6
Jesus Is Lord of the Sabbath
1 On the second major Sabbath, Jesus was going through the grainfields, and his disciples were plucking heads of grain, rubbing off the husks in their hands, and eating them.
2 But some of the Pharisees said to them, “Why are you doing what is not lawful to do on the Sabbath?”
3 Jesus answered them, “Have you not read what David did when he was hungry, he and those who were with him,
4 how he entered the house of God and took and ate the bread of the Presence, which is not lawful for anyone to eat except for the priests, and how he also gave it to those who were with him?”
5 Then he said to them, “The Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath.”
Jesus Heals a Man with a Withered Hand
6 On another Sabbath, Jesus went into the synagogue and was teaching, and a man was there whose right hand was withered.
7 Now the scribes and the Pharisees were watching Jesus closely to see if he would heal on the Sabbath, so that they could find an accusation against him.
8 But he knew their thoughts and said to the man with the withered hand, “Rise and stand here.” So he rose and stood there.
9 Then Jesus said to them, “Let me ask you something: Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do evil, to save life or to kill?”
10 And after looking around at them all, he said to the man, “Stretch out yoʋr hand.” The man did so, and his hand was restored, becoming as sound as the other.
11 But the scribes and Pharisees were filled with mindless rage and discussed with one another what they might do to Jesus.
The Twelve Apostles
12 One day soon afterward Jesus went out to the mountain to pray, and spent the whole night in prayer to God.
13 When daybreak came, he called his disciples and chose twelve from among them, whom he also named apostles:
14 Simon (whom he also named Peter) and Andrew his brother, James and John, Philip and Bartholomew,
15 Matthew and Thomas, James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon (who was called the Zealot),
16 Judas the son of James, and Judas Iscariot (who became a traitor).
Jesus Ministers to Great Crowds
17 Then Jesus came down with them and stood on a level place. A crowd of his disciples was there along with a great multitude of people from all Judea, Jerusalem, and the coastal region of Tyre and Sidon (who had come to hear him and to be healed of their diseases),
18 as well as people who were harassed by unclean spirits. And they were healed.
19 The entire crowd was trying to touch him, because power was coming out from him and healing them all.
The Beatitudes
20 Then he looked up at his disciples and said,
“Blessed are you who are poor,
for yours is the kingdom of God.
21 Blessed are you who hunger now,
for you will be filled.
Blessed are you who weep now,
for you will laugh.
22 Blessed are you when others hate you, when they exclude you, reproach you, and spurn your name as evil on account of the Son of Man.
23 Rejoice in that day and leap for joy, for behold, great is your reward in heaven, for their fathers treated the prophets in the same way.
24 But woe to you who are rich,
for you have received your comfort.
25 Woe to you who are filled,
for you will hunger.
Woe to you who laugh now,
for you will mourn and weep.
26 Woe to you when others speak well of you, for their fathers treated the false prophets in the same way.
Love for Enemies
27 “But I say to you who are listening, love your enemies, do good to those who hate you,
28 bless those who curse you, and pray for those who mistreat you.
29 If anyone strikes yoʋ on one cheek, offer him the other also. If anyone takes away yoʋr cloak, do not withhold yoʋr tunic from him either.
30 Give to everyone who asks of yoʋ, and if anyone takes away yoʋr belongings, do not demand them back.
31 As you wish that others would do to you, do the same also to them.
32 If you love those who love you, what benefit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them.
33 And if you do good to those who do good to you, what benefit is that to you? For even sinners do the same.
34 And if you lend to those from whom you expect to receive something back, what benefit is that to you? For even sinners lend to other sinners in order to receive back the same amount.
35 But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting anything in return. Then your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, for he is kind to the ungrateful and the evil.
36 Therefore be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.
Judging Others
37 “Do not judge, and you will certainly not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will certainly not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven.
38 Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over, will be put into your lap. For with the same measure you use it will be measured to you in return.”
39 He also told them a parable: “Can one blind person guide another? Will they not both fall into a pit?
40 A disciple is not above his teacher, but everyone who is fully trained will be like his teacher.
41 Why do yoʋ see the speck in yoʋr brother's eye, but do not consider the beam in yoʋr own eye?
42 Or how can yoʋ say to yoʋr brother, ‘Brother, let me take the speck out of yoʋr eye,’ when yoʋ yoʋrself do not see the beam in yoʋr own eye? Hypocrite! First take the beam out of yoʋr own eye, and then yoʋ will see clearly to take the speck out of yoʋr brother's eye.
A Tree Is Known by Its Fruit
43 “No good tree produces bad fruit, nor does a bad tree produce good fruit.
44 Each tree is known by its own fruit. People do not gather figs from thorns, nor do they pick grapes from a bramble bush.
45 The good person brings good things out of the good treasure of his heart, and the evil person brings evil things out of the evil treasure of his heart, for out of the abundance of his heart his mouth speaks.
The Two Foundations
46 “Why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do what I say?
47 I will show you what someone is like who comes to me, hears my words, and acts on them.
48 He is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid a foundation on the rock. When a flood came, the river burst against that house but could not shake it, for it was founded on the rock.
49 But he who hears my words and does not act accordingly is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. As soon as the river burst against that house, it fell and was utterly destroyed.”