Study Desk

"But I say to you who hear, ^(C1)love your enemies, do good to those who hate you,

bless those who curse you, ^(C1)pray for those who are abusive to you.

"^(C1)Whoever hits you on the cheek, offer him the other also; and whoever takes away your ^(F1)cloak, do not withhold your ^(F2)tunic from him either.

"Give to everyone who asks of you, and whoever takes away what is yours, do not demand it back.

"^(F1)(C1)Treat people the same way you want them to ^(F2)treat you.

"^(C1)If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them.

"And if you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same.

"^(C1)And if you lend to those from whom you expect to receive, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners in order to receive back the same amount.

"But ^(C1)love your enemies and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be ^(C2)sons of ^(C3)the Most High; for He Himself is kind to ungrateful and evil people.

"^(F1)Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.

"^(C1)Do not ^(F1)judge, and you will not be judged; and do not ^(F2)condemn, and you will not be condemned; ^(F3)(C2)pardon, and you will be pardoned.

"Give, and it will be given to you. They will ^(F1)pour ^(C1)into your lap a ^(C2)good measure—pressed down, shaken together, and running over. For by your standard of measure it will be measured to you in return."

Now He also spoke a parable to them: "^(C1)A person who is blind cannot guide another who is blind, can he? Will they not both fall into a pit?

"^(C1)A ^(F1)student is not above the teacher; but everyone, when he has been fully trained, will be like his teacher.

"Why do you look at the ^(F1)speck that is in your brother's eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye?

"How can you say to your brother, 'Brother, let me take out the ^(F1)speck that is in your eye,' when you yourself do not see the log that is in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take out the ^(F1)speck that is in your brother's eye.

"^(C1)For there is no good tree that bears bad fruit, nor, ^(F1)on the other hand, a bad tree that bears good fruit.

"^(C1)For each tree is known by its own fruit. For people do not gather figs from thorns, nor do they pick grapes from a briar bush.

"^(C1)The good person out of the good ^(F1)treasure of his heart brings forth what is good; and the evil person out of the evil treasure brings forth what is evil; ^(C2)for his mouth speaks from ^(F2)that which fills his heart.

"Now ^(C1)why do you call Me, 'Lord, Lord,' and do not do what I say?

"^(C1)Everyone who comes to Me and hears My words and ^(F1)acts on them, I will show you whom he is like:

he is like a man building a house, who ^(F1)dug deep and laid a foundation on the rock; and when there was a flood, the river burst against that house and yet it could not shake it, because it had been well built.

"But the one who has heard and has not acted accordingly is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation; and the river burst against it and it immediately collapsed, and the ruin of that house was great."

^(C1)When He had completed all His ^(F1)teaching in the hearing of the people, ^(C2)He went to Capernaum.

Now a centurion's slave, who was highly regarded by him, was sick and about to die.

When he heard about Jesus, ^(C1)he sent some ^(F1)Jewish elders to Him, asking Him to come and save the life of his slave.

When they came to Jesus, they strongly urged Him, saying, "He is worthy for You to grant this to him;

for he loves our nation, and it was he who built us our synagogue."

Now Jesus started on His way with them; but already, when He was not yet far from the house, the centurion sent friends, saying to Him, "^(F1)Lord, do not trouble Yourself further, for I am not worthy for You to enter under my roof;

for that reason I did not even consider myself worthy to come to You; but just ^(F1)say the word, and my servant ^(F2)shall be healed.

"For I also am a man placed under authority, with soldiers under myself; and I say to this one, 'Go!' and he goes, and to another, 'Come!' and he comes, and to my slave, 'Do this!' and he does it."

Now when Jesus heard this, He was amazed at him, and turned and said to the crowd that was following Him, "I say to you, ^(C1)not even in Israel have I found such great faith."

And when those who had been sent returned to the house, they found the slave in good health.

Soon afterward Jesus went to a city called Nain; and His disciples were going along with Him, ^(F1)accompanied by a large crowd.

Now as He approached the gate of the city, ^(F1)a dead man was being carried out, the only son of his mother, and she was a widow; and a sizeable crowd from the city was with her.

When ^(C1)the Lord saw her, He felt compassion for her and said to her, "Do not go on weeping."

And He came up and touched the coffin; and the bearers came to a halt. And He said, "Young man, I say to you, arise!"

And the dead man sat up and began to speak. And Jesus gave him back to his mother.

^(C1)Fear gripped them all, and they began ^(C2)glorifying God, saying, "A great ^(C3)prophet has appeared among us!" and, "God has ^(F1)visited His people!"

^(C1)And this report about Him spread throughout Judea and in all the surrounding region.

^(C1)The disciples of John also reported to him about all these things.

And after summoning ^(F1)two of his disciples, John sent them to ^(C1)the Lord, saying, "Are You the Coming One, or are we to ^(F2)look for another?"

When the men came to Him, they said, "John the Baptist has sent us to You, ^(F1)to ask, 'Are You the Coming One, or are we to ^(F2)look for another?'"

At that very ^(F1)time He ^(C1)cured many people of diseases and ^(C2)afflictions and evil spirits; and He gave sight to many who were blind.

And He answered and said to them, "Go and report to John what you have seen and heard: people who were ^(C1)blind receive sight, people who limped walk, people with leprosy are cleansed and people who were deaf hear, dead people are raised up, and ^(C2)people who are poor have the gospel preached to them.

"And blessed is ^(F1)anyone who does not take offense at Me."

When the messengers of John had left, He began to speak to the crowds about John: "What did you go out into the ^(F1)wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind?

"^(F1)But what did you go out to see? A man dressed in soft clothing? Those who are splendidly clothed and live in luxury are found in royal palaces!

"But what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and one who is more than a prophet.

"This is the one about whom it is written: '^(C1)BEHOLD, I AM SENDING MY MESSENGER ^(F1)AHEAD OF YOU, WHO WILL PREPARE YOUR WAY BEFORE YOU.'

"I say to you, among those born of women there is no one greater than John; yet the one who is ^(F1)least in the kingdom of God is greater than he."

When all the people and the tax collectors heard this, they acknowledged ^(C1)God's justice, ^(C2)having been baptized with ^(C3)the baptism of John.

But the Pharisees and the ^(F1)(C1)lawyers rejected God's purpose for themselves, not having been baptized by ^(F2)John.

"To what then shall I compare the people of this generation, and what are they like?

"They are like children who sit in the marketplace and call to one another, and say, 'We played the flute for you, and you did not dance; we sang a song of mourning, and you did not weep.'

"For John the Baptist has come neither ^(C1)eating bread nor drinking wine, and you say, 'He has a demon!'

"The Son of Man has come eating and drinking, and you say, 'Behold, a gluttonous man and a ^(F1)heavy drinker, a friend of tax collectors and ^(F2)sinners!'

"And yet wisdom ^(C1)is vindicated by all her children."

Now one of the Pharisees was requesting Him to eat with him, and He entered the Pharisee's house and reclined at the table.

^(C1)And there was a woman in the city who was a ^(F1)sinner; and when she learned that He was reclining at the table in the Pharisee's house, she brought an alabaster vial of perfume,

and standing behind Him at His feet, weeping, she began to wet His feet with her tears, and she wiped them with the hair of her head, and began kissing His feet and anointing them with the perfume.

Now when the Pharisee who had invited Him saw this, he said to himself, "If this Man were ^(C1)a prophet He would know who and what sort of person this woman is who is touching Him, that she is a ^(F1)sinner!"

And Jesus responded and said to him, "Simon, I have something to say to you." And he ^(F1)replied, "Say it, Teacher."

"A moneylender had two debtors: the one owed five hundred ^(F1)(C1)denarii, and the other, fifty.

"When they ^(C1)were unable to repay, he canceled the debts of both. So which of them will love him more?"

Simon answered and said, "I assume the one for whom he canceled the greater debt." And He said to him, "You have judged correctly."

And turning toward the woman, He said to Simon, "Do you see this woman? I entered your house; you ^(C1)gave Me no water for My feet, but she has wet My feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair.

"You ^(F1)(C1)gave Me no kiss; but she has not stopped kissing My feet since the time I came in.

"^(C1)You did not ^(F1)anoint My head with oil, but she anointed My feet with perfume.

"For this reason I say to you, her sins, which are many, have been forgiven, for she loved much; but the one who is forgiven little, loves little."

And He said to her, "^(C1)Your sins have been forgiven."

And then those who were reclining at the table with Him began saying ^(F1)to themselves, "^(C1)Who is this Man who even forgives sins?"

And He said to the woman, "^(C1)Your faith has saved you; ^(C2)go in peace."

Soon afterward, ^(F1)Jesus began going around from one city and village to another, ^(C1)proclaiming and preaching the kingdom of God. The twelve were with Him,

and also ^(C1)some women who had been healed of evil spirits and sicknesses: ^(C2)Mary who was called Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out,

and Joanna the wife of Chuza, ^(C1)Herod's ^(C2)steward, and Susanna, and many others who were contributing to their support out of their private means.

^(C1)Now when a large crowd was coming together, and those from the various cities were journeying to Him, He spoke by way of a parable:

"The sower went out to sow his seed; and as he sowed, some fell beside the road, and it was trampled underfoot, and the birds of the sky ate it up.

"Other seed fell on rocky soil, and when it came up, it withered away because it had no moisture.

"Other seed fell among the thorns; and the thorns grew up with it and choked it out.

"And yet other seed fell into the good soil, and grew up, and produced a crop a hundred times as much." As He said these things, He would call out, "^(C1)The one who has ears to hear, ^(F1)let him hear."

^(C1)Now His disciples began asking Him what this parable ^(F1)meant.

And He said, "^(C1)To you it has been granted to know the ^(F1)mysteries of the kingdom of God, but to the rest they are told in parables, so that ^(F2)(C2)while seeing they may not see, and ^(F3)while hearing they may not understand.

"Now this is the parable: ^(C1)the seed is the word of God.

"And those beside the road are the ones who have heard, then the devil comes and takes away the word from their heart, so that they will not believe and be saved.

"Those on the rocky soil are the ones who, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and yet these do not have a firm root; ^(F1)they believe for a while, and in a time of temptation they ^(F2)fall away.

"And the seed which fell among the thorns, these are the ones who have heard, and as they go on their way they are choked by worries, riches, and pleasures of this life, and they bring no fruit to maturity.

"But the seed in the good soil, these are the ones who have heard the word ^(F1)with a good and virtuous heart, and hold it firmly, and produce fruit with ^(F2)perseverance.

"Now ^(C1)no one lights a lamp and covers it over with a container, or puts it under a bed; but he puts it on a lampstand so that those who come in may see the light.

"^(C1)For nothing is concealed that will not become evident, nor anything hidden that will not be known and come to light.

"So take care how you listen; ^(C1)for whoever has, to him more will be given; and whoever does not have, even what he ^(F1)thinks he has will be taken away from him."

^(C1)Now His mother and brothers came to Him, and they were unable to get to Him because of the crowd.

And it was reported to Him, "Your mother and Your brothers are standing outside, wishing to see You."

But He answered and said to them, "My mother and My brothers are these ^(C1)who hear the word of God and do it."

^(C1)Now on one of those days ^(F1)Jesus and His disciples got into a boat, and He said to them, "Let's cross over to the other side of ^(C2)the lake." So they launched out.

But as they were sailing along He fell asleep; and a fierce gale of wind descended on ^(C1)the lake, and they began to be swamped and to be in danger.

They came up to Jesus and woke Him, saying, "^(C1)Master, Master, we are perishing!" And He got up and ^(C2)rebuked the wind and the surging ^(F1)waves, and they stopped, and ^(F2)it became calm.

And He said to them, "Where is your faith?" But they were fearful and amazed, saying to one another, "Who then is this, that He commands even the winds and the water, and they obey Him?"