As soon as he got out of the boat, a man possessed by a foul spirit came out of the burial places near by to meet him.

But he went off and began to talk so much about it, and to spread the story so widely, that Jesus could no longer go into a town openly, but stayed out in unfrequented places, and people came to him from every direction.

He noticed that the guests picked out the best places, and he gave them this illustration:

"Beware of the scribes who like to go about in long robes, and love to be saluted with respect in public places, and to have the front seats in the synagogues and the best places at banquets??47 men who eat up widows' houses and to cover it up make long prayers! They will get all the heavier sentence!"

" 'And you, Bethlehem in Judah's land, You are by no means least important among the leading places of Judah, For from you will come a leader Who will be the shepherd of my people Israel.' "

And I tell you, many will come from the east and from the west and take their places at the feast with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, in the Kingdom of Heaven,

Then he ordered the people to take their places on the ground,

and they like the best places at dinners and the front seats in the synagogues,

and to be saluted with respect in public places, and to have men call them 'Rabbi.'

Then he ordered the people to take their places on the ground. And he took the seven loaves and gave thanks and broke them in pieces and gave them to his disciples to pass, and they passed them to the people.

And in the course of his teaching he said to them, "Beware of the scribes who like to go about in long robes and to be saluted with respect in public places,

and to have the front seats in the synagogues and the best places at dinners??40 men that eat up widows' houses and to cover it up make long prayers! They will get a far heavier sentence!"

Alas for you Pharisees! For you love to have the front seat in the synagogues and to be saluted with respect in public places.

Blessed are the slaves whom their master will find on the watch when he comes. I tell you, he will gird up his robe and make them take their places at table, and go around and wait on them.

People will come from the east and west and the north and south, and take their places in the Kingdom of God.