Study Desk

Jesus Is Lord of the Sabbath^(a)

One Sabbath Jesus was going through the grainfields, and his disciples began to pick some heads of grain, rub them in their hands and eat the kernels.^(b)

Some of the Pharisees asked, "Why are you doing what is unlawful on the Sabbath?"^(c)

Jesus answered them, "Have you never read what David did when he and his companions were hungry?^(d)

He entered the house of God, and taking the consecrated bread, he ate what is lawful only for priests to eat.^(e) And he also gave some to his companions."

Then Jesus said to them, "The Son of Man^(f) is Lord of the Sabbath."

On another Sabbath^(g) he went into the synagogue and was teaching, and a man was there whose right hand was shriveled.

The Pharisees and the teachers of the law were looking for a reason to accuse Jesus, so they watched him closely^(h) to see if he would heal on the Sabbath.⁽ⁱ⁾

But Jesus knew what they were thinking^(j) and said to the man with the shriveled hand, "Get up and stand in front of everyone." So he got up and stood there.

Then Jesus said to them, "I ask you, which is lawful on the Sabbath: to do good or to do evil, to save life or to destroy it?"

He looked around at them all, and then said to the man, "Stretch out your hand." He did so, and his hand was completely restored.

But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law were furious^(k) and began to discuss with one another what they might do to Jesus.

One of those days Jesus went out to a mountainside to pray, and spent the night praying to God.^(m)

When morning came, he called his disciples to him and chose twelve of them, whom he also designated apostles:⁽ⁿ⁾

Simon (whom he named Peter), his brother Andrew, James, John, Philip, Bartholomew,

Matthew,^(o) Thomas, James son of Alphaeus, Simon who was called the Zealot,

Judas son of James, and Judas Iscariot, who became a traitor.

He went down with them and stood on a level place. A large crowd of his disciples was there and a great number of people from all over Judea, from Jerusalem, and from the coastal region around Tyre and Sidon,^(q)

who had come to hear him and to be healed of their diseases. Those troubled by impure spirits were cured,

and the people all tried to touch him,^(r) because power was coming from him and healing them all.^(s)

Looking at his disciples, he said: "Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God.^(t)

Blessed are you who hunger now, for you will be satisfied.^(u) Blessed are you who weep now, for you will laugh.^(v)

Blessed are you when people hate you, when they exclude you^(w) and insult you^(x) and reject your name as evil, because of the Son of Man.^(y)

"Rejoice in that day and leap for joy,^(z) because great is your reward in heaven. For that is how their ancestors treated the prophets.^(aa)

"But woe to you who are rich,^(ab) for you have already received your comfort.^(ac)

Woe to you who are well fed now, for you will go hungry.^(ad) Woe to you who laugh now, for you will mourn and weep.^(ae)

Woe to you when everyone speaks well of you, for that is how their ancestors treated the false prophets.^(af)

"But to you who are listening I say: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you,^(ah)

bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.^(ai)

If someone slaps you on one cheek, turn to them the other also. If someone takes your coat, do not withhold your shirt from them.

Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back.^(aj)

Do to others as you would have them do to you.^(ak)

"If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you?^(al) Even sinners love those who love them.

And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners do that.

And if you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you?^(am) Even sinners lend to sinners, expecting to be repaid in full.

But love your enemies, do good to them,^(an) and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be children^(ao) of the Most High,^(ap) because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked.

Be merciful,^(aq) just as your Father^(ar) is merciful.

"Do not judge, and you will not be judged.^(at) Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven.^(au)

Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap.^(av) For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you."^(aw)

He also told them this parable: "Can the blind lead the blind? Will they not both fall into a pit?^(ax)

The student is not above the teacher, but everyone who is fully trained will be like their teacher.^(ay)

"Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye?

How can you say to your brother, ‘Brother, let me take the speck out of your eye,' when you yourself fail to see the plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye.

"No good tree bears bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit.

Each tree is recognized by its own fruit.^(ba) People do not pick figs from thornbushes, or grapes from briers.

A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of.^(bb)

"Why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord,'^(bd) and do not do what I say?^(be)

As for everyone who comes to me and hears my words and puts them into practice,^(bf) I will show you what they are like.

They are like a man building a house, who dug down deep and laid the foundation on rock. When a flood came, the torrent struck that house but could not shake it, because it was well built.

But the one who hears my words and does not put them into practice is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. The moment the torrent struck that house, it collapsed and its destruction was complete."

The Faith of the Centurion^(a)

When Jesus had finished saying all this^(b) to the people who were listening, he entered Capernaum.

There a centurion's servant, whom his master valued highly, was sick and about to die.

The centurion heard of Jesus and sent some elders of the Jews to him, asking him to come and heal his servant.

When they came to Jesus, they pleaded earnestly with him, "This man deserves to have you do this,

because he loves our nation and has built our synagogue."

So Jesus went with them. He was not far from the house when the centurion sent friends to say to him: "Lord, don't trouble yourself, for I do not deserve to have you come under my roof.

That is why I did not even consider myself worthy to come to you. But say the word, and my servant will be healed.^(c)

For I myself am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. I tell this one, ‘Go,' and he goes; and that one, ‘Come,' and he comes. I say to my servant, ‘Do this,' and he does it."

When Jesus heard this, he was amazed at him, and turning to the crowd following him, he said, "I tell you, I have not found such great faith even in Israel."

Then the men who had been sent returned to the house and found the servant well.

Soon afterward, Jesus went to a town called Nain, and his disciples and a large crowd went along with him.

As he approached the town gate, a dead person was being carried out—the only son of his mother, and she was a widow. And a large crowd from the town was with her.

When the Lord^(e) saw her, his heart went out to her and he said, "Don't cry."

Then he went up and touched the bier they were carrying him on, and the bearers stood still. He said, "Young man, I say to you, get up!"^(f)

The dead man sat up and began to talk, and Jesus gave him back to his mother.

They were all filled with awe^(g) and praised God.^(h) "A great prophet⁽ⁱ⁾ has appeared among us," they said. "God has come to help his people."^(j)

This news about Jesus spread throughout Judea and the surrounding country.^(k)

John's^(m) disciples⁽ⁿ⁾ told him about all these things. Calling two of them,

he sent them to the Lord to ask, "Are you the one who is to come, or should we expect someone else?"

When the men came to Jesus, they said, "John the Baptist sent us to you to ask, ‘Are you the one who is to come, or should we expect someone else?'"

At that very time Jesus cured many who had diseases, sicknesses^(o) and evil spirits, and gave sight to many who were blind.

So he replied to the messengers, "Go back and report to John what you have seen and heard: The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy^[a] are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is proclaimed to the poor.^(p)

Blessed is anyone who does not stumble on account of me."

After John's messengers left, Jesus began to speak to the crowd about John: "What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed swayed by the wind?

If not, what did you go out to see? A man dressed in fine clothes? No, those who wear expensive clothes and indulge in luxury are in palaces.

But what did you go out to see? A prophet?^(q) Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet.

This is the one about whom it is written: "‘I will send my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way before you.'^[b](r)

I tell you, among those born of women there is no one greater than John; yet the one who is least in the kingdom of God^(s) is greater than he."

(All the people, even the tax collectors, when they heard Jesus' words, acknowledged that God's way was right, because they had been baptized by John.^(t)

But the Pharisees and the experts in the law^(u) rejected God's purpose for themselves, because they had not been baptized by John.)

Jesus went on to say, "To what, then, can I compare the people of this generation? What are they like?

They are like children sitting in the marketplace and calling out to each other: "‘We played the pipe for you, and you did not dance; we sang a dirge, and you did not cry.'

For John the Baptist came neither eating bread nor drinking wine,^(v) and you say, ‘He has a demon.'

The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and you say, ‘Here is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners.'^(w)

But wisdom is proved right by all her children."

When one of the Pharisees invited Jesus to have dinner with him, he went to the Pharisee's house and reclined at the table.

A woman in that town who lived a sinful life learned that Jesus was eating at the Pharisee's house, so she came there with an alabaster jar of perfume.

As she stood behind him at his feet weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears. Then she wiped them with her hair, kissed them and poured perfume on them.

When the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, "If this man were a prophet,^(z) he would know who is touching him and what kind of woman she is—that she is a sinner."

Jesus answered him, "Simon, I have something to tell you." "Tell me, teacher," he said.

"Two people owed money to a certain moneylender. One owed him five hundred denarii,^[c] and the other fifty.

Neither of them had the money to pay him back, so he forgave the debts of both. Now which of them will love him more?"

Simon replied, "I suppose the one who had the bigger debt forgiven." "You have judged correctly," Jesus said.

Then he turned toward the woman and said to Simon, "Do you see this woman? I came into your house. You did not give me any water for my feet,^(aa) but she wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair.

You did not give me a kiss,^(ab) but this woman, from the time I entered, has not stopped kissing my feet.

You did not put oil on my head,^(ac) but she has poured perfume on my feet.

Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven—as her great love has shown. But whoever has been forgiven little loves little."

Then Jesus said to her, "Your sins are forgiven."^(ad)

The other guests began to say among themselves, "Who is this who even forgives sins?"

Jesus said to the woman, "Your faith has saved you;^(ae) go in peace."^(af)