Study Desk

Jesus felt sorry for the blind men and touched their eyes, and at once they could see. Then they followed Jesus.

As Jesus and his followers were coming closer to Jerusalem, they stopped at Bethphage at the hill called the Mount of Olives. From there Jesus sent two of his followers

They brought the donkey and the colt to Jesus and laid their coats on them, and Jesus sat on them.

They asked Jesus, "Do you hear the things these children are saying?" Jesus answered, "Yes. Haven't you read in the Scriptures, ‘You have taught children and babies to sing praises'?"

Jesus went to the Temple, and while he was teaching there, the leading priests and the elders of the people came to him. They said, "What authority do you have to do these things? Who gave you this authority?"

When the leading priests and the Pharisees heard these stories, they knew Jesus was talking about them.

So the servants went into the streets and gathered all the people they could find, both good and bad. And the wedding hall was filled with guests.

They sent some of their own followers and some people from the group called Herodians. They said, "Teacher, we know that you are an honest man and that you teach the truth about God's way. You are not afraid of what other people think about you, because you pay no attention to who they are.

When the men heard what Jesus said, they were amazed and left him and went away.

They said, "Teacher, Moses said if a married man dies without having children, his brother must marry the widow and have children for him.

So you should obey and follow whatever they tell you, but their lives are not good examples for you to follow. They tell you to do things, but they themselves don't do them.

They make strict rules and try to force people to obey them, but they are unwilling to help those who struggle under the weight of their rules.

"They do good things so that other people will see them. They enlarge the little boxes holding Scriptures that they wear, and they make their special prayer clothes very long.

They love people to greet them with respect in the marketplaces, and they love to have people call them ‘Teacher.'

And you say, ‘If people swear by the altar when they make a promise, that means nothing. But if they swear by the gift on the altar, they must keep that promise.'

"How terrible for you, teachers of the law and Pharisees! You are hypocrites! You wash the outside of your cups and dishes, but inside they are full of things you got by cheating others and by pleasing only yourselves.

"How terrible for you, teachers of the law and Pharisees! You are hypocrites! You are like tombs that are painted white. Outside, those tombs look fine, but inside, they are full of the bones of dead people and all kinds of unclean things.

Later, as Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, his followers came to be alone with him. They said, "Tell us, when will these things happen? And what will be the sign that it is time for you to come again and for this age to end?"

Many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,' and they will fool many people.

"Then people will arrest you, hand you over to be hurt, and kill you. They will hate you because you believe in me.