Study Desk

And he was imploring him many times, saying, "My little daughter is at the point of death! Come, lay your hands on her, so that she will get well and will live."

So the woman, frightened and trembling, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell down before him and told him the whole truth.

So Herodias held a grudge against him and was wanting to kill him, and was not able to do so.

Send them away so that they can go into the surrounding farms and villages and purchase something to eat for themselves."

And taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke the loaves and gave them to his disciples so that they could set them before them. And he distributed the two fish to them all.

So he said to them, "Isaiah prophesied correctly about you hypocrites, as it is written, ‘This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far, far away from me.

And he said to them, "You splendidly ignore the commandment of God so that you can keep your tradition.

There is nothing outside of a person that is able to defile him by going into him. But the things that go out of a person are the things that defile a person." And when he entered into the house away from the crowd, his disciples asked him about the parable. And he said to them, "So are you also without understanding? Do you not understand that everything that is outside that goes into a person is not able to defile him? For it does not enter into his heart but into his stomach, and goes out into the latrine"—thus declaring all foods clean. And he said, "What comes out of a person, that defiles a person. For from within, from the heart of people, come evil plans, sexual immoralities, thefts, murders, adulteries, acts of greed, malicious deeds, deceit, licentiousness, envy, abusive speech, pride, foolishness. All these evil things come from within and defile a person." And from there he set out and went to the region of Tyre. And when he entered into a house, he wanted no one to know, and yet he was not able to escape notice. But immediately a woman whose young daughter was possessed by an unclean spirit, when she heard about him, came and fell down at his feet, Now the woman was a Greek—a Syrophoenician by nationality—and she was asking him that he would expel the demon from her daughter. And he said to her, "Let the children be satisfied first, for it is not right to take the children's bread and throw it to the dogs!" But she answered and said to him, "Lord, even the dogs under the table eat the children's crumbs." And he said to her, "Because of this statement, go! The demon has gone out of your daughter." And when she went to her home, she found the child lying on the bed and the demon gone. And again he went away from the region of Tyre and came through Sidon to the Sea of Galilee, within the region of the Decapolis. And they brought to him a man who was deaf and had difficulty speaking, and they were imploring him that he would place his hand on him. And he took him away from the crowd by himself and put his fingers into his ears, and after spitting, he touched his tongue. And looking up to heaven, he sighed and said to him, "Ephphatha!" (that is, "Be opened!"). And his ears were opened and his difficulty in speaking was removed and he began to speak normally. And he ordered them that they should say nothing, but as much as he ordered them not to, they proclaimed it even more instead. And they were amazed beyond all measure, saying, "He has done all things well! He even makes the deaf hear and the mute speak!"

Human Traditions and God's Commandments And the Pharisees and some of the scribes who had come from Jerusalem gathered to him. And they saw that some of his disciples were eating their bread with unclean—that is, unwashed—hands. (For the Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat unless they wash their hands ritually, thus holding fast to the traditions of the elders. And when they come from the marketplace, they do not eat unless they wash. And there are many other traditions which they have received and hold fast to—for example, the washing of cups and pitchers and bronze kettles and dining couches.) And the Pharisees and the scribes asked him, "Why do your disciples not live according to the tradition of the elders, but eat their bread with unclean hands?" So he said to them, "Isaiah prophesied correctly about you hypocrites, as it is written, ‘This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far, far away from me. And they worship me in vain, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.' Abandoning the commandment of God, you hold fast to the tradition of men." And he said to them, "You splendidly ignore the commandment of God so that you can keep your tradition. For Moses said, ‘Honor your father and your mother,' and, ‘The one who speaks evil of father or mother must certainly die.' But you say, ‘If a man says to his father or to his mother, "Whatever benefit you would have received from me is corban" (that is, a gift to God), you no longer permit him to do anything for his father or his mother, thus making void the word of God by your tradition that you have handed down, and you do many similar things such as this." And summoning the crowd again, he said to them, "Listen to me, all of you, and understand: There is nothing outside of a person that is able to defile him by going into him. But the things that go out of a person are the things that defile a person."

And he said to them, "So are you also without understanding? Do you not understand that everything that is outside that goes into a person is not able to defile him?

And he asked them, "How many loaves do you have?" So they said, "Seven."

And he commanded the crowd to recline for a meal on the ground, and taking the seven loaves, after he had given thanks he broke them and began giving them to his disciples so that they could set them before them. And they set them before the crowd.

and his clothing became radiant—extremely white, like no cloth refiner on earth can make so white.

And whenever it seizes him, it throws him down and he foams at the mouth and grinds his teeth and becomes paralyzed. And I told your disciples that they should expel it, and they were not able to do so.

And it came out, screaming and convulsing him greatly, and he became as if he were dead, so that most of them said, "He has died!"

And he said to them, "Truly I say to you, that there are some of those standing here who will never experience death until they see the kingdom of God having come with power." And after six days, Jesus took along Peter and James and John, and led them to a high mountain by themselves alone. And he was transfigured before them, and his clothing became radiant—extremely white, like no cloth refiner on earth can make so white. And Elijah appeared to them together with Moses, and they were talking with Jesus. And Peter answered and said to Jesus, "Rabbi, it is good that we are here! And let us make three shelters, one for you and one for Moses and one for Elijah." (For he did not know what he should answer, because they were terrified.) And a cloud came, overshadowing them, and a voice came from the cloud, "This is my beloved Son. Listen to him!" And suddenly, looking around, they no longer saw anyone with them but Jesus alone. And as they were coming down from the mountain, he ordered them that they should tell no one the things that they had seen, except when the Son of Man had risen from the dead. And they kept the matter to themselves, discussing what this rising from the dead meant. And they asked him, saying, "Why do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?" And he said to them, "Elijah indeed does come first and restores all things. And how is it written concerning the Son of Man that he should suffer many things and be treated with contempt? But I tell you that indeed Elijah has come, and they did to him whatever they wanted, just as it is written about him." And when they came to the disciples, they saw a large crowd around them and scribes arguing with them. And immediately the whole crowd, when they saw him, were amazed, and ran up to him and greeted him. And he asked them, "What are you arguing about with them?" And one individual from the crowd answered him, "Teacher, I brought to you my son who has a spirit that makes him mute. And whenever it seizes him, it throws him down and he foams at the mouth and grinds his teeth and becomes paralyzed. And I told your disciples that they should expel it, and they were not able to do so. And he answered them and said, "O unbelieving generation! How long will I be with you? How long must I put up with you? Bring him to me!" And they brought him to him. And when he saw him, the spirit immediately convulsed him, and falling on the ground, he began to roll around, foaming at the mouth. And he asked his father how long it was since this had been happening to him. And he said, "From childhood. And often it has thrown him both into fire and into water, in order that it could destroy him. But if you are able to do anything, have compassion on us and help us!" But Jesus said to him, "If you are able! All things are possible for the one who believes!" Immediately the father of the child cried out and said, "I believe! Help my unbelief!" Now when Jesus saw that a crowd was running together, he rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it, "Mute and deaf spirit, I command you, come out of him, and enter into him no more!" And it came out, screaming and convulsing him greatly, and he became as if he were dead, so that most of them said, "He has died!" But Jesus took hold of his hand and raised him up, and he stood up. And after he had entered into the house, his disciples asked him privately, "Why were we not able to expel it?" And he said to them, "This kind can come out by nothing except by prayer." And from there they went out and passed through Galilee. And he did not want anyone to know, for he was teaching his disciples and was telling them, "The Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands of men, and they will kill him. And when he is killed, after three days he will rise." But they did not understand the statement, and they were afraid to ask him. And they came to Capernaum. And after he was in the house, he asked them, "What were you discussing on the way?" But they were silent, because they had argued with one another on the way about who was greatest. And he sat down and called the twelve and said to them, "If anyone wants to be first, he will be last of all and servant of all." And he took a young child and had him stand among them. And taking him in his arms, he said to them, "Whoever welcomes one of the young children such as these in my name welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me does not welcome me, but the one who sent me." John said to him, "Teacher, we saw someone expelling demons in your name, and we tried to prevent him because he was not following us." But Jesus said, "Do not prevent him, because there is no one who does a miracle in my name and will be able soon afterward to speak evil of me. For whoever is not against us is for us. For whoever gives you a cup of water to drink in my name because you are Christ's, truly I say to you that he will never lose his reward. "And whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it is better for him if instead a large millstone is placed around his neck and he is thrown into the sea. And if your hand causes you to sin, cut it off! It is better for you to enter into life crippled than, having two hands, to go into hell—into the unquenchable fire!

And he said to them, "Truly I say to you, that there are some of those standing here who will never experience death until they see the kingdom of God having come with power." And after six days, Jesus took along Peter and James and John, and led them to a high mountain by themselves alone. And he was transfigured before them, and his clothing became radiant—extremely white, like no cloth refiner on earth can make so white. And Elijah appeared to them together with Moses, and they were talking with Jesus. And Peter answered and said to Jesus, "Rabbi, it is good that we are here! And let us make three shelters, one for you and one for Moses and one for Elijah." (For he did not know what he should answer, because they were terrified.) And a cloud came, overshadowing them, and a voice came from the cloud, "This is my beloved Son. Listen to him!" And suddenly, looking around, they no longer saw anyone with them but Jesus alone. And as they were coming down from the mountain, he ordered them that they should tell no one the things that they had seen, except when the Son of Man had risen from the dead. And they kept the matter to themselves, discussing what this rising from the dead meant. And they asked him, saying, "Why do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?" And he said to them, "Elijah indeed does come first and restores all things. And how is it written concerning the Son of Man that he should suffer many things and be treated with contempt? But I tell you that indeed Elijah has come, and they did to him whatever they wanted, just as it is written about him." And when they came to the disciples, they saw a large crowd around them and scribes arguing with them. And immediately the whole crowd, when they saw him, were amazed, and ran up to him and greeted him. And he asked them, "What are you arguing about with them?" And one individual from the crowd answered him, "Teacher, I brought to you my son who has a spirit that makes him mute. And whenever it seizes him, it throws him down and he foams at the mouth and grinds his teeth and becomes paralyzed. And I told your disciples that they should expel it, and they were not able to do so. And he answered them and said, "O unbelieving generation! How long will I be with you? How long must I put up with you? Bring him to me!" And they brought him to him. And when he saw him, the spirit immediately convulsed him, and falling on the ground, he began to roll around, foaming at the mouth. And he asked his father how long it was since this had been happening to him. And he said, "From childhood. And often it has thrown him both into fire and into water, in order that it could destroy him. But if you are able to do anything, have compassion on us and help us!" But Jesus said to him, "If you are able! All things are possible for the one who believes!" Immediately the father of the child cried out and said, "I believe! Help my unbelief!" Now when Jesus saw that a crowd was running together, he rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it, "Mute and deaf spirit, I command you, come out of him, and enter into him no more!" And it came out, screaming and convulsing him greatly, and he became as if he were dead, so that most of them said, "He has died!" But Jesus took hold of his hand and raised him up, and he stood up. And after he had entered into the house, his disciples asked him privately, "Why were we not able to expel it?" And he said to them, "This kind can come out by nothing except by prayer." And from there they went out and passed through Galilee. And he did not want anyone to know, for he was teaching his disciples and was telling them, "The Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands of men, and they will kill him. And when he is killed, after three days he will rise." But they did not understand the statement, and they were afraid to ask him. And they came to Capernaum. And after he was in the house, he asked them, "What were you discussing on the way?" But they were silent, because they had argued with one another on the way about who was greatest. And he sat down and called the twelve and said to them, "If anyone wants to be first, he will be last of all and servant of all." And he took a young child and had him stand among them. And taking him in his arms, he said to them, "Whoever welcomes one of the young children such as these in my name welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me does not welcome me, but the one who sent me." John said to him, "Teacher, we saw someone expelling demons in your name, and we tried to prevent him because he was not following us." But Jesus said, "Do not prevent him, because there is no one who does a miracle in my name and will be able soon afterward to speak evil of me. For whoever is not against us is for us. For whoever gives you a cup of water to drink in my name because you are Christ's, truly I say to you that he will never lose his reward. "And whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it is better for him if instead a large millstone is placed around his neck and he is thrown into the sea. And if your hand causes you to sin, cut it off! It is better for you to enter into life crippled than, having two hands, to go into hell—into the unquenchable fire! And if your foot causes you to sin, cut it off! It is better for you to enter into life lame than, having two feet, to be thrown into hell!

So they said, "Moses permitted a man to write a certificate of divorce and to send her away."

and the two will become one flesh,' so that they are no longer two but one flesh.

And they were bringing young children to him so that he could touch them, but the disciples rebuked them.