Part 4

Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? Yet not one of them falls to the ground without your Father knowing. The very hairs of your head are all numbered by Him. Fear not because ye are of more value than many sparrows. Whoever confesses me before men, I will confess him before my Father in heaven. Whoever denies me before men, I will deny him before my Father in heaven.

Think not that I came to earth to send peace. I came not to send peace, but a sword. My coming will set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. A man's foes shall be those of his own household.

He that loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me. He that loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. And he that does not take up his cross and follow me, is not worthy of me.

He that finds his life shall lose it. He that loses his life for my sake shall find it. He that receives you receives me, and he that receives me receives Him that sent me. He that receives a prophet in the name of a prophet shall receive a prophet's reward. He that receives a righteous man in the name of a righteous man shall receive a righteous man's reward. And whoever shall give to one of the little ones a cup of cold water to drink in the name of a disciple, he shall never lose his reward.

11 When Jesus finished instructing His twelve disciples, He departed to teach and preach in their cities. When John, who was in prison, heard of the works of Christ, he sent two of his disciples. They asked Jesus, Art thou He that should come or do we look for another? Jesus answered, Go and show John those things which ye 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 the gospel preached to them. Blessed is he, who shall not be offended in me.

As they departed, Jesus spoke to the crowds concerning John saying, 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, they that wear soft clothing are in kings' houses. What went ye out to see? A prophet? Yea, I say unto you, and he is more than a prophet. This is he of whom it is written: Behold, I send my messenger before thy face who shall prepare the way before thee.

Verily I say unto you, Among those born of woman there has not risen one greater than John the Baptist who would make himself least in the kingdom of heaven. From the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven suffered violence and the violent took it by force. All the prophets and the law prophesied of John. If ye will receive it, this is Elias, who was to come. He that has ears to hear, let him hear.

But how shall I liken this generation? It is like children sitting in the markets and calling unto their fellows saying, We have piped to you and ye have not danced. We have mourned you and ye have not lamented. John came neither eating nor drinking and they say he had a devil. The Son of man came eating and drinking and they say he is a gluttonous man, a winebibber, a friend of publicans and sinners. But wisdom shall be justified of her children.

Then He began to upbraid the cities where most of His mighty works were done because they did not repent. Woe unto thee, Chorazin! Woe unto thee, Bethsaida! If the mighty works which were done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. But I say to you, It shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the day of judgment than for you. And Capernaum, exalted unto heaven, shall be brought down to hell. If the mighty works which have been done in Capernaum had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day. But I say unto you, it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment than for thee.

Then Jesus prayed aloud: I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because thou has hid these things from the wise and prudent and revealed them to babes. It is so, Father, for it seemed good in thy sight.

All things are delivered to me by my Father. No man knows the Son but the Father. Neither knows any man the Father except the Son. He is revealed to whomever the Son will reveal Him.

Come to me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden and I will give you rest. Take up my yoke and learn from me. I am meek and lowly in heart. Ye shall find rest for your souls because my yoke is easy and my burden is light.

12 It was a sabbath day when Jesus and His disciples passed through a cornfield. His disciples were hungry and began to pluck ears of corn to eat. When the Pharisees saw it, they said to Jesus, Behold, thy disciples do that which is not lawful to do on the sabbath day. But Jesus answered them, Have ye not read what David did when he was hungry? He and those who were with him entered into the house of God and ate the showbread. This was not lawful for him to eat, nor for those with him because the bread was only for the priests.

And, have ye not read in the law how on the sabbath days the priests in the temple profane the sabbath and are blameless? But I say unto you, Here is one greater than the temple. If ye knew what this meant, ye would not have condemned the guiltless because the Son of man is Lord even of the sabbath day.

When Jesus went into the synagogue He was met by a man who had a withered hand. So that they might accuse Jesus, the Pharisees asked Him, Is it lawful to heal on the sabbath day? Jesus replied, What man is there among you who has one sheep and, if it falls into a pit on the sabbath day, will not lay hold on it and lift it out? How much more is a man worth than a sheep? Therefore, it is lawful to do good on the sabbath day. Jesus turned to the man and said, Stretch forth thine hand. The man stretched it forth and it was restored, whole and like his other hand.

Then the Pharisees left and held a council about how they might destroy Jesus. But when Jesus knew this, He departed from there. Great multitudes followed Him and He healed them all. He charged them that they should not make Him known. This was done to fulfill what was spoken by Esaias the prophet: Behold my servant, whom I have chosen; my beloved, in whom my soul is well pleased. I will put my spirit upon Him and He shall show judgment to the Gentiles. He shall not strive, nor cry; neither shall any man hear His voice in the streets. A bruised reed shall He not break, and smoking flax shall He not quench till He send forth judgment unto victory. And in His name the Gentiles shall trust.

Then a blind and mute man who was possessed with a devil, was brought to Him. Jesus healed him, and, to such an extent, that he both spoke and saw. All the people were amazed and said, Is not this the son of David? But when the Pharisees heard it, they said, This one casts out devils by Beelzebub, the prince of the devils.

Jesus knew their thoughts and said, Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation. Every city or house divided against itself shall not stand. If Satan cast out Satan, he is divided against himself. How, then, shall his kingdom stand?

If I, by Beelzebub, cast out devils, by whom do your children cast them out? Therefore, they shall be your judges. But, if I cast out devils by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God is come unto you. And, if not, then how can someone enter into a strong man's house and spoil his goods unless he first bind the strong man? Only then is he able to spoil his house.

He that is not with me is against me. He that gathers not with me scatters abroad. So I say to you, All manner of sin and blasphemy against men shall be forgiven, but blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven.

Whoever speaks a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven Him. But whoever speaks against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven Him; not in this world and not in the world to come. Either make the tree good and its fruit good; or else make the tree corrupt and its fruit corrupt; for the tree is known by its fruit.

O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. A good man, out of the good treasure of the heart, brings forth good things. An evil man, out of the evil of the heart, brings forth evil things.

I say to you, For every idle word that a man speaks, he shall account for it in the day of judgment. By thy words thou shall be justified and by thy words thou shall be condemned.

Then, some of the scribes and Pharisees said, Master, we want to see a sign from thee. But Jesus answered, An evil and adulterous generation seeks after a sign. There shall be no sign given except the sign of the prophet Jonas. Just as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale's belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.

The men of Nineveh shall rise in judgment of this generation and shall condemn it. This is so because they repented at the preaching of Jonas. Behold, one greater than Jonas is here. The queen of the south shall rise up in the judgment of this generation and shall condemn it. She came from the uttermost parts of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon and, behold, one greater than Solomon is here.

When an unclean spirit has left a man, he wanders through dry places, seeking rest, and finds none. Then the unclean spirit says, I will return to the house from which I came. When he comes, he finds it empty, swept, and garnished. Then he returns with seven other spirits more wicked than himself. They go back into the man and dwell there. Then the last state of that man is worse than the first. This is how it shall be with this wicked generation.

While Jesus continued to talk to the people, His mother and His brethren stood outside and requested to speak with Him. Someone reported this to Him saying, Behold, thy mother and brethren are outside and desire to speak with thee. But Jesus addressed the one that told Him by saying, Who is my mother and who are my brethren? Then He stretched forth His hand toward His disciples and said, Behold, my mother and my brethren! Whoever shall do the will of my Father in heaven is my brother, and sister, and mother.

13 That same day Jesus sat by the sea. Great multitudes gathered. He had to get into a boat and sit while the whole multitude stood on the shore. Then He taught them in parables.