Study Desk

Simon Peter replied, "You are the Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed), the Son of the living God."

Then Jesus answered him, "Blessed [happy, spiritually secure, favored by God] are you, Simon son of Jonah, because flesh and blood (mortal man) did not reveal this to you, but My Father who is in heaven.

Peter took Him aside [to speak to Him privately] and began to reprimand Him, saying, "May God forbid it! This will never happen to You."

But Jesus turned and said to Peter, "Get behind Me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to Me; for you are not setting your mind on things of God, but on things of man."

He answered, "Because of your little faith [your lack of trust and confidence in the power of God]; for I assure you and most solemnly say to you, if you have [living] faith the size of a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and [if it is God's will] it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you.

"Again I say to you, that if two believers on earth agree [that is, are of one mind, in harmony] about anything that they ask [within the will of God], it will be done for them by My Father in heaven.

"So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore, what God has joined together, let no one separate."

But when the young man heard this, he left grieving and distressed, for he owned much property and had many possessions [which he treasured more than his relationship with God].

"Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man [who places his faith in wealth and status] to enter the kingdom of God."

When the disciples heard this, they were completely astonished and bewildered, saying, "Then who can be saved [from the wrath of God]?"

But Jesus looked at them and said, "With people [as far as it depends on them] it is impossible, but with God all things are possible."

Jesus replied to them, "I assure you and most solemnly say to you, if you have faith [personal trust and confidence in Me] and do not doubt or allow yourself to be drawn in two directions, you will not only do what was done to the fig tree, but even if you say to this mountain, 'Be taken up and thrown into the sea,' it will happen [if God wills it].

"The baptism of John—from where did it come? From heaven [that is, ordained by God] or from men?" And they began debating among themselves [considering the implications of their answer], saying, "If we say, 'From heaven,' He will say to us, 'Then why did you not believe John?'

"Which of the two did the will of the father?" The chief priests and elders replied, "The first one." Jesus said to them, "I assure you and most solemnly say to you that the tax collectors and the prostitutes will get into the kingdom of God before you.

"Therefore I tell you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to [another] people who will produce the fruit of it.

They sent their disciples to Him, along with the Herodians, saying, "Teacher, we know that You are sincere and that You teach the way of God truthfully, without concerning Yourself about [what] anyone [thinks or says of Your teachings]; for You are impartial and do not seek anyone's favor [and You treat all people alike, regardless of status].

They said, "[The Emperor Tiberius] Caesar's." Then He said to them, "Then pay to Caesar the things that are Caesar's; and to God the things that are God's."

But Jesus replied to them, "You are all wrong because you know neither the Scriptures [which teach the resurrection] nor the power of God [for He is able to raise the dead].

"But as to the resurrection of the dead—have you not read [in the Scripture] what God said to you:

'I AM THE GOD OF ABRAHAM, AND THE GOD OF ISAAC, AND THE GOD OF JACOB'? He is not the God of the dead, but of the living."