The oath which He swore to Abraham our forefather,

It was the first registration made during the governorship of Quirinius in Syria;

On another occasion, when He was in one of the towns, there was a man there covered with leprosy, who, seeing Jesus, threw himself at His feet and implored Him, saying, "Sir, if only you are willing, you are able to make me clean."

Then Jesus went with them. But when He was not far from the house, the Captain sent friends to Him with the message: "Sir, do not trouble to come. I am not worthy of having you come under my roof;

They are like children sitting in the public square and calling out to one another, 'We have played the flute to you, and you have not danced: we have sung dirges, and you have not shown sorrow.'

"The sower," He said, "goes out to sow his seed; and as he sows, some of the seed falls by the way-side, and is trodden upon, or the birds of the air come and peck it up.

"'The very dust of your town that hangs about us we wipe off as a protest. Only be sure of this, that the Kingdom of God is close at hand.'

Of this be sure, that if the master of the house had known what time the robber was coming, he would have kept awake and not have allowed his house to be broken into.

"But the gardener pleaded, "'Leave it, Sir, this year also, till I have dug round it and manured it.

when some one asked Him, "Sir, are there but few who are to be saved?"

As soon as the Master of the house shall have risen and shut the door, and you have begun to stand outside and knock at the door and say, "'Sir, open the door for us' --"'I do not know you,' He answers; 'you are no friends of mine.'

"Soon the servant reported the result, saying, "'Sir, what you ordered is done, and there is room still.'

Jesus saw his sorrow, and said, "With how hard a struggle do the possessors of riches ever enter the Kingdom of God!

"What shall I do for you?" "Sir," he replied, "let me recover my sight."

"So the first came and said, "'Sir, your pound has produced ten pounds more.'

"The second came, and said, "'Your pound, Sir, has produced five pounds.'

"The next came. "'Sir,' he said, 'here is your pound, which I have kept wrapt up in a cloth.

("They said to him, "`Sir, he already has ten pounds.')

So also, when you see these things happening, you may be sure that the Kingdom of God is near.

When He rose from his prayer and came to His disciples, He found them sleeping for sorrow.

And the soldiers also made sport of Him, coming and offering Him sour wine and saying,

"What is the subject," He asked them, "on which you are talking so earnestly, as you walk?" And they stood still, looking full of sorrow.