And in fulfillment of this, John the Baptizer appeared in the Wilderness, proclaiming a baptism upon repentance, for the forgiveness of sins.

And they were all so amazed that they kept asking: "What is this? Strange teaching indeed! He gives his commands with authority even to the foul spirits, and they obey him!"

"Why does this man speak like this? He is blaspheming! Who can forgive sins except God?"

Jesus, at once intuitively aware that they wee debating with themselves in this way, said to them: "Why are you debating in your minds about this?

The man got up, and immediately took up his mat, and went out before them all; at which they were amazed, and, as they praised God, they said: "We have never seen anything like this!"

Hearing this, Jesus said: "It is not those who are in health that need a doctor, but those who are ill. I did not come to call the religious, but the outcast."

This was said in reply to the charge that he had a foul spirit in him.

You do not know the meaning of this parable!" he went on; "Then how will you understand all the other parables?

Jesus also said: "This is what the Kingdom of God is like-- like a man who has scattered seed on the ground,

By what can we illustrate it? Perhaps by the growth of a mustard-seed. This seed, when sown in the ground, though it is smaller than all other seeds,

But they were struck with great awe, and said to one another: "Who can this be that even the wind and the sea obey him?"

On this the men who tended them ran away, and carried the news to the town, and to the country round; and the people went to see what had happened.

"Why this confusion and weeping?" he said on entering. "The little child is not dead; she is asleep."

When the Sabbath came, he began to teach in the Synagogue; and the people, as they listened, were deeply impressed. "Where did he get this?" they said, "and what is this wisdom that has been given him? and these miracles which he is doing?

Is not he the carpenter, the son of Mary, and the brother of James, and Joses, and Judas, and Simon? And are not his sisters, too, living here among us?" This proved a hindrance to their believing in him;

When it grew late, his disciples came up to him, and said: "This is a lonely spot, and it is already late.

(For the Pharisees, and indeed all strict Jews, will not eat without first scrupulously washing their hands, holding in this to the traditions of their ancestors.

So the Pharisees and the Teachers of the Law asked Jesus this question--"How is it that your disciples do not follow the traditions of our ancestors, but eat their food with defiled hands?"

His answer was: "It was well said by Isaiah when he prophesied about you hypocrites in the words--'This is a people that honor me with their lips, While their hearts are far removed from me;

In this way you nullify the words of God by your traditions, which you hand down; and you do many similar things."

When Jesus went indoors, away from the crowd, his disciples began questioning him about this saying.

Because it does not pass into his heart, but into his stomach, and is afterwards got rid of?--in saying this Jesus pronounced all food 'clean.'

"Where will it be possible," his disciples answered, "to get sufficient bread for these people in this lonely place?"

Sighing deeply, Jesus said: "Why does this generation ask for a sign? I tell you, no sign shall be given it."

So Jesus gave them this warning. "Take care," he said, "beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the leaven of Herod."

And, noticing this, Jesus said to them: "Why are you talking about your being short of bread? Do not you yet see or understand? Are your minds still so slow or comprehension?

Afterwards Jesus and his disciples went into the villages round Caesarea Philippi; and on the way he asked his disciples this question-- "Who do people say that I am?"

"But you," he asked, "who do you say that I am?" To this Peter replied: "You are the Christ."

On which Jesus charged them not to say this about him to anyone.

This statement he made openly. But Peter took Jesus aside, and began to rebuke him.

Whoever is ashamed of me and of my teaching, in this unfaithful and wicked generation, of him will the Son of Man be ashamed, when he comes in his Father's Glory with the holy angels."

Then a cloud came down and enveloped them; and from the cloud there came a voice--"This is my Son, the Beloved; him you must hear."

They seized upon these words and discussed with one another what this 'rising from the dead' meant.

"How long has he been like this?" Jesus asked the boy's father.

"A spirit of this kind," he said, "can be driven out only by prayer."

"Any one who, for the sake of my Name, welcomes even a little child like this is welcoming me, and any one who welcomes me is welcoming not me, but him who sent me as his Messenger."

"It was owing to the hardness of your hearts," said Jesus, "that Moses gave you this direction;

'For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother,

When they were indoors, the disciples asked him again about this,

When, however, Jesus saw this, he was indignant. "Let the little children come to me," he said, "do not hinder them; for it is to the childlike that the Kingdom of God belongs.

"Grant us this," they answered, "to sit, one on your right, and the other on your left, when you come in glory."

On hearing of this, the ten others were at first very indignant about James and John.

Now the Chief Priests and the Teachers of the Law heard this and began to look for some way of putting Jesus to death; for they were afraid of him, since all the people were greatly impressed by his teaching.

"I tell you that if any one should say to this hill 'Be lifted up and hurled into the sea!', without ever a doubt in his mind, but in the faith that what he says will be done, he would find that it would be.

A second time the owner sent a servant to them; this man, too, the tenants struck on the head, and insulted.

Have you never read this passage of Scripture?--'The very stone which the builders despised has now itself become the corner- stone;

This corner-stone has come from the Lord, and is marvelous in our eyes.'"

After this his enemies were eager to arrest him, but they were afraid of the crowd; for they saw that it was at them that he had aimed the parable. So they let him alone, and went away.

Next came some Sadducees--the men who maintain that there is no resurrection. Their question was this--

Then came up one of the Teachers of the Law who had heard their discussions. Knowing that Jesus had answered them wisely, he asked him this question: "What is the first of all the commandments?"

The second is this--'Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thou dost love thyself.' There is no commandment greater than these."

On this, calling his disciples to him, Jesus said: "I tell you that this poor widow has put in more than all the others who were putting money into the chests;

"Tell us when this will be, and what will be the sign when all this is drawing to its close."

For 'nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom'; there will be earthquakes in various places; there will be famines. This will be but the beginning of the birth-pangs.

As soon, however, as you see 'the Foul Desecration' standing where he ought not" (the reader must consider what this means) "then those of you who are in Judea must take refuge in the mountains;

Pray, too, that this may not occur in winter.

But see that you are on your guard! I have told you all this beforehand.

Some of those who were present said to one another indignantly: "Why has the perfume been wasted like this?

This perfume could have been sold for more than thirty pounds, and the money given to the poor."

"Let her alone," said Jesus, as they began to find fault with her, "why are you troubling her? This is a beautiful deed that she has done for me.

And I tell you, wherever, in the whole world, the Good News is proclaimed, what this woman has done will be told in memory of her."

After this, Judas Iscariot, one of the Twelve, went to the Chief Priests, to betray Jesus to them.

They were grieved at this, and began to say to him, one after another: "Can it be I?"

While they were eating, Jesus took some bread, and, after saying the blessing, broke it, and gave it to them, and said: "Take it; this is my body."

"This is my Covenant-blood," he said, "which is poured out on behalf of many.

"I tell you," answered Jesus, "that you yourself today--yes, this very night--before the cock crows twice, will disown me three times."

"Abba, Father," he said, "all things are possible to thee; take away this cup from me; yet, not what I will, but what thou willest."

I have been among you day after day in the Temple Courts teaching, and yet you did not arrest me; but this is in fulfillment of the Scriptures."

Presently some men stood up, and gave this false evidence against him--

"We ourselves heard him say 'I will destroy this Temple made with hands, and in three days build another made without hands.'"

Then the High Priest stood forward, and questioned Jesus. "Have you no answer to make?" he asked. "What is this evidence which these men are giving against you?"

At this the High Priest tore his vestments. "Why do we want any more witnesses?" he exclaimed.

And there the maidservant, on seeing him, began to say again to the by-standers: "This is one of them!"

Some of those standing round heard this, and said: "Listen! He is calling for Elijah!"

The Roman Officer, who was standing facing Jesus, on seeing the way in which he expired, exclaimed: "This man must indeed have been 'God's Son'!"