As it is written in Isaiah the prophet, "Look, I am sending my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way,

People from the whole Judean countryside and all of Jerusalem were going out to him, and he was baptizing them in the Jordan River as they confessed their sins.

I baptize you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit."

Jesus said to them, "Follow me, and I will turn you into fishers of people."

They were all amazed so that they asked each other, "What is this? A new teaching with authority! He even commands the unclean spirits and they obey him."

So the news about him spread quickly throughout all the region around Galilee.

When it was evening, after sunset, they brought to him all who were sick and demon-possessed.

The whole town gathered by the door.

So he went into all of Galilee preaching in their synagogues and casting out demons.

And immediately the man stood up, took his stretcher, and went out in front of them all. They were all amazed and glorified God, saying, "We have never seen anything like this!"

Jesus went out again by the sea. The whole crowd came to him, and he taught them.

Jesus said to them, "The wedding guests cannot fast while the bridegroom is with them, can they? As long as they have the bridegroom with them they do not fast.

But the days are coming when the bridegroom will be taken from them, and at that time they will fast.

And no one pours new wine into old wineskins; otherwise, the wine will burst the skins, and both the wine and the skins will be destroyed. Instead new wine is poured into new wineskins."

So he said to the man who had the withered hand, "Stand up among all these people."

For he had healed many, so that all who were afflicted with diseases pressed toward him in order to touch him.

If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom will not be able to stand.

If a house is divided against itself, that house will not be able to stand.

I tell you the truth, people will be forgiven for all sins, even all the blasphemies they utter.

But whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven, but is guilty of an eternal sin"

For whoever does the will of God is my brother and sister and mother."

Again he began to teach by the lake. Such a large crowd gathered around him that he got into a boat on the lake and sat there while the whole crowd was on the shore by the lake.

He said to them, "Don't you understand this parable? Then how will you understand any parable?

And he said to them, "Take care about what you hear. The measure you use will be the measure you receive, and more will be added to you.

For whoever has will be given more, but whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him."

It is like a mustard seed that when sown in the ground, even though it is the smallest of all the seeds in the ground --

when it is sown, it grows up, becomes the greatest of all garden plants, and grows large branches so that the wild birds can nest in its shade."

So he went away and began to proclaim in the Decapolis what Jesus had done for him, and all were amazed.

She had endured a great deal under the care of many doctors and had spent all that she had. Yet instead of getting better, she grew worse.

for she kept saying, "If only I touch his clothes, I will be healed."

Then the woman, with fear and trembling, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell down before him and told him the whole truth.

He said to her, "Daughter, your faith has made you well. Go in peace, and be healed of your disease."

While he was still speaking, people came from the synagogue ruler's house saying, "Your daughter has died. Why trouble the teacher any longer?"

And they began making fun of him. But he put them all outside and he took the child's father and mother and his own companions and went into the room where the child was.

If a place will not welcome you or listen to you, as you go out from there, shake the dust off your feet as a testimony against them."

So they went out and preached that all should repent.

They cast out many demons and anointed many sick people with oil and healed them.

When his daughter Herodias came in and danced, she pleased Herod and his dinner guests. The king said to the girl, "Ask me for whatever you want and I will give it to you."

He swore to her, "Whatever you ask I will give you, up to half my kingdom."

He said to them, "Come with me privately to an isolated place and rest a while" (for many were coming and going, and there was no time to eat).

But many saw them leaving and recognized them, and they hurried on foot from all the towns and arrived there ahead of them.

Then he directed them all to sit down in groups on the green grass.

He took the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke the loaves. He gave them to his disciples to serve the people, and he divided the two fish among them all.

They all ate and were satisfied,

Immediately Jesus made his disciples get into the boat and go on ahead to the other side, to Bethsaida, while he dispersed the crowd.

for they all saw him and were terrified. But immediately he spoke to them: "Have courage! It is I. Do not be afraid."

They ran through that whole region and began to bring the sick on mats to wherever he was rumored to be.

And wherever he would go -- into villages, towns, or countryside -- they would place the sick in the marketplaces, and would ask him if they could just touch the edge of his cloak, and all who touched it were healed.

(For the Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat unless they perform a ritual washing, holding fast to the tradition of the elders.

For it does not enter his heart but his stomach, and then goes out into the sewer." (This means all foods are clean.)

All these evils come from within and defile a person."

Jesus ordered them not to tell anything. But as much as he ordered them not to do this, they proclaimed it all the more.

People were completely astounded and said, "He has done everything well. He even makes the deaf hear and the mute speak."

If I send them home hungry, they will faint on the way, and some of them have come from a great distance."

They also had a few small fish. After giving thanks for these, he told them to serve these as well.

Sighing deeply in his spirit he said, "Why does this generation look for a sign? I tell you the truth, no sign will be given to this generation."

For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and for the gospel will save it.

For what benefit is it for a person to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his life?

For if anyone is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will also be ashamed of him when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels."

And he said to them, "I tell you the truth, there are some standing here who will not experience death before they see the kingdom of God come with power."

He said to them, "Elijah does indeed come first, and restores all things. And why is it written that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be despised?

When the whole crowd saw him, they were amazed and ran at once and greeted him.

Then Jesus said to him, "'If you are able?' All things are possible for the one who believes."

for he was teaching his disciples and telling them, "The Son of Man will be betrayed into the hands of men. They will kill him, and after three days he will rise."

After he sat down, he called the twelve and said to them, "If anyone wants to be first, he must be last of all and servant of all."

But Jesus said, "Do not stop him, because no one who does a miracle in my name will be able soon afterward to say anything bad about me.

For I tell you the truth, whoever gives you a cup of water because you bear Christ's name will never lose his reward.

Everyone will be salted with fire.

For this reason a man will leave his father and mother,

and the two will become one flesh. So they are no longer two, but one flesh.

I tell you the truth, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child will never enter it."

The man said to him, "Teacher, I have wholeheartedly obeyed all these laws since my youth."

As Jesus looked at him, he felt love for him and said, "You lack one thing. Go, sell whatever you have and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me."

Jesus looked at them and replied, "This is impossible for mere humans, but not for God; all things are possible for God."

who will not receive in this age a hundred times as much -- homes, brothers, sisters, mothers, children, fields, all with persecutions -- and in the age to come, eternal life.

But many who are first will be last, and the last first."

"Look, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be handed over to the chief priests and experts in the law. They will condemn him to death and will turn him over to the Gentiles.

They will mock him, spit on him, flog him severely, and kill him. Yet after three days, he will rise again."

They said to him, "We are able." Then Jesus said to them, "You will drink the cup I drink, and you will be baptized with the baptism I experience,

and whoever wants to be first among you must be the slave of all.

Many scolded him to get him to be quiet, but he shouted all the more, "Son of David, have mercy on me!"

and said to them, "Go to the village ahead of you. As soon as you enter it, you will find a colt tied there that has never been ridden. Untie it and bring it here.

If anyone says to you, 'Why are you doing this?' say, 'The Lord needs it and will send it back here soon.'"

Then he began to teach them and said, "Is it not written: 'My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations'? But you have turned it into a den of robbers!"

The chief priests and the experts in the law heard it and they considered how they could assassinate him, for they feared him, because the whole crowd was amazed by his teaching.

I tell you the truth, if someone says to this mountain, 'Be lifted up and thrown into the sea,' and does not doubt in his heart but believes that what he says will happen, it will be done for him.

For this reason I tell you, whatever you pray and ask for, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.

Whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him, so that your Father in heaven will also forgive you your sins."

They came again to Jerusalem. While Jesus was walking in the temple courts, the chief priests, the experts in the law, and the elders came up to him

Jesus said to them, "I will ask you one question. Answer me and I will tell you by what authority I do these things:

They discussed with one another, saying, "If we say, 'From heaven,' he will say, 'Then why did you not believe him?'

But if we say, 'From people -- '" (they feared the crowd, for they all considered John to be truly a prophet).

So they answered Jesus, "We don't know." Then Jesus said to them, "Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things."

He had one left, his one dear son. Finally he sent him to them, saying, 'They will respect my son.'

But those tenants said to one another, 'This is the heir. Come, let's kill him and the inheritance will be ours!'

What then will the owner of the vineyard do? He will come and destroy those tenants and give the vineyard to others.

In the resurrection, when they rise again, whose wife will she be? For all seven had married her."

Now one of the experts in the law came and heard them debating. When he saw that Jesus answered them well, he asked him, "Which commandment is the most important of all?"

Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.'

And to love him with all your heart, with all your mind, and with all your strength and to love your neighbor as yourself is more important than all burnt offerings and sacrifices."