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Jesus Has Authority over the Day of Rest—a Holy Day(A)

Once, on a day of rest—a holy day, Jesus was walking through some grainfields. His disciples were picking the heads of grain, removing the husks, and eating the grain.

Some of the Pharisees asked, “Why are your disciples doing something that is not right to do on the day of rest—a holy day?”

Jesus answered them, “Haven’t you read what David did when he and his men were hungry? Haven’t you read how he went into the house of God, ate the bread of the presence, and gave some of it to the men who were with him? He had no right to eat those loaves. Only the priests have that right.”

Then he added, “The Son of Man has authority over the day of rest—a holy day.”

Jesus Heals on the Day of Rest—a Holy Day(B)

On another day of rest—a holy day, Jesus went into a synagogue to teach. A man whose right hand was paralyzed was there. The experts in Moses’ Teachings and the Pharisees were watching Jesus closely. They wanted to see whether he would heal the man on the day of rest—a holy day, so that they could find a way to accuse him of doing something wrong.

But Jesus knew what they were thinking. So he told the man with the paralyzed hand, “Get up, and stand in the center ⌞of the synagogue⌟!” The man got up and stood there. Then Jesus said to them, “I ask you—what is the right thing to do on a day of rest—a holy day: to do good or evil, to give a person his health or to destroy it?” 10 He looked around at all of them and then said to the man, “Hold out your hand.” The man did so, and his hand became normal again.

11 The experts in Moses’ Teachings and Pharisees were furious and began to discuss with each other what they could do to Jesus.

Jesus Appoints Twelve Apostles(C)

12 At that time Jesus went to a mountain to pray. He spent the whole night in prayer to God.

13 When it was day, he called his disciples. He chose twelve of them and called them apostles. 14 They were Simon (whom Jesus named Peter) and Simon’s brother Andrew, James, John, Philip, Bartholomew, 15 Matthew, Thomas, James (son of Alphaeus), Simon (who was called the Zealot), 16 Judas (son of James), and Judas Iscariot (who became a traitor).

Many People Are Cured(D)

17 Jesus came down from the mountain with them and stood on a level place. A large crowd of his disciples and many other people were there. They had come from all over Judea, Jerusalem, and the seacoast of Tyre and Sidon. 18 They wanted to hear him and be cured of their diseases. Those who were tormented by evil spirits were cured. 19 The entire crowd was trying to touch him because power was coming from him and curing all of them.

Jesus Teaches His Disciples

20 Jesus looked at his disciples and said,

“Blessed are those who are poor.
God’s kingdom is theirs.
21 Blessed are those who are hungry.
They will be satisfied.
Blessed are those who are crying.
They will laugh.
22 Blessed are you when people hate you, avoid you,
insult you, and slander you
because you are committed to the Son of Man.
23 Rejoice then, and be very happy!
You have a great reward in heaven.
That’s the way their ancestors treated the prophets.

24 “But how horrible it will be for those who are rich.
They have had their comfort.
25 How horrible it will be for those who are well-fed.
They will be hungry.
How horrible it will be for those who are laughing.
They will mourn and cry.
26 How horrible it will be for you
when everyone says nice things about you.
That’s the way their ancestors treated the false prophets.

Love Your Enemies(E)

27 “But I tell everyone who is listening: Love your enemies. Be kind to those who hate you. 28 Bless those who curse you. Pray for those who insult you. 29 If someone strikes you on the cheek, offer the other cheek as well. If someone takes your coat, don’t stop him from taking your shirt. 30 Give to everyone who asks you for something. If someone takes what is yours, don’t insist on getting it back.

31 “Do for other people everything you want them to do for you.

32 “If you love those who love you, do you deserve any thanks for that? Even sinners love those who love them. 33 If you help those who help you, do you deserve any thanks for that? Sinners do that too. 34 If you lend anything to those from whom you expect to get something back, do you deserve any thanks for that? Sinners also lend to sinners to get back what they lend. 35 Rather, love your enemies, help them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then you will have a great reward. You will be the children of the Most High God. After all, he is kind to unthankful and evil people. 36 Be merciful as your Father is merciful.

Stop Judging(F)

37 “Stop judging, and you will never be judged. Stop condemning, and you will never be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. 38 Give, and you will receive. A large quantity, pressed together, shaken down, and running over will be put into your pocket. The standards you use for others will be applied to you.”

39 Jesus also gave them this illustration: “Can one blind person lead another? Won’t both fall into the same pit? 40 A student is no better than his teacher. But everyone who is well-trained will be like his teacher.

41 “Why do you see the piece of sawdust in another believer’s eye and not notice the wooden beam in your own eye? 42 How can you say to another believer, ‘Friend, let me take the piece of sawdust out of your eye,’ when you don’t see the beam in your own eye? You hypocrite! First remove the beam from your own eye. Then you will see clearly to remove the piece of sawdust from another believer’s eye.

Evil People(G)

43 “A good tree doesn’t produce rotten fruit, and a rotten tree doesn’t produce good fruit. 44 Each tree is known by its fruit. You don’t pick figs from thorny plants or grapes from a thornbush. 45 Good people do the good that is in them. But evil people do the evil that is in them. The things people say come from inside them.

Build on the Rock(H)

46 “Why do you call me Lord but don’t do what I tell you?

47 “I will show you what everyone who comes to me, hears what I say, and obeys it is like. 48 He is like a person who dug down to bedrock to lay the foundation of his home. When a flood came, the floodwaters pushed against that house. But the house couldn’t be washed away because it had a good foundation. 49 The person who hears ⌞what I say⌟ but doesn’t obey it is like someone who built a house on the ground without any foundation. The floodwaters pushed against it, and that house quickly collapsed and was destroyed.”

Jesus Is Lord of the Sabbath(A)

One Sabbath Jesus was going through the grainfields, and his disciples began to pick some heads of grain, rub them in their hands and eat the kernels.(B) Some of the Pharisees asked, “Why are you doing what is unlawful on the Sabbath?”(C)

Jesus answered them, “Have you never read what David did when he and his companions were hungry?(D) He entered the house of God, and taking the consecrated bread, he ate what is lawful only for priests to eat.(E) And he also gave some to his companions.” Then Jesus said to them, “The Son of Man(F) is Lord of the Sabbath.”

On another Sabbath(G) he went into the synagogue and was teaching, and a man was there whose right hand was shriveled. The Pharisees and the teachers of the law were looking for a reason to accuse Jesus, so they watched him closely(H) to see if he would heal on the Sabbath.(I) But Jesus knew what they were thinking(J) and said to the man with the shriveled hand, “Get up and stand in front of everyone.” So he got up and stood there.

Then Jesus said to them, “I ask you, which is lawful on the Sabbath: to do good or to do evil, to save life or to destroy it?”

10 He looked around at them all, and then said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” He did so, and his hand was completely restored. 11 But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law were furious(K) and began to discuss with one another what they might do to Jesus.

The Twelve Apostles(L)

12 One of those days Jesus went out to a mountainside to pray, and spent the night praying to God.(M) 13 When morning came, he called his disciples to him and chose twelve of them, whom he also designated apostles:(N) 14 Simon (whom he named Peter), his brother Andrew, James, John, Philip, Bartholomew, 15 Matthew,(O) Thomas, James son of Alphaeus, Simon who was called the Zealot, 16 Judas son of James, and Judas Iscariot, who became a traitor.

Blessings and Woes(P)

17 He went down with them and stood on a level place. A large crowd of his disciples was there and a great number of people from all over Judea, from Jerusalem, and from the coastal region around Tyre and Sidon,(Q) 18 who had come to hear him and to be healed of their diseases. Those troubled by impure spirits were cured, 19 and the people all tried to touch him,(R) because power was coming from him and healing them all.(S)

20 Looking at his disciples, he said:

“Blessed are you who are poor,
    for yours is the kingdom of God.(T)
21 Blessed are you who hunger now,
    for you will be satisfied.(U)
Blessed are you who weep now,
    for you will laugh.(V)
22 Blessed are you when people hate you,
    when they exclude you(W) and insult you(X)
    and reject your name as evil,
        because of the Son of Man.(Y)

23 “Rejoice in that day and leap for joy,(Z) because great is your reward in heaven. For that is how their ancestors treated the prophets.(AA)

24 “But woe to you who are rich,(AB)
    for you have already received your comfort.(AC)
25 Woe to you who are well fed now,
    for you will go hungry.(AD)
Woe to you who laugh now,
    for you will mourn and weep.(AE)
26 Woe to you when everyone speaks well of you,
    for that is how their ancestors treated the false prophets.(AF)

Love for Enemies(AG)

27 “But to you who are listening I say: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you,(AH) 28 bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.(AI) 29 If someone slaps you on one cheek, turn to them the other also. If someone takes your coat, do not withhold your shirt from them. 30 Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back.(AJ) 31 Do to others as you would have them do to you.(AK)

32 “If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you?(AL) Even sinners love those who love them. 33 And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners do that. 34 And if you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you?(AM) Even sinners lend to sinners, expecting to be repaid in full. 35 But love your enemies, do good to them,(AN) and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be children(AO) of the Most High,(AP) because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. 36 Be merciful,(AQ) just as your Father(AR) is merciful.

Judging Others(AS)

37 “Do not judge, and you will not be judged.(AT) Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven.(AU) 38 Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap.(AV) For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.”(AW)

39 He also told them this parable: “Can the blind lead the blind? Will they not both fall into a pit?(AX) 40 The student is not above the teacher, but everyone who is fully trained will be like their teacher.(AY)

41 “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? 42 How can you say to your brother, ‘Brother, let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when you yourself fail to see the plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.

A Tree and Its Fruit(AZ)

43 “No good tree bears bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit. 44 Each tree is recognized by its own fruit.(BA) People do not pick figs from thornbushes, or grapes from briers. 45 A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of.(BB)

The Wise and Foolish Builders(BC)

46 “Why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord,’(BD) and do not do what I say?(BE) 47 As for everyone who comes to me and hears my words and puts them into practice,(BF) I will show you what they are like. 48 They are like a man building a house, who dug down deep and laid the foundation on rock. When a flood came, the torrent struck that house but could not shake it, because it was well built. 49 But the one who hears my words and does not put them into practice is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. The moment the torrent struck that house, it collapsed and its destruction was complete.”