Study Desk

And He said to them, "I assure you and most solemnly say to you, there is no one who has left house or wife or brothers or parents or children for the sake of the kingdom of God,

"What do you want Me to do for you?" He said, "Lord, let me regain my sight!"

Zaccheus was trying to see who Jesus was, but he could not see because of the crowd, for he was short in stature.

So he ran on ahead [of the crowd] and climbed up in a sycamore tree in order to see Him, for He was about to pass through that way.

When Jesus reached the place, He looked up and said to him, "Zaccheus, hurry and come down, for today I must stay at your house."

for the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost."

So He said, "A nobleman went to a distant country to obtain for himself a kingdom, and [then] to return.

"Then another came and said, 'Lord, here is your mina, which I have kept laid up in a handkerchief [for safekeeping].

"[The king ended by saying,] 'But as for these enemies of mine who did not want me to be king over them, bring them here and kill them in my presence.'"

As soon as He was approaching [Jerusalem], near the descent of the Mount of Olives, the entire multitude of the disciples [all those who were or claimed to be His followers] began praising God [adoring Him enthusiastically and] joyfully with loud voices for all the miracles and works of power that they had seen,

Some of the Pharisees from the crowd said to Him, "Teacher, rebuke Your disciples [for shouting these Messianic praises]."

saying, "If [only] you had known on this day [of salvation], even you, the things which make for peace [and on which peace depends]! But now they have been hidden from your eyes.

"For a time [of siege] is coming when your enemies will put up a barricade [with pointed stakes] against you, and surround you [with armies] and hem you in on every side,

and they could not find anything that they could do, for all the people [stayed close to Him and] were hanging on to every word He said.

"But if we say, 'From men,' all the people will stone us to death, for they are firmly convinced that John was a prophet."

Then He began to tell the people this parable: "A man planted a vineyard and leased it to tenant farmers, and went on a journey for a long time [to another country].

"Then the owner of the vineyard said, 'What shall I do? I will send my beloved son; perhaps they will have respect for him.'

So they watched [for a chance to trap] Him. They sent spies who pretended to be upright and sincere, in order that they might catch Him in some statement [that they could distort and use against Him], so that they could turn Him over to the control and authority of [Pilate] the governor.

"Is it lawful [according to Jewish law and tradition] for us to pay taxes (tribute money) to Caesar or not?"

and they questioned Him, saying, "Teacher, Moses wrote for us [a law that] IF A MAN'S BROTHER DIES, leaving a wife AND NO CHILDREN, HIS BROTHER SHOULD MARRY THE WIFE AND RAISE CHILDREN FOR HIS BROTHER.