How blessed is this woman for believing that what was spoken to her by the Lord would be fulfilled!"

that he would save us from our enemies and from the grip of all who hate us.

Now a man named Simeon was in Jerusalem. This man was righteous and devout. He was waiting for the one who would comfort Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him.

It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die until he had seen the Lord's Messiah.

Every year Jesus' parents would go to Jerusalem for the Passover Festival.

John would say to the crowds that were coming out to be baptized by him, "You children of serpents! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath?

The scribes and the Pharisees were watching Jesus closely to see whether he would heal on the Sabbath, in order to find a way of accusing him of doing something wrong.

They're like little children who sit in the marketplace and shout to each other, "A wedding song we played for you, the dance you all did scorn. A woeful dirge we chanted, too, but then you would not mourn.'

Now the Pharisee who had invited Jesus saw this and told himself, "If this man were a prophet, he would have known who is touching him and what kind of woman she is. She's a sinner!"

because Jesus was in the process of ordering the unclean spirit to come out of the man. On many occasions the unclean spirit had seized the man, and though he was kept under guard and bound with chains and shackles, he would break the chains and be driven by the demon into deserted places.

They had a glorified appearance, and were discussing Jesus' departure that he would shortly bring about in Jerusalem.

But the people would not welcome him, because he was determined to go to Jerusalem.

"How terrible it will be for you, Chorazin! How terrible it will be for you, Bethsaida! If the miracles that happened in you had taken place in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago, sitting in sackcloth and ashes.

What father among you, if his son asks for bread, would give him a stone, or if he asks for a fish, would give him a snake instead of the fish?

Or if he asks for an egg, would he give him a scorpion?

But be sure of this: if the homeowner had known at what time the thief were coming, he would have watched and would not have let his house be broken into.

Then he asked them, "If your son or ox falls into a well on the Sabbath day, you would pull him out immediately, wouldn't you?"

Then the host who invited both of you would come to you and say, "Give this person your place.' In disgrace, you would have to take the place of least honor.

Then he told the man who had invited him, "When you give a luncheon or a dinner, stop inviting only your friends, brothers, relatives, or rich neighbors. Otherwise, they may invite you in return and you would be repaid.

No one would give him anything, even though he would gladly have filled himself with the husks the pigs were eating.

"Then the older son became angry and wouldn't go into the house. So his father came out and began to plead with him.

"But the rich man replied, "No, father Abraham! But if someone from the dead went to them, they would repent.'

It would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck and he were thrown into the sea than for him to cause one of these little ones to sin.

The Lord replied, "If you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you could say to this mulberry tree, "Be uprooted and planted in the sea,' and it would obey you!

"Suppose a man among you has a servant plowing or watching sheep. Would he say to him when he comes in from the field, "Come at once and have something to eat'?

Of course not. Instead, he would say to him, "Get dinner ready for me, and put on your apron and wait on me until I eat and drink. Then you can eat and drink.'

Once Jesus was asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come. He answered them, "The kingdom of God is not coming with a visible display.

"But the tax collector stood at a distance and would not even look up to heaven. Instead, he continued to beat his chest and said, "O God, be merciful to me, the sinner that I am!'

As they were listening to this, Jesus went on to tell a parable because he was near Jerusalem and because the people thought that the kingdom of God would appear immediately.

He replied, "I tell you, if they were quiet, the stones would cry out!"

So they watched him closely and sent spies who pretended to be honest men in order to trap him in what he would say. They wanted to hand him over to the jurisdiction of the governor,

Now during the day Jesus would teach in the Temple, but when evening came he would go out and spend the night on what is called the Mount of Olives.

And all the people would get up early in the morning to listen to him in the Temple.

But we kept hoping that he would be the one to redeem Israel. What is more, this is now the third day since these things occurred.