And Jesus, knowing of the discussion that was occupying their thoughts, took hold of a little child, and placed it beside him,

"None of you must prevent him," Jesus said to John; "he who is not against you is for you."

As the days before his being taken up to Heaven were growing few, Jesus set his face resolutely in the direction of Jerusalem; and he sent on messengers in advance.

But Jesus turned and rebuked them.

And, while they were on their way, a man said to Jesus: "I will follow you wherever you go."

To another man Jesus said: "Follow me." "Let me first go and bury my father," said the man.

But Jesus said: "Leave the dead to bury their dead; but go yourself and carry far and wide the news of the Kingdom of God."

But Jesus answered: "No one who looks back, after putting his hand to the plough, is fitted for the Kingdom of God."

And Jesus replied: "I have had visions of Satan, fallen, like lightning from the heavens.

At that same time, moved to exultation by the Holy Spirit, Jesus said: "I thank thee, Father, Lord of Heaven and earth, that, though thou hast hidden these things from the wise and learned, thou hast revealed them to the childlike! Yes, Father, I thank thee that this has seemed good to thee.

Then, turning to his disciples, Jesus said to them alone: "Blessed are the eyes that see what you are seeing;

Just then a Student of the Law came forward to test Jesus further. "Teacher," he said, "what must I do if I am to 'gain Immortal Life'?"

"What is said in the Law?" answered Jesus. "What do you read there?"

"You have answered right," said Jesus; "do that, and you shall live."

But the man, wanting to justify himself, said to Jesus: "And who is my neighbor?"

To which Jesus replied: "A man was once going down from Jerusalem to Jericho when he fell into the hands of robbers, who stripped him of everything, and beat him, and went away leaving him half dead.

Now which, do you think, of these three men," asked Jesus, "proved himself a neighbor to the man who fell into the robbers' hands?"

"The one that took pity on him," was the answer; on which Jesus said: "Go and do the same yourself."

As they continued their journey, Jesus came to a village, where a woman named Martha welcomed him to her house.

But Martha was distracted by the many preparations that she was making. So she went up to Jesus and said: "Master, do you approve of my sister's leaving me to make preparations alone? Tell her to help me."

One day Jesus was at a certain place praying, and, when he had finished, one of his disciples said to him: "Master, teach us to pray, as John taught his disciples."

"When you pray," Jesus answered, "say--'Father, May thy named be held holy, thy Kingdom come.

Jesus also said to them: "Suppose that one of you who has a friend were to go to him in the middle of the night and say 'Friend, lend me three loaves,

Once Jesus was driving out a dumb demon, and, when the demon had gone out, the dumb man spoke. The people were amazed at this;

Jesus himself, however, was aware of what they were thinking, and said to them: "Any kingdom wholly divided against itself becomes a desolation; and a divided house falls.

As Jesus was saying this, a woman in the crowd, raising her voice, exclaimed: "Happy was the mother who bore you and nursed you!"

But Jesus replied: "Rather, happy are those who listen to God's Message and keep it."

As the crowds increased, Jesus began to speak: "This generation is a wicked generation. It is asking a sign, but no sign shall be given it except the sign of Jonah.

As Jesus finished speaking, a Pharisee asked him to breakfast with him, and Jesus went in and took his place at table.

The Pharisee noticed, to his astonishment, that Jesus omitted the ceremonial washing before breakfast.

But Jesus went on: "Alas for you, too, you Students of the Law! You load men with loads that are too heavy to carry, but do not, yourselves, touch them with one of your fingers.

When Jesus left the house, the Teachers of the Law and the Pharisees began to press him hard and question him closely upon many subjects,

Meanwhile the people had gathered in thousands, so that they trod upon one another, when Jesus, addressing himself to his disciples, began by saying to them: "Be on your guard against the leaven--that is, the hypocrisy--of the Pharisees.

"Teacher," a man in the crowd said to Jesus, "tell my brother to share the property with me."

But Jesus said to him: "Man, who made me a judge or an arbiter between you?"

Then Jesus told them this parable-- "There was once a rich man whose land was very fertile;

And Jesus said to his disciples: "That is why I say to you, Do not be anxious about the life here--what you can get to eat; nor yet about your body--what you can get to wear.

And to the people Jesus said: "When you see a cloud rising in the west, you say at once 'There is a storm coming,' and come it does.

Just at that time some people had come to tell Jesus about the Galileans, whose blood Pilate had mingled with the blood of their sacrifices.

"Do you suppose," replied Jesus, "that, because these Galileans have suffered in this way, they were worse sinners than any other Galileans?

And Jesus told them this parable-- "A man, who had a fig tree growing in his vineyard, came to look for fruit on it, but could not find any.

Jesus was teaching on a Sabbath in one of the Synagogues,

When Jesus saw her, he called her to him, and said: "Woman, you are released from your weakness."

But the President of the Synagogue, indignant that Jesus had worked the cure on the Sabbath, interposed and said to the people: "There are six days on which work ought to be done; come to be cured on one of those, and not on the Sabbath."

So Jesus said: "What is the Kingdom of God like? and to what can I liken it?

And again Jesus said: "To what can I liken the Kingdom of God?

Jesus went through towns and villages, teaching as he went, and making his way towards Jerusalem.

"Master," some one asked, "are there but few in the path of Salvation?" And Jesus answered:

Just then some Pharisees came up to Jesus and said: "Go away and leave this place, for Herod wants to kill you."

But Jesus answered: "Go and say to that fox 'Look you, I am driving out demons and shall be completing cures to-day and to- morrow, and on the third day I shall have done.'

On one occasion, as Jesus was going, on a Sabbath into the house of one of the leading Pharisees to dine, they were watching him closely.

"Is it allowable," said Jesus, addressing the Students of the Law and the Pharisees, "to work a cure on the Sabbath, or is it not?"

They remained silent. Jesus took hold of the man and cured him, and sent him away.

Observing that the guests were choosing the best places for themselves, Jesus told them this parable--

Then Jesus went on to say to the man who had invited him: "When you give a breakfast or a dinner, do not ask your friends, or your brothers, or your relations, or rich neighbors, for fear that they should invite you in return, and so you should be repaid.

But Jesus said to him: "A man was once giving a great dinner. He invited many people,

One day, when great crowds of people were walking with Jesus, he turned and said to them:

The tax-gatherers and the outcasts were all drawing near to Jesus to listen to him;

So Jesus told them this parable--

Then Jesus continued: "A man had two sons;

Jesus said to his disciples: "There was a rich man who had a steward; and this steward was maliciously accused to him of wasting his estate.

All this was said within hearing of the Pharisees, who were lovers of money, and they began to sneer at Jesus.

"You," said Jesus, "are the men who justify themselves before the world, but God can read your hearts; and what is highly esteemed among men may be an abomination in the sight of God.

Jesus said to his disciples: "It is inevitable that there should be snares; yet alas for him who is answerable for them!

On the way to Jerusalem Jesus passed between Samaria and Galilee.

Standing still, some distance off, they called out loudly: "Jesus! Sir! pity us!"

When Jesus saw them, he said: "Go and show yourselves to the priest." And, as they were on their way, they were made clean.

And threw himself on his face at Jesus' feet, thanking him for what he had done; and this man was a Samaritan.

"Were not all the ten made clean? exclaimed Jesus. But the nine--where are they?

Being once asked by the Pharisees when the Kingdom of God was to come, Jesus answered: "The Kingdom of God does not come in a way that admits of observation,

"Where will it be, Master?" interposed the disciples. "Where there is a body," said Jesus, "'there will the vultures flock.'"

Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and never despair.

Another time, speaking to people who were satisfied that they were religious, and who regarded every one else with scorn, Jesus told this parable--

Some of the people were bringing even their babies to Jesus, for him to touch them; but, when the disciples saw it, they began to find fault with those who had brought them.

Jesus, however, called the little children to him. "Let the little children come to me," he said, "and do not hinder them; for it is to the childlike that the Kingdom of God belongs.

And one of the Presidents asked Jesus this question--"Good Teacher, what must I do if I am to gain Immortal Life?"

"Why do you call me good?" answered Jesus. "No one is good but God.

Hearing this, Jesus said to him: "There is one thing still lacking in you; sell everything that you have, and distribute to the poor, and you shall have wealth in Heaven; then come and follow me."

Seeing this, Jesus said to his disciples: "How hard it is for men of wealth to enter the Kingdom of God!

But Jesus said: "What is impossible with men is possible with God."

Gathering the Twelve round him, Jesus said to them: "Listen! We are going up to Jerusalem; and there everything that is written in the Prophets will be done to the Son of Man.

As Jesus was getting near Jericho, a blind man was sitting by the road-side, begging.

And, when people told him that Jesus of Nazareth was passing,

He shouted out: "Jesus, Son of David, take pity on me!"

Then Jesus stopped and ordered the man to be brought to him. And, when he had come close up to him, Jesus asked him:

And Jesus said: "Recover your sight, your faith has delivered you."

Instantly he recovered his sight, and began to follow Jesus, praising God. And all the people, on seeing it, gave glory to God.

Jesus entered Jericho and made his way through the town.

He tried to see what Jesus was like; but, being short, he was unable to do so because of the crowd.

So he ran on ahead and climbed into a mulberry tree, to see Jesus, for he knew that he must pass that way.

When Jesus came to the place, he looked up and said to him: "Zacchaeus, be quick and come down, for I must stop at your house to-day."

"Salvation has come to this house to-day," answered Jesus, "for even this man is a son of Abraham.

As the people were listening to this, Jesus went on to tell them a parable. He did so because he was near Jerusalem, and because they thought that the Kingdom of God was going to be proclaimed at once.

After saying this, Jesus went on in front, going up to Jerusalem.

It was when Jesus had almost reached Bethphage and Bethany, near the Mount of Olives, that he sent on two of the disciples.

So the two who were sent went and found it as Jesus had told them.

Then they led it back to Jesus, and threw their cloaks on the foal and put Jesus upon it.

But Jesus answered: "I tell you that if these men are silent, the very stones will call out."

Jesus went into the Temple Courts and began to drive out those who were selling,

Jesus continued to teach each day in the Temple Courts; but the Chief Priests and Teachers of the Law were eager to take his life, and so also were the leading men.