Study Desk

He said, "There was a man in one of the cities who was head of the court. His work was to say if a person was guilty or not. This man was not afraid of God. He did not respect any man.

For awhile he would not help her. Then he began to think, ‘I am not afraid of God and I do not respect any man.

Will not God make the things that are right come to His chosen people who cry day and night to Him? Will He wait a long time to help them?

Jesus told another picture-story to some people who trusted in themselves and thought they were right with God. These people did not think well of other men.

Jesus said, "Two men went up to the house of God to pray. One of them was a proud religious law-keeper. The other was a man who gathered taxes.

The proud religious law-keeper stood and prayed to himself like this, ‘God, I thank You that I am not like other men. I am not like those who steal. I am not like those who do things that are wrong. I am not like those who do sex sins. I am not even like this tax-gatherer.

But the man who gathered taxes stood a long way off. He would not even lift his eyes to heaven. But he hit himself on his chest and said, ‘God, have pity on me! I am a sinner!'

Jesus called the followers to Him and said, "Let the little children come to Me. Do not try to stop them. The holy nation of God is made up of ones like these.

For sure, I tell you, whoever does not receive the holy nation of God as a child will not go into the holy nation."

Jesus said to him, "Why do you call Me good? There is only One Who is good. That is God.

When Jesus saw that he was very sad, He said, "It is hard for those with riches to go into the holy nation of God!

It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to go into the holy nation of God."

Jesus said, "God can do things men cannot do."

Jesus said to them, "For sure, I tell you, anyone who has left his house or parents or brothers or wife or children because of the holy nation of God

At once he could see. He followed Jesus and gave thanks to God. All the people gave thanks to God when they saw it.

As they heard these things, Jesus told them a picture-story. Because He was near Jerusalem, they thought the holy nation of God would come at once.

They will destroy you and your children with you. There will not be one stone on another. It is because you did not know when God visited you."

Jesus went into the house of God. He made those leave who were buying and selling there.

Jesus taught each day in the house of God. But the religious leaders and the teachers of the Law and other leaders of the people tried to think of some way they could kill Him.

But if we say, ‘From men,' then all the people will throw stones at us because they believe John was one who spoke for God."