Study Desk

After the devil had finished testing Jesus in every way possible, he left him for a while.

"The Lord's Spirit has come to me, because he has chosen me to tell the good news to the poor. The Lord has sent me to announce freedom for prisoners, to give sight to the blind, to free everyone who suffers,

Once during the time of Elijah there was no rain for three and a half years, and people everywhere were starving. There were many widows in Israel,

The next morning Jesus went out to a place where he could be alone, and crowds came looking for him. When they found him, they tried to stop him from leaving.

Then they signaled for their partners in the other boat to come and help them. The men came, and together they filled the two boats so full that they both began to sink.

Is it easier for me to tell this crippled man that his sins are forgiven or to tell him to get up and walk?

Later, Jesus went out and saw a tax collector named Levi sitting at the place for paying taxes. Jesus said to him, "Come with me."

In his home Levi gave a big dinner for Jesus. Many tax collectors and other guests were also there.

Long ago your own people did these same things to the prophets. So when this happens to you, be happy and jump for joy! You will have a great reward in heaven.

But you rich people are in for trouble. You have already had an easy life!

You well-fed people are in for trouble. You will go hungry! You people who are laughing now are in for trouble. You are going to cry and weep!

You are in for trouble when everyone says good things about you. That is what your own people said about those prophets who told lies.

Ask God to bless anyone who curses you, and pray for everyone who is cruel to you.

If you love only someone who loves you, will God praise you for that? Even sinners love people who love them.

If you are kind only to someone who is kind to you, will God be pleased with you for that? Even sinners are kind to people who are kind to them.

If you lend money only to someone you think will pay you back, will God be pleased with you for that? Even sinners lend to sinners because they think they will get it all back.

So Jesus went with them. When Jesus wasn't far from the house, the officer sent some friends to tell him, "Lord, don't go to any trouble for me! I am not good enough for you to come into my house.

When the Lord saw the woman, he felt sorry for her and said, "Don't cry!"

John's followers told John everything that was being said about Jesus. So he sent two of them to ask the Lord, "Are you the one we should be looking for? Or must we wait for someone else?"

When these messengers came to Jesus, they said, "John the Baptist sent us to ask, ‘Are you the one we should be looking for? Or are we supposed to wait for someone else?'"