Study Desk

"It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man [who places his faith in wealth or status] to enter the kingdom of God."

"For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many."

Then they came to Jericho. And as He was leaving Jericho with His disciples and a large crowd, a blind beggar, Bartimaeus, the son of Timaeus, was sitting beside the road [as was his custom].

Throwing his cloak aside, he jumped up and came to Jesus.

Jesus said to him, "Go; your faith [and confident trust in My power] has made you well." Immediately he regained his sight and began following Jesus on the road.

When they were nearing Jerusalem, at Bethphage and Bethany near the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two of His disciples,

He said to it, "No one will ever eat fruit from you again!" And His disciples were listening [to what He said].

The chief priests and the scribes heard this and began searching for a way to destroy Him; for they were afraid of Him, since the entire crowd was struck with astonishment at His teaching.

When evening came, Jesus and His disciples would leave the city.

"I assure you and most solemnly say to you, whoever says to this mountain, 'Be lifted up and thrown into the sea!' and does not doubt in his heart [in God's unlimited power], but believes that what he says is going to take place, it will be done for him [in accordance with God's will].

"But those tenants said to each other, 'This man is the heir! Come on, let us kill him [and destroy the evidence], and his inheritance will be ours!'

"So they took him and killed him, and threw his body outside the vineyard.

"Teacher, Moses wrote for us [a law] that IF A MAN'S BROTHER DIES and leaves a wife BUT LEAVES NO CHILD, HIS BROTHER IS TO MARRY THE WIDOW AND RAISE UP CHILDREN FOR HIS BROTHER.

In [the course of] His teaching He was saying, "Beware of the scribes, who like to walk around in long robes [displaying their prominence], and like to receive respectful greetings in the market places,

Calling His disciples to Him, He said to them, "I assure you and most solemnly say to you, this poor widow put in [proportionally] more than all the contributors to the treasury.

As He was coming out of the temple [grounds], one of His disciples said to Him, "Teacher, look what wonderful stones and what wonderful buildings!"

"Brother will betray brother to [be put to] death, and a father [will hand over] his child; and children will rise up and take a stand against parents and have them put to death.

"Whoever is on the housetop must not go down [to enter the house], or go inside to take anything out of his house;

whoever is in the field must not turn back to get his coat.

"And then He will send out the angels, and will gather together His elect [those He has chosen for Himself] from the four winds, from the farthest end of the earth to the farthest end of heaven.