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/* Fourteen */
| style="text-align:left;"| <span style=color:red><big><big><big>'''I'''</big></big></big></span>n these days he went out into the hills to pray; and all night he continued in prayer to God. When it was day, he called his followers.
Jesus went up into the mountain. He went up into the mountain, and called to himself those whom he wanted, and they went to him, and he sat there with his disciples. And from them he chose twelve, whom he also named apostles''': ''' Simon, whom he also named Peter, Rock; Andrew, his brother; James; John; Philip; Bartholomew; Matthew; Thomas; James, the son of Alphaeus; Simon, who was called the [[Zealots|Zealot]]; Judas the son of James; and Judas Iscariot, who also became a traitor. He appointed twelve, that they might be with him, and that he might send them out to preach, and to have authority to heal sicknesses and to cast out demons''': ''' Simon (to whom he gave the name Peter, Rock); James the son of Zebedee; and John, the brother of James, (whom he called Boanerges, which means, Sons of Thunder); Andrew; Philip; Bartholomew; Matthew; Thomas; James, the son of Alphaeus; Thaddaeus; Simon the Zealot; and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed him.
He came down with them, and stood on a level place, with a crowd of his followers, his disciples, and a great number of the people from all Judea and Jerusalem, and the sea coast of Tyre and Sidon, who came to hear him and to be healed of their diseases; as well as those who were troubled by unclean spirits, and they were being healed. All the multitude sought to touch him, for power came out of him and healed them all.
“But woe to you who are rich'''!''' For you have received your consolation. Woe to you, you who are full now, for you will be hungry. Woe to you who laugh now, for you will mourn and weep. Woe, when men speak well of you, for their fathers did the same thing to the false prophets.
“But I tell you who hear''': ''' love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, and pray for those who mistreat you. To him who strikes you on the cheek, offer also the other; and from him who takes away your cloak, do not withhold your coat also. Give to everyone who asks you, and do not ask him who takes away your goods to give them back again. It is more blessed to give than to receive.
“As you would like people to do to you, do exactly so to them. If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. If you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. If you lend to those from whom you hope to receive, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, to receive back as much. But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing back; and your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High; for he is kind toward the unthankful and evil.
“Therefore be merciful, even as your Father is also merciful. Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Set free, and you will be set free.
“Give, and it will be given to you''': ''' good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over, will be given to you. For with the same measure you measure it will be measured back to you.”
He spoke a parable to them. “Can the blind guide the blind? Will they not both fall into a pit? A disciple is not above his Teacher, but everyone when he is fully trained will be like his Teacher. Why do you see the speck of chaff that is in your brother’s eye, but do not consider the wooden beam that is in your own eye? Or how can you tell your brother, ‘Brother, let me remove the speck of chaff that is in your eye,’ when you yourself do not see the beam that is in your own eye? You hypocrite'''!''' First remove the beam from your own eye, and then you can see clearly to remove the speck of chaff that is in your brother’s eye. For there is no good tree that produces rotten fruit; nor again a rotten tree that produces good fruit. For each tree is known by its own fruit. For people do not gather figs from thorns, nor do they gather grapes from a bramble bush. The good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings out that which is good, and the evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings out that which is evil, for out of the abundance of the heart, his mouth speaks.
“Why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do the things which I say? Everyone who comes to me, and hears my words, and does them, I will show you who he is like. He is like a man building a house, who dug and went deep, and laid a foundation on the rock. When a flood arose, the stream broke against that house, and could not shake it, because it was founded on the rock. But he who hears, and does not do, is like a man who built a house on the earth without a foundation, against which the stream broke, and immediately it fell, and the ruin of that house was great.”
After he had finished speaking in the hearing of the people, he entered into Capernaum. Then he came into a house.
When the men had come to him, they said, “John the Baptizer has sent us to you, saying, ‘Are you he who comes, or should we look for another?’ ”
In that hour he cured many of diseases and plagues and evil spirits; and to many who were blind he gave sight. Jesus answered them, “Go and tell John the things which you have seen and heard''': ''' that the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and the poor have good news preached to them. Blessed is he who finds no occasion for stumbling in me.”
When John’s messengers had departed, he began to tell the multitudes about John, “What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind? But what did you go out to see? A man clothed in soft clothing? Behold, those who are gorgeously dressed, and live delicately, are in kings’ courts. But what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and much more than a prophet. This is he of whom it is written,
:“ ‘Behold, I send my messenger before your face, who will prepare your way before you.’
When all the people and the tax collectors heard this, they declared God to be just, having been baptized with John’s baptism. But the Pharisees and the lawyers rejected the counsel of God, not being baptized by him themselves.
One of the Pharisees invited him to eat with him. He entered into the Pharisee’s house, and sat at the table. Behold, a woman in the city who was a sinner, when she knew that he was reclining in the Pharisee’s house, brought an alabaster jar of ointment. Standing behind at his feet weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears, and she wiped them with the hair of her head, kissed his feet, and anointed them with the ointment. Now when the Pharisee who had invited him saw it, he said to himself, “This man, if he were a prophet, would have perceived who and what kind of woman this is who touches him, that she is a sinner.”
Jesus answered him, “Simon, I have something to tell you.”
He said, “Teacher, say on.”
He said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you. Go in peace.”
Soon afterward, he went about through cities and villages, preaching and bringing the good news of God’s Kingdom. '''With him were the twelve''', and certain women who had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities''': ''' Mary who was called Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out; and Joanna, the wife of Chuzas, Herod’s steward; Susanna; and many others; who served them from their possessions.
When a great multitude came together, and people from every city were coming to him, he spoke by a parable. “The farmer went out to sow his seed. As he sowed, some fell along the road, and it was trampled under foot, and the birds of the sky devoured it. Other seed fell on the rock, and as soon as it grew, it withered away, because it had no moisture. Other fell amid the thorns, and the thorns grew with it, and choked it. Other fell into the good ground, and grew, and produced one hundred times as much fruit.”
He said, “To you it is given to know the mysteries of God’s Kingdom, but to the rest in parables; that
:“ ‘seeing they may not see, and hearing they may not understand.’
“No one, when he has lit a lamp, covers it with a container, or puts it under a bed; but puts it on a stand, that those who enter in may see the light. For nothing is hidden that will not be revealed; nor anything secret that will not be known and come to light. Be careful therefore how you hear. For whoever has, to him will be given; and whoever does not have, from him will be taken away even that which he thinks he has.”
When he was alone, '''those who were around him with the twelve''' asked him about the parables. He said to them, “To you is given the mystery of God’s Kingdom, but to those who are outside, all things are done in parables, that
:“ ‘seeing they may see, and not perceive; and hearing they may hear, and not understand; lest perhaps they should turn again, and their sins should be forgiven them.’ ”
He said to them, “Do you not understand this parable? How will you understand all of the parables? The farmer sows the word. The ones by the road are the ones where the word is sown; and when they have heard, immediately Satan comes, and takes away the word which has been sown in them. These in the same way are those who are sown on the rocky places, who, when they have heard the word, immediately receive it with joy. They have no root in themselves, but are short-lived. When oppression or persecution arises because of the word, immediately they stumble. Others are those who are sown among the thorns. These are those who have heard the word, and the cares of this age, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things entering in choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful. Those which were sown on the good ground are those who hear the word, and accept it, and bear fruit, some thirty times, some sixty times, and some one hundred times.”
He said to them, “Take heed what you hear. With whatever measure you measure, it will be measured to you, and more will be given to you who hear. For whoever has, to him more will be given, and he who does not have, even that which he has will be taken away from him.”
He said, “God’s Kingdom is as if a man should cast seed on the earth, and should sleep and rise night and day, and the seed should spring up and grow, though he does not know how. For the earth bears fruit''': ''' first the blade, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear. But when the fruit is ripe, immediately he puts in the sickle, because the harvest has come.”
He said, “How will we liken God’s Kingdom? Or with what parable will we illustrate it? It is like a grain of mustard seed, which, when it is sown in the earth, though it is less important than all the seeds that are on the earth, yet when it is sown, grows up, and becomes greater than all the herbs, and puts out great branches, so that the birds of the sky can lodge under its shadow.”
A big wind storm arose. A wind storm came down on the lake, and the waves beat into the boat, and they were taking on dangerous amounts of water, so much that the boat was already filled. He himself was in the stern, asleep on the cushion. They came to him, and awoke him, saying, “Master, master, we are dying'''!'''” They woke him up, and told him, “Teacher, do you not care that we are dying?”
He awoke, and rebuked the wind, and the raging of the water, and said to the sea, “Peace'''!''' Be still'''!'''” and they ceased, The wind ceased, and there was a great calm; it was calm.
He said to them, “Why are you so afraid? How is it that you have no faith?”
Being afraid they marveled, saying to one another, “Who is this then, that he commands even the winds and the water, and they obey him?”
They were greatly afraid, and said to one another, “Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?”
They came to the other side of the sea. They arrived at the country of the [http://bibleatlas.org/full/gadara.htm Gadarenes], which is opposite Galilee.
When those who fed them saw what had happened, they fled. Those who fed them fled, and told it in the city and in the country.
People went out to see what had happened. The people came to see what it was that had happened. They came to Jesus and found the man from whom the demons had gone out, and saw him who had been possessed by demons sitting at Jesus's Jesus’s feet, clothed, and in his right mind, even him who had the legion; and they were afraid.
Those who saw it declared to them what happened to him who was possessed by demons, told them how he who had been possessed by demons was healed, and about the pigs. All the people of the surrounding country of the Gadarenes asked him to depart from them. They began to beg him to depart from their region, for they were very much afraid.
As he was entering into the boat, he who had been possessed by demons begged him that he might be with him. He did not allow him, but said to him, “Go to your house, to your friends, and tell them what great things the Lord has done for you, and how he had mercy on you.”
Then he entered into the boat. But the man from whom the demons had gone out begged him that he might go with him, but Jesus sent him away, saying, “Return to your house, and declare what great things God has done for you.”
He went his way, and began to proclaim in [http://bibleatlas.org/full/decapolis.htm Decapolis] how Jesus had done great things for him, proclaiming throughout the whole city what great things Jesus had done for him, and everyone marveled.
Now the names of the twelve apostles are these. The first, Simon, who is called Peter; Andrew, his brother; James the son of Zebedee; John, his brother; Philip; Bartholomew; Thomas; Matthew the tax collector; James the son of Alphaeus; Lebbaeus, who was also called Thaddaeus; Simon the Canaanite; and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed him.
'''Jesus sent these twelve out''', and commanded them, saying, “Do not go among the Gentiles, and do not enter into any city of the Samaritans. Rather, go to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. As you go, preach, saying, ‘The Kingdom of Heaven is at hand'''!'''’ Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, and cast out demons. Freely you received, so freely give. Do not take any gold, silver, or brass in your money belts. Take no bag for your journey, neither two coats, nor shoes, '''nor staff:''': for the laborer is worthy of his food. Into whatever city or village you enter, find out who in it is worthy; and stay there, before you go on. As you enter into the household, greet it. If the household is worthy, let your peace come on it, but if it is not worthy, let your peace return to you. Whoever does not receive you, nor hear your words, as you go out of that house or that city, shake the dust off your feet. Most certainly I tell you, it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment than for that city.
“Behold, I send you out as sheep among wolves. Therefore be wise as serpents, and harmless as doves. But beware of men''': ''' for they will deliver you up to councils, and in their synagogues they will scourge you. Yes, and you will be brought before governors and kings for my sake, for a testimony to them and to the nations. But when they deliver you up, do not be anxious how or what you will say, for it will be given you in that hour what you will say. For it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father who speaks in you.
“Brother will deliver up brother to death, and the father his child. Children will rise up against parents, and cause them to be put to death. You will be hated by all men for my name’s sake, but he who endures to the end will be saved. But when they persecute you in this city, flee into the next, for most certainly I tell you, you will not have gone through the cities of Israel before the Son of Man has come.
Now when John heard in the prison the works of Christ, he sent two of his disciples and said to him, “Are you he who comes, or should we look for another?”
Jesus answered them, “Go and tell John the things which you hear and see''': ''' the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and the poor have good news preached to them. Blessed is he who finds no occasion for stumbling in me.”
As these went their way, Jesus began to say to the multitudes concerning John, “What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind? But what did you go out to see? A man in soft clothing? Behold, those who wear soft clothing are in kings’ houses. But why did you go out? To see a prophet? Yes, I tell you, and much more than a prophet. For this is he, of whom it is written,
:“ ‘Behold, I send my messenger before your face, who will prepare your way before you.’
“But to what shall I compare this generation? It is like children sitting in the marketplaces, who call to their companions and say, ‘We played the flute for you, and you did not dance. We mourned for you, and you did not lament.’ For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, ‘He has a demon.’ The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Behold, a gluttonous man and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners'''!'''’ But wisdom is justified by her children.”
But he said to them, “Have you not read what David did, when he was hungry, and those who were with him; how he entered into God’s house, and ate the show bread, which was not lawful for him to eat, neither for those who were with him, but only for the priests? Or have you not read in the law, that on the Sabbath day, the priests in the Temple profane the Sabbath, and are guiltless? But I tell you that One greater than the Temple is here. But if you had known what this means,
:“ ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice,’
He departed from there, and went into their synagogue. And behold there was a man with a withered hand. They asked him, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath day?” that they might accuse him.
Then he told the man, “Stretch out your hand.”
He stretched it out; and it was restored whole, just like the other. But the Pharisees went out, and conspired against him, how they might destroy him. Jesus, perceiving that, withdrew from there. Great multitudes followed him; and he healed them all, and commanded them that they should not make him known''': ''' that it might be fulfilled which was spoken through Isaiah the prophet, saying, :“Behold, my servant whom I have chosen; my beloved in whom my soul is well pleased''': ''' I will put my Spirit on him. He will proclaim justice to the nations. He will not strive, nor shout; neither will anyone hear his voice in the streets. He will not break a bruised reed. He will not quench a smoking flax, before he leads justice to victory. In his name, the nations will hope.”
Then one possessed by a demon, blind and mute, was brought to him and he healed him, so that the blind and mute man both spoke and saw. All the multitudes were amazed, and said, “Can this be the son of David?”
Then certain of the scribes and Pharisees answered, “Teacher, we want to see a sign from you.”
But he answered them, “An evil and adulterous generation seeks after a sign, but no sign will be given to it but the sign of Jonah the prophet. For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the whale, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. The men of Nineveh will stand up in the judgment with this generation, and will condemn it, for they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and behold, someone greater than Jonah is here. The queen of the south will rise up in the judgment with this generation, and will condemn it, for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the [[Book of Wisdom|wisdom of Solomon]]; and behold, someone greater than Solomon is here.
“When an unclean spirit has gone out of a man, he passes through waterless places, seeking rest, and does not find it. Then he says, ‘I will return into my house from which I came out,’ and when he has come back, he finds it empty, swept, and put in order. Then he goes, and takes with himself seven other spirits more evil than he is, and they enter in and dwell there. The last state of that man becomes worse than the first. Even so will it be also to this evil generation.”
He stretched out his hand toward his disciples, and said, “Behold, my mother and my brothers'''!''' For whoever does the will of my Father who is in heaven, he is my brother, and sister, and mother.”
On that day Jesus went out of the house, and sat by the seaside. The twelve were away, preaching the Good News throughout the villages and healing everywhere. Great multitudes gathered to him, so that he entered into a boat, and sat, and all the multitude stood on the beach. He spoke to them many things in parables, saying, “Behold, a farmer went out to sow. As he sowed, some seeds fell by the roadside, and the birds came and devoured them. Others fell on rocky ground, where they did not have much soil, and immediately they sprang up, because they had no depth of earth. When the sun had risen, they were scorched. Because they had no root, they withered away. Others fell among thorns. The thorns grew up and choked them. Others fell on good soil, and yielded fruit''': ''' some one hundred times as much, some sixty, and some thirty. He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”
The disciples came, and said to him, “Why do you speak to them in parables?”
He answered them, “To you it is given to know the mysteries of the Kingdom of Heaven, but it is not given to them. For whoever has, to him will be given, and he will have abundance, but whoever does not have, from him will be taken away even that which he has. Therefore I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing, they do not hear, neither do they understand. In them the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled, which says,
:“ ‘By hearing you will hear, and will in no way understand; Seeing you will see, and will in no way perceive''': ''' for this people’s heart has grown callous, their ears are dull of hearing, they have closed their eyes; or else perhaps they might perceive with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their heart, and would turn again; and I would heal them.’
“But blessed are your eyes, for they see; and your ears, for they hear. For most certainly I tell you that many prophets and righteous men desired to see the things which you see, and did not see them; and to hear the things which you hear, and did not hear them.
“The servants asked him, ‘Do you want us to go and gather them up?’
“But he said, ‘No, lest perhaps while you gather up the darnel weeds, you root up the wheat with them. '''Let both grow together to the harvest''', and in the harvest time I will tell the reapers, “First, gather up the darnel weeds, and bind them in bundles to burn them; but gather the wheat into my barn.” ’ ”
He set another parable before them, saying, “The Kingdom of Heaven is like a grain of mustard seed, which a man took, and sowed in his field; which indeed is smaller than all seeds. But when it is grown, it is greater than the herbs, and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and lodge in its branches.”
“Again, the Kingdom of Heaven is like a dragnet, that was cast into the sea, and gathered some fish of every kind, which, when it was filled, they drew up on the beach. They sat down, and gathered the good into containers, but the bad they threw away. So will it be in the end of the world. The angels will come and separate [[Hypocrites|the wicked '''from among''' the righteous]], and will cast them into the furnace of fire. There will be the weeping and the gnashing of teeth.”
Jesus said to them, “Have you understood all these things?”
They answered him, “Yes, Lord.”
They went out and preached that people should repent. They cast out many demons, and '''anointed many with oil''' who were sick, and healed them.
| '''This chapter''' is an illustrative example of how particular details in the narratives of the Evangelists can help the student of the scriptures resolve apparent difficulties perceived in comparative parallel readings of the Gospels, and more certainly determine the redacted chronological sequence of episodes in a ''Harmony of the Gospel''. This is not always an easy task.
: <small> What the texts do not say is as important as what they do say and can be a key determining factor in discerning the differences in similar-sounding but separate events which cannot be redacted together if the chronological sequence of the Gospel texts is to be retained and presented as historical fact.</small>
|}
Compare the [[Conservative Bible|Conservative Bible text (conservapedia.com):]]
