Passage: Matthew 17:14-23 (RSV)


Matthew 17


14And when they came to the crowd, a man came up to him and kneeling before him said,
15"Lord, have mercy on my son, for he is an epileptic and he suffers terribly; for often he falls into the fire, and often into the water.
16And I brought him to your disciples, and they could not heal him."
17And Jesus answered, "O faithless and perverse generation, how long am I to be with you? How long am I to bear with you? Bring him here to me."
18And Jesus rebuked him, and the demon came out of him, and the boy was cured instantly.
19Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, "Why could we not cast it out?"
20He said to them, "Because of your little faith. For truly, I say to you, if you have faith as a grain of mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, `Move from here to there,' and it will move; and nothing will be impossible to you."
21
22As they were gathering in Galilee, Jesus said to them, "The Son of man is to be delivered into the hands of men,
23and they will kill him, and he will be raised on the third day." And they were greatly distressed.
24When they came to Caper'na-um, the collectors of the half-shekel tax went up to Peter and said, "Does not your teacher pay the tax?"
25He said, "Yes." And when he came home, Jesus spoke to him first, saying, "What do you think, Simon? From whom do kings of the earth take toll or tribute? From their sons or from others?"
26And when he said, "From others," Jesus said to him, "Then the sons are free.
27However, not to give offense to them, go to the sea and cast a hook, and take the first fish that comes up, and when you open its mouth you will find a shekel; take that and give it to them for me and for yourself."

Matthew 18


1At that time the disciples came to Jesus, saying, "Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?"
2And calling to him a child, he put him in the midst of them,
3and said, "Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.
4Whoever humbles himself like this child, he is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.
5"Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me;
6but whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a great millstone fastened round his neck and to be drowned in the depth of the sea.
7"Woe to the world for temptations to sin! For it is necessary that temptations come, but woe to the man by whom the temptation comes!
8And if your hand or your foot causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away; it is better for you to enter life maimed or lame than with two hands or two feet to be thrown into the eternal fire.
9And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and throw it away; it is better for you to enter life with one eye than with two eyes to be thrown into the hell of fire.
10"See that you do not despise one of these little ones; for I tell you that in heaven their angels always behold the face of my Father who is in heaven.
11
12What do you think? If a man has a hundred sheep, and one of them has gone astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine on the mountains and go in search of the one that went astray?
13And if he finds it, truly, I say to you, he rejoices over it more than over the ninety-nine that never went astray.
14So it is not the will of my Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones should perish.
15"If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother.
16But if he does not listen, take one or two others along with you, that every word may be confirmed by the evidence of two or three witnesses.
17If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector.
18Truly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.
19Again I say to you, if two of you agree on earth about anything they ask, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven.
20For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I in the midst of them."
21Then Peter came up and said to him, "Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? As many as seven times?"
22Jesus said to him, "I do not say to you seven times, but seventy times seven.
23"Therefore the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his servants.
24When he began the reckoning, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents;
25and as he could not pay, his lord ordered him to be sold, with his wife and children and all that he had, and payment to be made.
26So the servant fell on his knees, imploring him, `Lord, have patience with me, and I will pay you everything.'
27And out of pity for him the lord of that servant released him and forgave him the debt.
28But that same servant, as he went out, came upon one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii; and seizing him by the throat he said, `Pay what you owe.'
29So his fellow servant fell down and besought him, `Have patience with me, and I will pay you.'
30He refused and went and put him in prison till he should pay the debt.
31When his fellow servants saw what had taken place, they were greatly distressed, and they went and reported to their lord all that had taken place.
32Then his lord summoned him and said to him, `You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you besought me;
33and should not you have had mercy on your fellow servant, as I had mercy on you?'
34And in anger his lord delivered him to the jailers, till he should pay all his debt.
35So also my heavenly Father will do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother from your heart."

Matthew 19


1Now when Jesus had finished these sayings, he went away from Galilee and entered the region of Judea beyond the Jordan;
2and large crowds followed him, and he healed them there.
3And Pharisees came up to him and tested him by asking, "Is it lawful to divorce one's wife for any cause?"
4He answered, "Have you not read that he who made them from the beginning made them male and female,
5and said, `For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh'?
6So they are no longer two but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let not man put asunder."
7They said to him, "Why then did Moses command one to give a certificate of divorce, and to put her away?"
8He said to them, "For your hardness of heart Moses allowed you to divorce your wives, but from the beginning it was not so.
9And I say to you: whoever divorces his wife, except for unchastity, and marries another, commits adultery."
10The disciples said to him, "If such is the case of a man with his wife, it is not expedient to marry."
11But he said to them, "Not all men can receive this saying, but only those to whom it is given.
12For there are eunuchs who have been so from birth, and there are eunuchs who have been made eunuchs by men, and there are eunuchs who have made themselves eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom of heaven. He who is able to receive this, let him receive it."
13Then children were brought to him that he might lay his hands on them and pray. The disciples rebuked the people;
14but Jesus said, "Let the children come to me, and do not hinder them; for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven."
15And he laid his hands on them and went away.
16And behold, one came up to him, saying, "Teacher, what good deed must I do, to have eternal life?"
17And he said to him, "Why do you ask me about what is good? One there is who is good. If you would enter life, keep the commandments."
18He said to him, "Which?" And Jesus said, "You shall not kill, You shall not commit adultery, You shall not steal, You shall not bear false witness,
19Honor your father and mother, and, You shall love your neighbor as yourself."
20The young man said to him, "All these I have observed; what do I still lack?"
21Jesus said to him, "If you would be perfect, go, sell what you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me."
22When the young man heard this he went away sorrowful; for he had great possessions.
23And Jesus said to his disciples, "Truly, I say to you, it will be hard for a rich man 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 a rich man to enter the kingdom of God."
25When the disciples heard this they were greatly astonished, saying, "Who then can be saved?"
26But Jesus looked at them and said to them, "With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible."
27Then Peter said in reply, "Lo, we have left everything and followed you. What then shall we have?"
28Jesus said to them, "Truly, I say to you, in the new world, when the Son of man shall sit on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.
29And every one who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or lands, for my name's sake, will receive a hundredfold, and inherit eternal life.
30But many that are first will be last, and the last first.

Matthew 20


1"For the kingdom of heaven is like a householder who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard.
2After agreeing with the laborers for a denarius a day, he sent them into his vineyard.
3And going out about the third hour he saw others standing idle in the market place;
4and to them he said, `You go into the vineyard too, and whatever is right I will give you.' So they went.
5Going out again about the sixth hour and the ninth hour, he did the same.
6And about the eleventh hour he went out and found others standing; and he said to them, `Why do you stand here idle all day?'
7They said to him, `Because no one has hired us.' He said to them, `You go into the vineyard too.'
8And when evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his steward, `Call the laborers and pay them their wages, beginning with the last, up to the first.'
9And when those hired about the eleventh hour came, each of them received a denarius.
10Now when the first came, they thought they would receive more; but each of them also received a denarius.
11And on receiving it they grumbled at the householder,
12saying, `These last worked only one hour, and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the day and the scorching heat.'
13But he replied to one of them, `Friend, I am doing you no wrong; did you not agree with me for a denarius?
14Take what belongs to you, and go; I choose to give to this last as I give to you.
15Am I not allowed to do what I choose with what belongs to me? Or do you begrudge my generosity?'
16So the last will be first, and the first last."
17And as Jesus was going up to Jerusalem, he took the twelve disciples aside, and on the way he said to them,
18"Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem; and the Son of man will be delivered to the chief priests and scribes, and they will condemn him to death,
19and deliver him to the Gentiles to be mocked and scourged and crucified, and he will be raised on the third day."
20Then the mother of the sons of Zeb'edee came up to him, with her sons, and kneeling before him she asked him for something.
21And he said to her, "What do you want?" She said to him, "Command that these two sons of mine may sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your kingdom."
22But Jesus answered, "You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I am to drink?" They said to him, "We are able."
23He said to them, "You will drink my cup, but to sit at my right hand and at my left is not mine to grant, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared by my Father."
24And when the ten heard it, they were indignant at the two brothers.
25But Jesus called them to him and said, "You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great men exercise authority over them.
26It shall not be so among you; but whoever would be great among you must be your servant,
27and whoever would be first among you must be your slave;
28even as the Son of man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many."
29And as they went out of Jericho, a great crowd followed him.
30And behold, two blind men sitting by the roadside, when they heard that Jesus was passing by, cried out, "Have mercy on us, Son of David!"
31The crowd rebuked them, telling them to be silent; but they cried out the more, "Lord, have mercy on us, Son of David!"
32And Jesus stopped and called them, saying, "What do you want me to do for you?"
33They said to him, "Lord, let our eyes be opened."
34And Jesus in pity touched their eyes, and immediately they received their sight and followed him.

Matthew 21


1And when they drew near to Jerusalem and came to Beth'phage, to the Mount of Olives, then Jesus sent two disciples,
2saying to them, "Go into the village opposite you, and immediately you will find an ass tied, and a colt with her; untie them and bring them to me.
3If any one says anything to you, you shall say, `The Lord has need of them,' and he will send them immediately."
4This took place to fulfil what was spoken by the prophet, saying,
5"Tell the daughter of Zion, Behold, your king is coming to you, humble, and mounted on an ass, and on a colt, the foal of an ass."
6The disciples went and did as Jesus had directed them;
7they brought the ass and the colt, and put their garments on them, and he sat thereon.
8Most of the crowd spread their garments on the road, and others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road.
9And the crowds that went before him and that followed him shouted, "Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!"
10And when he entered Jerusalem, all the city was stirred, saying, "Who is this?"
11And the crowds said, "This is the prophet Jesus from Nazareth of Galilee."
12And Jesus entered the temple of God and drove out all who sold and bought in the temple, and he overturned the tables of the money-changers and the seats of those who sold pigeons.
13He said to them, "It is written, `My house shall be called a house of prayer'; but you make it a den of robbers."
14And the blind and the lame came to him in the temple, and he healed them.
15But when the chief priests and the scribes saw the wonderful things that he did, and the children crying out in the temple, "Hosanna to the Son of David!" they were indignant;
16and they said to him, "Do you hear what these are saying?" And Jesus said to them, "Yes; have you never read, `Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings thou hast brought perfect praise'?"
17And leaving them, he went out of the city to Bethany and lodged there.
18In the morning, as he was returning to the city, he was hungry.
19And seeing a fig tree by the wayside he went to it, and found nothing on it but leaves only. And he said to it, "May no fruit ever come from you again!" And the fig tree withered at once.
20When the disciples saw it they marveled, saying, "How did the fig tree wither at once?"
21And Jesus answered them, "Truly, I say to you, if you have faith and never doubt, you will not only do what has been done to the fig tree, but even if you say to this mountain, `Be taken up and cast into the sea,' it will be done.
22And whatever you ask in prayer, you will receive, if you have faith."
23And when he entered the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came up to him as he was teaching, and said, "By what authority are you doing these things, and who gave you this authority?"
24Jesus answered them, "I also will ask you a question; and if you tell me the answer, then I also will tell you by what authority I do these things.
25The baptism of John, whence was it? From heaven or from men?" And they argued with one another, "If we say, `From heaven,' he will say to us, `Why then did you not believe him?'
26But if we say, `From men,' we are afraid of the multitude; for all hold that John was a prophet."
27So they answered Jesus, "We do not know." And he said to them, "Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things.
28"What do you think? A man had two sons; and he went to the first and said, `Son, go and work in the vineyard today.'
29And he answered, `I will not'; but afterward he repented and went.
30And he went to the second and said the same; and he answered, `I go, sir,' but did not go.
31Which of the two did the will of his father?" They said, "The first." Jesus said to them, "Truly, I say to you, the tax collectors and the harlots go into the kingdom of God before you.
32For John came to you in the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the harlots believed him; and even when you saw it, you did not afterward repent and believe him.
33"Hear another parable. There was a householder who planted a vineyard, and set a hedge around it, and dug a wine press in it, and built a tower, and let it out to tenants, and went into another country.
34When the season of fruit drew near, he sent his servants to the tenants, to get his fruit;
35and the tenants took his servants and beat one, killed another, and stoned another.
36Again he sent other servants, more than the first; and they did the same to them.
37Afterward he sent his son to them, saying, `They will respect my son.'
38But when the tenants saw the son, they said to themselves, `This is the heir; come, let us kill him and have his inheritance.'
39And they took him and cast him out of the vineyard, and killed him.
40When therefore the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those tenants?"
41They said to him, "He will put those wretches to a miserable death, and let out the vineyard to other tenants who will give him the fruits in their seasons."
42Jesus said to them, "Have you never read in the scriptures: `The very stone which the builders rejected has become the head of the corner; this was the Lord's doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes'?
43Therefore I tell you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a nation producing the fruits of it."
44
45When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard his parables, they perceived that he was speaking about them.
46But when they tried to arrest him, they feared the multitudes, because they held him to be a prophet.

Matthew 22


1And again Jesus spoke to them in parables, saying,
2"The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who gave a marriage feast for his son,
3and sent his servants to call those who were invited to the marriage feast; but they would not come.
4Again he sent other servants, saying, `Tell those who are invited, Behold, I have made ready my dinner, my oxen and my fat calves are killed, and everything is ready; come to the marriage feast.'
5But they made light of it and went off, one to his farm, another to his business,
6while the rest seized his servants, treated them shamefully, and killed them.
7The king was angry, and he sent his troops and destroyed those murderers and burned their city.
8Then he said to his servants, `The wedding is ready, but those invited were not worthy.
9Go therefore to the thoroughfares, and invite to the marriage feast as many as you find.'
10And those servants went out into the streets and gathered all whom they found, both bad and good; so the wedding hall was filled with guests.
11"But when the king came in to look at the guests, he saw there a man who had no wedding garment;
12and he said to him, `Friend, how did you get in here without a wedding garment?' And he was speechless.
13Then the king said to the attendants, `Bind him hand and foot, and cast him into the outer darkness; there men will weep and gnash their teeth.'
14For many are called, but few are chosen."
15Then the Pharisees went and took counsel how to entangle him in his talk.
16And they sent their disciples to him, along with the Hero'di-ans, saying, "Teacher, we know that you are true, and teach the way of God truthfully, and care for no man; for you do not regard the position of men.
17Tell us, then, what you think. Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not?"
18But Jesus, aware of their malice, said, "Why put me to the test, you hypocrites?
19Show me the money for the tax." And they brought him a coin.
20And Jesus said to them, "Whose likeness and inscription is this?"
21They said, "Caesar's." Then he said to them, "Render therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's."
22When they heard it, they marveled; and they left him and went away.
23The same day Sad'ducees came to him, who say that there is no resurrection; and they asked him a question,
24saying, "Teacher, Moses said, `If a man dies, having no children, his brother must marry the widow, and raise up children for his brother.'
25Now there were seven brothers among us; the first married, and died, and having no children left his wife to his brother.
26So too the second and third, down to the seventh.
27After them all, the woman died.
28In the resurrection, therefore, to which of the seven will she be wife? For they all had her."
29But Jesus answered them, "You are wrong, because you know neither the scriptures nor the power of God.
30For in the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven.
31And as for the resurrection of the dead, have you not read what was said to you by God,
32`I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob'? He is not God of the dead, but of the living."
33And when the crowd heard it, they were astonished at his teaching.
34But when the Pharisees heard that he had silenced the Sad'ducees, they came together.
35And one of them, a lawyer, asked him a question, to test him.
36"Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?"
37And he said to him, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.
38This is the great and first commandment.
39And a second is like it, You shall love your neighbor as yourself.
40On these two commandments depend all the law and the prophets."
41Now while the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them a question,
42saying, "What do you think of the Christ? Whose son is he?" They said to him, "The son of David."
43He said to them, "How is it then that David, inspired by the Spirit, calls him Lord, saying,
44`The Lord said to my Lord, Sit at my right hand, till I put thy enemies under thy feet'?
45If David thus calls him Lord, how is he his son?"
46And no one was able to answer him a word, nor from that day did any one dare to ask him any more questions.

Matthew 23


1Then said Jesus to the crowds and to his disciples,
2"The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses' seat;
3so practice and observe whatever they tell you, but not what they do; for they preach, but do not practice.
4They bind heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on men's shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with their finger.
5They do all their deeds to be seen by men; for they make their phylacteries broad and their fringes long,
6and they love the place of honor at feasts and the best seats in the synagogues,
7and salutations in the market places, and being called rabbi by men.
8But you are not to be called rabbi, for you have one teacher, and you are all brethren.
9And call no man your father on earth, for you have one Father, who is in heaven.
10Neither be called masters, for you have one master, the Christ.
11He who is greatest among you shall be your servant;
12whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.
13"But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because you shut the kingdom of heaven against men; for you neither enter yourselves, nor allow those who would enter to go in.
14
15Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for you traverse sea and land to make a single proselyte, and when he becomes a proselyte, you make him twice as much a child of hell as yourselves.
16"Woe to you, blind guides, who say, `If any one swears by the temple, it is nothing; but if any one swears by the gold of the temple, he is bound by his oath.'
17You blind fools! For which is greater, the gold or the temple that has made the gold sacred?
18And you say, `If any one swears by the altar, it is nothing; but if any one swears by the gift that is on the altar, he is bound by his oath.'
19You blind men! For which is greater, the gift or the altar that makes the gift sacred?
20So he who swears by the altar, swears by it and by everything on it;
21and he who swears by the temple, swears by it and by him who dwells in it;
22and he who swears by heaven, swears by the throne of God and by him who sits upon it.
23"Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for you tithe mint and dill and cummin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law, justice and mercy and faith; these you ought to have done, without neglecting the others.
24You blind guides, straining out a gnat and swallowing a camel!
25"Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for you cleanse the outside of the cup and of the plate, but inside they are full of extortion and rapacity.
26You blind Pharisee! first cleanse the inside of the cup and of the plate, that the outside also may be clean.
27"Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for you are like whitewashed tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful, but within they are full of dead men's bones and all uncleanness.
28So you also outwardly appear righteous to men, but within you are full of hypocrisy and iniquity.
29"Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for you build the tombs of the prophets and adorn the monuments of the righteous,
30saying, `If we had lived in the days of our fathers, we would not have taken part with them in shedding the blood of the prophets.'
31Thus you witness against yourselves, that you are sons of those who murdered the prophets.
32Fill up, then, the measure of your fathers.
33You serpents, you brood of vipers, how are you to escape being sentenced to hell?
34Therefore I send you prophets and wise men and scribes, some of whom you will kill and crucify, and some you will scourge in your synagogues and persecute from town to town,
35that upon you may come all the righteous blood shed on earth, from the blood of innocent Abel to the blood of Zechari'ah the son of Barachi'ah, whom you murdered between the sanctuary and the altar.
36Truly, I say to you, all this will come upon this generation.
37"O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, killing the prophets and stoning those who are sent to you! How often would I have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you would not!
38Behold, your house is forsaken and desolate.
39For I tell you, you will not see me again, until you say, `Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.'"



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