Then they told him, "John's disciples frequently fast and pray, and so do those of the Pharisees. But your disciples keep right on eating and drinking."

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 had come to hear him and to be healed of their diseases. Even those who were being tormented by unclean spirits were being healed.

The entire crowd was trying to touch him, because power was coming out from him and healing all of them.

If someone strikes you on the cheek, offer him the other one as well, and if someone takes your coat, don't keep back your shirt, either.

When the centurion heard about Jesus, he sent some Jewish elders to him to ask him to come and save his servant's life.

So they went to Jesus and begged him repeatedly, "He deserves to have this done for him,

When Jesus heard this, he was amazed at him. Turning to the crowd that was following him, he said, "I tell you, not even in Israel have I found this kind of faith!"

Soon afterwards, Jesus went to a city called Nain. His disciples and a large crowd were going along with him.

The man who had been dead sat up and began to speak, and Jesus gave him back to his mother.

John's disciples told him about all these things. So John called two of his disciples

Now one of the Pharisees invited Jesus to eat with him. So he went to the Pharisee's home and took his place at the table.

and knelt at his feet behind him. She was crying and began to wash his feet with her tears and dry them with her hair. Then she kissed his feet over and over again, anointing them constantly with the perfume.

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!"

Jesus told him, "Simon, I have something to ask you." "Teacher," he replied, "ask it."

"Two men were in debt to a moneylender. One owed him 500 denarii, and the other 50.

When they couldn't pay it back, he generously canceled the debts for both of them. Now which of them will love him more?"

Simon answered, "I suppose the one who had the larger debt canceled." Jesus told him, "You have answered correctly."

After this, Jesus traveled from one city and village to another, preaching and spreading the good news about God's kingdom. The Twelve were with him,

Then his disciples began to ask him what this parable meant.

So pay attention to how you listen, because to the one who has something, more will be given. However, from the one who doesn't have, even what he thinks he has will be taken away from him."

His mother and his brothers came to him, but they couldn't get near him because of the crowd.

So his disciples went to him, woke him up, and kept telling him, "Master! Master! We're going to die!" He got up and rebuked the wind and the raging waves. They stopped, and there was calm.

Then he asked the disciples, "Where's your faith?" Frightened and amazed, they asked one another, "Who is this man? He commands even the winds and the water, and they obey him!"

When Jesus stepped out on the shore, a man from the city met him. This man was controlled by demons and had not worn clothes for a long time. He did not live in a house but in the tombs.

When he saw Jesus, he screamed, fell down in front of him, and cried out in a loud voice, "What do you want from me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beg you not to torture me!"

He answered, "Legion," because many demons had gone into him. Then the demons began begging Jesus not to order them to go into the bottomless pit.

Now the man from whom the demons had gone out kept begging Jesus to let him go with him. But Jesus sent him away, saying,

"Go home and tell what God has done for you." So the man left and kept proclaiming throughout the whole city how much Jesus had done for him.

When Jesus came back, the crowd welcomed him, because everyone was expecting him.

Just then a synagogue leader by the name of Jairus arrived. He fell at Jesus' feet and kept begging him to come to his home,

because his only daughter, who was about twelve years old, was dying. While Jesus was on his way, the crowds continued to press in on him.

Jesus asked, "Who touched me?" While everyone was denying it, Peter and those who were with him said, "Master, the crowds are surrounding you and pressing in on you."

When the woman saw that she couldn't hide, she came forward trembling. Bowing down in front of him, she explained in the presence of all the people why she had touched Jesus and how she had been instantly healed.

While he was still speaking, someone came from the synagogue leader's home and told him, "Your daughter is dead. Stop bothering the teacher anymore."

When he arrived at the man's house, he allowed no one to go in with him except Peter, John, James, and the young girl's father and mother.

They laughed and laughed at him, because they knew she was dead.

The apostles came back and told Jesus everything they had done. Then he took them away with him privately to a city called Bethsaida.

But the crowds found out about this and followed him. He welcomed them and began to speak to them about the kingdom of God and to heal those who needed healing.

As the day was drawing to a close, the Twelve came to him and said, "Send the crowd away to the neighboring villages and farms so they can rest and get some food, because we are here in a deserted place."

One day, while Jesus was praying privately and the disciples were with him, he asked them, "Who do the crowds say I am?"

If anyone is ashamed of me and my words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when he comes in his glory and the glory of the Father and the holy angels.

Now about eight days after Jesus said this, he took Peter, John, and James with him and went up on a mountain to pray.

Suddenly, two men were talking with him. They were Moses and Elijah.

Now Peter and the men with him had been overcome by sleep. When they woke up, they saw Jesus' glory and the two men standing with him.

Then a voice came out of the cloud and said, "This is my Son, whom I have chosen. Keep listening to him!"

Without warning a spirit takes control of him, and he suddenly screams, goes into convulsions, and foams at the mouth. The spirit mauls him and refuses to leave him.

Even while the boy was coming, the demon knocked him to the ground and threw him into convulsions. But Jesus rebuked the unclean spirit, healed the boy, and gave him back to his father.

But they didn't know what this meant. Indeed, the meaning was hidden from them so that they didn't understand it; and they were afraid to ask him about this statement.

But Jesus, knowing their inner thoughts, took a little child and had him stand beside him.

John said, "Master, we saw someone driving out demons in your name. We tried to stop him, because he wasn't a follower like us."

Jesus told him, "Don't stop him! Because whoever is not against you is for you."

So he sent messengers on ahead of him. On their way they went into a Samaritan village to get things ready for him.

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

While they were walking along the road, a man told him, "I will follow you wherever you go."

Jesus told him, "Foxes have holes and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to rest."

But he told him, "Let the dead bury their own dead. But you go and proclaim the kingdom of God."

Jesus told him, "No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God."

After this, the Lord appointed 70 other disciples and was about to send them ahead of him in pairs to every town and place that he intended to go.

If a peaceful person lives there, your greeting of peace will remain with him. But if that's not the case, your greeting will come back to you.

All things have been entrusted to me by my Father. No one knows who the Son is except the Father, and no one knows who the Father is except the Son and the person to whom the Son chooses to reveal him."

Jesus answered him, "What is written in the Law? What do you read there?"

Jesus told him, "You have answered correctly. "Do this, and you will live.'"

After careful consideration, Jesus replied, "A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho when he fell into the hands of bandits. They stripped him, beat him, and went away, leaving him half dead.

But as he was traveling along, a Samaritan came across the man. When the Samaritan saw him, he was moved with compassion.

He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring oil and wine on them. Then he put him on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and took care of him.

The next day, he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper, saying, "Take good care of him. If you spend more than that, I'll repay you when I come back.'

He said, "The one who showed mercy to him." Jesus told him, "Go and do what he did."

Now as they were traveling along, Jesus went into a village. A woman named Martha welcomed him into her home.

But Martha was worrying about all the things she had to do, so she came to him and asked, "Lord, you do care that my sister has left me to do the work all by myself, don't you? Then tell her to help me."

Once Jesus was praying in a certain place. After he had finished, one of his disciples told him, "Lord, teach us to pray, as John taught his disciples."

Then he told them, "Suppose one of you has a friend, and you go to him at midnight and say to him, "Friend, let me borrow three loaves of bread.

A friend of mine on a trip has dropped in on me, and I don't have anything to serve him.'

I tell you, even though that man doesn't want to get up and give him anything because he is his friend, he will get up and give him whatever he needs because of his persistence.

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?

So if you who are evil know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who keep asking him!"

Others, wanting to test Jesus, kept asking him for a sign from heaven.

But when a stronger man than he attacks and defeats him, the stronger man strips off that man's armor in which he trusted and then divides his plunder.

As Jesus was saying this, a woman in the crowd raised her voice and told him, "How blessed is the womb that gave birth to you and the breasts that nursed you!"

After Jesus had said this, a Pharisee invited him to have a meal with him. So Jesus went and took his place at the table.

But the Lord told him, "Now you Pharisees clean the outside of the cup and the dish, but on the inside you are full of greed and evil.

Then one of the experts in the Law told him, "Teacher, when you say these things, you insult us, too."

As Jesus was leaving, the scribes and the Pharisees began to oppose him fiercely, interrogating him about many things.

They watched him closely in an effort to trap him in something he might say.

I'll show you the one you should be afraid of. Be afraid of the one who has the authority to throw you into hell after killing you. Yes, I tell you, be afraid of him!

Then someone in the crowd told him, "Teacher, tell my brother to divide the family inheritance with me."

But Jesus asked him, "Mister, who appointed me to be a judge or arbitrator over you people?"

But God told him, "You fool! This very night your life will be demanded back from you. Now who will get the things you've accumulated?'

Be like people who are waiting for their master to return from a wedding. As soon as he arrives and knocks, they will open the door for him.

How blessed are those servants whom the master finds watching for him when he comes! I tell all of you with certainty, he himself will put on an apron, make them sit down at the table, and go around and serve them.

So be ready, because the Son of Man is coming at a time when you don't expect him."

I tell you with certainty, he will put him in charge of all his property.

the master of that servant will come on a day when he doesn't expect him and at an hour that he doesn't know. Then his master will punish him severely and assign him a place with unfaithful people.

For example, when you go with your opponent in front of a ruler, do your best to settle with him on the way there. Otherwise, you will be dragged in front of the judge, and the judge will hand you over to an officer, and the officer will throw you into prison.

The Lord replied to him, "You hypocrites! Doesn't each of you on the Sabbath untie his ox or donkey and lead it out of its stall to give it some water?

Someone asked him, "Lord, are only a few people going to be saved?"

A man whose body was swollen with fluid suddenly appeared in front of him.

But they kept silent. So he took hold of the man, healed him, and sent him away.

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?"