He was preaching: “Someone more powerful than I will come after me. I am not worthy to stoop down and untie the strap of His sandals.

As He was passing along by the Sea of Galilee, He saw Simon and Andrew, Simon’s brother. They were casting a net into the sea, since they were fishermen.

and He healed many who were sick with various diseases and drove out many demons. But He would not permit the demons to speak, because they knew Him.

So many people gathered together that there was no more room, not even in the doorway, and He was speaking the message to them.

Since they were not able to bring him to Jesus because of the crowd, they removed the roof above where He was. And when they had broken through, they lowered the mat on which the paralytic was lying.

When Jesus heard this, He told them, “Those who are well don’t need a doctor, but the sick do need one. I didn’t come to call the righteous, but sinners.”

Now John’s disciples and the Pharisees were fasting. People came and asked Him, “Why do John’s disciples and the Pharisees’ disciples fast, but Your disciples do not fast?”

The Pharisees said to Him, “Look, why are they doing what is not lawful on the Sabbath?”

He said to them, “Have you never read what David and those who were with him did when he was in need and hungry—

how he entered the house of God in the time of Abiathar the high priest and ate the sacred bread—which is not lawful for anyone to eat except the priests—and also gave some to his companions?”

Then He told them, “The Sabbath was made for man and not man for the Sabbath.

Then He told His disciples to have a small boat ready for Him, so the crowd would not crush Him.

And He would strongly warn them not to make Him known.

Then He went home, and the crowd gathered again so that they were not even able to eat.

He answered them, “The secret of the kingdom of God has been given to you, but to those outside, everything comes in parables

so that

they may look and look,
yet not perceive;
they may listen and listen,
yet not understand;
otherwise, they might turn back—
and be forgiven.”

Then He said to them: “Don’t you understand this parable? How then will you understand any of the parables?

For to the one who has, it will be given, and from the one who does not have, even what he has will be taken away.”

he sleeps and rises—night and day, and the seed sprouts and grows—he doesn’t know how.

And He did not speak to them without a parable. Privately, however, He would explain everything to His own disciples.

And always, night and day, he was crying out among the tombs and in the mountains and cutting himself with stones.

And he kept begging Him not to send them out of the region.

But He would not let him; instead, He told him, “Go back home to your own people, and report to them how much the Lord has done for you and how He has had mercy on you.”

had endured much under many doctors. She had spent everything she had and was not helped at all. On the contrary, she became worse.

He did not let anyone accompany Him except Peter, James, and John, James’s brother.

He went in and said to them, “Why are you making a commotion and weeping? The child is not dead but asleep.”

Then Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor except in his hometown, among his relatives, and in his household.”

So He was not able to do any miracles there, except that He laid His hands on a few sick people and healed them.

They were to wear sandals, but not put on an extra shirt.

If any place does not welcome you and people refuse to listen to you, when you leave there, shake the dust off your feet as a testimony against them.”

John had been telling Herod, “It is not lawful for you to have your brother’s wife!”

So Herodias held a grudge against him and wanted to kill him. But she could not,

Though the king was deeply distressed, because of his oaths and the guests he did not want to refuse her.

He said to them, “Come away by yourselves to a remote place and rest for a while.” For many people were coming and going, and they did not even have time to eat.

because they had not understood about the loaves. Instead, their hearts were hardened.

(For the Pharisees, in fact all the Jews, will not eat unless they wash their hands ritually, keeping the tradition of the elders.

When they come from the marketplace, they do not eat unless they have washed. And there are many other customs they have received and keep, like the washing of cups, jugs, copper utensils, and dining couches.)

He got up and departed from there to the region of Tyre and Sidon. He entered a house and did not want anyone to know it, but He could not escape notice.

They were discussing among themselves that they did not have any bread.

Aware of this, He said to them, “Why are you discussing that you do not have any bread? Don’t you understand or comprehend? Is your heart hardened?

Do you have eyes, and not see, and do you have ears, and not hear? And do you not remember?

But turning around and looking at His disciples, He rebuked Peter and said, “Get behind Me, Satan, because you’re not thinking about God’s concerns, but man’s!”

Then He said to them, “I assure you: There are some standing here who will not taste death until they see the kingdom of God come in power.”

because he did not know what he should say, since they were terrified.

Then they left that place and made their way through Galilee, but He did not want anyone to know it.

But they did not understand this statement, and they were afraid to ask Him.

“Whoever welcomes one little child such as this in My name welcomes Me. And whoever welcomes Me does not welcome Me, but Him who sent Me.”

For whoever is not against us is for us.

[where

Their worm does not die,
and the fire is not quenched.]

where

Their worm does not die,
and the fire is not quenched.]

where

Their worm does not die,
and the fire is not quenched.

Therefore what God has joined together, man must not separate.”

I assure you: Whoever does not welcome the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.”

You know the commandments:

Do not murder;
do not commit adultery;
do not steal;
do not bear false witness;
do not defraud;
honor your father and mother.”

Looking at them, Jesus said, “With men it is impossible, but not with God, because all things are possible with God.”

who will not receive 100 times more, now at this time—houses, brothers and sisters, mothers and children, and fields, with persecutions—and eternal life in the age to come.

But to sit at My right or left is not Mine to give; instead, it is for those it has been prepared for.”

But it must not be like that among you. On the contrary, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant,

For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life—a ransom for many.”

After seeing in the distance a fig tree with leaves, He went to find out if there was anything on it. When He came to it, He found nothing but leaves, because it was not the season for figs.

and would not permit anyone to carry goods through the temple complex.

Then He began to teach them: “Is it not written, My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations? But you have made it a den of thieves!”

I assure you: If anyone 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.

When they came, they said to Him, “Teacher, we know You are truthful and defer to no one, for You don’t show partiality but teach truthfully the way of God. Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar or not?

Should we pay, or should we not pay?”

But knowing their hypocrisy, He said to them, “Why are you testing Me? Bring Me a denarius to look at.”

Jesus told them, “Are you not deceived because you don’t know the Scriptures or the power of God?

He is not God of the dead but of the living. You are badly deceived.”

When Jesus saw that he answered intelligently, He said to him, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.” And no one dared to question Him any longer.

Jesus said to him, “Do you see these great buildings? Not one stone will be left here on another that will not be thrown down!”

When you hear of wars and rumors of wars, don’t be alarmed; these things must take place, but the end is not yet.

“When you see the abomination that causes desolation standing where it should not” (let the reader understand), “then those in Judea must flee to the mountains!

A man on the housetop must not come down or go in to get anything out of his house.

And a man in the field must not go back to get his clothes.

“Then if anyone tells you, ‘Look, here is the Messiah! Look—there!’ do not believe it!

“But in those days, after that tribulation:

The sun will be darkened,
and the moon will not shed its light;

I assure you: This generation will certainly not pass away until all these things take place.

“Not during the festival,” they said, “or there may be rioting among the people.”

You always have the poor with you, and you can do what is good for them whenever you want, but you do not always have Me.

They began to be distressed and to say to Him one by one, “Surely not I?”

For the Son of Man will go just as it is written about Him, but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been better for that man if he had not been born.”

Peter told Him, “Even if everyone runs away, I will certainly not!”

“I assure you,” Jesus said to him, “today, this very night, before the rooster crows twice, you will deny Me three times!”

And He said, “Abba, Father! All things are possible for You. Take this cup away from Me. Nevertheless, not what I will, but what You will.”

And He came again and found them sleeping, because they could not keep their eyes open. They did not know what to say to Him.

For many were giving false testimony against Him, but the testimonies did not agree.

“We heard Him say, ‘I will demolish this sanctuary made by human hands, and in three days I will build another not made by hands.’”

Yet their testimony did not agree even on this.

But He kept silent and did not answer anything. Again the high priest questioned Him, “Are You the Messiah, the Son of the Blessed One?”

Then the high priest tore his robes and said, “Why do we still need witnesses?

Then Pilate questioned Him again, “Are You not answering anything? Look how many things they are accusing You of!”

But Jesus still did not answer anything, so Pilate was amazed.

They tried to give Him wine mixed with myrrh, but He did not take it.

“Don’t be alarmed,” he told them. “You are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who was crucified. He has been resurrected! He is not here! See the place where they put Him.

Yet, when they heard that He was alive and had been seen by her, they did not believe it.

And they went and reported it to the rest, who did not believe them either.

Later, He appeared to the Eleven themselves as they were reclining at the table. He rebuked their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they did not believe those who saw Him after He had been resurrected.

Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.