But Jesus called them together and said, “You know that the rulers in this world lord it over their people, and officials flaunt their authority over those under them. But among you it will be different. Whoever wants to be a leader among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first among you must become your slave. For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
That world outside there is not waiting for a new definition of Christianity, it's waiting for a new demonstration of Christianity. (Leonard Ravenhill)
Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples, “The teachers of religious law and the Pharisees are the official interpreters of the law of Moses. So practice and obey whatever they tell you, but don’t follow their example. For they don’t practice what they teach.
The world has lost the power to blush over its vice; the Church has lost her power to weep over it. (Leonard Ravenhill)
You must be compassionate, just as your Father is compassionate. “Do not judge others, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn others, or it will all come back against you. Forgive others, and you will be forgiven. Give, and you will receive. Your gift will return to you in full—pressed down, shaken together to make room for more, running over, and poured into your lap. The amount you give will determine the amount you get back.”
“It is mercy, not justice or courage or even heroism, that alone can defeat evil.” (Peter Kreeft)
As the crowd pressed in on Jesus, he said, “This evil generation keeps asking me to show them a miraculous sign. But the only sign I will give them is the sign of Jonah. What happened to him was a sign to the people of Nineveh that God had sent him. What happens to the Son of Man will be a sign to these people that he was sent by God.
When a true genius appears, you can know him by this sign: that all the dunces are in a confederacy against him. (Jonathan Swift)
Jesus replied, “You hypocrites! Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you, for he wrote,‘These people honor me with their lips,but their hearts are far from me.Their worship is a farce, for they teach man-made ideas as commands from God.’
“We...sin not because we want what is evil, but because we want what isn't good enough.” (Scott Hahn)
Keep on loving each other as brothers and sisters. Don’t forget to show hospitality to strangers, for some who have done this have entertained angels without realizing it! Remember those in prison, as if you were there yourself. Remember also those being mistreated, as if you felt their pain in your own bodies.
Reputation is what men and women think of us; character is what God and angels know of us. (Thomas Paine)
You have come to Jesus, the one who mediates the new covenant between God and people, and to the sprinkled blood, which speaks of forgiveness instead of crying out for vengeance like the blood of Abel.
“Salvation history reveals sin as literally a broken home.” (Scott Hahn)
Then they scoffed, “He’s just a carpenter, the son of Mary and the brother of James, Joseph, Judas, and Simon. And his sisters live right here among us.” They were deeply offended and refused to believe in him.Then Jesus told them, “A prophet is honored everywhere except in his own hometown and among his relatives and his own family.” And because of their unbelief, he couldn’t do any miracles among them except to place his hands on a few sick people and heal them.
“It is the Godfather, not God the Father, who makes you an offer you can’t refuse.” (Peter Kreeft)
While he was still speaking to her, messengers arrived from the home of Jairus, the leader of the synagogue. They told him, “Your daughter is dead. There’s no use troubling the Teacher now.” But Jesus overheard them and said to Jairus, “Don’t be afraid. Just have faith.”
“If you place [your bet] with God, you lose nothing, even if it turns out that God does not exist. But if you place it against God, and you are wrong and God does exist, you lose everything.” (Peter Kreeft)
When Jesus was still some distance away, the man saw him, ran
to meet him, and bowed low before him. With a shriek, he
screamed, “Why are you interfering with me, Jesus, Son of the
Most High God? In the name of God, I beg you, don’t torture
me!” For Jesus had already said to the spirit, “Come out of the man, you
evil spirit.”
If this Lord is powerful, as I see that
he is and I know that he is, and if the devils are his
slaves (and there is no doubt about this because it's a
matter of faith), what evil can they do to me since I am a
servant of this Lord and King? (Therese
of Avila)
Jesus also said, “The Kingdom of God is like a farmer who scatters seed on the ground. Night and day, while he’s asleep or awake, the seed sprouts and grows, but he does not understand how it happens. The earth produces the crops on its own. First a leaf blade pushes through, then the heads of wheat are formed, and finally the grain ripens.
Talk unbelief, and you will have unbelief; but talk faith, and you will have faith. According to the seed sown will be the harvest. (Ellen G. White)
