Then when a woman of that town, who was a sinner, learned that Jesus was dining at the Pharisee’s house, she brought an alabaster jar of perfumed oil.

and also some women who had been healed of evil spirits and disabilities: Mary (called Magdalene), from whom seven demons had gone out,

But as for the seed that landed on good soil, these are the ones who, after hearing the word, cling to it with an honest and good heart, and bear fruit with steadfast endurance.

Now Jesus’ mother and his brothers came to him, but they could not get near him because of the crowd.

But he replied to them, “My mother and my brothers are those who hear the word of God and do it.”

Now a large herd of pigs was feeding there on the hillside, and the demonic spirits begged Jesus to let them go into them. He gave them permission.

So the demons came out of the man and went into the pigs, and the herd of pigs rushed down the steep slope into the lake and drowned.

When the herdsmen saw what had happened, they ran off and spread the news in the town and countryside.

When the apostles returned, they told Jesus everything they had done. Then he took them with him and they withdrew privately to a town called Bethsaida.

Then he said to them all, “If anyone wants to become my follower, he must deny himself, take up his cross daily, and follow me.

Now about eight days after these sayings, Jesus took with him Peter, John, and James, and went up the mountain to pray.

As he was praying, the appearance of his face was transformed, and his clothes became very bright, a brilliant white.

Now when his disciples James and John saw this, they said, “Lord, do you want us to call fire to come down from heaven and consume them?”

She had a sister named Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet and listened to what he said.

Now he was casting out a demon that was mute. When the demon had gone out, the man who had been mute began to speak, and the crowds were amazed.

But when they bring you before the synagogues, the rulers, and the authorities, do not worry about how you should make your defense or what you should say,

be like people waiting for their master to come back from the wedding celebration, so that when he comes and knocks they can immediately open the door for him.

Jesus also said to the crowds, “When you see a cloud rising in the west, you say at once, ‘A rainstorm is coming,’ and it does.

But the worker answered him, ‘Sir, leave it alone this year too, until I dig around it and put fertilizer on it.

Now one Sabbath when Jesus went to dine at the house of a leader of the Pharisees, they were watching him closely.