Study Desk

From then on Jesus began to point out to his disciples that it was necessary for him to go to Jerusalem and suffer many things from the elders, chief priests, and scribes, be killed, and be raised the third day.

Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If anyone wants to follow after me, let him deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me.

For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life because of me will find it.

For what will it benefit someone if he gains the whole world yet loses his life? Or what will anyone give in exchange for his life?

For the Son of Man is going to come with his angels in the glory of his Father,

Truly I tell you, there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom.”

After six days Jesus took Peter, James, and his brother John and led them up on a high mountain by themselves.

He was transfigured in front of them, and his face shone like the sun; his clothes became as white as the light.

“But whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to fall away—it would be better for him if a heavy millstone were hung around his neck and he were drowned in the depths of the sea.

“For this reason, the kingdom of heaven can be compared to a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants.

Since he did not have the money to pay it back, his master commanded that he, his wife, his children, and everything he had be sold to pay the debt.

“That servant went out and found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii.

“At this, his fellow servant fell down

Then, after he had summoned him, his master said to him, ‘You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you begged me.

And because he was angry, his master handed him over to the jailers to be tortured until he could pay everything that was owed.

So also my heavenly Father will do to you unless every one of you forgives his brother or sister

Some Pharisees approached him to test him. They asked, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife on any grounds?”

and he also said, ‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two will become one flesh’?

I tell you, whoever divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another commits adultery.”

His disciples said to him, “If the relationship of a man with his wife is like this, it’s better not to marry.”