But Jesus answered him, "Let it be this way for now, because this is the proper way for us to fulfill all righteousness."

After this, Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the Devil.

The people living in darkness have seen a great light, and for those living in the land and shadow of death, a light has risen."

"You are the light of the world. A city located on a hill can't be hidden.

People don't light a lamp and put it under a basket but on a lamp stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house.

In the same way, let your light shine before people in such a way that they will see your good actions and glorify your Father in heaven."

Instead, let your message be "Yes' for "Yes' and "No' for "No.' Anything more than that comes from the evil one."

If anyone wants to sue you and take your shirt, let him have your coat as well.

But when you give to the poor, don't let your left hand know what your right hand is doing,

"The eye is the lamp of the body. So if your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light.

But if your eye is evil, your whole body will be full of darkness. Therefore, if the light within you has turned into darkness, how great is that darkness!"

Or how can you say to your brother, "Let me take the speck out of your eye,' when the beam is in your own eye?

Then another of his disciples told him, "Lord, first let me go and bury my father."

But Jesus told him, "Follow me, and let the dead bury their own dead."

Then he touched their eyes and said, "According to your faith, let it be done for you!"

If the household is receptive, let your blessing of peace come on it. But if it isn't receptive, let your blessing of peace return to you.

Let the person who has ears listen!

because my yoke is pleasant, and my burden is light."

Other seeds fell on stony ground, where they did not have a lot of soil. They sprouted at once because the soil wasn't deep.

Let the person who has ears listen!"

Let both grow together until the harvest, and at harvest time I will tell the reapers, "Gather the weeds first and tie them in bundles for burning, but bring the wheat into my barn."'"

Then the righteous will shine like the sun in their Father's kingdom. Let the person who has ears listen!"

When evening had come, the disciples went to him and said, "This is a deserted place, and it's already late. Send the crowds away so that they can go into the villages and buy food for themselves."

They kept begging him to let them touch just the tassel of his garment, and everyone who touched it was completely healed.

Six days later, Jesus took Peter, James, and his brother John and led them up a high mountain by themselves.

His appearance was changed in front of them, his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as light.

because some men are celibate from birth, while some are celibate because they have been made that way by others. Still others are celibate because they have made themselves that way for the sake of the kingdom from heaven. Let anyone accept this who can."

Jesus, however, said, "Let the little children come to me, and stop keeping them away, because the kingdom from heaven belongs to people like these."

When he had laid his hands on them, he went on from there.

But when the tenant farmers saw his son, they told one another, "This is the heir. Come on, let's kill him and get his inheritance!'

"So when you see the destructive desecration, mentioned by the prophet Daniel, standing in the Holy Place (let the reader take note),

"Immediately after the troubles of those days, "The sun will be darkened, the moon will not give its light, the stars will fall from the sky, and the powers of heaven will be shaken loose.'

He'll send out his angels with a loud trumpet blast, and they'll gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to another."

Since the groom was late, all of them became sleepy and lay down.

Going on a little farther, he fell on his face and prayed, "O my Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from me. Yet not what I want but what you want."

He went away a second time and prayed, "My Father, if this cup cannot go away unless I drink it, let your will be done."

Get up! Let's go! See, the one who is betraying me is near!"

They bound him with chains, led him away, and handed him over to Pontius Pilate, the governor.

Pilate asked them, "Then what should I do with Jesus, who is called the Messiah?" They all said, "Let him be crucified!"

He asked, "What has he done wrong?" But they kept shouting louder and louder, "Let him be crucified!"

All the people answered, "Let his blood be on us and our children!"

When they had finished making fun of him, they stripped him of the robe, put his own clothes back on him, and led him away to crucify him.

"He saved others but can't save himself! He is the king of Israel. Let him come down from the cross now, and we will believe in him.

He trusts in God. Let God rescue him, if he wants to do so now. After all, he said, "I am the Son of God.'"

About three o'clock, Jesus cried out with a loud voice, "Eli, eli, lema sabachthani?", which means, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?"

But the others kept saying, "Wait! Let's see if Elijah will come and save him."

Then Jesus cried out with a loud voice again and died.

At this, the unclean spirit shook the man, cried out with a loud voice, and came out of him.

"Let's go to the neighboring town," he replied, "so I can preach there, too, because that's why I came."

Since they couldn't bring him to Jesus because of the crowd, they made an opening in the roof over the place where he was. They dug through it and let down the mat on which the paralyzed man was lying.

Others fell on stony ground, where they didn't have a lot of soil. They sprouted at once, because the soil wasn't deep.

He added, "Let the person who has ears to hear, listen!"

Nothing is hidden except for the purpose of having it revealed, and nothing is secret except for the purpose of having it come to light.

If anyone has ears to hear, let him listen!

That day, when evening had come, he told them, "Let's cross to the other side."

screaming in a loud voice, "What do you want with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beg you in the name of God never to torment me!"

So he let them do this. The unclean spirits came out of the man and went into the pigs, and the herd of about 2,000 rushed down a steep slope into the sea and drowned there.

As Jesus was getting into the boat, the man who had been demon-possessed kept begging him to let him go with him.

But Jesus wouldn't let him. Instead, he told him, "Go home to your family, and tell them how much the Lord has done for you and how merciful he has been to you."

But Jesus strictly ordered them not to let anyone know about this. He also told them to give her something to eat.

When John's disciples heard about this, they came and carried off his body and laid it in a tomb.

When it was quite late, his disciples came to him and said, "This is a deserted place, and it's already late.

Wherever he went, whether into villages, towns, or farms, people would place their sick in the marketplaces and beg him to let them touch even the tassel of his garment, and everyone who touched it was healed.

"you no longer let him do anything for his father or mother.'

If anyone has ears to hear, let him listen!"

But he kept telling her, "First let the children be filled. It is not right to take the children's bread and throw it to the puppies."

Jesus took the blind man by the hand and led him out of the village. He spit into his eyes, placed his hands on him, and asked him, "Do you see anything?"

Six days later, Jesus took Peter, James, and John and led them up a high mountain to be alone with him. His appearance was changed in front of them,

Then Peter told Jesus, "Rabbi, it's good that we're here! Let's set up three shelters one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah."

A man in the crowd answered him, "Teacher, I brought my son to you. He has a spirit that won't let him talk.

When Jesus saw that a crowd was running to the scene, he rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it, "You spirit that won't let him talk or hear I command you to come out of him and never enter him again!"

When Jesus saw this, he became furious and told them, "Let the little children come to me, and stop keeping them away, because the kingdom of God belongs to people like these.

Then after he had hugged the children, he tenderly blessed them as he laid his hands on them.

They asked him, "Let us sit in your glory, one on your right and one on your left."

The disciples told them what Jesus had said, and the men let them go.

Then Jesus went into Jerusalem and into the Temple and looked around at everything. Since it was already late, he went out with the Twelve to Bethany.

He wouldn't even let anyone carry a vessel through the Temple.

But those farmers told one another, "This is the heir. Come on, let's kill him, and the inheritance will be ours!'

Seeing through their hypocrisy, Jesus replied to them, "Why are you testing me? Bring me a denarius and let me look at it."

"So when you see the destructive desecration standing where it should not be (let the reader take note), then those who are in Judea must flee to the mountains.

"But after the suffering of those days, "The sun will be darkened, the moon will not give its light,

Get up! Let's go! See, the one who is betraying me is near!"

Now the betrayer personally had given them a signal, saying, "The one I kiss is the man. Arrest him, and lead him safely away."

As soon as it was morning, the high priests convened a meeting with the elders and scribes and the whole Council. They bound Jesus with chains, led him away, and handed him over to Pilate.

The soldiers led Jesus into the courtyard of the palace (that is, the governor's headquarters) and called out the whole guard.

When they had finished making fun of him, they stripped him of the purple robe, put his own clothes back on him, and led him away to crucify him.

Let the Messiah, the king of Israel, come down from the cross now, since seeing is believing!" Even the men who were crucified with him kept insulting him.

At three o'clock, Jesus cried out with a loud voice, "Eloi, eloi, lema sabachthani?" (which means, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?")

So someone ran and soaked a sponge in some sour wine. Then he put it on a stick and offered Jesus a drink, saying, "Wait! Let's see if Elijah comes to take him down!"

Then Jesus gave a loud cry and breathed his last.

When he learned from the centurion that he was dead, he let Joseph have the corpse.

Joseph bought some linen cloth, took the body down, wrapped it in the cloth, laid it in a tomb that had been cut out of the rock, and rolled a stone against the door of the tomb.

Now Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joseph observed where the body had been laid.

But he told them, "Stop being astonished! You are looking for Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has been raised. He is not here. Look at the place where they laid him.

he was chosen by lot to go into the sanctuary of the Lord and burn incense, according to the custom of the priests.

Then Mary said, "Truly I am the Lord's servant. Let everything you have said happen to me." Then the angel left her.

Because of the tender mercy of our God, his light from on high has visited us,

and she gave birth to her first child, a son. She wrapped him in strips of cloth and laid him in a feeding trough, because there was no place for them in the guest quarters.

When the angels had left them and gone back to heaven, the shepherds told one another, "Let's go to Bethlehem and see what has taken place that the Lord has told us about."

Led by the Spirit, he went into the Temple. When the parents brought the child Jesus to do for him what was customary under the Law,