Don't you understand that whatever goes into the mouth enters the stomach and then passes out into the sewer?

But the things that come out of the mouth come from the heart, and these things defile a person.

These are the things that defile a person; it is not eating with unwashed hands that defiles a person."

A Canaanite woman from that area came and cried out, "Have mercy on me, Lord, Son of David! My daughter is horribly demon-possessed!"

"Yes, Lord," she replied, "but even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters' table."

Then Jesus answered her, "Woman, your faith is great! Let what you want be done for you." And her daughter was healed from that hour.

How could you not understand that I was not speaking to you about bread? But beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees!"

Then they understood that he had not told them to be on guard against the yeast in bread, but against the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees.

When Jesus came to the area of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, "Who do people say that the Son of Man is?"

He said to them, "But who do you say that I am?"

And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overpower it.

Then he instructed his disciples not to tell anyone that he was the Christ.

From that time on Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the elders, chief priests, and experts in the law, and be killed, and on the third day be raised.

The disciples asked him, "Why then do the experts in the law say that Elijah must come first?"

And I tell you that Elijah has already come. Yet they did not recognize him, but did to him whatever they wanted. In the same way, the Son of Man will suffer at their hands."

Then the disciples understood that he was speaking to them about John the Baptist.

Then Jesus rebuked the demon and it came out of him, and the boy was healed from that moment.

But so that we don't offend them, go to the lake and throw out a hook. Take the first fish that comes up, and when you open its mouth, you will find a four drachma coin. Take that and give it to them for me and you."

At that time the disciples came to Jesus saying, "Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?"

Woe to the world because of stumbling blocks! It is necessary that stumbling blocks come, but woe to the person through whom they come.

"See that you do not disdain one of these little ones. For I tell you that their angels in heaven always see the face of my Father in heaven.

What do you think? If someone owns a hundred sheep and one of them goes astray, will he not leave the ninety-nine on the mountains and go look for the one that went astray?

And if he finds it, I tell you the truth, he will rejoice more over it than over the ninety-nine that did not go astray.

In the same way, your Father in heaven is not willing that one of these little ones be lost.

But if he does not listen, take one or two others with you, so that at the testimony of two or three witnesses every matter may be established.

The lord had compassion on that slave and released him, and forgave him the debt.

After he went out, that same slave found one of his fellow slaves who owed him one hundred silver coins. So he grabbed him by the throat and started to choke him, saying, 'Pay back what you owe me!'

When his fellow slaves saw what had happened, they were very upset and went and told their lord everything that had taken place.

Then his lord called the first slave and said to him, 'Evil slave! I forgave you all that debt because you begged me!

He answered, "Have you not read that from the beginning the Creator made them male and female,

Now I say to you that whoever divorces his wife, except for immorality, and marries another commits adultery."

For there are some eunuchs who were that way from birth, and some who were made eunuchs by others, and some who became eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom of heaven. The one who is able to accept this should accept it."

So they went. When he went out again about noon and three o'clock that afternoon, he did the same thing.

And about five o'clock that afternoon he went out and found others standing around, and said to them, 'Why are you standing here all day without work?'

But Jesus called them and said, "You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and those in high positions use their authority over them.

Two blind men were sitting by the road. When they heard that Jesus was passing by, they shouted, "Have mercy on us, Lord, Son of David!"

The crowds that went ahead of him and those following kept shouting, "Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!"

For this reason I tell you that the kingdom of God will be taken from you and given to a people who will produce its fruit.

When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard his parables, they realized that he was speaking about them.

They sent to him their disciples along with the Herodians, saying, "Teacher, we know that you are truthful, and teach the way of God in accordance with the truth. You do not court anyone's favor because you show no partiality.

They replied, "Caesar's." He said to them, "Then give to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's."

Now when the Pharisees heard that he had silenced the Sadducees, they assembled together.

No one was able to answer him a word, and from that day on no one dared to question him any longer.

Blind fools! Which is greater, the gold or the temple that makes the gold sacred?

You are blind! For which is greater, the gift or the altar that makes the gift sacred?

Blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup, so that the outside may become clean too!

"Woe to you, experts in the law and you Pharisees, hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs that look beautiful on the outside but inside are full of the bones of the dead and of everything unclean.

By saying this you testify against yourselves that you are descendants of those who murdered the prophets.

so that on you will come all the righteous blood shed on earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah son of Barachiah, whom you murdered between the temple and the altar.

Jesus answered them, "Watch out that no one misleads you.

You will hear of wars and rumors of wars. Make sure that you are not alarmed, for this must happen, but the end is still to come.

Pray that your flight may not be in winter or on a Sabbath.

For then there will be great suffering unlike anything that has happened from the beginning of the world until now, or ever will happen.

"Learn this parable from the fig tree: Whenever its branch becomes tender and puts out its leaves, you know that summer is near.

So also you, when you see all these things, know that he is near, right at the door.

"But as for that day and hour no one knows it -- not even the angels in heaven -- except the Father alone.

Blessed is that slave whom the master finds at work when he comes.

But if that evil slave should say to himself, 'My master is staying away a long time,'

then the master of that slave will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he does not foresee,

"At that time the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom.

Then the one who had received the one talent came and said, 'Sir, I knew that you were a hard man, harvesting where you did not sow, and gathering where you did not scatter seed,

But his master answered, 'Evil and lazy slave! So you knew that I harvest where I didn't sow and gather where I didn't scatter?

And throw that worthless slave into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.'

"Then he will say to those on his left, 'Depart from me, you accursed, into the eternal fire that has been prepared for the devil and his angels!

"You know that after two days the Passover is coming, and the Son of Man will be handed over to be crucified."

But they said, "Not during the feast, so that there won't be a riot among the people."

From that time on, Judas began looking for an opportunity to betray him.

The Son of Man will go as it is written about him, but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would be better for him if he had never been born."

for this is my blood, the blood of the covenant, that is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.

I tell you, from now on I will not drink of this fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father's kingdom."

Stay awake and pray that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak."

Or do you think that I cannot call on my Father, and that he would send me more than twelve legions of angels right now?

How then would the scriptures that say it must happen this way be fulfilled?"

At that moment Jesus said to the crowd, "Have you come out with swords and clubs to arrest me like you would an outlaw? Day after day I sat teaching in the temple courts, yet you did not arrest me.

But this has happened so that the scriptures of the prophets would be fulfilled." Then all the disciples left him and fled.

The chief priests and the whole Sanhedrin were trying to find false testimony against Jesus so that they could put him to death.

So the high priest stood up and said to him, "Have you no answer? What is this that they are testifying against you?"

At that he began to curse, and he swore with an oath, "I do not know the man!" At that moment a rooster crowed.

Now when Judas, who had betrayed him, saw that Jesus had been condemned, he regretted what he had done and returned the thirty silver coins to the chief priests and the elders,

saying, "I have sinned by betraying innocent blood!" But they said, "What is that to us? You take care of it yourself!"

For this reason that field has been called the "Field of Blood" to this day.

But he did not answer even one accusation, so that the governor was quite amazed.

At that time they had in custody a notorious prisoner named Jesus Barabbas.

(For he knew that they had handed him over because of envy.)

As he was sitting on the judgment seat, his wife sent a message to him: "Have nothing to do with that innocent man; I have suffered greatly as a result of a dream about him today."

When Pilate saw that he could do nothing, but that instead a riot was starting, he took some water, washed his hands before the crowd and said, "I am innocent of this man's blood. You take care of it yourselves!"

At about three o'clock Jesus shouted with a loud voice, "Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?" that is, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?"

He went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. Then Pilate ordered that it be given to him.

and placed it in his own new tomb that he had cut in the rock. Then he rolled a great stone across the entrance of the tomb and went away.

and said, "Sir, we remember that while that deceiver was still alive he said, 'After three days I will rise again.'

But the angel said to the women, "Do not be afraid; I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified.

While they were going, some of the guard went into the city and told the chief priests everything that had happened.

They were all amazed so that they asked each other, "What is this? A new teaching with authority! He even commands the unclean spirits and they obey him."

He replied, "Let us go elsewhere, into the surrounding villages, so that I can preach there too. For that is what I came out here to do."

He told him, "See that you do not say anything to anyone, but go, show yourself to a priest, and bring the offering that Moses commanded for your cleansing, as a testimony to them."

But as the man went out he began to announce it publicly and spread the story widely, so that Jesus was no longer able to enter any town openly but stayed outside in remote places. Still they kept coming to him from everywhere.

Now after some days, when he returned to Capernaum, the news spread that he was at home.

So many gathered that there was no longer any room, not even by the door, and he preached the word to them.

Now immediately, when Jesus realized in his spirit that they were contemplating such thoughts, he said to them, "Why are you thinking such things in your hearts?

But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins," -- he said to the paralytic --