Then you could know how reliable the information is that you have been told.

And Zacharias said to the angel, "How will I know this? For I am an old man and my wife is [also] very old."

And Mary said to the angel, "How can this be, since I have never had sex with a man?"

how he entered the house of God [i.e., the Temple] and took some 'Bread of Presence' and ate it, and also gave some to his men to eat? [This practice] was not permissible according to the law of Moses, [since the bread was reserved] only for the priests."

And the experts in the law of Moses were watching Him to see if He would heal [someone] on the Sabbath day, so they could figure out how to accuse Him.

Or how can you say to your brother, 'Brother, let me take that speck of sawdust out of your eye,' when you cannot see the board in your own eye? You hypocrite, take the board out of your own eye first; then you will be able to see clearly enough to take out the speck of sawdust that is in your brother's eye.

So, Jesus answered them, "Go and tell John the things you have seen and heard; [how] blind people are receiving back their sight, and crippled people are walking [again], and people with infectious skin diseases are being healed, and deaf-mutes are hearing [and speaking (?) again], and people are being raised [from the dead], and poor people are having the good news preached to them.

Pay attention to how you listen, for to the person who [already] has something, [more] will be given, but from the person who has [virtually] nothing, even what he thinks he has will be taken away from him."

Those who saw this told others how the man dominated by evil spirits was restored.

And when the woman realized that she had not escaped notice, she came trembling [with fear] and fell down in front of Him, declaring before all the people why she had touched Him and how she had been immediately healed.

And Jesus replied, saying, "You perverse generation of faithless people! How long must I be [patient] with you, and put up with you [i.e., before you understand]? Bring your son here."

And Jesus said to him, "What is written in the law of Moses? How do you read it?"

And it happened as Jesus finished praying at a certain place that one of His disciples said to Him, "Lord, teach us [how] to pray, just like John [the Immerser] taught his disciples."

If then you know how to give good gifts to your children, even though you are sinful [human beings], how much more [likely] is it that your Father in heaven will give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him?"

And if Satan also is divided against himself, how [then] can his kingdom stand? I tell you this because you are saying that I drove out evil spirits by [the power of] Beelzebub.

And when people bring you in front of synagogue assemblies and rulers and authorities [i.e., for judgment], do not worry about how to speak or what you should say.

But He said to him, "Man, who appointed me to judge or [decide on how] to divide [the property] between you two?"

"Consider how [wild] lilies grow; they do not work or weave, yet I tell you, even Solomon, clothed in his very finest royal robes, was never dressed [as luxuriously] as one of these [flowers].

"I have come to bring fire to the earth. [Note: This means division within families. See verses 51-53] And how I wish that fire were already started [i.e., so I could complete my mission sooner]!

You hypocrites! You know how to interpret the appearance of the earth and the sky, but why do you not know how to interpret [events of] this present time?

"O, Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you people who murdered the prophets and stoned those who were sent to you! How often I have wanted to gather you people together, even as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing!

Then Jesus told a parable to those who had been invited [i.e., the dinner guests at the Pharisee's house. See verse 1], because He noticed how they were choosing places of honor [at the dinner table]. [So], He said to them,

Therefore salt is good, but if it loses its flavoring [ability], how will it ever get it back again?

But when he came to his senses, he said, 'How many of my father's hired servants have more than enough bread to eat, and here I am, dying from hunger!

So, he called on each one of his master's customers and said to the first one, 'How much do you owe my master?'

Then he said to another [customer], 'And how much do you owe [him]?' And he answered, 'One thousand bushels of wheat.' The property manager said to him, 'Take your contract and write eight hundred [bushels].'

But Abraham said [to him], 'Son, remember how you enjoyed good things when you were alive [on earth] and how Lazarus had to put up with bad things? But now here [i.e., in the unseen place of departed spirits] he is being comforted and you are in agony.

The Pharisee stood up [conspicuously] and prayed about himself this way [i.e., bragging to God about how good he was], 'God, I thank you that I am not like other people: swindlers, unjust, sexually unfaithful to their mates, or even like that tax collector [over there].

Now Jesus looked at him and said, "How difficult [it is] for those who are wealthy to enter the kingdom of God!

And it happened when the gentleman returned, having received his appointment as king, that he ordered the slaves to whom he had given the [sums of] money, to report to him. He wanted to find out how much [money] they had made on their investments.

And Jesus said to them [i.e., the Pharisees. See Matt. 22:41], "How is it that they [i.e., the experts in the law of Moses. See Mark 12:35] can say that the Christ [i.e., God's specially chosen one] is the son of David?

Since David called Him [i.e., Jesus] Lord, how could He be his son?"

Then, as someone [i.e., of His disciples. See Mark 13:1], spoke of how the Temple was decorated with beautiful stones and objects dedicated as gifts, Jesus said,

Determine in your hearts, therefore, not to plan ahead how you will answer them [when interrogated],

So, he left [probably the house of Simon, the man healed of an infectious skin disease. See Matt. 26:6-13] and went and discussed with the leading priests and captains [i.e., of the Temple guard] how he could turn Jesus over to them.

Then the Lord turned and gave Peter a [penetrating] glance. And Peter remembered the words of the Lord, how He had said to him, "You will deny [knowing] me three times before the rooster crows today."

The women who had accompanied Jesus from Galilee followed behind [those carrying the body] and saw where the grave site was and how His body was placed in it.

Then Jesus said to them, "You foolish men! How slow your minds are to believe everything the prophets have spoken [in their writings]!

Then the two men recounted what happened along the road and how Jesus was recognized by them when He broke the loaf of bread.