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.

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

They answered, "Some say John the Baptist, others Elijah, and still others one of the ancient prophets who has come back to life."

He asked them, "But who do you say I am?" "God's Messiah," Peter replied.

I tell you with certainty, some people who are standing here won't experience death until they see the kingdom of God."

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

Then he told them, "Whoever welcomes this little child in my name welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me, because the one who is least among all of you is the one who is greatest."

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

The person who listens to you listens to me, and the person who rejects you rejects me. The person who rejects me rejects the one who sent me."

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."

But the man wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, "And who is my neighbor?"

"Of these three men, who do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of the bandits?"

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

She had a sister named Mary, who sat down at the Lord's feet and kept listening to what he was saying.

and forgive us our sins, as we forgive everyone who sins against us. And never bring us into temptation.'"

because everyone who keeps asking will receive, and the person who keeps searching will find, and the person who keeps knocking will have the door opened.

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!"

Jesus was driving a demon out of a man who was unable to talk. When the demon had gone out, the man began to speak, and the crowds were amazed.

If I drive out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your own followers drive them out? That is why they will be your judges!

"The person who isn't with me is against me, and the person who doesn't gather with me scatters."

But he said, "Instead, how blessed are those who hear God's word and obey it!"

"No one lights a lamp and puts it in a hiding place or under a basket, but on a lamp stand, so that those who enter may see its light.

You fools! The one who made the outside made the inside, too, didn't he?

How terrible it will be for you! You build monuments for the prophets, and it was your ancestors who killed them!

So you are witnesses and approve of the deeds of your ancestors, because they killed those for whom you are building monuments.

from the blood of Abel to the blood of Zechariah, who died between the altar and the sanctuary. Yes, I tell you, it will be charged against this generation!

How terrible it will be for you experts in the Law! You have taken away the key to knowledge. You didn't go in yourselves, and you kept out those who were trying to go in."

"But I tell you, my friends, never be afraid of those who kill the body and after that can't do anything more.

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!

"But I tell you, the Son of Man will acknowledge before God's angels everyone who acknowledges me before people.

Everyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but the person who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit won't be forgiven.

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?'

That's how it is with the person who stores up treasures for himself rather than with God."

Now if that's the way God clothes the grass in the field, which is alive today and thrown into an oven tomorrow, how much more will he clothe you you who have little faith?

because it is the unbelievers who are concerned about all these things. Surely your Father knows that you need them!

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.

The Lord said, "Who, then, is the faithful and careful servant manager whom his master will put in charge of giving all his other servants their share of food at the right time?

How blessed is that servant whom his master finds doing this when he comes!

That servant who knew what his master wanted but didn't prepare himself or do what was wanted will receive a severe beating.

But the servant who did things that deserved a beating without knowing it will receive a light beating. Much will be required from everyone to whom much has been given. But even more will be demanded from the one to whom much has been entrusted."

At that time, some people who were there told Jesus about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mixed with their sacrifices.

What about those eighteen people who were killed when the tower at Siloam fell on them? Do you think they were worse offenders than all the other people living in Jerusalem?

A woman was there who had a spirit that had disabled her for eighteen years. She was hunched over and completely unable to stand up straight.

Shouldn't this woman, a descendant of Abraham whom Satan has kept bound for eighteen long years, be set free from this bondage on the Sabbath day?"

But he will tell you, "I don't know where you come from. Get away from me, all you who practice evil!'

You see, some who are last will be first, and some who are first will be last.

O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills the prophets and stones to death those who have been sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you people were unwilling!

Look! Your house is left vacant to you. I tell you, you will not see me again until you say, "How blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord!'"

Then the host who invited both of you would come to you and say, "Give this person your place.' In disgrace, you would have to take the place of least honor.

But when you are invited, go and sit down at the place of least honor. Then, when your host comes, he will tell you, "Friend, move up higher,' and you will be honored in the presence of everyone who eats with you.

Because everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the person who humbles himself will be exalted."

Then he told the man who had invited him, "When you give a luncheon or a dinner, stop inviting only your friends, brothers, relatives, or rich neighbors. Otherwise, they may invite you in return and you would be repaid.

Now one of those eating with him heard this and told him, "How blessed is the person who will eat in the kingdom of God!"

When it was time for the banquet, he sent his servant to tell those who were invited, "Come! Everything is now ready.'

Because I tell all of you, none of those men who were invited will taste anything at my banquet.'"

Otherwise, if he lays a foundation and can't finish the building, everyone who watches will begin to ridicule him

It's suitable neither for the soil nor for the manure pile. People throw it away. Let the person who has ears to hear, listen!"

In the same way, I tell you that there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over 99 righteous people who don't need to repent."

In the same way, I tell you that there is joy in the presence of God's angels over one sinner who repents."

So he went out to work for one of the citizens of that country, who sent him into his fields to feed pigs.

Now Jesus was saying to the disciples, "A rich man had a servant manager who was accused of wasting his assets.

So if you haven't been faithful with unrighteous wealth, who will trust you with true wealth?

And if you haven't been faithful with what belongs to foreigners, who will give you what is your own?

Now the Pharisees, who love money, had been listening to all this and began to ridicule Jesus.

Any man who divorces his wife and marries another woman commits adultery, and the man who marries a woman divorced from her husband commits adultery."

"Once there was a rich man who used to dress in purple and fine linen and live in great luxury every day.

A beggar named Lazarus, who was covered with sores, was brought to his gate.

Besides all this, a wide chasm has been fixed between us, so that those who want to cross from this side to you cannot do so, nor can they cross from your side to us.'

Jesus told his disciples, "It is inevitable that temptations to sin will come, but how terrible it will be for the person through whom they come!

"The person who is on the housetop that day must not come down to get his belongings out of his house. The person in the field, too, must not turn back to what's left behind.

He said, "In a city there was a judge who didn't fear God or respect people.

In that city there was also a widow who kept coming to him and saying, "Grant me justice against my adversary.'

Jesus also told this parable to some people who trusted in themselves, thinking they were righteous, but who looked down on everyone else:

I tell you, this man, rather than the other one, went down to his home justified, because everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the person who humbles himself will be exalted."

Those who were listening to Jesus asked, "Then who can be saved?"

Jesus told them, "I tell all of you with certainty, there is no one who has left his home, wife, brothers, parents, or children because of the kingdom of God

who will not receive many times as much in this world, as well as eternal life in the age to come."

He was trying to see who Jesus was, but he couldn't do so due to the crowd, since he was a short man.

So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore tree to see Jesus, who was going to pass that way.

But all the people who saw this began to complain: "Jesus is going to be the guest of a notorious sinner!"

"After he was appointed king, the prince came back. He ordered the servants to whom he had given the money to be called so he could find out what they had earned by investing.

"So the king told those standing nearby, "Take the coin away from him and give it to the man who has the ten coins.'

"I tell you, to everyone who has something, more will be given, but from the person who has nothing, even what he has will be taken away.

But as for these enemies of mine who didn't want me to be their king bring them here and slaughter them in my presence!'"

So those who were sent went off and found it as Jesus had told them.

They said, "How blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven, and glory in the highest heaven!"

They will level you to the ground you and those who live within your city limits. They will not leave one stone on another within your walls, because you didn't recognize the time when you were visited."

Then Jesus went into the Temple and began to throw out those who were selling things.

and asked him, "Tell us: By what authority are you doing these things, and who gave you this authority?"

"Then the owner of the vineyard said, "What should I do? I'll send my son whom I love. Maybe they'll respect him.'

He will come and destroy those farmers and give the vineyard to others." Those who heard him said, "That must never happen!"

Everyone who falls on that stone will be broken to pieces, and it will crush anyone on whom it falls."

So they watched him closely and sent spies who pretended to be honest men in order to trap him in what he would say. They wanted to hand him over to the jurisdiction of the governor,

Now some Sadducees, who claim there is no resurrection, came to Jesus

Jesus told them, "Those who belong to this age marry and are married,

but those who are considered worthy of a place in that age and in the resurrection from the dead neither marry nor are given in marriage.

"How terrible it will be for those women who are pregnant or who are nursing babies in those days! because there will be great distress in the land and wrath against this people.

like a trap, because it will come on everyone who lives on the face of the earth.