Part 4

But woe to you who are rich! You have already received your consolation. Woe to you who are full! Later you be hungry. Woe to you who now laugh! You will mourn and weep. Woe to you, when everyone speaks well of you, because the ancestors treated the false prophets in the same way.

I say to you who hear, Love your enemies. Do good to those who hate you. Bless them that curse you. Pray for those who use you and treat you badly. To one who strikes you on the one cheek, offer also the other. To one who takes away your cloak let him take away your coat also. Give to everyone who asks. From one who takes your goods do not ask for them back. Do to others as you would have them do to you.

If ye love only those who love you, what thanks have ye? Sinners also love those who love them. If ye do good only to those who do good to you, what thanks have ye? Sinners do even the same also. And if ye lend only to those from whom ye expect to receive back, what thanks have ye? Sinners also lend to sinners to receive as much again.

But love your enemies, do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return and your reward shall be great. Ye shall be the children of the Highest for He is kind to the unthankful and to the evil. Be ye therefore merciful as your Father also is merciful.

Judge not, and ye shall not be judged. Condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned. Forgive, and ye shall be forgiven. Give, and it shall be given to you; good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over shall men give into your bosom. With the same measure that ye mete it shall be measured to you again.

Jesus spoke a parable to them, Can the blind lead the blind? Shall they not both fall into the ditch? The disciple is not above his master; but everyone that is perfect shall be as his master.

And why behold the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but not perceive the beam that is in thine own eye? How can you say to your brother, Brother, let me pull out the mote that is in thine eye, when thou thyself does not see the beam that is in thine own eye? Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam from your own eye, and only then shall thou see clearly enough to pull out the mote in thy brother's eye.

For a good tree does not bring forth corrupt fruit; and a corrupt tree does not bring forth good fruit. Every tree is known by its own fruit. Of thorns men do not gather figs, nor of a bramble bush do they gather grapes.

A good man, out of the good treasure of his heart, brings forth that which is good. An evil man, out of the evil of his heart, brings forth that which is evil. Out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks.

And why call me, Lord, Lord, and not do the things I say? Whoever comes to me, hears my sayings, and does them, I will tell you who he is like: He is like a man who built a house on a deep foundation of rock. When the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently on that house and could not shake it for it was founded upon a rock.

But he that hears and does not do the things I say is like a man that is without a foundation for he built a house upon the earth against which the stream beat vehemently. Immediately it fell and the ruin of that house was great.

7 Jesus then went into Capernaum. A centurion whose servant was dear to him, was sick and ready to die. When the centurion heard of Jesus, he sent the elders of the Jews to Him, beseeching that Jesus come and heal his servant. Those who came to Jesus on the centurion's behalf said he was a worthy man who loved the nation and had built a synagogue.

Jesus went with them and, when he was not far from the house, the centurion sent friends to say, Lord, do not trouble thyself. I am not worthy that thou should enter under my roof. Neither did I think myself worthy to come to thee. Only say in a word, and my servant shall be healed. For I also am a man set under authority. And I have soldiers under me. I say to one, Go, and he goes; and to another, Come, and he comes. And to my servant I say, Do this, and he does it.

When Jesus heard this, He marvelled. He turned around and said to the people that followed Him, I have not found such great faith anywhere in Israel. When those who came to Jesus on behalf of the centurion returned to the house they found the servant healed.

The next day Jesus went to a city called Nain. His disciples and many people were with Him. When He got near the gate of the city, a dead man was being carried out. He had been the only son of a widow and many people of the city were with her. When the Lord saw her, He had compassion and said to her, Weep not. Then Jesus went over and touched the bier. Those who bore him stood still. Then Jesus said, Young man, I say to thee, Arise.

The young man that was dead sat up and began to speak and Jesus delivered him to his mother. And there came a fear on all and they glorified God, saying, A great prophet is risen up among us. God has visited His people. This story of Him went forth throughout all Judaea, and all the surrounding region.

When the disciples of John told him of these things, John sent two of them to Jesus to ask, Art thou He that should come or do we look for another? At the same time Jesus cured many of their infirmities and plagues, and of evil spirits; and to many that were blind He gave sight. Then Jesus said to John's disciples, Go and tell John the things ye have seen and heard; how the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and to the poor the gospel is preached. Blessed is he, who shall not be offended in me.

Jesus then told the people about John. He said, What went ye out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken with the wind? What went ye out to see? A man clothed in soft raiment? Behold, those who are gorgeously apparelled and live delicately are in kings' courts.

But what went ye out to see? A prophet? Yes, I say to you, and much more than a prophet. This is he, of whom it is written: Behold, I send my messenger, who shall prepare thy way before thee. And, I say to you, Among those that are born of women there is not a greater prophet than John the Baptist, only he that is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he. All the people that heard Him, even the publicans, who received the baptism of John, justified God. But the Pharisees and lawyers rejected the counsel of God and were not baptized by him.

The Lord said, Those of this generation are like children sitting in the marketplace, and, calling one to another, saying, We have piped to you, and ye have not danced; we have mourned to you, and ye have not wept. For John the Baptist came neither eating bread nor drinking wine; and ye say, He has a devil. The Son of man is come eating and drinking; and ye say, Behold a gluttonous man, and a winebibber, a friend of publicans and sinners! But wisdom is justified of all her children.

One of the Pharisees invited Him to eat with him. Jesus went into the Pharisee's house and sat down. When a woman in the city, who was a sinner, heard that Jesus ate at the Pharisee's house, she came with an alabaster box of ointment and stood behind Him at His feet. She was weeping, and began to wash His feet with tears, and wipe them with her hair. She kissed His feet and anointed them with the ointment.

When the Pharisee who invited Him saw it, he said to himself, If this man were a prophet, he would have known who and what kind of woman this is that touches Him. She is a sinner. Then Jesus turned and said, Simon, I have something to say to thee. And he said, Master, say on.

Jesus began, There was a creditor who had two debtors. One owed five hundred coins, and the other fifty. When they had nothing to pay, he freely forgave them both. Tell me, therefore, which of them will love him most? Simon answered and said, I suppose it would be he whom he forgave most. Jesus said, Thou has rightly judged.

Jesus turned to the woman, and said to Simon, See this woman? When I entered your house, you gave me no water for my feet. But she has washed my feet with tears, and wiped them with the hair of her head. When I entered your house, you gave me no kiss. But this woman, since the time I came in, has not ceased to kiss my feet. You did not anoint my head with oil. But this woman has anointed my feet with ointment.

So I say to thee, Her sins, which are many, are forgiven for she loved much; but to whom little is forgiven, the same loves little. Jesus said to her, Thy sins are forgiven. Those who sat at supper with Him began to wonder, Who is this that forgives sins also? Then Jesus said to the woman, Thy faith has saved thee; go in peace.

8 Afterward, He went throughout every city and village, preaching and showing the glad tidings of the kingdom of God, and the twelve were with Him. A woman, Mary called Magdalene, who had been healed of evil spirits and out of whom went seven devils; and Joanna, the wife of Herod's steward, Chuza; and Susanna; and many others provided for and ministered to Him.

When people from many towns were gathered together, He told them a parable. A sower went out to sow his seed. As he sowed, some fell by the wayside. It was trodden down and the fowls of the air devoured it. Some of the seed fell upon rock. As soon as it sprang up, it withered away because it lacked moisture. Some of the seed fell among thorns. The thorns sprang up with it, and choked it. Other seed fell on good ground. It sprang up and bore fruit a hundredfold. Then He finished by saying, He who has ears to hear, let him hear.

His disciples asked Him, What might this parable mean? He said, To you it is given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God. But, to others, it is given in parables that looking, they might not see, and hearing, they might not understand.