Study Desk

There is nothing outside of a person that is able to defile him by going into him. But the things that go out of a person are the things that defile a person." And when he entered into the house away from the crowd, his disciples asked him about the parable. And he said to them, "So are you also without understanding? Do you not understand that everything that is outside that goes into a person is not able to defile him? For it does not enter into his heart but into his stomach, and goes out into the latrine"—thus declaring all foods clean. And he said, "What comes out of a person, that defiles a person. For from within, from the heart of people, come evil plans, sexual immoralities, thefts, murders, adulteries, acts of greed, malicious deeds, deceit, licentiousness, envy, abusive speech, pride, foolishness. All these evil things come from within and defile a person." And from there he set out and went to the region of Tyre. And when he entered into a house, he wanted no one to know, and yet he was not able to escape notice. But immediately a woman whose young daughter was possessed by an unclean spirit, when she heard about him, came and fell down at his feet, Now the woman was a Greek—a Syrophoenician by nationality—and she was asking him that he would expel the demon from her daughter. And he said to her, "Let the children be satisfied first, for it is not right to take the children's bread and throw it to the dogs!" But she answered and said to him, "Lord, even the dogs under the table eat the children's crumbs." And he said to her, "Because of this statement, go! The demon has gone out of your daughter." And when she went to her home, she found the child lying on the bed and the demon gone. And again he went away from the region of Tyre and came through Sidon to the Sea of Galilee, within the region of the Decapolis. And they brought to him a man who was deaf and had difficulty speaking, and they were imploring him that he would place his hand on him. And he took him away from the crowd by himself and put his fingers into his ears, and after spitting, he touched his tongue. And looking up to heaven, he sighed and said to him, "Ephphatha!" (that is, "Be opened!"). And his ears were opened and his difficulty in speaking was removed and he began to speak normally. And he ordered them that they should say nothing, but as much as he ordered them not to, they proclaimed it even more instead. And they were amazed beyond all measure, saying, "He has done all things well! He even makes the deaf hear and the mute speak!"

And he said to her, "Let the children be satisfied first, for it is not right to take the children's bread and throw it to the dogs!"

"Whoever welcomes one of the young children such as these in my name welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me does not welcome me, but the one who sent me."

And he said to them, "Truly I say to you, that there are some of those standing here who will never experience death until they see the kingdom of God having come with power." And after six days, Jesus took along Peter and James and John, and led them to a high mountain by themselves alone. And he was transfigured before them, and his clothing became radiant—extremely white, like no cloth refiner on earth can make so white. And Elijah appeared to them together with Moses, and they were talking with Jesus. And Peter answered and said to Jesus, "Rabbi, it is good that we are here! And let us make three shelters, one for you and one for Moses and one for Elijah." (For he did not know what he should answer, because they were terrified.) And a cloud came, overshadowing them, and a voice came from the cloud, "This is my beloved Son. Listen to him!" And suddenly, looking around, they no longer saw anyone with them but Jesus alone. And as they were coming down from the mountain, he ordered them that they should tell no one the things that they had seen, except when the Son of Man had risen from the dead. And they kept the matter to themselves, discussing what this rising from the dead meant. And they asked him, saying, "Why do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?" And he said to them, "Elijah indeed does come first and restores all things. And how is it written concerning the Son of Man that he should suffer many things and be treated with contempt? But I tell you that indeed Elijah has come, and they did to him whatever they wanted, just as it is written about him." And when they came to the disciples, they saw a large crowd around them and scribes arguing with them. And immediately the whole crowd, when they saw him, were amazed, and ran up to him and greeted him. And he asked them, "What are you arguing about with them?" And one individual from the crowd answered him, "Teacher, I brought to you my son who has a spirit that makes him mute. And whenever it seizes him, it throws him down and he foams at the mouth and grinds his teeth and becomes paralyzed. And I told your disciples that they should expel it, and they were not able to do so. And he answered them and said, "O unbelieving generation! How long will I be with you? How long must I put up with you? Bring him to me!" And they brought him to him. And when he saw him, the spirit immediately convulsed him, and falling on the ground, he began to roll around, foaming at the mouth. And he asked his father how long it was since this had been happening to him. And he said, "From childhood. And often it has thrown him both into fire and into water, in order that it could destroy him. But if you are able to do anything, have compassion on us and help us!" But Jesus said to him, "If you are able! All things are possible for the one who believes!" Immediately the father of the child cried out and said, "I believe! Help my unbelief!" Now when Jesus saw that a crowd was running together, he rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it, "Mute and deaf spirit, I command you, come out of him, and enter into him no more!" And it came out, screaming and convulsing him greatly, and he became as if he were dead, so that most of them said, "He has died!" But Jesus took hold of his hand and raised him up, and he stood up. And after he had entered into the house, his disciples asked him privately, "Why were we not able to expel it?" And he said to them, "This kind can come out by nothing except by prayer." And from there they went out and passed through Galilee. And he did not want anyone to know, for he was teaching his disciples and was telling them, "The Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands of men, and they will kill him. And when he is killed, after three days he will rise." But they did not understand the statement, and they were afraid to ask him. And they came to Capernaum. And after he was in the house, he asked them, "What were you discussing on the way?" But they were silent, because they had argued with one another on the way about who was greatest. And he sat down and called the twelve and said to them, "If anyone wants to be first, he will be last of all and servant of all." And he took a young child and had him stand among them. And taking him in his arms, he said to them, "Whoever welcomes one of the young children such as these in my name welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me does not welcome me, but the one who sent me." John said to him, "Teacher, we saw someone expelling demons in your name, and we tried to prevent him because he was not following us." But Jesus said, "Do not prevent him, because there is no one who does a miracle in my name and will be able soon afterward to speak evil of me. For whoever is not against us is for us. For whoever gives you a cup of water to drink in my name because you are Christ's, truly I say to you that he will never lose his reward. "And whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it is better for him if instead a large millstone is placed around his neck and he is thrown into the sea. And if your hand causes you to sin, cut it off! It is better for you to enter into life crippled than, having two hands, to go into hell—into the unquenchable fire!

And he said to them, "Truly I say to you, that there are some of those standing here who will never experience death until they see the kingdom of God having come with power." And after six days, Jesus took along Peter and James and John, and led them to a high mountain by themselves alone. And he was transfigured before them, and his clothing became radiant—extremely white, like no cloth refiner on earth can make so white. And Elijah appeared to them together with Moses, and they were talking with Jesus. And Peter answered and said to Jesus, "Rabbi, it is good that we are here! And let us make three shelters, one for you and one for Moses and one for Elijah." (For he did not know what he should answer, because they were terrified.) And a cloud came, overshadowing them, and a voice came from the cloud, "This is my beloved Son. Listen to him!" And suddenly, looking around, they no longer saw anyone with them but Jesus alone. And as they were coming down from the mountain, he ordered them that they should tell no one the things that they had seen, except when the Son of Man had risen from the dead. And they kept the matter to themselves, discussing what this rising from the dead meant. And they asked him, saying, "Why do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?" And he said to them, "Elijah indeed does come first and restores all things. And how is it written concerning the Son of Man that he should suffer many things and be treated with contempt? But I tell you that indeed Elijah has come, and they did to him whatever they wanted, just as it is written about him." And when they came to the disciples, they saw a large crowd around them and scribes arguing with them. And immediately the whole crowd, when they saw him, were amazed, and ran up to him and greeted him. And he asked them, "What are you arguing about with them?" And one individual from the crowd answered him, "Teacher, I brought to you my son who has a spirit that makes him mute. And whenever it seizes him, it throws him down and he foams at the mouth and grinds his teeth and becomes paralyzed. And I told your disciples that they should expel it, and they were not able to do so. And he answered them and said, "O unbelieving generation! How long will I be with you? How long must I put up with you? Bring him to me!" And they brought him to him. And when he saw him, the spirit immediately convulsed him, and falling on the ground, he began to roll around, foaming at the mouth. And he asked his father how long it was since this had been happening to him. And he said, "From childhood. And often it has thrown him both into fire and into water, in order that it could destroy him. But if you are able to do anything, have compassion on us and help us!" But Jesus said to him, "If you are able! All things are possible for the one who believes!" Immediately the father of the child cried out and said, "I believe! Help my unbelief!" Now when Jesus saw that a crowd was running together, he rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it, "Mute and deaf spirit, I command you, come out of him, and enter into him no more!" And it came out, screaming and convulsing him greatly, and he became as if he were dead, so that most of them said, "He has died!" But Jesus took hold of his hand and raised him up, and he stood up. And after he had entered into the house, his disciples asked him privately, "Why were we not able to expel it?" And he said to them, "This kind can come out by nothing except by prayer." And from there they went out and passed through Galilee. And he did not want anyone to know, for he was teaching his disciples and was telling them, "The Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands of men, and they will kill him. And when he is killed, after three days he will rise." But they did not understand the statement, and they were afraid to ask him. And they came to Capernaum. And after he was in the house, he asked them, "What were you discussing on the way?" But they were silent, because they had argued with one another on the way about who was greatest. And he sat down and called the twelve and said to them, "If anyone wants to be first, he will be last of all and servant of all." And he took a young child and had him stand among them. And taking him in his arms, he said to them, "Whoever welcomes one of the young children such as these in my name welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me does not welcome me, but the one who sent me." John said to him, "Teacher, we saw someone expelling demons in your name, and we tried to prevent him because he was not following us." But Jesus said, "Do not prevent him, because there is no one who does a miracle in my name and will be able soon afterward to speak evil of me. For whoever is not against us is for us. For whoever gives you a cup of water to drink in my name because you are Christ's, truly I say to you that he will never lose his reward. "And whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it is better for him if instead a large millstone is placed around his neck and he is thrown into the sea. And if your hand causes you to sin, cut it off! It is better for you to enter into life crippled than, having two hands, to go into hell—into the unquenchable fire! And if your foot causes you to sin, cut it off! It is better for you to enter into life lame than, having two feet, to be thrown into hell!

And they were bringing young children to him so that he could touch them, but the disciples rebuked them.

But when Jesus saw it, he was indignant, and said to them, "Let the young children come to me. Do not forbid them, for to such belongs the kingdom of God.

And the disciples were astounded at his words. But Jesus answered and said to them again, "Children, how difficult it is to enter into the kingdom of God!

Jesus said, "Truly I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields on account of me and on account of the gospel

who will not receive a hundred times as much now in this time—houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and fields, together with persecutions—and in the age to come, eternal life.

And brother will hand over brother to death, and a father his child, and children will rise up against parents and have them put to death.

And he will go on before him in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous, to prepare for the Lord a people made ready."

Therefore produce fruit worthy of repentance! And do not begin to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as father.' For I say to you that God is able to raise up children for Abraham from these stones!

They are like children sitting in the marketplace and calling out to one another, who say, ‘We played the flute for you and you did not dance; we sang a lament and you did not weep.'

And wisdom is vindicated by all her children."

At that same time he rejoiced in the Holy Spirit and said, "I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and intelligent and have revealed them to young children. Yes, Father, for this was pleasing before you.

And that one will answer from inside and say, ‘Do not cause me trouble! The door has already been shut and my children are with me in bed! I am not able to get up to give you anything.'

Therefore if you, although you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the Father from heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him?"

"Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How many times I wanted to gather your children together the way a hen gathers her own brood under her wings, and you were not willing!

"If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, and furthermore, even his own life, he cannot be my disciple.