Study Desk

"Take care that you do not despise one of these little ones; for, I tell you, in heaven their angels continually see the face of my Father in heaven. What do you think? If a shepherd 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? And if he finds it, truly I tell you, he rejoices over it more than over the ninety-nine that never went astray. So it is not the will of your Father in heaven that one of these little ones should be lost. "If another member of the church sins against you, go and point out the fault when the two of you are alone. If the member listens to you, you have regained that one. But if you are not listened to, take one or two others along with you, so that every word may be confirmed by the evidence of two or three witnesses. If the member refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if the offender refuses to listen even to the church, let such a one be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector. Truly I tell you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven. Again, truly I tell you, if two of you agree on earth about anything you ask, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven. For where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there among them." Then Peter came and said to him, "Lord, if another member of the church sins against me, how often should I forgive? As many as seven times?" Jesus said to him, "Not seven times, but, I tell you, seventy-seven times. "For this reason the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his slaves. When he began the reckoning, one who owed him ten thousand talents was brought to him; and, as he could not pay, his lord ordered him to be sold, together with his wife and children and all his possessions, and payment to be made. So the slave fell on his knees before him, saying, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you everything.' And out of pity for him, the lord of that slave released him and forgave him the debt. But that same slave, as he went out, came upon one of his fellow slaves who owed him a hundred denarii; and seizing him by the throat, he said, ‘Pay what you owe.' Then his fellow slave fell down and pleaded with him, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you.' But he refused; then he went and threw him into prison until he would pay the debt. When his fellow slaves saw what had happened, they were greatly distressed, and they went and reported to their lord all that had taken place. Then his lord summoned him and said to him, ‘You wicked slave! I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me. Should you not have had mercy on your fellow slave, as I had mercy on you?' And in anger his lord handed him over to be tortured until he would pay his entire debt. So my heavenly Father will also do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother or sister from your heart."

When his fellow slaves saw what had happened, they were greatly distressed, and they went and reported to their lord all that had taken place.

Some Pharisees came to him, and to test him they asked, "Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any cause?"

They said to him, "Why then did Moses command us to give a certificate of dismissal and to divorce her?"

When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astounded and said, "Then who can be saved?"

and he said to them, ‘You also go into the vineyard, and I will pay you whatever is right.' So they went.

And when they received it, they grumbled against the landowner,

"See, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be handed over to the chief priests and scribes, and they will condemn him to death;

then they will hand him over to the Gentiles to be mocked and flogged and crucified; and on the third day he will be raised."

Moved with compassion, Jesus touched their eyes. Immediately they regained their sight and followed him.

When they had come near Jerusalem and had reached Bethphage, at the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two disciples,

they brought the donkey and the colt, and put their cloaks on them, and he sat on them.

But when the chief priests and the scribes saw the amazing things that he did, and heard the children crying out in the temple, "Hosanna to the Son of David," they became angry

Did the baptism of John come from heaven, or was it of human origin?" And they argued with one another, "If we say, ‘From heaven,' he will say to us, ‘Why then did you not believe him?'

So they answered Jesus, "We do not know." And he said to them, "Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things.

Which of the two did the will of his father?" They said, "The first." Jesus said to them, "Truly I tell you, the tax collectors and the prostitutes are going into the kingdom of God ahead of you.

Again he sent other slaves, more than the first; and they treated them in the same way.

But when the tenants saw the son, they said to themselves, ‘This is the heir; come, let us kill him and get his inheritance.'

So they seized him, threw him out of the vineyard, and killed him.

They said to him, "He will put those wretches to a miserable death, and lease the vineyard to other tenants who will give him the produce at the harvest time."