but worldly cares, the seductiveness of wealth, and the desire for other things come in and choke the word, and it produces nothing.

Instead, a woman whose young daughter had an unclean spirit immediately heard about him and came and fell at his feet.

“But as for that day or hour no one knows it – neither the angels in heaven, nor the Son – except the Father.

At that moment, she came up to them and began to give thanks to God and to speak about the child to all who were waiting for the redemption of Jerusalem.

While the people were filled with anticipation and they all wondered whether perhaps John could be the Christ,

Then Jesus, in the power of the Spirit, returned to Galilee, and news about him spread throughout the surrounding countryside.

But the news about him spread even more, and large crowds were gathering together to hear him and to be healed of their illnesses.

When the centurion heard about Jesus, he sent some Jewish elders to him, asking him to come and heal his slave.

When John’s messengers had gone, Jesus began to speak to the crowds about John: “What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind?

This is the one about whom it is written, ‘Look, I am sending my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way before you.’

Herod said, “I had John beheaded, but who is this about whom I hear such things?” So Herod wanted to learn about Jesus.

Now there were some present on that occasion who told him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mixed with their sacrifices.

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

It would be better for him to have a millstone tied around his neck and be thrown into the sea than for him to cause one of these little ones to sin.

but I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail. When you have turned back, strengthen your brothers.”

While they were perplexed about this, suddenly two men stood beside them in dazzling attire.

Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him and exclaimed, “Look, a true Israelite in whom there is no deceit!”

He did not need anyone to testify about man, for he knew what was in man.

And the Father who sent me has himself testified about me. You people have never heard his voice nor seen his form at any time,

You study the scriptures thoroughly because you think in them you possess eternal life, and it is these same scriptures that testify about me,