Matthew 1

The Genealogy of Jesus the Messiah

1:1-17pp — Lk 3:23-38

1:3-6pp — Ru 4:18-22

1:7-11pp — 1Ch 3:10-17

1This is the genealogy1 of Jesus the Messiah2 the son of David,a the son of Abraham:b

17Thus there were fourteen generations in all from Abraham to David, fourteen from David to the exile to Babylon, and fourteen from the exile to the Messiah.

Joseph Accepts Jesus as His Son

18This is how the birth of Jesus the Messiah came about4: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit.p 19Because Joseph her husband was faithful to the law, and yet5 did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorceq her quietly.

20But after he had considered this, an angelr of the Lord appeared to him in a dreams and said, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 21She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus,6^,t because he will save his people from their sins.”u

22All this took place to fulfillv what the Lord had said through the prophet: 23“The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel”7^,w (which means “God with us”).

24When Joseph woke up, he did what the angelx of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife. 25But he did not consummate their marriage until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus.y

Matthew 2

The Magi Visit the Messiah

1After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea,a during the time of King Herod,b Magi1 from the east came to Jerusalem 2and asked, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews?c We saw his stard when it rose and have come to worship him.”

3When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him. 4When he had called together all the people’s chief priests and teachers of the law, he asked them where the Messiah was to be born. 5“In Bethleheme in Judea,” they replied, “for this is what the prophet has written:

7Then Herod called the Magi secretly and found out from them the exact time the star had appeared. 8He sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search carefully for the child. As soon as you find him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship him.”

9After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen when it rose went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. 10When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. 11On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him.g Then they opened their treasures and presented him with giftsh of gold, frankincense and myrrh. 12And having been warnedi in a dreamj not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route.

The Escape to Egypt

13When they had gone, an angelk of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream.l “Get up,” he said, “take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going to search for the child to kill him.”m

14So he got up, took the child and his mother during the night and left for Egypt, 15where he stayed until the death of Herod. And so was fulfilledn what the Lord had said through the prophet: “Out of Egypt I called my son.”3^,o Article: Typology and Jesus

16When Herod realized that he had been outwitted by the Magi, he was furious, and he gave orders to kill all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity who were two years old and under, in accordance with the time he had learned from the Magi. 17Then what was said through the prophet Jeremiah was fulfilled:p

The Return to Nazareth

19After Herod died, an angels of the Lord appeared in a dreamt to Joseph in Egypt 20and said, “Get up, take the child and his mother and go to the land of Israel, for those who were trying to take the child’s life are dead.”u

21So he got up, took the child and his mother and went to the land of Israel. 22But when he heard that Archelaus was reigning in Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there. Having been warned in a dream,v he withdrew to the district of Galilee,w 23and he went and lived in a town called Nazareth.x So was fulfilledy what was said through the prophets, that he would be called a Nazarene.z

Matthew 3

John the Baptist Prepares the Way

3:1-12pp — Mk 1:3-8; Lk 3:2-17

1In those days John the Baptista came, preaching in the wilderness of Judea 2and saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heavenb has come near.” 3This is he who was spoken of through the prophet Isaiah:

4John’sd clothes were made of camel’s hair, and he had a leather belt around his waist.e His food was locustsf and wild honey. 5People went out to him from Jerusalem and all Judea and the whole region of the Jordan. 6Confessing their sins, they were baptizedg by him in the Jordan River. Map: Jesus’ Early Life

7But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to where he was baptizing, he said to them: “You brood of vipers!h Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath?i 8Produce fruit in keeping with repentance.j 9And do not think you can say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’k I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham. 10The ax is already at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.l

11“I baptize you with2 water for repentance.m But after me comes one who is more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with3 the Holy Spiritn and fire.o 12His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor, gathering his wheat into the barn and burning up the chaff with unquenchable fire.”p

The Baptism of Jesus

3:13-17pp — Mk 1:9-11; Lk 3:21,22; Jn 1:31-34

13Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to be baptized by John.q 14But John tried to deter him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?”

15Jesus replied, “Let it be so now; it is proper for us to do this to fulfill all righteousness.” Then John consented.

16As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened,r and he saw the Spirit of Gods descending like a dove and alighting on him. 17And a voice from heavent said, “This is my Son,u whom I love; with him I am well pleased.”v

Matthew 4

Jesus Is Tested in the Wilderness

4:1-11pp — Mk 1:12,13; Lk 4:1-13

1Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted1^,a by the devil.b 2After fasting forty days and forty nights,c he was hungry. 3The tempterd came to him and said, “If you are the Son of God,e tell these stones to become bread.” Article: Could Jesus Have Sinned? Article: The Temptation of Jesus

4Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’2”f Model: Herod’s Temple Map: Jesus’ Baptism and Temptation

5Then the devil took him to the holy cityg and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. 6“If you are the Son of God,”h he said, “throw yourself down. For it is written:

7Jesus answered him, “It is also written: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’4”j

8Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. 9“All this I will give you,” he said, “if you will bow down and worship me.”

10Jesus said to him, “Away from me, Satan!k For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.’5”l

11Then the devil left him,m and angels came and attended him.n

Jesus Begins to Preach

12When Jesus heard that John had been put in prison,o he withdrew to Galilee.p 13Leaving Nazareth, he went and lived in Capernaum,q which was by the lake in the area of Zebulun and Naphtali— 14to fulfillr what was said through the prophet Isaiah:

17From that time on Jesus began to preach, “Repent, for the kingdom of heavent has come near.”

Jesus Calls His First Disciples

4:18-22pp — Mk 1:16-20; Lk 5:2-11; Jn 1:35-42

18As Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee,u he saw two brothers, Simon called Peterv and his brother Andrew. They were casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. 19“Come, follow me,”w Jesus said, “and I will send you out to fish for people.” 20At once they left their nets and followed him.x

21Going on from there, he saw two other brothers, James son of Zebedee and his brother John.y They were in a boat with their father Zebedee, preparing their nets. Jesus called them, 22and immediately they left the boat and their father and followed him.z

Jesus Heals the Sick

23Jesus went throughout Galilee,a teaching in their synagogues,b proclaiming the good newsc of the kingdom,d and healing every disease and sickness among the people.e 24News about him spread all over Syria,f and people brought to him all who were ill with various diseases, those suffering severe pain, the demon-possessed,g those having seizures,h and the paralyzed;i and he healed them. 25Large crowds from Galilee, the Decapolis,7 Jerusalem, Judea and the region across the Jordan followed him.j

Matthew 5

Introduction to the Sermon on the Mount

1Now when Jesus saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him, 2and he began to teach them. Article: The Beatitudes

The Beatitudes

5:3-12pp — Lk 6:20-23

He said:

11“Blessed are you when people insult you,l persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me.m 12Rejoice and be glad,n because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.o Article: The Sermon on the Mount

Salt and Light

13“You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.p

14“You are the light of the world.q A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. 15Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house.r 16In the same way, let your light shine before others,s that they may see your good deedst and glorifyu your Father in heaven.

The Fulfillment of the Law

17“Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.v 18For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished.w 19Therefore anyone who sets aside one of the least of these commandsx and teaches others accordingly will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. 20For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven.y

Murder

5:25,26pp — Lk 12:58,59

21“You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘You shall not murder,1^,z and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.’ 22But I tell you that anyone who is angrya with a brother or sister2^,3 will be subject to judgment.b Again, anyone who says to a brother or sister, ‘Raca,’4 is answerable to the court.c And anyone who says, ‘You fool!’ will be in danger of the fire of hell.d

23“Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother or sister has something against you, 24leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to them; then come and offer your gift.

25“Settle matters quickly with your adversary who is taking you to court. Do it while you are still together on the way, or your adversary may hand you over to the judge, and the judge may hand you over to the officer, and you may be thrown into prison. 26Truly I tell you, you will not get out until you have paid the last penny.

Adultery

27“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’5^,e 28But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart.f 29If your right eye causes you to stumble,g gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. 30And if your right hand causes you to stumble,h cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to go into hell.

Divorce

31“It has been said, ‘Anyone who divorces his wife must give her a certificate of divorce.’6^,i 32But I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, makes her the victim of adultery, and anyone who marries a divorced woman commits adultery.j

Oaths

33“Again, you have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘Do not break your oath,k but fulfill to the Lord the vows you have made.’l 34But I tell you, do not swear an oath at all:m either by heaven, for it is God’s throne;n 35or by the earth, for it is his footstool; or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the Great King.o 36And do not swear by your head, for you cannot make even one hair white or black. 37All you need to say is simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’;p anything beyond this comes from the evil one.7^,q

Eye for Eye

38“You have heard that it was said, ‘Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.’8^,r 39But I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also.s 40And if anyone wants to sue you and take your shirt, hand over your coat as well. 41If anyone forces you to go one mile, go with them two miles. 42Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you.t

Love for Enemies

43“You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor9^,u and hate your enemy.’v 44But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,w 45that you may be childrenx of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.y 46If you love those who love you, what reward will you get?z Are not even the tax collectors doing that? 47And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? 48Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.a

Matthew 6

Giving to the Needy

1“Be careful not to practice your righteousness in front of others to be seen by them.a If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven.

2“So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. 3But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, 4so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.b

Prayer

6:9-13pp — Lk 11:2-4

5“And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standingc in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. 6But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father,d who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. 7And when you pray, do not keep on babblinge like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words.f 8Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you needg before you ask him.

9“This, then, is how you should pray:

14For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.o 15But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.p

Fasting

16“When you fast,q do not look somberr as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show others they are fasting. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. 17But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, 18so that it will not be obvious to others that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen; and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.s

Treasures in Heaven

6:22,23pp — Lk 11:34-36

19“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth,t where moths and vermin destroy,u and where thieves break in and steal. 20But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven,v where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal.w 21For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.x

22“The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are healthy,3 your whole body will be full of light. 23But if your eyes are unhealthy,4 your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness!

24“No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.y

Do Not Worry

6:25-33pp — Lk 12:22-31

25“Therefore I tell you, do not worryz about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? 26Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them.a Are you not much more valuable than they?b 27Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life5?c

28“And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. 29Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendord was dressed like one of these. 30If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith?e 31So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them.f 33But seek first his kingdomg and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.h 34Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

Matthew 7

Judging Others

7:3-5pp — Lk 6:41,42

1“Do not judge, or you too will be judged.a 2For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.b

3“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? 4How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? 5You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.

6“Do not give dogs what is sacred; do not throw your pearls to pigs. If you do, they may trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you to pieces. Article: Christians and Judging Others

Ask, Seek, Knock

7:7-11pp — Lk 11:9-13

7“Ask and it will be given to you;c seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. 8For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds;d and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.

9“Which of you, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone? 10Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? 11If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good giftse to those who ask him! 12So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you,f for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.g

The Narrow and Wide Gates

13“Enter through the narrow gate.h For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. 14But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.

True and False Prophets

15“Watch out for false prophets.i They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves.j 16By their fruit you will recognize them.k Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles?l 17Likewise, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. 18A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit.m 19Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.n 20Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them.

True and False Disciples

21“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’o will enter the kingdom of heaven,p but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.q 22Many will say to me on that day,r ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’s 23Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’t

The Wise and Foolish Builders

7:24-27pp — Lk 6:47-49

24“Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practiceu is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. 26But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. 27The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.”

28When Jesus had finished saying these things,v the crowds were amazed at his teaching,w 29because he taught as one who had authority, and not as their teachers of the law.

Matthew 8

Jesus Heals a Man With Leprosy

8:2-4pp — Mk 1:40-44; Lk 5:12-14

1When Jesus came down from the mountainside, large crowds followed him. 2A man with leprosy1^,a came and knelt before himb and said, “Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean.” Chart: Matthew’s Fulfillment Quotations

3Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. “I am willing,” he said. “Be clean!” Immediately he was cleansed of his leprosy. 4Then Jesus said to him, “See that you don’t tell anyone.c But go, show yourself to the priestd and offer the gift Moses commanded,e as a testimony to them.”

The Faith of the Centurion

8:5-13pp — Lk 7:1-10

5When Jesus had entered Capernaum, a centurion came to him, asking for help. 6“Lord,” he said, “my servant lies at home paralyzed,f suffering terribly.”

7Jesus said to him, “Shall I come and heal him?”

8The centurion replied, “Lord, I do not deserve to have you come under my roof. But just say the word, and my servant will be healed.g 9For 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.”

10When Jesus heard this, he was amazed and said to those following him, “Truly I tell you, I have not found anyone in Israel with such great faith.h 11I say to you that many will come from the east and the west,i and will take their places at the feast with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven.j 12But the subjects of the kingdomk will be thrown outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”l

13Then Jesus said to the centurion, “Go! Let it be done just as you believed it would.”m And his servant was healed at that moment.

Jesus Heals Many

8:14-16pp — Mk 1:29-34; Lk 4:38-41

14When Jesus came into Peter’s house, he saw Peter’s mother-in-law lying in bed with a fever. 15He touched her hand and the fever left her, and she got up and began to wait on him.

16When evening came, many who were demon-possessed were brought to him, and he drove out the spirits with a word and healed all the sick.n 17This was to fulfillo what was spoken through the prophet Isaiah:

The Cost of Following Jesus

8:19-22pp — Lk 9:57-60

18When Jesus saw the crowd around him, he gave orders to cross to the other side of the lake.q 19Then a teacher of the law came to him and said, “Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go.”

20Jesus replied, “Foxes have dens and birds have nests, but the Son of Manr has no place to lay his head.”

21Another disciple said to him, “Lord, first let me go and bury my father.”

22But Jesus told him, “Follow me,s and let the dead bury their own dead.”

Jesus Calms the Storm

8:23-27pp — Mk 4:36-41; Lk 8:22-25

8:23-27Ref — Mt 14:22-33

23Then he got into the boat and his disciples followed him. 24Suddenly a furious storm came up on the lake, so that the waves swept over the boat. But Jesus was sleeping. 25The disciples went and woke him, saying, “Lord, save us! We’re going to drown!”

26He replied, “You of little faith,t why are you so afraid?” Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the waves, and it was completely calm.u

27The men were amazed and asked, “What kind of man is this? Even the winds and the waves obey him!”

Jesus Restores Two Demon-Possessed Men

8:28-34pp — Mk 5:1-17; Lk 8:26-37

28When he arrived at the other side in the region of the Gadarenes,3 two demon-possessedv men coming from the tombs met him. They were so violent that no one could pass that way. 29“What do you want with us,w Son of God?” they shouted. “Have you come here to torture us before the appointed time?”x

30Some distance from them a large herd of pigs was feeding. 31The demons begged Jesus, “If you drive us out, send us into the herd of pigs.”

32He said to them, “Go!” So they came out and went into the pigs, and the whole herd rushed down the steep bank into the lake and died in the water. 33Those tending the pigs ran off, went into the town and reported all this, including what had happened to the demon-possessed men. 34Then the whole town went out to meet Jesus. And when they saw him, they pleaded with him to leave their region.y

Matthew 9

Jesus Forgives and Heals a Paralyzed Man

9:2-8pp — Mk 2:3-12; Lk 5:18-26

1Jesus stepped into a boat, crossed over and came to his own town.a 2Some men brought to him a paralyzed man,b lying on a mat. When Jesus saw their faith,c he said to the man, “Take heart,d son; your sins are forgiven.”e

3At this, some of the teachers of the law said to themselves, “This fellow is blaspheming!”f

4Knowing their thoughts,g Jesus said, “Why do you entertain evil thoughts in your hearts? 5Which is easier: to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up and walk’? 6But I want you to know that the Son of Manh has authority on earth to forgive sins.” So he said to the paralyzed man, “Get up, take your mat and go home.” 7Then the man got up and went home. 8When the crowd saw this, they were filled with awe; and they praised God,i who had given such authority to man.

The Calling of Matthew

9:9-13pp — Mk 2:14-17; Lk 5:27-32

9As Jesus went on from there, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax collector’s booth. “Follow me,”j he told him, and Matthew got up and followed him.

10While Jesus was having dinner at Matthew’s house, many tax collectors and sinners came and ate with him and his disciples. 11When the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?”k

12On hearing this, Jesus said, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. 13But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’1^,l For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”m

Jesus Questioned About Fasting

9:14-17pp — Mk 2:18-22; Lk 5:33-39

14Then John’sn disciples came and asked him, “How is it that we and the Pharisees fast often,o but your disciples do not fast?”

15Jesus answered, “How can the guests of the bridegroom mourn while he is with them?p The time will come when the bridegroom will be taken from them; then they will fast.q

16“No one sews a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment, for the patch will pull away from the garment, making the tear worse. 17Neither do people pour new wine into old wineskins. If they do, the skins will burst; the wine will run out and the wineskins will be ruined. No, they pour new wine into new wineskins, and both are preserved.”

Jesus Raises a Dead Girl and Heals a Sick Woman

9:18-26pp — Mk 5:22-43; Lk 8:41-56

18While he was saying this, a synagogue leader came and knelt before himr and said, “My daughter has just died. But come and put your hand on her,s and she will live.” 19Jesus got up and went with him, and so did his disciples.

20Just then a woman who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years came up behind him and touched the edge of his cloak.t 21She said to herself, “If I only touch his cloak, I will be healed.”

22Jesus turned and saw her. “Take heart,u daughter,” he said, “your faith has healed you.”v And the woman was healed at that moment.w

23When Jesus entered the synagogue leader’s house and saw the noisy crowd and people playing pipes,x 24he said, “Go away. The girl is not deady but asleep.”z But they laughed at him. 25After the crowd had been put outside, he went in and took the girl by the hand, and she got up.a 26News of this spread through all that region.b

Jesus Heals the Blind and the Mute

27As Jesus went on from there, two blind men followed him, calling out, “Have mercy on us, Son of David!”c

28When he had gone indoors, the blind men came to him, and he asked them, “Do you believe that I am able to do this?”

“Yes, Lord,” they replied.d

29Then he touched their eyes and said, “According to your faith let it be done to you”;e 30and their sight was restored. Jesus warned them sternly, “See that no one knows about this.”f 31But they went out and spread the news about him all over that region.g

32While they were going out, a man who was demon-possessedh and could not talki was brought to Jesus. 33And when the demon was driven out, the man who had been mute spoke. The crowd was amazed and said, “Nothing like this has ever been seen in Israel.”j

34But the Pharisees said, “It is by the prince of demons that he drives out demons.”k

The Workers Are Few

35Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness.l 36When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them,m because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.n 37Then he said to his disciples, “The harvesto is plentiful but the workers are few.p 38Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.”

Matthew 10

Jesus Sends Out the Twelve

10:2-4pp — Mk 3:16-19; Lk 6:14-16; Ac 1:13

10:9-15pp — Mk 6:8-11; Lk 9:3-5; 10:4-12

10:19-22pp — Mk 13:11-13; Lk 21:12-17

10:26-33pp — Lk 12:2-9

10:34,35pp — Lk 12:51-53

1Jesus called his twelve disciples to him and gave them authority to drive out impure spiritsa and to heal every disease and sickness.b

2These are the names of the twelve apostles: first, Simon (who is called Peter) and his brother Andrew; James son of Zebedee, and his brother John; 3Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus; 4Simon the Zealot and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him.c

5These twelve Jesus sent out with the following instructions: “Do not go among the Gentiles or enter any town of the Samaritans.d 6Go rather to the lost sheep of Israel.e 7As you go, proclaim this message: ‘The kingdom of heavenf has come near.’ 8Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy,1 drive out demons. Freely you have received; freely give.

9“Do not get any gold or silver or copper to take with you in your beltsg— 10no bag for the journey or extra shirt or sandals or a staff, for the worker is worth his keep.h 11Whatever town or village you enter, search there for some worthy person and stay at their house until you leave. 12As you enter the home, give it your greeting.i 13If the home is deserving, let your peace rest on it; if it is not, let your peace return to you. 14If anyone will not welcome you or listen to your words, leave that home or town and shake the dust off your feet.j 15Truly I tell you, it will be more bearable for Sodom and Gomorrahk on the day of judgmentl than for that town.m

16“I am sending you out like sheep among wolves.n Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves.o 17Be on your guard; you will be handed over to the local councilsp and be flogged in the synagogues.q 18On my account you will be brought before governors and kingsr as witnesses to them and to the Gentiles. 19But when they arrest you, do not worry about what to say or how to say it.s At that time you will be given what to say, 20for it will not be you speaking, but the Spirit of your Fathert speaking through you.

21“Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child; children will rebel against their parentsu and have them put to death.v 22You will be hated by everyone because of me,w but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved.x 23When you are persecuted in one place, flee to another. Truly I tell you, you will not finish going through the towns of Israel before the Son of Man comes.y

24“The student is not above the teacher, nor a servant above his master.z 25It is enough for students to be like their teachers, and servants like their masters. If the head of the house has been called Beelzebul,a how much more the members of his household!

26“So do not be afraid of them, for there is nothing concealed that will not be disclosed, or hidden that will not be made known.b 27What I tell you in the dark, speak in the daylight; what is whispered in your ear, proclaim from the roofs. 28Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the Onec who can destroy both soul and body in hell. 29Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground outside your Father’s care.2 30And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered.d 31So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.e

32“Whoever acknowledges me before others,f I will also acknowledge before my Father in heaven. 33But whoever disowns me before others, I will disown before my Father in heaven.g

34“Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. 35For I have come to turn

37“Anyone who loves their father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves their son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.j 38Whoever does not take up their cross and follow me is not worthy of me.k 39Whoever finds their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life for my sake will find it.l

40“Anyone who welcomes you welcomes me,m and anyone who welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me.n 41Whoever welcomes a prophet as a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward, and whoever welcomes a righteous person as a righteous person will receive a righteous person’s reward. 42And if anyone gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones who is my disciple, truly I tell you, that person will certainly not lose their reward.”o

Matthew 11

Jesus and John the Baptist

11:2-19pp — Lk 7:18-35

1After Jesus had finished instructing his twelve disciples,a he went on from there to teach and preach in the towns of Galilee.1

2When John,b who was in prison,c heard about the deeds of the Messiah, he sent his disciples 3to ask him, “Are you the one who is to come,d or should we expect someone else?”

4Jesus replied, “Go back and report to John what you hear and see: 5The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy2 are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is proclaimed to the poor.e 6Blessed is anyone who does not stumble on account of me.”f

7As John’sg disciples were leaving, Jesus began to speak to the crowd about John: “What did you go out into the wildernessh to see? A reed swayed by the wind? 8If not, what did you go out to see? A man dressed in fine clothes? No, those who wear fine clothes are in kings’ palaces. 9Then what did you go out to see? A prophet?i Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet. 10This is the one about whom it is written:

11Truly I tell you, among those born of women there has not risen anyone greater than John the Baptist; yet whoever is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. 12From the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven has been subjected to violence,4 and violent people have been raiding it. 13For all the Prophets and the Law prophesied until John.l 14And if you are willing to accept it, he is the Elijah who was to come.m 15Whoever has ears, let them hear.n

16“To what can I compare this generation? They are like children sitting in the marketplaces and calling out to others:

18For John came neither eatingo nor drinking,p and they say, ‘He has a demon.’ 19The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Here is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners.’q But wisdom is proved right by her deeds.”

Woe on Unrepentant Towns

11:21-23pp — Lk 10:13-15

20Then Jesus began to denounce the towns in which most of his miracles had been performed, because they did not repent. 21“Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida!r For if the miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Tyre and Sidon,s they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes.t 22But I tell you, it will be more bearable for Tyre and Sidon on the day of judgment than for you.u 23And you, Capernaum,v will you be lifted to the heavens? No, you will go down to Hades.5^,w For if the miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Sodom, it would have remained to this day. 24But I tell you that it will be more bearable for Sodom on the day of judgment than for you.”x

The Father Revealed in the Son

11:25-27pp — Lk 10:21,22

25At that time Jesus said, “I praise you, Father,y Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children.z 26Yes, Father, for this is what you were pleased to do.

27“All things have been committed to mea by my Father.b No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.c

28“Come to me,d all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.e 29Take my yoke upon you and learn from me,f for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.g 30For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”h

Matthew 12

Jesus Is Lord of the Sabbath

12:1-8pp — Mk 2:23-28; Lk 6:1-5

12:9-14pp — Mk 3:1-6; Lk 6:6-11

1At that time Jesus went through the grainfields on the Sabbath. His disciples were hungry and began to pick some heads of graina and eat them. 2When the Pharisees saw this, they said to him, “Look! Your disciples are doing what is unlawful on the Sabbath.”b

3He answered, “Haven’t you read what David did when he and his companions were hungry?c 4He entered the house of God, and he and his companions ate the consecrated bread—which was not lawful for them to do, but only for the priests.d 5Or haven’t you read in the Law that the priests on Sabbath duty in the temple desecrate the Sabbathe and yet are innocent? 6I tell you that something greater than the temple is here.f 7If you had known what these words mean, ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice,’1^,g you would not have condemned the innocent. 8For the Son of Manh is Lord of the Sabbath.”

9Going on from that place, he went into their synagogue, 10and a man with a shriveled hand was there. Looking for a reason to bring charges against Jesus,i they asked him, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?”j

11He said to them, “If any of you has a sheep and it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will you not take hold of it and lift it out?k 12How much more valuable is a person than a sheep!l Therefore it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath.”

13Then he said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” So he stretched it out and it was completely restored, just as sound as the other. 14But the Pharisees went out and plotted how they might kill Jesus.m

God’s Chosen Servant

15Aware of this, Jesus withdrew from that place. A large crowd followed him, and he healed all who were ill.n 16He warned them not to tell others about him.o 17This was to fulfillp what was spoken through the prophet Isaiah:

Jesus and Beelzebul

12:25-29pp — Mk 3:23-27; Lk 11:17-22

22Then they brought him a demon-possessed man who was blind and mute, and Jesus healed him, so that he could both talk and see.t 23All the people were astonished and said, “Could this be the Son of David?”u

24But when the Pharisees heard this, they said, “It is only by Beelzebul,v the prince of demons, that this fellow drives out demons.”w

25Jesus knew their thoughtsx and said to them, “Every kingdom divided against itself will be ruined, and every city or household divided against itself will not stand. 26If Satany drives out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then can his kingdom stand? 27And if I drive out demons by Beelzebul,z by whom do your peoplea drive them out? So then, they will be your judges. 28But if it is by the Spirit of God that I drive out demons, then the kingdom of Godb has come upon you.

29“Or again, how can anyone enter a strong man’s house and carry off his possessions unless he first ties up the strong man? Then he can plunder his house.

30“Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters.c 31And so I tell you, every kind of sin and slander can be forgiven, but blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven.d 32Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but anyone who speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this agee or in the age to come.f

33“Make a tree good and its fruit will be good, or make a tree bad and its fruit will be bad, for a tree is recognized by its fruit.g 34You brood of vipers,h how can you who are evil say anything good? For the mouth speaksi what the heart is full of. 35A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in him, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in him. 36But I tell you that everyone will have to give account on the day of judgment for every empty word they have spoken. 37For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned.”j

The Sign of Jonah

12:39-42pp — Lk 11:29-32

12:43-45pp — Lk 11:24-26

38Then some of the Pharisees and teachers of the law said to him, “Teacher, we want to see a signk from you.”l

39He answered, “A wicked and adulterous generation asks for a sign! But none will be given it except the sign of the prophet Jonah.m 40For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of a huge fish,n so the Son of Mano will be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.p 41The men of Ninevehq will stand up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it; for they repented at the preaching of Jonah,r and now something greater than Jonah is here. 42The Queen of the South will rise at the judgment with this generation and condemn it; for she cames from the ends of the earth to listen to Solomon’s wisdom, and now something greater than Solomon is here.

43“When an impure spirit comes out of a person, it goes through arid places seeking rest and does not find it. 44Then it says, ‘I will return to the house I left.’ When it arrives, it finds the house unoccupied, swept clean and put in order. 45Then it goes and takes with it seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and live there. And the final condition of that person is worse than the first.t That is how it will be with this wicked generation.”

Jesus’ Mother and Brothers

12:46-50pp — Mk 3:31-35; Lk 8:19-21

46While Jesus was still talking to the crowd, his motheru and brothersv stood outside, wanting to speak to him. 47Someone told him, “Your mother and brothers are standing outside, wanting to speak to you.”

48He replied to him, “Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?” 49Pointing to his disciples, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers. 50For whoever does the will of my Father in heavenw is my brother and sister and mother.”

Matthew 13

The Parable of the Sower

13:1-15pp — Mk 4:1-12; Lk 8:4-10

13:16,17pp — Lk 10:23,24

13:18-23pp — Mk 4:13-20; Lk 8:11-15

1That same day Jesus went out of the housea and sat by the lake. 2Such large crowds gathered around him that he got into a boatb and sat in it, while all the people stood on the shore. 3Then he told them many things in parables, saying: “A farmer went out to sow his seed. 4As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. 5Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. 6But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. 7Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants. 8Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop—a hundred,c sixty or thirty times what was sown. 9Whoever has ears, let them hear.”d Article: Jesus’ Parables

10The disciples came to him and asked, “Why do you speak to the people in parables?”

11He replied, “Because the knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of heavene has been given to you,f but not to them. 12Whoever has will be given more, and they will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them.g 13This is why I speak to them in parables:

14In them is fulfilledi the prophecy of Isaiah:

16But blessed are your eyes because they see, and your ears because they hear.k 17For truly I tell you, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you seel but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it.

18“Listen then to what the parable of the sower means: 19When anyone hears the message about the kingdomm and does not understand it, the evil onen comes and snatches away what was sown in their heart. This is the seed sown along the path. 20The seed falling on rocky ground refers to someone who hears the word and at once receives it with joy. 21But since they have no root, they last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away.o 22The seed falling among the thorns refers to someone who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealthp choke the word, making it unfruitful. 23But the seed falling on good soil refers to someone who hears the word and understands it. This is the one who produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.”q

The Parable of the Weeds

24Jesus told them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is liker a man who sowed good seed in his field. 25But while everyone was sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and went away. 26When the wheat sprouted and formed heads, then the weeds also appeared.

27“The owner’s servants came to him and said, ‘Sir, didn’t you sow good seed in your field? Where then did the weeds come from?’

28“ ‘An enemy did this,’ he replied.

“The servants asked him, ‘Do you want us to go and pull them up?’

29“ ‘No,’ he answered, ‘because while you are pulling the weeds, you may uproot the wheat with them. 30Let both grow together until the harvest. At that time I will tell the harvesters: First collect the weeds and tie them in bundles to be burned; then gather the wheat and bring it into my barn.’ ”s

The Parables of the Mustard Seed and the Yeast

13:31,32pp — Mk 4:30-32

13:31-33pp — Lk 13:18-21

31He told them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is liket a mustard seed,u which a man took and planted in his field. 32Though it is the smallest of all seeds, yet when it grows, it is the largest of garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds come and perch in its branches.”v

33He told them still another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is likew yeast that a woman took and mixed into about sixty pounds2 of flourx until it worked all through the dough.”y

34Jesus spoke all these things to the crowd in parables; he did not say anything to them without using a parable.z 35So was fulfilleda what was spoken through the prophet:

The Parable of the Weeds Explained

36Then he left the crowd and went into the house. His disciples came to him and said, “Explain to us the parablec of the weeds in the field.”

37He answered, “The one who sowed the good seed is the Son of Man.d 38The field is the world, and the good seed stands for the people of the kingdom. The weeds are the people of the evil one,e 39and the enemy who sows them is the devil. The harvestf is the end of the age,g and the harvesters are angels.h

40“As the weeds are pulled up and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of the age. 41The Son of Mani will send out his angels,j and they will weed out of his kingdom everything that causes sin and all who do evil. 42They will throw them into the blazing furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.k 43Then the righteous will shine like the sunl in the kingdom of their Father. Whoever has ears, let them hear.m

The Parables of the Hidden Treasure and the Pearl

44“The kingdom of heaven is liken treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field.o

45“Again, the kingdom of heaven is likep a merchant looking for fine pearls. 46When he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it.

The Parable of the Net

47“Once again, the kingdom of heaven is likeq a net that was let down into the lake and caught all kindsr of fish. 48When it was full, the fishermen pulled it up on the shore. Then they sat down and collected the good fish in baskets, but threw the bad away. 49This is how it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come and separate the wicked from the righteouss 50and throw them into the blazing furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.t

51“Have you understood all these things?” Jesus asked.

“Yes,” they replied.

52He said to them, “Therefore every teacher of the law who has become a disciple in the kingdom of heaven is like the owner of a house who brings out of his storeroom new treasures as well as old.”

A Prophet Without Honor

13:54-58pp — Mk 6:1-6

53When Jesus had finished these parables,u he moved on from there. 54Coming to his hometown, he began teaching the people in their synagogue,v and they were amazed.w “Where did this man get this wisdom and these miraculous powers?” they asked. 55“Isn’t this the carpenter’s son?x Isn’t his mother’sy name Mary, and aren’t his brothersz James, Joseph, Simon and Judas? 56Aren’t all his sisters with us? Where then did this man get all these things?” 57And they took offensea at him.

But Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor except in his own town and in his own home.”b

58And he did not do many miracles there because of their lack of faith.

Matthew 14

John the Baptist Beheaded

14:1-12pp — Mk 6:14-29

1At that time Heroda the tetrarch heard the reports about Jesus,b 2and he said to his attendants, “This is John the Baptist;c he has risen from the dead! That is why miraculous powers are at work in him.”

3Now Herod had arrested John and bound him and put him in prisond because of Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife,e 4for John had been saying to him: “It is not lawful for you to have her.”f 5Herod wanted to kill John, but he was afraid of the people, because they considered John a prophet.g

6On Herod’s birthday the daughter of Herodias danced for the guests and pleased Herod so much 7that he promised with an oath to give her whatever she asked. 8Prompted by her mother, she said, “Give me here on a platter the head of John the Baptist.” 9The king was distressed, but because of his oaths and his dinner guests, he ordered that her request be granted 10and had John beheadedh in the prison. 11His head was brought in on a platter and given to the girl, who carried it to her mother. 12John’s disciples came and took his body and buried it.i Then they went and told Jesus.

Jesus Feeds the Five Thousand

14:13-21pp — Mk 6:32-44; Lk 9:10-17; Jn 6:1-13

14:13-21Ref — Mt 15:32-38

13When Jesus heard what had happened, he withdrew by boat privately to a solitary place. Hearing of this, the crowds followed him on foot from the towns. 14When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on themj and healed their sick.k

15As evening approached, the disciples came to him and said, “This is a remote place, and it’s already getting late. Send the crowds away, so they can go to the villages and buy themselves some food.”

16Jesus replied, “They do not need to go away. You give them something to eat.”

17“We have here only five loavesl of bread and two fish,” they answered.

18“Bring them here to me,” he said. 19And he directed the people to sit down on the grass. Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke the loaves.m Then he gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the people. 20They all ate and were satisfied, and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over. 21The number of those who ate was about five thousand men, besides women and children.

Jesus Walks on the Water

14:22-33pp — Mk 6:45-51; Jn 6:16-21

14:34-36pp — Mk 6:53-56

22Immediately Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowd. 23After he had dismissed them, he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray.n Later that night, he was there alone, 24and the boat was already a considerable distance from land, buffeted by the waves because the wind was against it.

25Shortly before dawn Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake. 26When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified. “It’s a ghost,”o they said, and cried out in fear.

27But Jesus immediately said to them: “Take courage!p It is I. Don’t be afraid.”q

28“Lord, if it’s you,” Peter replied, “tell me to come to you on the water.”

29“Come,” he said.

Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. 30But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!”

31Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. “You of little faith,”r he said, “why did you doubt?”

32And when they climbed into the boat, the wind died down. 33Then those who were in the boat worshiped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.”s

34When they had crossed over, they landed at Gennesaret. 35And when the men of that place recognized Jesus, they sent word to all the surrounding country. People brought all their sick to him 36and begged him to let the sick just touch the edge of his cloak,t and all who touched it were healed.

Matthew 15

That Which Defiles

15:1-20pp — Mk 7:1-23

1Then some Pharisees and teachers of the law came to Jesus from Jerusalem and asked, 2“Why do your disciples break the tradition of the elders? They don’t wash their hands before they eat!”a

3Jesus replied, “And why do you break the command of God for the sake of your tradition? 4For God said, ‘Honor your father and mother’1^,b and ‘Anyone who curses their father or mother is to be put to death.’2^,c 5But you say that if anyone declares that what might have been used to help their father or mother is ‘devoted to God,’ 6they are not to ‘honor their father or mother’ with it. Thus you nullify the word of God for the sake of your tradition. 7You hypocrites! Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you:

10Jesus called the crowd to him and said, “Listen and understand. 11What goes into someone’s mouth does not defile them,f but what comes out of their mouth, that is what defiles them.”g

12Then the disciples came to him and asked, “Do you know that the Pharisees were offended when they heard this?”

13He replied, “Every plant that my heavenly Father has not plantedh will be pulled up by the roots. 14Leave them; they are blind guides.4^,i If the blind lead the blind, both will fall into a pit.”j

15Peter said, “Explain the parable to us.”k

16“Are you still so dull?”l Jesus asked them. 17“Don’t you see that whatever enters the mouth goes into the stomach and then out of the body? 18But the things that come out of a person’s mouth come from the heart,m and these defile them. 19For out of the heart come evil thoughts—murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander.n 20These are what defile a person;o but eating with unwashed hands does not defile them.”

The Faith of a Canaanite Woman

15:21-28pp — Mk 7:24-30

21Leaving that place, Jesus withdrew to the region of Tyre and Sidon.p 22A Canaanite woman from that vicinity came to him, crying out, “Lord, Son of David,q have mercy on me! My daughter is demon-possessed and suffering terribly.”r

23Jesus did not answer a word. So his disciples came to him and urged him, “Send her away, for she keeps crying out after us.”

24He answered, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel.”s

25The woman came and knelt before him.t “Lord, help me!” she said.

26He replied, “It is not right to take the children’s bread and toss it to the dogs.”

27“Yes it is, Lord,” she said. “Even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their master’s table.”

28Then Jesus said to her, “Woman, you have great faith!u Your request is granted.” And her daughter was healed at that moment.

Jesus Feeds the Four Thousand

15:29-31pp — Mk 7:31-37

15:32-39pp — Mk 8:1-10

15:32-39Ref — Mt 14:13-21

29Jesus left there and went along the Sea of Galilee. Then he went up on a mountainside and sat down. 30Great crowds came to him, bringing the lame, the blind, the crippled, the mute and many others, and laid them at his feet; and he healed them.v 31The people were amazed when they saw the mute speaking, the crippled made well, the lame walking and the blind seeing. And they praised the God of Israel.w

32Jesus called his disciples to him and said, “I have compassion for these people;x they have already been with me three days and have nothing to eat. I do not want to send them away hungry, or they may collapse on the way.”

33His disciples answered, “Where could we get enough bread in this remote place to feed such a crowd?”

34“How many loaves do you have?” Jesus asked.

“Seven,” they replied, “and a few small fish.”

35He told the crowd to sit down on the ground. 36Then he took the seven loaves and the fish, and when he had given thanks, he broke themy and gave them to the disciples, and they in turn to the people. 37They all ate and were satisfied. Afterward the disciples picked up seven basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over.z 38The number of those who ate was four thousand men, besides women and children. 39After Jesus had sent the crowd away, he got into the boat and went to the vicinity of Magadan. Photo

Matthew 16

The Demand for a Sign

16:1-12pp — Mk 8:11-21

1The Pharisees and Sadduceesa came to Jesus and tested him by asking him to show them a sign from heaven.b

2He replied, “When evening comes, you say, ‘It will be fair weather, for the sky is red,’ 3and in the morning, ‘Today it will be stormy, for the sky is red and overcast.’ You know how to interpret the appearance of the sky, but you cannot interpret the signs of the times.1^,c 4A wicked and adulterous generation looks for a sign, but none will be given it except the sign of Jonah.”d Jesus then left them and went away.

The Yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees

5When they went across the lake, the disciples forgot to take bread. 6“Be careful,” Jesus said to them. “Be on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees.”e

7They discussed this among themselves and said, “It is because we didn’t bring any bread.”

8Aware of their discussion, Jesus asked, “You of little faith,f why are you talking among yourselves about having no bread? 9Do you still not understand? Don’t you remember the five loaves for the five thousand, and how many basketfuls you gathered?g 10Or the seven loaves for the four thousand, and how many basketfuls you gathered?h 11How is it you don’t understand that I was not talking to you about bread? But be on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees.” 12Then they understood that he was not telling them to guard against the yeast used in bread, but against the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees.i

Peter Declares That Jesus Is the Messiah

16:13-16pp — Mk 8:27-29; Lk 9:18-20

13When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say the Son of Man is?”

14They replied, “Some say John the Baptist;j others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.”k

15“But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?”

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

17Jesus replied, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood,m but by my Father in heaven.n 18And I tell you that you are Peter,2^,o and on this rock I will build my church,p and the gates of Hades3 will not overcome it. 19I will give you the keysq of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be4 bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be5 loosed in heaven.”r 20Then he ordered his disciples not to tell anyones that he was the Messiah. Article: Jesus Builds His Church

Jesus Predicts His Death

16:21-28pp — Mk 8:31–9:1; Lk 9:22-27

21From that time on Jesus began to explain to his disciples that he must go to Jerusalemt and suffer many thingsu at the hands of the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law,v and that he must be killedw and on the third dayx be raised to life.y

22Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. “Never, Lord!” he said. “This shall never happen to you!”

23Jesus turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan!z You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the concerns of God, but merely human concerns.”

24Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.a 25For whoever wants to save their life6 will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it.b 26What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul? 27For the Son of Manc is going to comed in his Father’s glory with his angels, and then he will reward each person according to what they have done.e

28“Truly I tell you, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom.”

Matthew 17

The Transfiguration

17:1-8pp — Lk 9:28-36

17:1-13pp — Mk 9:2-13

1After six days Jesus took with him Peter, James and Johna the brother of James, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. 2There he was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as the light. 3Just then there appeared before them Moses and Elijah, talking with Jesus.

4Peter said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good for us to be here. If you wish, I will put up three shelters—one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.”

5While he was still speaking, a bright cloud covered them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.b Listen to him!”c

6When the disciples heard this, they fell facedown to the ground, terrified. 7But Jesus came and touched them. “Get up,” he said. “Don’t be afraid.”d 8When they looked up, they saw no one except Jesus.

9As they were coming down the mountain, Jesus instructed them, “Don’t tell anyonee what you have seen, until the Son of Manf has been raised from the dead.”g

10The disciples asked him, “Why then do the teachers of the law say that Elijah must come first?”

11Jesus replied, “To be sure, Elijah comes and will restore all things.h 12But I tell you, Elijah has already come,i and they did not recognize him, but have done to him everything they wished.j In the same way the Son of Man is going to sufferk at their hands.” 13Then the disciples understood that he was talking to them about John the Baptist.l

Jesus Heals a Demon-Possessed Boy

17:14-19pp — Mk 9:14-28; Lk 9:37-42

14When they came to the crowd, a man approached Jesus and knelt before him. 15“Lord, have mercy on my son,” he said. “He has seizuresm and is suffering greatly. He often falls into the fire or into the water. 16I brought him to your disciples, but they could not heal him.”

17“You unbelieving and perverse generation,” Jesus replied, “how long shall I stay with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring the boy here to me.” 18Jesus rebuked the demon, and it came out of the boy, and he was healed at that moment.

19Then the disciples came to Jesus in private and asked, “Why couldn’t we drive it out?”

20He replied, “Because you have so little faith. Truly I tell you, if you have faithn as small as a mustard seed,o you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move.p Nothing will be impossible for you.” [21]1

Jesus Predicts His Death a Second Time

17:22-23pp — Mk 9:31-32; Lk 9:43b-45

22When they came together in Galilee, he said to them, “The Son of Manq is going to be delivered into the hands of men. 23They will kill him,r and on the third days he will be raised to life.”t And the disciples were filled with grief.

The Temple Tax

24After Jesus and his disciples arrived in Capernaum, the collectors of the two-drachma temple taxu came to Peter and asked, “Doesn’t your teacher pay the temple tax?”

25“Yes, he does,” he replied.

When Peter came into the house, Jesus was the first to speak. “What do you think, Simon?” he asked. “From whom do the kings of the earth collect duty and taxesv—from their own children or from others?”

26“From others,” Peter answered.

“Then the children are exempt,” Jesus said to him. 27“But so that we may not cause offense,w go to the lake and throw out your line. Take the first fish you catch; open its mouth and you will find a four-drachma coin. Take it and give it to them for my tax and yours.”

Matthew 18

The Greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven

18:1-5pp — Mk 9:33-37; Lk 9:46-48

1At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Who, then, is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?”

2He called a little child to him, and placed the child among them. 3And he said: “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children,a you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.b 4Therefore, whoever takes the lowly position of this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.c 5And whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me.d

Causing to Stumble

6“If anyone causes one of these little ones—those who believe in me—to stumble, it would be better for them to have a large millstone hung around their neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea.e 7Woe to the world because of the things that cause people to stumble! Such things must come, but woe to the person through whom they come!f 8If your hand or your foot causes you to stumble,g cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life maimed or crippled than to have two hands or two feet and be thrown into eternal fire. 9And if your eye causes you to stumble,h gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into the fire of hell.i

The Parable of the Wandering Sheep

18:12-14pp — Lk 15:4-7

10“See that you do not despise one of these little ones. For I tell you that their angelsj in heaven always see the face of my Father in heaven. [11]1

12“What do you think? If a man owns a hundred sheep, and one of them wanders away, will he not leave the ninety-nine on the hills and go to look for the one that wandered off? 13And if he finds it, truly I tell you, he is happier about that one sheep than about the ninety-nine that did not wander off. 14In the same way your Father in heaven is not willing that any of these little ones should perish.

Dealing With Sin in the Church

15“If your brother or sister2 sins,3 go and point out their fault,k just between the two of you. If they listen to you, you have won them over. 16But if they will not listen, take one or two others along, so that ‘every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.’4^,l 17If they still refuse to listen, tell it to the church;m and if they refuse to listen even to the church, treat them as you would a pagan or a tax collector.n

18“Truly I tell you, whatever you bind on earth will be5 bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be6 loosed in heaven.o

19“Again, truly I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything they ask for, it will be done for themp by my Father in heaven. 20For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.”q

The Parable of the Unmerciful Servant

21Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me?r Up to seven times?”s

22Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.7^,t

23“Therefore, the kingdom of heaven is likeu a king who wanted to settle accountsv with his servants. 24As he began the settlement, a man who owed him ten thousand bags of gold8 was brought to him. 25Since he was not able to pay,w the master ordered that he and his wife and his children and all that he had be soldx to repay the debt.

26“At this the servant fell on his knees before him.y ‘Be patient with me,’ he begged, ‘and I will pay back everything.’ 27The servant’s master took pity on him, canceled the debt and let him go.

28“But when that servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred silver coins.9 He grabbed him and began to choke him. ‘Pay back what you owe me!’ he demanded.

29“His fellow servant fell to his knees and begged him, ‘Be patient with me, and I will pay it back.’

30“But he refused. Instead, he went off and had the man thrown into prison until he could pay the debt. 31When the other servants saw what had happened, they were outraged and went and told their master everything that had happened.

32“Then the master called the servant in. ‘You wicked servant,’ he said, ‘I canceled all that debt of yours because you begged me to. 33Shouldn’t you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?’ 34In anger his master handed him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed.

35“This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother or sister from your heart.”z

Matthew 19

Divorce

19:1-9pp — Mk 10:1-12

1When Jesus had finished saying these things,a he left Galilee and went into the region of Judea to the other side of the Jordan. 2Large crowds followed him, and he healed themb there.

3Some Pharisees came to him to test him. They asked, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wifec for any and every reason?”

4“Haven’t you read,” he replied, “that at the beginning the Creator ‘made them male and female,’1^,d 5and said, ‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh’2?e 6So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate.”

7“Why then,” they asked, “did Moses command that a man give his wife a certificate of divorce and send her away?”f

8Jesus replied, “Moses permitted you to divorce your wives because your hearts were hard. But it was not this way from the beginning. 9I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another woman commits adultery.”g

10The disciples said to him, “If this is the situation between a husband and wife, it is better not to marry.”

11Jesus replied, “Not everyone can accept this word, but only those to whom it has been given.h 12For there are eunuchs who were born that way, and there are eunuchs who have been made eunuchs by others—and there are those who choose to live like eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom of heaven. The one who can accept this should accept it.”

The Little Children and Jesus

19:13-15pp — Mk 10:13-16; Lk 18:15-17

13Then people brought little children to Jesus for him to place his hands on themi and pray for them. But the disciples rebuked them.

14Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongsj to such as these.”k 15When he had placed his hands on them, he went on from there.

The Rich and the Kingdom of God

19:16-29pp — Mk 10:17-30; Lk 18:18-30

16Just then a man came up to Jesus and asked, “Teacher, what good thing must I do to get eternal lifel?”m

17“Why do you ask me about what is good?” Jesus replied. “There is only One who is good. If you want to enter life, keep the commandments.”n

18“Which ones?” he inquired.

Jesus replied, “ ‘You shall not murder, you shall not commit adultery,o you shall not steal, you shall not give false testimony, 19honor your father and mother,’3^,p and ‘love your neighbor as yourself.’4”q

20“All these I have kept,” the young man said. “What do I still lack?”

21Jesus answered, “If you want to be perfect,r go, sell your possessions and give to the poor,s and you will have treasure in heaven.t Then come, follow me.”

22When the young man heard this, he went away sad, because he had great wealth.

23Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Truly I tell you, it is hard for someone who is richu to enter the kingdom of heaven. 24Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.”

25When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astonished and asked, “Who then can be saved?”

26Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”v

27Peter answered him, “We have left everything to follow you!w What then will there be for us?”

28Jesus said to them, “Truly I tell you, at the renewal of all things, when the Son of Man sits on his glorious throne,x you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.y 29And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife5 or children or fields for my sake will receive a hundred times as much and will inherit eternal life.z 30But many who are first will be last, and many who are last will be first.a

Matthew 20

The Parable of the Workers in the Vineyard

1“For the kingdom of heaven is likea a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire workers for his vineyard.b 2He agreed to pay them a denarius1 for the day and sent them into his vineyard.

3“About nine in the morning he went out and saw others standing in the marketplace doing nothing. 4He told them, ‘You also go and work in my vineyard, and I will pay you whatever is right.’ 5So they went.

“He went out again about noon and about three in the afternoon and did the same thing. 6About five in the afternoon he went out and found still others standing around. He asked them, ‘Why have you been standing here all day long doing nothing?’

7“ ‘Because no one has hired us,’ they answered.

“He said to them, ‘You also go and work in my vineyard.’

8“When evening came,c the owner of the vineyard said to his foreman, ‘Call the workers and pay them their wages, beginning with the last ones hired and going on to the first.’

9“The workers who were hired about five in the afternoon came and each received a denarius. 10So when those came who were hired first, they expected to receive more. But each one of them also received a denarius. 11When they received it, they began to grumbled against the landowner. 12‘These who were hired last worked only one hour,’ they said, ‘and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the work and the heate of the day.’

13“But he answered one of them, ‘I am not being unfair to you, friend.f Didn’t you agree to work for a denarius? 14Take your pay and go. I want to give the one who was hired last the same as I gave you. 15Don’t I have the right to do what I want with my own money? Or are you envious because I am generous?’g

16“So the last will be first, and the first will be last.”h

Jesus Predicts His Death a Third Time

20:17-19pp — Mk 10:32-34; Lk 18:31-33

17Now Jesus was going up to Jerusalem. On the way, he took the Twelve aside and said to them, 18“We are going up to Jerusalem,i and the Son of Manj will be delivered over to the chief priests and the teachers of the law.k They will condemn him to death 19and will hand him over to the Gentiles to be mocked and floggedl and crucified.m On the third dayn he will be raised to life!”o

A Mother’s Request

20:20-28pp — Mk 10:35-45

20Then the mother of Zebedee’s sonsp came to Jesus with her sons and, kneeling down,q asked a favor of him.

21“What is it you want?” he asked.

She said, “Grant that one of these two sons of mine may sit at your right and the other at your left in your kingdom.”r

22“You don’t know what you are asking,” Jesus said to them. “Can you drink the cups I am going to drink?”

“We can,” they answered.

23Jesus said to them, “You will indeed drink from my cup,t but to sit at my right or left is not for me to grant. These places belong to those for whom they have been prepared by my Father.”

24When the ten heard about this, they were indignantu with the two brothers. 25Jesus called them together and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. 26Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant,v 27and whoever wants to be first must be your slave— 28just as the Son of Manw did not come to be served, but to serve,x and to give his life as a ransomy for many.”

Two Blind Men Receive Sight

20:29-34pp — Mk 10:46-52; Lk 18:35-43

29As Jesus and his disciples were leaving Jericho, a large crowd followed him. 30Two blind men were sitting by the roadside, and when they heard that Jesus was going by, they shouted, “Lord, Son of David,z have mercy on us!”

31The crowd rebuked them and told them to be quiet, but they shouted all the louder, “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us!”

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

33“Lord,” they answered, “we want our sight.”

34Jesus had compassion on them and touched their eyes. Immediately they received their sight and followed him.

Matthew 21

Jesus Comes to Jerusalem as King

21:1-9pp — Mk 11:1-10; Lk 19:29-38

21:4-9pp — Jn 12:12-15

1As they approached Jerusalem and came to Bethphage on the Mount of Olives,a Jesus sent two disciples, 2saying to them, “Go to the village ahead of you, and at once you will find a donkey tied there, with her colt by her. Untie them and bring them to me. 3If anyone says anything to you, say that the Lord needs them, and he will send them right away.”

4This took place to fulfillb what was spoken through the prophet:

6The disciples went and did as Jesus had instructed them. 7They brought the donkey and the colt and placed their cloaks on them for Jesus to sit on. 8A very large crowd spread their cloaksd on the road, while others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. 9The crowds that went ahead of him and those that followed shouted,

10When Jesus entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred and asked, “Who is this?”

11The crowds answered, “This is Jesus, the propheth from Nazareth in Galilee.”

Jesus at the Temple

21:12-16pp — Mk 11:15-18; Lk 19:45-47

12Jesus entered the temple courts and drove out all who were buyingi and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changersj and the benches of those selling doves.k 13“It is written,” he said to them, “ ‘My house will be called a house of prayer,’5^,l but you are making it ‘a den of robbers.’6”m

14The blind and the lame came to him at the temple, and he healed them.n 15But when the chief priests and the teachers of the law saw the wonderful things he did and the children shouting in the temple courts, “Hosanna to the Son of David,”o they were indignant.p

16“Do you hear what these children are saying?” they asked him.

“Yes,” replied Jesus, “have you never read,

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

Jesus Curses a Fig Tree

21:18-22pp — Mk 11:12-14,20-24

18Early in the morning, as Jesus was on his way back to the city, he was hungry. 19Seeing a fig tree by the road, he went up to it but found nothing on it except leaves. Then he said to it, “May you never bear fruit again!” Immediately the tree withered.s

20When the disciples saw this, they were amazed. “How did the fig tree wither so quickly?” they asked.

21Jesus replied, “Truly I tell you, if you have faith and do not doubt,t not only can you do what was done to the fig tree, but also you can say to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and it will be done. 22If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask foru in prayer.”

The Authority of Jesus Questioned

21:23-27pp — Mk 11:27-33; Lk 20:1-8

23Jesus entered the temple courts, and, while he was teaching, the chief priests and the elders of the people came to him. “By what authorityv are you doing these things?” they asked. “And who gave you this authority?”

24Jesus replied, “I will also ask you one question. If you answer me, I will tell you by what authority I am doing these things. 25John’s baptism—where did it come from? Was it from heaven, or of human origin?”

They discussed it among themselves and said, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will ask, ‘Then why didn’t you believe him?’ 26But if we say, ‘Of human origin’—we are afraid of the people, for they all hold that John was a prophet.”w

27So they answered Jesus, “We don’t know.”

Then he said, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things.

The Parable of the Two Sons

28“What do you think? There was a man who had two sons. He went to the first and said, ‘Son, go and work today in the vineyard.’x

29“ ‘I will not,’ he answered, but later he changed his mind and went.

30“Then the father went to the other son and said the same thing. He answered, ‘I will, sir,’ but he did not go.

31“Which of the two did what his father wanted?”

“The first,” they answered.

Jesus said to them, “Truly I tell you, the tax collectorsy and the prostitutesz are entering the kingdom of God ahead of you. 32For John came to you to show you the way of righteousness,a and you did not believe him, but the tax collectorsb and the prostitutesc did. And even after you saw this, you did not repentd and believe him.

The Parable of the Tenants

21:33-46pp — Mk 12:1-12; Lk 20:9-19

33“Listen to another parable: There was a landowner who plantede a vineyard. He put a wall around it, dug a winepress in it and built a watchtower.f Then he rented the vineyard to some farmers and moved to another place.g 34When the harvest time approached, he sent his servantsh to the tenants to collect his fruit.

35“The tenants seized his servants; they beat one, killed another, and stoned a third.i 36Then he sent other servantsj to them, more than the first time, and the tenants treated them the same way. 37Last of all, he sent his son to them. ‘They will respect my son,’ he said.

38“But when the tenants saw the son, they said to each other, ‘This is the heir.k Come, let’s kill himl and take his inheritance.’m 39So they took him and threw him out of the vineyard and killed him.

40“Therefore, when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those tenants?”

41“He will bring those wretches to a wretched end,”n they replied, “and he will rent the vineyard to other tenants,o who will give him his share of the crop at harvest time.”

42Jesus said to them, “Have you never read in the Scriptures:

43“Therefore I tell you that the kingdom of God will be taken away from youq and given to a people who will produce its fruit. 44Anyone who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces; anyone on whom it falls will be crushed.”9^,r

45When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard Jesus’ parables, they knew he was talking about them. 46They looked for a way to arrest him, but they were afraid of the crowd because the people held that he was a prophet.s

Matthew 22

The Parable of the Wedding Banquet

22:2-14Ref — Lk 14:16-24

1Jesus spoke to them again in parables, saying: 2“The kingdom of heaven is likea a king who prepared a wedding banquet for his son. 3He sent his servantsb to those who had been invited to the banquet to tell them to come, but they refused to come.

4“Then he sent some more servantsc and said, ‘Tell those who have been invited that I have prepared my dinner: My oxen and fattened cattle have been butchered, and everything is ready. Come to the wedding banquet.’

5“But they paid no attention and went off—one to his field, another to his business. 6The rest seized his servants, mistreated them and killed them. 7The king was enraged. He sent his army and destroyed those murderersd and burned their city.

8“Then he said to his servants, ‘The wedding banquet is ready, but those I invited did not deserve to come. 9So go to the street cornerse and invite to the banquet anyone you find.’ 10So the servants went out into the streets and gathered all the people they could find, the bad as well as the good,f and the wedding hall was filled with guests.

11“But when the king came in to see the guests, he noticed a man there who was not wearing wedding clothes. 12He asked, ‘How did you get in here without wedding clothes, friendg?’ The man was speechless.

13“Then the king told the attendants, ‘Tie him hand and foot, and throw him outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’h

14“For many are invited, but few are chosen.”i

Paying the Imperial Tax to Caesar

22:15-22pp — Mk 12:13-17; Lk 20:20-26

15Then the Pharisees went out and laid plans to trap him in his words. 16They sent their disciples to him along with the Herodians.j “Teacher,” they said, “we know that you are a man of integrity and that you teach the way of God in accordance with the truth. You aren’t swayed by others, because you pay no attention to who they are. 17Tell us then, what is your opinion? Is it right to pay the imperial tax1^,k to Caesar or not?”

18But Jesus, knowing their evil intent, said, “You hypocrites, why are you trying to trap me? 19Show me the coin used for paying the tax.” They brought him a denarius, 20and he asked them, “Whose image is this? And whose inscription?” Photo

21“Caesar’s,” they replied.

Then he said to them, “So give back to Caesar what is Caesar’s,l and to God what is God’s.”

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

Marriage at the Resurrection

22:23-33pp — Mk 12:18-27; Lk 20:27-40

23That same day the Sadducees,n who say there is no resurrection,o came to him with a question. 24“Teacher,” they said, “Moses told us that if a man dies without having children, his brother must marry the widow and raise up offspring for him.p 25Now there were seven brothers among us. The first one married and died, and since he had no children, he left his wife to his brother. 26The same thing happened to the second and third brother, right on down to the seventh. 27Finally, the woman died. 28Now then, at the resurrection, whose wife will she be of the seven, since all of them were married to her?”

29Jesus replied, “You are in error because you do not know the Scripturesq or the power of God. 30At the resurrection people will neither marry nor be given in marriage;r they will be like the angels in heaven. 31But about the resurrection of the dead—have you not read what God said to you, 32‘I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’2?s He is not the God of the dead but of the living.”

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

The Greatest Commandment

22:34-40pp — Mk 12:28-31

34Hearing that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees,u the Pharisees got together. 35One of them, an expert in the law,v tested him with this question: 36“Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?”

37Jesus replied: “ ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’3^,w 38This is the first and greatest commandment. 39And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’4^,x 40All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”y

Whose Son Is the Messiah?

22:41-46pp — Mk 12:35-37; Lk 20:41-44

41While the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them, 42“What do you think about the Messiah? Whose son is he?”

“The son of David,”z they replied.

43He said to them, “How is it then that David, speaking by the Spirit, calls him ‘Lord’? For he says,

45If then David calls him ‘Lord,’ how can he be his son?” 46No one could say a word in reply, and from that day on no one dared to ask him any more questions.b