfume could have been sold for a large sum of money and given to poor people."

And as they were eating, Jesus took a [small] loaf of bread, asked God's blessing on it, then broke it and gave pieces to His disciples and said, "Take some and eat it; this is [i.e., represents] my [physical] body."

Peter replied to Him, "Even if I have to die with you, still I will not deny [knowing] you." And all [the rest of] the disciples said the same thing.

He left and went away from them again and prayed a third time, saying the same words again.

So, when Pilate saw that he was not convincing anyone, but that a riot was brewing instead, he took water and washed his hands in front of the crowd saying, "I am not responsible for this man's blood. [Note: Some ancient manuscripts say "righteous man's blood"]. You tend to the matter."

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.

In the same way the leading priests, experts in the law of Moses and [Jewish] elders also mocked Him, saying,

And the thieves who were crucified with Him also heaped the same abuse on Him.

And when some of those standing there heard this, they said, "This man is calling for Elijah."

Now while these women were on their way, some of the guards entered the city and began telling the leading priests everything that had happened.

And when they met Him [there], they [knelt down] to worship Him; but some [still] had doubts [i.e., about His resurrection. See John 20:25].