Matthew 13 — GNB — Biblija.net

The Parable of the Wedding Feast

Jesus Warns against the Teachers of the Law and the Pharisees

(Mark 12.38, 39; Luke 11.43, 46; 20.45, 46)

¹ That same day Jesus left the house and went to the lakeside, where he sat down to teach. ² The crowd that gathered around him was so large that he got into a boat and sat in it, while the crowd stood on the shore. ³ He used parables to tell them many things. “Once there was a man who went out to sow grain. ⁴ As he scattered the seed in the field, some of it fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up.

The Yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees

⁵ Some of it fell on rocky ground, where there was little soil. The seeds soon sprouted, because the soil wasn't deep. ^*

Temptations to Sin

⁶ But when the sun came up, it burned the young plants; and because the roots had not grown deep enough, the plants soon dried up. ⁷ Some of the seed fell among thorn bushes, which grew up and choked the plants. ⁸ But some seeds fell in good soil, and the plants bore grain: some had one hundred grains, others sixty, and others thirty.” ⁹ And Jesus concluded, “Listen, then, if you have ears!”

The Purpose of the Parables

The Things That Make a Person Unclean

The Parable of the Lost Sheep

¹⁰ Then the disciples came to Jesus and asked him, “Why do you use parables when you talk to the people?” ¹¹ Jesus answered, “The knowledge about the secrets of the Kingdom of heaven has been given to you, but not to them.

Jesus Goes to the Temple

¹² For the person who has something will be given more, so that he will have more than enough; but the person who has nothing will have taken away from him even the little he has.

Jesus Feeds Five Thousand

Peter's Declaration about Jesus

Jesus Blesses Little Children

Jesus Condemns Their Hypocrisy

(Mark 12.40; Luke 11.39-42, 44, 52; 20.47)

¹³ The reason I use parables in talking to them is that they look, but do not see, and they listen, but do not hear or understand. ^*

Jesus Heals a Boy with a Demon

¹⁴ So the prophecy of Isaiah applies to them:
‘This people will listen and listen, but not understand;
they will look and look, but not see,

When Someone Sins

The Question about Paying Taxes

¹⁵ because their minds are dull,
and they have stopped up their ears
and have closed their eyes.
Otherwise, their eyes would see,
their ears would hear,
their minds would understand,
and they would turn to me, says God,
and I would heal them.’

The Rich Young Man

¹⁶ “As for you, how fortunate you are! Your eyes see and your ears hear.

Jesus Speaks a Third Time about His Death

¹⁷ I assure you that many prophets and many of God's people wanted very much to see what you see, but they could not, and to hear what you hear, but they did not.

Jesus Explains the Parable of the Sower

Prohibiting and Permitting

Jesus Curses the Fig Tree

(Mark 11.12-14, 20-24)

¹⁸ “Listen, then, and learn what the parable of the sower means. ¹⁹ Those who hear the message about the Kingdom but do not understand it are like the seeds that fell along the path. The Evil One comes and snatches away what was sown in them.

A Mother's Request

²⁰ The seeds that fell on rocky ground stand for those who receive the message gladly as soon as they hear it.

A Woman's Faith

Jesus Speaks about His Suffering and Death

(Mark 8.31—9.1; Luke 9.22-27)

The Parable of the Unforgiving Servant

²¹ But it does not sink deep into them, and they don't last long. So when trouble or persecution comes because of the message, they give up at once.

Jesus Walks on the Water

Jesus Speaks Again about His Death

²² The seeds that fell among thorn bushes stand for those who hear the message; but the worries about this life and the love for riches choke the message, and they don't bear fruit.

The Question about Jesus' Authority

The Question about Rising from Death

²³ And the seeds sown in the good soil stand for those who hear the message and understand it: they bear fruit, some as much as one hundred, others sixty, and others thirty.”

The Parable of the Weeds

Payment of the Temple Tax

²⁴ Jesus told them another parable: “The Kingdom of heaven is like this. A man sowed good seed in his field. ²⁵ One night, when everyone was asleep, an enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat and went away. ²⁶ When the plants grew and the heads of grain began to form, then the weeds showed up. ²⁷ The man's servants came to him and said, ‘Sir, it was good seed you sowed in your field; where did the weeds come from?’

The Parable of the Two Sons

²⁸ ‘It was some enemy who did this,’ he answered. ‘Do you want us to go and pull up the weeds?’ they asked him.

Jesus Heals Many People

Jesus Heals Two Blind Men

Jesus Predicts Their Punishment

²⁹ ‘No,’ he answered, ‘because as you gather the weeds you might pull up some of the wheat along with them. ³⁰ Let the wheat and the weeds both grow together until harvest. Then I will tell the harvest workers to pull up the weeds first, tie them in bundles and burn them, and then to gather in the wheat and put it in my barn.’”

The Parable of the Mustard Seed

³¹ Jesus told them another parable: “The Kingdom of heaven is like this. A man takes a mustard seed and sows it in his field.

Jesus Feeds Four Thousand

³² It is the smallest of all seeds, but when it grows up, it is the biggest of all plants. It becomes a tree, so that birds come and make their nests in its branches.”

The Parable of the Yeast

(Luke 13.20, 21)

The Parable of the Tenants in the Vineyard

³³ Jesus told them still another parable: “The Kingdom of heaven is like this. A woman takes some yeast and mixes it with a bushel of flour until the whole batch of dough rises.”

Jesus' Use of Parables

(Mark 4.33, 34)

Jesus Heals the Sick in Gennesaret

The Great Commandment

³⁴ Jesus used parables to tell all these things to the crowds; he would not say a thing to them without using a parable. ³⁵ He did this to make come true what the prophet had said,
“I will use parables when I speak to them;
I will tell them things unknown since the creation of the world.”

Jesus Explains the Parable of the Weeds

³⁶ When Jesus had left the crowd and gone indoors, his disciples came to him and said, “Tell us what the parable about the weeds in the field means.”

Jesus' Love for Jerusalem

(Luke 13.34, 35)

³⁷ Jesus answered, “The man who sowed the good seed is the Son of Man; ³⁸ the field is the world; the good seed is the people who belong to the Kingdom; the weeds are the people who belong to the Evil One; ³⁹ and the enemy who sowed the weeds is the Devil. The harvest is the end of the age, and the harvest workers are angels. ⁴⁰ Just as the weeds are gathered up and burned in the fire, so the same thing will happen at the end of the age:

The Question about the Messiah

(Mark 12.35-37; Luke 20.41-44)

⁴¹ the Son of Man will send out his angels to gather up out of his Kingdom all those who cause people to sin and all others who do evil things, ⁴² and they will throw them into the fiery furnace, where they will cry and gnash their teeth. ⁴³ Then God's people will shine like the sun in their Father's Kingdom. Listen, then, if you have ears!

The Parable of the Hidden Treasure

⁴⁴ “The Kingdom of heaven is like this. A man happens to find a treasure hidden in a field. He covers it up again, and is so happy that he goes and sells everything he has, and then goes back and buys that field.

The Parable of the Pearl

⁴⁵ “Also, the Kingdom of heaven is like this. A man is looking for fine pearls, ⁴⁶ and when he finds one that is unusually fine, he goes and sells everything he has, and buys that pearl.

The Parable of the Net

⁴⁷ “Also, the Kingdom of heaven is like this. Some fishermen throw their net out in the lake and catch all kinds of fish. ⁴⁸ When the net is full, they pull it to shore and sit down to divide the fish: the good ones go into the buckets, the worthless ones are thrown away. ⁴⁹ It will be like this at the end of the age: the angels will go out and gather up the evil people from among the good ⁵⁰ and will throw them into the fiery furnace, where they will cry and gnash their teeth.

New Truths and Old

⁵¹ “Do you understand these things?” Jesus asked them. “Yes,” they answered. ⁵² So he replied, “This means, then, that every teacher of the Law who becomes a disciple in the Kingdom of heaven is like a homeowner who takes new and old things out of his storage room.”

Jesus Is Rejected at Nazareth

(Mark 6.1-6; Luke 4.16-30)

⁵³ When Jesus finished telling these parables, he left that place ⁵⁴ and went back to his hometown. He taught in the synagogue, and those who heard him were amazed. “Where did he get such wisdom?” they asked. “And what about his miracles? ⁵⁵ Isn't he the carpenter's son? Isn't Mary his mother, and aren't James, Joseph, Simon, and Judas his brothers? ⁵⁶ Aren't all his sisters living here? Where did he get all this?” ⁵⁷ And so they rejected him. Jesus said to them, “A prophet is respected everywhere except in his hometown and by his own family.” ⁵⁸ Because they did not have faith, he did not perform many miracles there.

The Parable of the Sower

The Death of John the Baptist

The Teaching of the Ancestors

The Demand for a Miracle

The Transfiguration

Who Is the Greatest?

Jesus Teaches about Divorce

The Workers in the Vineyard

The Triumphant Entry into Jerusalem

The Parable of the Wedding Feast

Jesus Warns against the Teachers of the Law and the Pharisees

(Mark 12.38, 39; Luke 11.43, 46; 20.45, 46)

¹ At that time Herod, the ruler of Galilee, heard about Jesus. ² “He is really John the Baptist, who has come back to life,” he told his officials. “That is why he has this power to perform miracles.” ³ For Herod had earlier ordered John's arrest, and he had him tied up and put in prison. He had done this because of Herodias, his brother Philip's wife. ⁴ For some time John the Baptist had told Herod, “It isn't right for you to be married to Herodias!”

The Yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees

⁵ Herod wanted to kill him, but he was afraid of the Jewish people, because they considered John to be a prophet. ^*

Temptations to Sin

⁶ On Herod's birthday the daughter of Herodias danced in front of the whole group. Herod was so pleased ⁷ that he promised her, “I swear that I will give you anything you ask for!” ⁸ At her mother's suggestion she asked him, “Give me here and now the head of John the Baptist on a plate!” ⁹ The king was sad, but because of the promise he had made in front of all his guests he gave orders that her wish be granted.

The Purpose of the Parables

The Things That Make a Person Unclean

The Parable of the Lost Sheep

¹⁰ So he had John beheaded in prison. ¹¹ The head was brought in on a plate and given to the girl, who took it to her mother.

Jesus Goes to the Temple

¹² John's disciples came, carried away his body, and buried it; then they went and told Jesus.

Jesus Feeds Five Thousand

Peter's Declaration about Jesus

Jesus Blesses Little Children

Jesus Condemns Their Hypocrisy

(Mark 12.40; Luke 11.39-42, 44, 52; 20.47)

¹³ When Jesus heard the news about John, he left there in a boat and went to a lonely place by himself. The people heard about it, and so they left their towns and followed him by land. ^*

Jesus Heals a Boy with a Demon

¹⁴ Jesus got out of the boat, and when he saw the large crowd, his heart was filled with pity for them, and he healed their sick.

When Someone Sins

The Question about Paying Taxes

¹⁵ That evening his disciples came to him and said, “It is already very late, and this is a lonely place. Send the people away and let them go to the villages to buy food for themselves.”

The Rich Young Man

¹⁶ “They don't have to leave,” answered Jesus. “You yourselves give them something to eat!”

Jesus Speaks a Third Time about His Death

¹⁷ “All we have here are five loaves and two fish,” they replied.

Jesus Explains the Parable of the Sower

Prohibiting and Permitting

Jesus Curses the Fig Tree

(Mark 11.12-14, 20-24)

¹⁸ “Then bring them here to me,” Jesus said. ¹⁹ He ordered the people to sit down on the grass; then he took the five loaves and the two fish, looked up to heaven, and gave thanks to God. He broke the loaves and gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the people.

A Mother's Request

²⁰ Everyone ate and had enough. Then the disciples took up twelve baskets full of what was left over.

A Woman's Faith

Jesus Speaks about His Suffering and Death

(Mark 8.31—9.1; Luke 9.22-27)

The Parable of the Unforgiving Servant

²¹ The number of men who ate was about five thousand, not counting the women and children.

Jesus Walks on the Water

Jesus Speaks Again about His Death

²² Then Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead to the other side of the lake, while he sent the people away.

The Question about Jesus' Authority

The Question about Rising from Death

²³ After sending the people away, he went up a hill by himself to pray. When evening came, Jesus was there alone;

The Parable of the Weeds

Payment of the Temple Tax

²⁴ and by this time the boat was far out in the lake, tossed about by the waves, because the wind was blowing against it. ²⁵ Between three and six o'clock in the morning Jesus came to the disciples, walking on the water. ²⁶ When they saw him walking on the water, they were terrified. “It's a ghost!” they said, and screamed with fear. ²⁷ Jesus spoke to them at once. “Courage!” he said. “It is I. Don't be afraid!”

The Parable of the Two Sons

²⁸ Then Peter spoke up. “Lord, if it is really you, order me to come out on the water to you.”

Jesus Heals Many People

Jesus Heals Two Blind Men

Jesus Predicts Their Punishment

²⁹ “Come!” answered Jesus. So Peter got out of the boat and started walking on the water to Jesus. ³⁰ But when he noticed the strong wind, he was afraid and started to sink down in the water. “Save me, Lord!” he cried.

The Parable of the Mustard Seed

³¹ At once Jesus reached out and grabbed hold of him and said, “What little faith you have! Why did you doubt?”

Jesus Feeds Four Thousand

³² They both got into the boat, and the wind died down.

The Parable of the Yeast

(Luke 13.20, 21)

The Parable of the Tenants in the Vineyard

³³ Then the disciples in the boat worshiped Jesus. “Truly you are the Son of God!” they exclaimed.

Jesus' Use of Parables

(Mark 4.33, 34)

Jesus Heals the Sick in Gennesaret

The Great Commandment

³⁴ They crossed the lake and came to land at Gennesaret, ³⁵ where the people recognized Jesus. So they sent for the sick people in all the surrounding country and brought them to Jesus.

Jesus Explains the Parable of the Weeds

³⁶ They begged him to let the sick at least touch the edge of his cloak; and all who touched it were made well.

The Parable of the Sower

The Death of John the Baptist

The Teaching of the Ancestors

The Demand for a Miracle

The Transfiguration

Who Is the Greatest?

Jesus Teaches about Divorce

The Workers in the Vineyard

The Triumphant Entry into Jerusalem

The Parable of the Wedding Feast

Jesus Warns against the Teachers of the Law and the Pharisees

(Mark 12.38, 39; Luke 11.43, 46; 20.45, 46)

¹ Then some Pharisees and teachers of the Law came from Jerusalem to Jesus and asked him, ² “Why is it that your disciples disobey the teaching handed down by our ancestors? They don't wash their hands in the proper way before they eat!” ³ Jesus answered, “And why do you disobey God's command and follow your own teaching? ⁴ For God said, ‘Respect your father and your mother,’ and ‘If you curse your father or your mother, you are to be put to death.’

The Yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees

⁵ But you teach that if people have something they could use to help their father or mother, but say, ‘This belongs to God,’ ^*

Temptations to Sin

⁶ they do not need to honor their father. In this way you disregard God's command, in order to follow your own teaching. ⁷ You hypocrites! How right Isaiah was when he prophesied about you!
⁸ ‘These people, says God, honor me with their words,
but their heart is really far away from me.
⁹ It is no use for them to worship me,
because they teach human rules as though they were my laws!’”

The Purpose of the Parables

The Things That Make a Person Unclean

The Parable of the Lost Sheep

¹⁰ Then Jesus called the crowd to him and said to them, “Listen and understand! ¹¹ It is not what goes into your mouth that makes you ritually unclean; rather, what comes out of it makes you unclean.”

Jesus Goes to the Temple

¹² Then the disciples came to him and said, “Do you know that the Pharisees had their feelings hurt by what you said?”

Jesus Feeds Five Thousand

Peter's Declaration about Jesus

Jesus Blesses Little Children

Jesus Condemns Their Hypocrisy

(Mark 12.40; Luke 11.39-42, 44, 52; 20.47)

¹³ “Every plant which my Father in heaven did not plant will be pulled up,” answered Jesus. ^*

Jesus Heals a Boy with a Demon

¹⁴ “Don't worry about them! They are blind leaders of the blind; and when one blind man leads another, both fall into a ditch.”

When Someone Sins

The Question about Paying Taxes

¹⁵ Peter spoke up, “Explain this saying to us.”

The Rich Young Man

¹⁶ Jesus said to them, “You are still no more intelligent than the others.

Jesus Speaks a Third Time about His Death

¹⁷ Don't you understand? Anything that goes into your mouth goes into your stomach and then on out of your body.

Jesus Explains the Parable of the Sower

Prohibiting and Permitting

Jesus Curses the Fig Tree

(Mark 11.12-14, 20-24)

¹⁸ But the things that come out of the mouth come from the heart, and these are the things that make you ritually unclean. ¹⁹ For from your heart come the evil ideas which lead you to kill, commit adultery, and do other immoral things; to rob, lie, and slander others.

A Mother's Request

²⁰ These are the things that make you unclean. But to eat without washing your hands as they say you should—this doesn't make you unclean.”

A Woman's Faith

Jesus Speaks about His Suffering and Death

(Mark 8.31—9.1; Luke 9.22-27)

The Parable of the Unforgiving Servant

²¹ Jesus left that place and went off to the territory near the cities of Tyre and Sidon.

Jesus Walks on the Water

Jesus Speaks Again about His Death

²² A Canaanite woman who lived in that region came to him. “Son of David!” she cried out. “Have mercy on me, sir! My daughter has a demon and is in a terrible condition.”

The Question about Jesus' Authority

The Question about Rising from Death

²³ But Jesus did not say a word to her. His disciples came to him and begged him, “Send her away! She is following us and making all this noise!”

The Parable of the Weeds

Payment of the Temple Tax

²⁴ Then Jesus replied, “I have been sent only to the lost sheep of the people of Israel.” ²⁵ At this the woman came and fell at his feet. “Help me, sir!” she said. ²⁶ Jesus answered, “It isn't right to take the children's food and throw it to the dogs.” ²⁷ “That's true, sir,” she answered, “but even the dogs eat the leftovers that fall from their masters' table.”

The Parable of the Two Sons

²⁸ So Jesus answered her, “You are a woman of great faith! What you want will be done for you.” And at that very moment her daughter was healed.

Jesus Heals Many People

Jesus Heals Two Blind Men

Jesus Predicts Their Punishment

²⁹ Jesus left there and went along by Lake Galilee. He climbed a hill and sat down. ³⁰ Large crowds came to him, bringing with them the lame, the blind, the crippled, the dumb, and many other sick people, whom they placed at Jesus' feet; and he healed them.

The Parable of the Mustard Seed

³¹ The people were amazed as they saw the dumb speaking, the crippled made whole, the lame walking, and the blind seeing; and they praised the God of Israel.

Jesus Feeds Four Thousand

³² Jesus called his disciples to him and said, “I feel sorry for these people, because they have been with me for three days and now have nothing to eat. I don't want to send them away without feeding them, for they might faint on their way home.”

The Parable of the Yeast

(Luke 13.20, 21)

The Parable of the Tenants in the Vineyard

³³ The disciples asked him, “Where will we find enough food in this desert to feed this crowd?”

Jesus' Use of Parables

(Mark 4.33, 34)

Jesus Heals the Sick in Gennesaret

The Great Commandment

³⁴ “How much bread do you have?” Jesus asked. “Seven loaves,” they answered, “and a few small fish.” ³⁵ So Jesus ordered the crowd to sit down on the ground.

Jesus Explains the Parable of the Weeds

³⁶ Then he took the seven loaves and the fish, gave thanks to God, broke them, and gave them to the disciples; and the disciples gave them to the people.

Jesus' Love for Jerusalem

(Luke 13.34, 35)

³⁷ They all ate and had enough. Then the disciples took up seven baskets full of pieces left over. ³⁸ The number of men who ate was four thousand, not counting the women and children. ³⁹ Then Jesus sent the people away, got into a boat, and went to the territory of Magadan.

The Parable of the Sower

The Death of John the Baptist

The Teaching of the Ancestors

The Demand for a Miracle

The Transfiguration

Who Is the Greatest?

Jesus Teaches about Divorce

The Workers in the Vineyard

The Triumphant Entry into Jerusalem

The Parable of the Wedding Feast

Jesus Warns against the Teachers of the Law and the Pharisees

(Mark 12.38, 39; Luke 11.43, 46; 20.45, 46)

¹ Some Pharisees and Sadducees who came to Jesus wanted to trap him, so they asked him to perform a miracle for them, to show that God approved of him. ² But Jesus answered, “When the sun is setting, you say, ‘We are going to have fine weather, because the sky is red.’ ³ And early in the morning you say, ‘It is going to rain, because the sky is red and dark.’ You can predict the weather by looking at the sky, but you cannot interpret the signs concerning these times! ⁴ How evil and godless are the people of this day! You ask me for a miracle? No! The only miracle you will be given is the miracle of Jonah.” So he left them and went away.

The Yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees

⁵ When the disciples crossed over to the other side of the lake, they forgot to take any bread. ^*

Temptations to Sin

⁶ Jesus said to them, “Take care; be on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees.” ⁷ They started discussing among themselves, “He says this because we didn't bring any bread.” ⁸ Jesus knew what they were saying, so he asked them, “Why are you discussing among yourselves about not having any bread? What little faith you have! ⁹ Don't you understand yet? Don't you remember when I broke the five loaves for the five thousand men? How many baskets did you fill?

The Purpose of the Parables

The Things That Make a Person Unclean

The Parable of the Lost Sheep

¹⁰ And what about the seven loaves for the four thousand men? How many baskets did you fill? ¹¹ How is it that you don't understand that I was not talking to you about bread? Guard yourselves from the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees!”

Jesus Goes to the Temple

¹² Then the disciples understood that he was not warning them to guard themselves from the yeast used in bread but from the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees.

Jesus Feeds Five Thousand

Peter's Declaration about Jesus

Jesus Blesses Little Children

Jesus Condemns Their Hypocrisy

(Mark 12.40; Luke 11.39-42, 44, 52; 20.47)

¹³ Jesus went to the territory near the town of Caesarea Philippi, where he asked his disciples, “Who do people say the Son of Man is?” ^*

Jesus Heals a Boy with a Demon

¹⁴ “Some say John the Baptist,” they answered. “Others say Elijah, while others say Jeremiah or some other prophet.”

When Someone Sins

The Question about Paying Taxes

¹⁵ “What about you?” he asked them. “Who do you say I am?”

The Rich Young Man

¹⁶ Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.”

Jesus Speaks a Third Time about His Death

¹⁷ “Good for you, Simon son of John!” answered Jesus. “For this truth did not come to you from any human being, but it was given to you directly by my Father in heaven.

Jesus Explains the Parable of the Sower

Prohibiting and Permitting

Jesus Curses the Fig Tree

(Mark 11.12-14, 20-24)

¹⁸ And so I tell you, Peter: you are a rock, and on this rock foundation I will build my church, and not even death will ever be able to overcome it. ¹⁹ I will give you the keys of the Kingdom of heaven; what you prohibit on earth will be prohibited in heaven, and what you permit on earth will be permitted in heaven.”

A Mother's Request

²⁰ Then Jesus ordered his disciples not to tell anyone that he was the Messiah.

A Woman's Faith

Jesus Speaks about His Suffering and Death

(Mark 8.31—9.1; Luke 9.22-27)

The Parable of the Unforgiving Servant

²¹ From that time on Jesus began to say plainly to his disciples, “I must go to Jerusalem and suffer much from the elders, the chief priests, and the teachers of the Law. I will be put to death, but three days later I will be raised to life.”

Jesus Walks on the Water

Jesus Speaks Again about His Death

²² Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. “God forbid it, Lord!” he said. “That must never happen to you!”

The Question about Jesus' Authority

The Question about Rising from Death

²³ Jesus turned around and said to Peter, “Get away from me, Satan! You are an obstacle in my way, because these thoughts of yours don't come from God, but from human nature.”

The Parable of the Weeds

Payment of the Temple Tax

²⁴ Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If any of you want to come with me, you must forget yourself, carry your cross, and follow me. ²⁵ For if you want to save your own life, you will lose it; but if you lose your life for my sake, you will find it. ²⁶ Will you gain anything if you win the whole world but lose your life? Of course not! There is nothing you can give to regain your life. ²⁷ For the Son of Man is about to come in the glory of his Father with his angels, and then he will reward each one according to his deeds.

The Parable of the Two Sons

²⁸ I assure you that there are some here who will not die until they have seen the Son of Man come as King.”

The Parable of the Sower

The Death of John the Baptist

The Teaching of the Ancestors

The Demand for a Miracle

The Transfiguration

Who Is the Greatest?

Jesus Teaches about Divorce

The Workers in the Vineyard

The Triumphant Entry into Jerusalem

The Parable of the Wedding Feast

Jesus Warns against the Teachers of the Law and the Pharisees

(Mark 12.38, 39; Luke 11.43, 46; 20.45, 46)

¹ Six days later Jesus took with him Peter and the brothers James and John and led them up a high mountain where they were alone. ² As they looked on, a change came over Jesus: his face was shining like the sun, and his clothes were dazzling white. ³ Then the three disciples saw Moses and Elijah talking with Jesus. ⁴ So Peter spoke up and said to Jesus, “Lord, how good it is that we are here! If you wish, I will make three tents here, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.”

The Yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees

⁵ While he was talking, a shining cloud came over them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my own dear Son, with whom I am pleased—listen to him!” ^*

Temptations to Sin

⁶ When the disciples heard the voice, they were so terrified that they threw themselves face downward on the ground. ⁷ Jesus came to them and touched them. “Get up,” he said. “Don't be afraid!” ⁸ So they looked up and saw no one there but Jesus. ⁹ As they came down the mountain, Jesus ordered them, “Don't tell anyone about this vision you have seen until the Son of Man has been raised from death.”

The Purpose of the Parables

The Things That Make a Person Unclean

The Parable of the Lost Sheep

¹⁰ Then the disciples asked Jesus, “Why do the teachers of the Law say that Elijah has to come first?” ¹¹ “Elijah is indeed coming first,” answered Jesus, “and he will get everything ready.

Jesus Goes to the Temple

¹² But I tell you that Elijah has already come and people did not recognize him, but treated him just as they pleased. In the same way they will also mistreat the Son of Man.”

Jesus Feeds Five Thousand

Peter's Declaration about Jesus

Jesus Blesses Little Children

Jesus Condemns Their Hypocrisy

(Mark 12.40; Luke 11.39-42, 44, 52; 20.47)

¹³ Then the disciples understood that he was talking to them about John the Baptist. ^*

Jesus Heals a Boy with a Demon

¹⁴ When they returned to the crowd, a man came to Jesus, knelt before him,

When Someone Sins

The Question about Paying Taxes

¹⁵ and said, “Sir, have mercy on my son! He is an epileptic and has such terrible attacks that he often falls in the fire or into water.

The Rich Young Man

¹⁶ I brought him to your disciples, but they could not heal him.”

Jesus Speaks a Third Time about His Death

¹⁷ Jesus answered, “How unbelieving and wrong you people are! How long must I stay with you? How long do I have to put up with you? Bring the boy here to me!”

Jesus Explains the Parable of the Sower

Prohibiting and Permitting

Jesus Curses the Fig Tree

(Mark 11.12-14, 20-24)

¹⁸ Jesus gave a command to the demon, and it went out of the boy, and at that very moment he was healed. ¹⁹ Then the disciples came to Jesus in private and asked him, “Why couldn't we drive the demon out?”

A Mother's Request

²⁰ “It was because you do not have enough faith,” answered Jesus. “I assure you that if you have faith as big as a mustard seed, you can say to this hill, ‘Go from here to there!’ and it will go. You could do anything!”

Jesus Walks on the Water

Jesus Speaks Again about His Death

²² When the disciples all came together in Galilee, Jesus said to them, “The Son of Man is about to be handed over to those

The Question about Jesus' Authority

The Question about Rising from Death

²³ who will kill him; but three days later he will be raised to life.” The disciples became very sad.

The Parable of the Weeds

Payment of the Temple Tax

²⁴ When Jesus and his disciples came to Capernaum, the collectors of the Temple tax came to Peter and asked, “Does your teacher pay the Temple tax?” ²⁵ “Of course,” Peter answered. When Peter went into the house, Jesus spoke up first, “Simon, what is your opinion? Who pays duties or taxes to the kings of this world? The citizens of the country or the foreigners?” ²⁶ “The foreigners,” answered Peter. “Well, then,” replied Jesus, “that means that the citizens don't have to pay. ²⁷ But we don't want to offend these people. So go to the lake and drop in a line. Pull up the first fish you hook, and in its mouth you will find a coin worth enough for my Temple tax and yours. Take it and pay them our taxes.”

The Parable of the Sower

The Death of John the Baptist

The Teaching of the Ancestors

The Demand for a Miracle

The Transfiguration

Who Is the Greatest?

Jesus Teaches about Divorce

The Workers in the Vineyard

The Triumphant Entry into Jerusalem

The Parable of the Wedding Feast

Jesus Warns against the Teachers of the Law and the Pharisees

(Mark 12.38, 39; Luke 11.43, 46; 20.45, 46)

¹ At that time the disciples came to Jesus, asking, “Who is the greatest in the Kingdom of heaven?” ² So Jesus called a child to come and stand in front of them, ³ and said, “I assure you that unless you change and become like children, you will never enter the Kingdom of heaven. ⁴ The greatest in the Kingdom of heaven is the one who humbles himself and becomes like this child.

The Yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees

⁵ And whoever welcomes in my name one such child as this, welcomes me. ^*

Temptations to Sin

⁶ “If anyone should cause one of these little ones to lose his faith in me, it would be better for that person to have a large millstone tied around his neck and be drowned in the deep sea. ⁷ How terrible for the world that there are things that make people lose their faith! Such things will always happen—but how terrible for the one who causes them! ⁸ “If your hand or your foot makes you lose your faith, cut it off and throw it away! It is better for you to enter life without a hand or a foot than to keep both hands and both feet and be thrown into the eternal fire. ⁹ And if your eye makes you lose your faith, take it out and throw it away! It is better for you to enter life with only one eye than to keep both eyes and be thrown into the fire of hell.

The Purpose of the Parables

The Things That Make a Person Unclean

The Parable of the Lost Sheep

¹⁰ “See that you don't despise any of these little ones. Their angels in heaven, I tell you, are always in the presence of my Father in heaven.

Jesus Goes to the Temple

¹² “What do you think a man does who has one hundred sheep and one of them gets lost? He will leave the other ninety-nine grazing on the hillside and go and look for the lost sheep.

Jesus Feeds Five Thousand

Peter's Declaration about Jesus

Jesus Blesses Little Children

Jesus Condemns Their Hypocrisy

(Mark 12.40; Luke 11.39-42, 44, 52; 20.47)

¹³ When he finds it, I tell you, he feels far happier over this one sheep than over the ninety-nine that did not get lost. ^*

Jesus Heals a Boy with a Demon

¹⁴ In just the same way your Father in heaven does not want any of these little ones to be lost.

When Someone Sins

The Question about Paying Taxes

¹⁵ “If your brother sins against you, go to him and show him his fault. But do it privately, just between yourselves. If he listens to you, you have won your brother back.

The Rich Young Man

¹⁶ But if he will not listen to you, take one or two other persons with you, so that ‘every accusation may be upheld by the testimony of two or more witnesses,’ as the scripture says.

Jesus Speaks a Third Time about His Death

¹⁷ And if he will not listen to them, then tell the whole thing to the church. Finally, if he will not listen to the church, treat him as though he were a pagan or a tax collector.

Jesus Explains the Parable of the Sower

Prohibiting and Permitting

Jesus Curses the Fig Tree

(Mark 11.12-14, 20-24)

¹⁸ “And so I tell all of you: what you prohibit on earth will be prohibited in heaven, and what you permit on earth will be permitted in heaven. ¹⁹ “And I tell you more: whenever two of you on earth agree about anything you pray for, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven.

A Mother's Request

²⁰ For where two or three come together in my name, I am there with them.”

A Woman's Faith

Jesus Speaks about His Suffering and Death

(Mark 8.31—9.1; Luke 9.22-27)

The Parable of the Unforgiving Servant

²¹ Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, if my brother keeps on sinning against me, how many times do I have to forgive him? Seven times?”

Jesus Walks on the Water

Jesus Speaks Again about His Death

²² “No, not seven times,” answered Jesus, “but seventy times seven,

The Question about Jesus' Authority

The Question about Rising from Death

²³ because the Kingdom of heaven is like this. Once there was a king who decided to check on his servants' accounts.

The Parable of the Weeds

Payment of the Temple Tax

²⁴ He had just begun to do so when one of them was brought in who owed him millions of dollars. ²⁵ The servant did not have enough to pay his debt, so the king ordered him to be sold as a slave, with his wife and his children and all that he had, in order to pay the debt. ²⁶ The servant fell on his knees before the king. ‘Be patient with me,’ he begged, ‘and I will pay you everything!’ ²⁷ The king felt sorry for him, so he forgave him the debt and let him go.

The Parable of the Two Sons

²⁸ “Then the man went out and met one of his fellow servants who owed him a few dollars. He grabbed him and started choking him. ‘Pay back what you owe me!’ he said.

Jesus Heals Many People

Jesus Heals Two Blind Men

Jesus Predicts Their Punishment

²⁹ His fellow servant fell down and begged him, ‘Be patient with me, and I will pay you back!’ ³⁰ But he refused; instead, he had him thrown into jail until he should pay the debt.

The Parable of the Mustard Seed

³¹ When the other servants saw what had happened, they were very upset and went to the king and told him everything.

Jesus Feeds Four Thousand

³² So he called the servant in. ‘You worthless slave!’ he said. ‘I forgave you the whole amount you owed me, just because you asked me to.

The Parable of the Yeast

(Luke 13.20, 21)

The Parable of the Tenants in the Vineyard

³³ You should have had mercy on your fellow servant, just as I had mercy on you.’

Jesus' Use of Parables

(Mark 4.33, 34)

Jesus Heals the Sick in Gennesaret

The Great Commandment

³⁴ The king was very angry, and he sent the servant to jail to be punished until he should pay back the whole amount.” ³⁵ And Jesus concluded, “That is how my Father in heaven will treat every one of you unless you forgive your brother from your heart.”

The Parable of the Sower

The Death of John the Baptist

The Teaching of the Ancestors

The Demand for a Miracle

The Transfiguration

Who Is the Greatest?

Jesus Teaches about Divorce

The Workers in the Vineyard

The Triumphant Entry into Jerusalem

The Parable of the Wedding Feast

Jesus Warns against the Teachers of the Law and the Pharisees

(Mark 12.38, 39; Luke 11.43, 46; 20.45, 46)

¹ When Jesus finished saying these things, he left Galilee and went to the territory of Judea on the other side of the Jordan River. ² Large crowds followed him, and he healed them there. ³ Some Pharisees came to him and tried to trap him by asking, “Does our Law allow a man to divorce his wife for whatever reason he wishes?” ⁴ Jesus answered, “Haven't you read the scripture that says that in the beginning the Creator made people male and female?

The Yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees

⁵ And God said, ‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and unite with his wife, and the two will become one.’ ^*

Temptations to Sin

⁶ So they are no longer two, but one. No human being must separate, then, what God has joined together.” ⁷ The Pharisees asked him, “Why, then, did Moses give the law for a man to hand his wife a divorce notice and send her away?” ⁸ Jesus answered, “Moses gave you permission to divorce your wives because you are so hard to teach. But it was not like that at the time of creation. ⁹ I tell you, then, that any man who divorces his wife for any cause other than her unfaithfulness, commits adultery if he marries some other woman.”

The Purpose of the Parables

The Things That Make a Person Unclean

The Parable of the Lost Sheep

¹⁰ His disciples said to him, “If this is how it is between a man and his wife, it is better not to marry.” ¹¹ Jesus answered, “This teaching does not apply to everyone, but only to those to whom God has given it.

Jesus Goes to the Temple

¹² For there are different reasons why men cannot marry: some, because they were born that way; others, because men made them that way; and others do not marry for the sake of the Kingdom of heaven. Let him who can accept this teaching do so.”

Jesus Feeds Five Thousand

Peter's Declaration about Jesus

Jesus Blesses Little Children

Jesus Condemns Their Hypocrisy

(Mark 12.40; Luke 11.39-42, 44, 52; 20.47)

¹³ Some people brought children to Jesus for him to place his hands on them and to pray for them, but the disciples scolded the people. ^*

Jesus Heals a Boy with a Demon

¹⁴ Jesus said, “Let the children come to me and do not stop them, because the Kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.”

When Someone Sins

The Question about Paying Taxes

¹⁵ He placed his hands on them and then went away.

The Rich Young Man

¹⁶ Once a man came to Jesus. “Teacher,” he asked, “what good thing must I do to receive eternal life?”

Jesus Speaks a Third Time about His Death

¹⁷ “Why do you ask me concerning what is good?” answered Jesus. “There is only One who is good. Keep the commandments if you want to enter life.”

Jesus Explains the Parable of the Sower

Prohibiting and Permitting

Jesus Curses the Fig Tree

(Mark 11.12-14, 20-24)

¹⁸ “What commandments?” he asked. Jesus answered, “Do not commit murder; do not commit adultery; do not steal; do not accuse anyone falsely; ¹⁹ respect your father and your mother; and love your neighbor as you love yourself.”

A Mother's Request

²⁰ “I have obeyed all these commandments,” the young man replied. “What else do I need to do?”

A Woman's Faith

Jesus Speaks about His Suffering and Death

(Mark 8.31—9.1; Luke 9.22-27)

The Parable of the Unforgiving Servant

²¹ Jesus said to him, “If you want to be perfect, go and sell all you have and give the money to the poor, and you will have riches in heaven; then come and follow me.”

Jesus Walks on the Water

Jesus Speaks Again about His Death

²² When the young man heard this, he went away sad, because he was very rich.

The Question about Jesus' Authority

The Question about Rising from Death

²³ Jesus then said to his disciples, “I assure you: it will be very hard for rich people to enter the Kingdom of heaven.

The Parable of the Weeds

Payment of the Temple Tax

²⁴ I repeat: it is much harder for a rich person to enter the Kingdom of God than for a camel to go through the eye of a needle.” ²⁵ When the disciples heard this, they were completely amazed. “Who, then, can be saved?” they asked. ²⁶ Jesus looked straight at them and answered, “This is impossible for human beings, but for God everything is possible.” ²⁷ Then Peter spoke up. “Look,” he said, “we have left everything and followed you. What will we have?”

The Parable of the Two Sons

²⁸ Jesus said to them, “You can be sure that when the Son of Man sits on his glorious throne in the New Age, then you twelve followers of mine will also sit on thrones, to rule the twelve tribes of Israel.

Jesus Heals Many People

Jesus Heals Two Blind Men

Jesus Predicts Their Punishment

²⁹ And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or fields for my sake, will receive a hundred times more and will be given eternal life. ³⁰ But many who now are first will be last, and many who now are last will be first.

The Parable of the Sower

The Death of John the Baptist

The Teaching of the Ancestors

The Demand for a Miracle

The Transfiguration

Who Is the Greatest?

Jesus Teaches about Divorce

The Workers in the Vineyard

The Triumphant Entry into Jerusalem

The Parable of the Wedding Feast

Jesus Warns against the Teachers of the Law and the Pharisees

(Mark 12.38, 39; Luke 11.43, 46; 20.45, 46)

¹ “The Kingdom of heaven is like this. Once there was a man who went out early in the morning to hire some men to work in his vineyard. ² He agreed to pay them the regular wage, a silver coin a day, and sent them to work in his vineyard. ³ He went out again to the marketplace at nine o'clock and saw some men standing there doing nothing, ⁴ so he told them, ‘You also go and work in the vineyard, and I will pay you a fair wage.’

The Yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees

⁵ So they went. Then at twelve o'clock and again at three o'clock he did the same thing. ^*

Temptations to Sin

⁶ It was nearly five o'clock when he went to the marketplace and saw some other men still standing there. ‘Why are you wasting the whole day here doing nothing?’ he asked them. ⁷ ‘No one hired us,’ they answered. ‘Well, then, you go and work in the vineyard,’ he told them. ⁸ “When evening came, the owner told his foreman, ‘Call the workers and pay them their wages, starting with those who were hired last and ending with those who were hired first.’ ⁹ The men who had begun to work at five o'clock were paid a silver coin each.

The Purpose of the Parables

The Things That Make a Person Unclean

The Parable of the Lost Sheep

¹⁰ So when the men who were the first to be hired came to be paid, they thought they would get more; but they too were given a silver coin each. ¹¹ They took their money and started grumbling against the employer.

Jesus Goes to the Temple

¹² ‘These men who were hired last worked only one hour,’ they said, ‘while we put up with a whole day's work in the hot sun—yet you paid them the same as you paid us!’

Jesus Feeds Five Thousand

Peter's Declaration about Jesus

Jesus Blesses Little Children

Jesus Condemns Their Hypocrisy

(Mark 12.40; Luke 11.39-42, 44, 52; 20.47)

¹³ ‘Listen, friend,’ the owner answered one of them, ‘I have not cheated you. After all, you agreed to do a day's work for one silver coin. ^*

Jesus Heals a Boy with a Demon

¹⁴ Now take your pay and go home. I want to give this man who was hired last as much as I gave you.

When Someone Sins

The Question about Paying Taxes

¹⁵ Don't I have the right to do as I wish with my own money? Or are you jealous because I am generous?’”

The Rich Young Man

¹⁶ And Jesus concluded, “So those who are last will be first, and those who are first will be last.”

Jesus Speaks a Third Time about His Death

¹⁷ As Jesus was going up to Jerusalem, he took the twelve disciples aside and spoke to them privately, as they walked along.

Jesus Explains the Parable of the Sower

Prohibiting and Permitting

Jesus Curses the Fig Tree

(Mark 11.12-14, 20-24)

¹⁸ “Listen,” he told them, “we are going up to Jerusalem, where the Son of Man will be handed over to the chief priests and the teachers of the Law. They will condemn him to death ¹⁹ and then hand him over to the Gentiles, who will make fun of him, whip him, and crucify him; but three days later he will be raised to life.”

A Mother's Request

²⁰ Then the wife of Zebedee came to Jesus with her two sons, bowed before him, and asked him for a favor.

A Woman's Faith

Jesus Speaks about His Suffering and Death

(Mark 8.31—9.1; Luke 9.22-27)

The Parable of the Unforgiving Servant

²¹ “What do you want?” Jesus asked her. She answered, “Promise me that these two sons of mine will sit at your right and your left when you are King.”

Jesus Walks on the Water

Jesus Speaks Again about His Death

²² “You don't know what you are asking for,” Jesus answered the sons. “Can you drink the cup of suffering that I am about to drink?” “We can,” they answered.

The Question about Jesus' Authority

The Question about Rising from Death

²³ “You will indeed drink from my cup,” Jesus told them, “but I do not have the right to choose who will sit at my right and my left. These places belong to those for whom my Father has prepared them.”

The Parable of the Weeds

Payment of the Temple Tax

²⁴ When the other ten disciples heard about this, they became angry with the two brothers. ²⁵ So Jesus called them all together and said, “You know that the rulers of the heathen have power over them, and the leaders have complete authority. ²⁶ This, however, is not the way it shall be among you. If one of you wants to be great, you must be the servant of the rest; ²⁷ and if one of you wants to be first, you must be the slave of the others—

The Parable of the Two Sons

²⁸ like the Son of Man, who did not come to be served, but to serve and to give his life to redeem many people.”

Jesus Heals Many People

Jesus Heals Two Blind Men

Jesus Predicts Their Punishment

²⁹ As Jesus and his disciples were leaving Jericho, a large crowd was following. ³⁰ Two blind men who were sitting by the road heard that Jesus was passing by, so they began to shout, “Son of David! Have mercy on us, sir!”

The Parable of the Mustard Seed

³¹ The crowd scolded them and told them to be quiet. But they shouted even more loudly, “Son of David! Have mercy on us, sir!”

Jesus Feeds Four Thousand

³² Jesus stopped and called them. “What do you want me to do for you?” he asked them.

The Parable of the Yeast

(Luke 13.20, 21)

The Parable of the Tenants in the Vineyard

³³ “Sir,” they answered, “we want you to give us our sight!”

Jesus' Use of Parables

(Mark 4.33, 34)

Jesus Heals the Sick in Gennesaret

The Great Commandment

³⁴ Jesus had pity on them and touched their eyes; at once they were able to see, and they followed him.

The Parable of the Sower

The Death of John the Baptist

The Teaching of the Ancestors

The Demand for a Miracle

The Transfiguration

Who Is the Greatest?

Jesus Teaches about Divorce

The Workers in the Vineyard

The Triumphant Entry into Jerusalem

The Parable of the Wedding Feast

Jesus Warns against the Teachers of the Law and the Pharisees

(Mark 12.38, 39; Luke 11.43, 46; 20.45, 46)

¹ As Jesus and his disciples approached Jerusalem, they came to Bethphage at the Mount of Olives. There Jesus sent two of the disciples on ahead ² with these instructions: “Go to the village there ahead of you, and at once you will find a donkey tied up with her colt beside her. Untie them and bring them to me. ³ And if anyone says anything, tell him, ‘The Master needs them’; and then he will let them go at once.” ⁴ This happened in order to make come true what the prophet had said:

The Yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees

⁵ “Tell the city of Zion,
Look, your king is coming to you!
He is humble and rides on a donkey
and on a colt, the foal of a donkey.” ^*

Temptations to Sin

⁶ So the disciples went and did what Jesus had told them to do: ⁷ they brought the donkey and the colt, threw their cloaks over them, and Jesus got on. ⁸ A large crowd of people spread their cloaks on the road while others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. ⁹ The crowds walking in front of Jesus and those walking behind began to shout, “Praise to David's Son! God bless him who comes in the name of the Lord! Praise be to God!”

The Purpose of the Parables

The Things That Make a Person Unclean

The Parable of the Lost Sheep

¹⁰ When Jesus entered Jerusalem, the whole city was thrown into an uproar. “Who is he?” the people asked. ¹¹ “This is the prophet Jesus, from Nazareth in Galilee,” the crowds answered.

Jesus Goes to the Temple

¹² Jesus went into the Temple and drove out all those who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the moneychangers and the stools of those who sold pigeons,

Jesus Feeds Five Thousand

Peter's Declaration about Jesus

Jesus Blesses Little Children

Jesus Condemns Their Hypocrisy

(Mark 12.40; Luke 11.39-42, 44, 52; 20.47)

¹³ and said to them, “It is written in the Scriptures that God said, ‘My Temple will be called a house of prayer.’ But you are making it a hideout for thieves!” ^*

Jesus Heals a Boy with a Demon

¹⁴ The blind and the crippled came to him in the Temple, and he healed them.

When Someone Sins

The Question about Paying Taxes

¹⁵ The chief priests and the teachers of the Law became angry when they saw the wonderful things he was doing and the children shouting in the Temple, “Praise to David's Son!”

The Rich Young Man

¹⁶ So they asked Jesus, “Do you hear what they are saying?” “Indeed I do,” answered Jesus. “Haven't you ever read this scripture? ‘You have trained children and babies to offer perfect praise.’”

Jesus Speaks a Third Time about His Death

¹⁷ Jesus left them and went out of the city to Bethany, where he spent the night.

Jesus Explains the Parable of the Sower

Prohibiting and Permitting

Jesus Curses the Fig Tree

(Mark 11.12-14, 20-24)

¹⁸ On his way back to the city early next morning, Jesus was hungry. ¹⁹ He saw a fig tree by the side of the road and went to it, but found nothing on it except leaves. So he said to the tree, “You will never again bear fruit!” At once the fig tree dried up.

A Mother's Request

²⁰ The disciples saw this and were astounded. “How did the fig tree dry up so quickly?” they asked.

A Woman's Faith

Jesus Speaks about His Suffering and Death

(Mark 8.31—9.1; Luke 9.22-27)

The Parable of the Unforgiving Servant

²¹ Jesus answered, “I assure you that if you believe and do not doubt, you will be able to do what I have done to this fig tree. And not only this, but you will even be able to say to this hill, ‘Get up and throw yourself in the sea,’ and it will.

Jesus Walks on the Water

Jesus Speaks Again about His Death

²² If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer.”

The Question about Jesus' Authority

The Question about Rising from Death

²³ Jesus came back to the Temple; and as he taught, the chief priests and the elders came to him and asked, “What right do you have to do these things? Who gave you such right?”

The Parable of the Weeds

Payment of the Temple Tax

²⁴ Jesus answered them, “I will ask you just one question, and if you give me an answer, I will tell you what right I have to do these things. ²⁵ Where did John's right to baptize come from: was it from God or from human beings?” They started to argue among themselves, “What shall we say? If we answer, ‘From God,’ he will say to us, ‘Why, then, did you not believe John?’ ²⁶ But if we say, ‘From human beings,’ we are afraid of what the people might do, because they are all convinced that John was a prophet.” ²⁷ So they answered Jesus, “We don't know.” And he said to them, “Neither will I tell you, then, by what right I do these things.

The Parable of the Two Sons

²⁸ “Now, what do you think? There was once a man who had two sons. He went to the older one and said, ‘Son, go and work in the vineyard today.’

Jesus Heals Many People

Jesus Heals Two Blind Men

Jesus Predicts Their Punishment

²⁹ ‘I don't want to,’ he answered, but later he changed his mind and went. ³⁰ Then the father went to the other son and said the same thing. ‘Yes, sir,’ he answered, but he did not go.

The Parable of the Mustard Seed

³¹ Which one of the two did what his father wanted?” “The older one,” they answered. So Jesus said to them, “I tell you: the tax collectors and the prostitutes are going into the Kingdom of God ahead of you.

Jesus Feeds Four Thousand

³² For John the Baptist came to you showing you the right path to take, and you would not believe him; but the tax collectors and the prostitutes believed him. Even when you saw this, you did not later change your minds and believe him.

The Parable of the Yeast

(Luke 13.20, 21)

The Parable of the Tenants in the Vineyard

³³ “Listen to another parable,” Jesus said. “There was once a landowner who planted a vineyard, put a fence around it, dug a hole for the wine press, and built a watchtower. Then he rented the vineyard to tenants and left home on a trip.

Jesus' Use of Parables

(Mark 4.33, 34)

Jesus Heals the Sick in Gennesaret

The Great Commandment

³⁴ When the time came to gather the grapes, he sent his slaves to the tenants to receive his share of the harvest. ³⁵ The tenants grabbed his slaves, beat one, killed another, and stoned another.

Jesus Explains the Parable of the Weeds

³⁶ Again the man sent other slaves, more than the first time, and the tenants treated them the same way.

Jesus' Love for Jerusalem

(Luke 13.34, 35)

³⁷ Last of all he sent his son to them. ‘Surely they will respect my son,’ he said. ³⁸ But when the tenants saw the son, they said to themselves, ‘This is the owner's son. Come on, let's kill him, and we will get his property!’ ³⁹ So they grabbed him, threw him out of the vineyard, and killed him. ⁴⁰ “Now, when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those tenants?” Jesus asked.

The Question about the Messiah

(Mark 12.35-37; Luke 20.41-44)

⁴¹ “He will certainly kill those evil men,” they answered, “and rent the vineyard out to other tenants, who will give him his share of the harvest at the right time.” ⁴² Jesus said to them, “Haven't you ever read what the Scriptures say?
‘The stone which the builders rejected as worthless
turned out to be the most important of all.
This was done by the Lord;
what a wonderful sight it is!’ ⁴³ “And so I tell you,” added Jesus, “the Kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people who will produce the proper fruits.”

The Parable of the Pearl

⁴⁵ The chief priests and the Pharisees heard Jesus' parables and knew that he was talking about them, ⁴⁶ so they tried to arrest him. But they were afraid of the crowds, who considered Jesus to be a prophet.

The Parable of the Sower

The Death of John the Baptist

The Teaching of the Ancestors

The Demand for a Miracle

The Transfiguration

Who Is the Greatest?

Jesus Teaches about Divorce

The Workers in the Vineyard

The Triumphant Entry into Jerusalem

The Parable of the Wedding Feast

Jesus Warns against the Teachers of the Law and the Pharisees

(Mark 12.38, 39; Luke 11.43, 46; 20.45, 46)

¹ Jesus again used parables in talking to the people. ² “The Kingdom of heaven is like this. Once there was a king who prepared a wedding feast for his son. ³ He sent his servants to tell the invited guests to come to the feast, but they did not want to come. ⁴ So he sent other servants with this message for the guests: ‘My feast is ready now; my steers and prize calves have been butchered, and everything is ready. Come to the wedding feast!’

The Yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees

⁵ But the invited guests paid no attention and went about their business: one went to his farm, another to his store, ^*

Temptations to Sin

⁶ while others grabbed the servants, beat them, and killed them. ⁷ The king was very angry; so he sent his soldiers, who killed those murderers and burned down their city. ⁸ Then he called his servants and said to them, ‘My wedding feast is ready, but the people I invited did not deserve it. ⁹ Now go to the main streets and invite to the feast as many people as you find.’

The Purpose of the Parables

The Things That Make a Person Unclean

The Parable of the Lost Sheep

¹⁰ So the servants went out into the streets and gathered all the people they could find, good and bad alike; and the wedding hall was filled with people. ¹¹ “The king went in to look at the guests and saw a man who was not wearing wedding clothes.

Jesus Goes to the Temple

¹² ‘Friend, how did you get in here without wedding clothes?’ the king asked him. But the man said nothing.

Jesus Feeds Five Thousand

Peter's Declaration about Jesus

Jesus Blesses Little Children

Jesus Condemns Their Hypocrisy

(Mark 12.40; Luke 11.39-42, 44, 52; 20.47)

¹³ Then the king told the servants, ‘Tie him up hand and foot, and throw him outside in the dark. There he will cry and gnash his teeth.’” ^*

Jesus Heals a Boy with a Demon

¹⁴ And Jesus concluded, “Many are invited, but few are chosen.”

When Someone Sins

The Question about Paying Taxes

¹⁵ The Pharisees went off and made a plan to trap Jesus with questions.

The Rich Young Man

¹⁶ Then they sent to him some of their disciples and some members of Herod's party. “Teacher,” they said, “we know that you tell the truth. You teach the truth about God's will for people, without worrying about what others think, because you pay no attention to anyone's status.

Jesus Speaks a Third Time about His Death

¹⁷ Tell us, then, what do you think? Is it against our Law to pay taxes to the Roman Emperor, or not?”

Jesus Explains the Parable of the Sower

Prohibiting and Permitting

Jesus Curses the Fig Tree

(Mark 11.12-14, 20-24)

¹⁸ Jesus, however, was aware of their evil plan, and so he said, “You hypocrites! Why are you trying to trap me? ¹⁹ Show me the coin for paying the tax!” They brought him the coin,

A Mother's Request

²⁰ and he asked them, “Whose face and name are these?”

A Woman's Faith

Jesus Speaks about His Suffering and Death

(Mark 8.31—9.1; Luke 9.22-27)

The Parable of the Unforgiving Servant

²¹ “The Emperor's,” they answered. So Jesus said to them, “Well, then, pay to the Emperor what belongs to the Emperor, and pay to God what belongs to God.”

Jesus Walks on the Water

Jesus Speaks Again about His Death

²² When they heard this, they were amazed; and they left him and went away.

The Question about Jesus' Authority

The Question about Rising from Death

²³ That same day some Sadducees came to Jesus and claimed that people will not rise from death.

The Parable of the Weeds

Payment of the Temple Tax

²⁴ “Teacher,” they said, “Moses said that if a man who has no children dies, his brother must marry the widow so that they can have children who will be considered the dead man's children. ²⁵ Now, there were seven brothers who used to live here. The oldest got married and died without having children, so he left his widow to his brother. ²⁶ The same thing happened to the second brother, to the third, and finally to all seven. ²⁷ Last of all, the woman died.

The Parable of the Two Sons

²⁸ Now, on the day when the dead rise to life, whose wife will she be? All of them had married her.”

Jesus Heals Many People

Jesus Heals Two Blind Men

Jesus Predicts Their Punishment

²⁹ Jesus answered them, “How wrong you are! It is because you don't know the Scriptures or God's power. ³⁰ For when the dead rise to life, they will be like the angels in heaven and will not marry.

The Parable of the Mustard Seed

³¹ Now, as for the dead rising to life: haven't you ever read what God has told you? He said,

Jesus Feeds Four Thousand

³² ‘I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.’ He is the God of the living, not of the dead.”

The Parable of the Yeast

(Luke 13.20, 21)

The Parable of the Tenants in the Vineyard

³³ When the crowds heard this, they were amazed at his teaching.

Jesus' Use of Parables

(Mark 4.33, 34)

Jesus Heals the Sick in Gennesaret

The Great Commandment

³⁴ When the Pharisees heard that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, they came together, ³⁵ and one of them, a teacher of the Law, tried to trap him with a question.

Jesus Explains the Parable of the Weeds

³⁶ “Teacher,” he asked, “which is the greatest commandment in the Law?”

Jesus' Love for Jerusalem

(Luke 13.34, 35)

³⁷ Jesus answered, “ ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ ³⁸ This is the greatest and the most important commandment. ³⁹ The second most important commandment is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as you love yourself.’ ⁴⁰ The whole Law of Moses and the teachings of the prophets depend on these two commandments.”

The Question about the Messiah

(Mark 12.35-37; Luke 20.41-44)

⁴¹ When some Pharisees gathered together, Jesus asked them, ⁴² “What do you think about the Messiah? Whose descendant is he?” “He is David's descendant,” they answered. ⁴³ “Why, then,” Jesus asked, “did the Spirit inspire David to call him ‘Lord’? David said,

The Parable of the Hidden Treasure

⁴⁴ ‘The Lord said to my Lord:
Sit here at my right side
until I put your enemies under your feet.’

The Parable of the Pearl

⁴⁵ If, then, David called him ‘Lord,’ how can the Messiah be David's descendant?” ⁴⁶ No one was able to give Jesus any answer, and from that day on no one dared to ask him any more questions.

The Parable of the Sower

The Death of John the Baptist

The Teaching of the Ancestors

The Demand for a Miracle

The Transfiguration

Who Is the Greatest?

Jesus Teaches about Divorce

The Workers in the Vineyard

The Triumphant Entry into Jerusalem

The Parable of the Wedding Feast

Jesus Warns against the Teachers of the Law and the Pharisees

(Mark 12.38, 39; Luke 11.43, 46; 20.45, 46)

¹ Then Jesus spoke to the crowds and to his disciples. ² “The teachers of the Law and the Pharisees are the authorized interpreters of Moses' Law. ³ So you must obey and follow everything they tell you to do; do not, however, imitate their actions, because they don't practice what they preach. ⁴ They tie onto people's backs loads that are heavy and hard to carry, yet they aren't willing even to lift a finger to help them carry those loads.

The Yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees

⁵ They do everything so that people will see them. Look at the straps with scripture verses on them which they wear on their foreheads and arms, and notice how large they are! Notice also how long are the tassels on their cloaks! ^*

Temptations to Sin

⁶ They love the best places at feasts and the reserved seats in the synagogues; ⁷ they love to be greeted with respect in the marketplaces and to have people call them ‘Teacher.’ ⁸ You must not be called ‘Teacher,’ because you are all equal and have only one Teacher. ⁹ And you must not call anyone here on earth ‘Father,’ because you have only the one Father in heaven.

The Purpose of the Parables

The Things That Make a Person Unclean

The Parable of the Lost Sheep

¹⁰ Nor should you be called ‘Leader,’ because your one and only leader is the Messiah. ¹¹ The greatest one among you must be your servant.

Jesus Goes to the Temple

¹² Whoever makes himself great will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be made great.

Jesus Feeds Five Thousand

Peter's Declaration about Jesus

Jesus Blesses Little Children

Jesus Condemns Their Hypocrisy

(Mark 12.40; Luke 11.39-42, 44, 52; 20.47)

¹³ “How terrible for you, teachers of the Law and Pharisees! You hypocrites! You lock the door to the Kingdom of heaven in people's faces, but you yourselves don't go in, nor do you allow in those who are trying to enter! ^*

When Someone Sins

The Question about Paying Taxes

¹⁵ “How terrible for you, teachers of the Law and Pharisees! You hypocrites! You sail the seas and cross whole countries to win one convert; and when you succeed, you make him twice as deserving of going to hell as you yourselves are!

The Rich Young Man

¹⁶ “How terrible for you, blind guides! You teach, ‘If someone swears by the Temple, he isn't bound by his vow; but if he swears by the gold in the Temple, he is bound.’

Jesus Speaks a Third Time about His Death

¹⁷ Blind fools! Which is more important, the gold or the Temple which makes the gold holy?

Jesus Explains the Parable of the Sower

Prohibiting and Permitting

Jesus Curses the Fig Tree

(Mark 11.12-14, 20-24)

¹⁸ You also teach, ‘If someone swears by the altar, he isn't bound by his vow; but if he swears by the gift on the altar, he is bound.’ ¹⁹ How blind you are! Which is the more important, the gift or the altar which makes the gift holy?

A Mother's Request

²⁰ So then, when a person swears by the altar, he is swearing by it and by all the gifts on it;

A Woman's Faith

Jesus Speaks about His Suffering and Death

(Mark 8.31—9.1; Luke 9.22-27)

The Parable of the Unforgiving Servant

²¹ and when he swears by the Temple, he is swearing by it and by God, who lives there;

Jesus Walks on the Water

Jesus Speaks Again about His Death

²² and when someone swears by heaven, he is swearing by God's throne and by him who sits on it.

The Question about Jesus' Authority

The Question about Rising from Death

²³ “How terrible for you, teachers of the Law and Pharisees! You hypocrites! You give to God one tenth even of the seasoning herbs, such as mint, dill, and cumin, but you neglect to obey the really important teachings of the Law, such as justice and mercy and honesty. These you should practice, without neglecting the others.

The Parable of the Weeds

Payment of the Temple Tax

²⁴ Blind guides! You strain a fly out of your drink, but swallow a camel! ²⁵ “How terrible for you, teachers of the Law and Pharisees! You hypocrites! You clean the outside of your cup and plate, while the inside is full of what you have gotten by violence and selfishness. ²⁶ Blind Pharisee! Clean what is inside the cup first, and then the outside will be clean too! ²⁷ “How terrible for you, teachers of the Law and Pharisees! You hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look fine on the outside but are full of bones and decaying corpses on the inside.

The Parable of the Two Sons

²⁸ In the same way, on the outside you appear good to everybody, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and sins.

Jesus Heals Many People

Jesus Heals Two Blind Men

Jesus Predicts Their Punishment

²⁹ “How terrible for you, teachers of the Law and Pharisees! You hypocrites! You make fine tombs for the prophets and decorate the monuments of those who lived good lives; ³⁰ and you claim that if you had lived during the time of your ancestors, you would not have done what they did and killed the prophets.

The Parable of the Mustard Seed

³¹ So you actually admit that you are the descendants of those who murdered the prophets!

Jesus Feeds Four Thousand

³² Go on, then, and finish up what your ancestors started!

The Parable of the Yeast

(Luke 13.20, 21)

The Parable of the Tenants in the Vineyard

³³ You snakes and children of snakes! How do you expect to escape from being condemned to hell?

Jesus' Use of Parables

(Mark 4.33, 34)

Jesus Heals the Sick in Gennesaret

The Great Commandment