Study Desk

Now the scribes and the Pharisees were watching Him closely to see if He healed on the Sabbath, so that they might find a reason to accuse Him.

But He knew what they were thinking, and He said to the man with the withered hand, "Get up and come forward!" And he got up and came forward.

But they themselves were filled with senseless rage, and began discussing together what they might do to Jesus.

"Blessed are you when the people hate you, and when they exclude you, and insult you, and scorn your name as evil, on account of the Son of Man.

"Give, and it will be given to you. They will pour into your lap a good measure—pressed down, shaken together, and running over. For by your standard of measure it will be measured to you in return."

And when those who had been sent returned to the house, they found the slave in good health.

Fear gripped them all, and they began glorifying God, saying, "A great prophet has appeared among us!" and, "God has visited His people!"

When all the people and the tax collectors heard this, they acknowledged God's justice, having been baptized with the baptism of John.

"To what then shall I compare the people of this generation, and what are they like?

"They are like children who sit in the marketplace and call to one another, and say, 'We played the flute for you, and you did not dance; we sang a song of mourning, and you did not weep.'

And He said, "To you it has been granted to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God, but to the rest they are told in parables, so that while seeing they may not see, and while hearing they may not understand.

"And those beside the road are the ones who have heard, then the devil comes and takes away the word from their heart, so that they will not believe and be saved.

"Those on the rocky soil are the ones who, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and yet these do not have a firm root; they believe for a while, and in a time of temptation they fall away.

"And the seed which fell among the thorns, these are the ones who have heard, and as they go on their way they are choked by worries, riches, and pleasures of this life, and they bring no fruit to maturity.

Now His mother and brothers came to Him, and they were unable to get to Him because of the crowd.

Now on one of those days Jesus and His disciples got into a boat, and He said to them, "Let's cross over to the other side of the lake." So they launched out.

But as they were sailing along He fell asleep; and a fierce gale of wind descended on the lake, and they began to be swamped and to be in danger.

They came up to Jesus and woke Him, saying, "Master, Master, we are perishing!" And He got up and rebuked the wind and the surging waves, and they stopped, and it became calm.

And He said to them, "Where is your faith?" But they were fearful and amazed, saying to one another, "Who then is this, that He commands even the winds and the water, and they obey Him?"

And they were begging Him not to command them to go away into the abyss.