This is the one about whom it is written:p> <p class="otpoetry">&#8216;<b><i>Look, I am sending my messenger ahead of you,i>b><n id="1" />p> <p class="otpoetry"><i><b>who will prepare your way before youb>.i>&#8217;<n id="2" />p>

When anyone hears the word about the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one<n id="1" /> comes and snatches what was sown in his heart;<n id="2" /> this is the seed sown along the path.

The<n id="1" /> seed sown among thorns is the person who hears the word, but worldly cares and the seductiveness of wealth<n id="2" /> choke the word,<n id="3" /> so it produces nothing.

But as for the seed sown on good soil, this is the person who hears the word and understands. He bears fruit, yielding a hundred, sixty, or thirty times what was sown.&#8221;<n id="1" />p>

Isn&#8217;t this the carpenter&#8217;s son? Isn&#8217;t his mother named Mary?<n id="1" /> And aren&#8217;t his brothers James, Joseph, Simon, and Judas?

and he said to his servants, &#8220;This is John the Baptist. He has been raised from the dead! And because of this, miraculous powers are at work in him.&#8221;

While he was still speaking, a<n id="1" /> bright cloud<n id="2" /> overshadowed<n id="3" /> them, and a voice from the cloud said,<n id="4" /> &#8220;This is my one dear Son,<n id="5" /> in whom I take great delight. Listen to him!&#8221;<n id="6" />

But when the tenants saw the son, they said to themselves, &#8216;This is the heir. Come, let&#8217;s kill him and get his inheritance!&#8217;

<p class="bodytext">Jesus said to them, &#8220;Have you never read in the scriptures:p> <p class="otpoetry">&#8216;<i><b>The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstoneb>.i><n id="1" />p> <p class="otpoetry"><b><i>This is from the Lord, and it is marvelous in our eyesi>b>&#8217;?<n id="2" />p>

Now when the centurion<n id="1" /> and those with him who were guarding Jesus saw the earthquake and what took place, they were extremely terrified and said, &#8220;Truly this one was God&#8217;s Son!&#8221;

Isn&#8217;t this the carpenter, the son<n id="1" /> of Mary<n id="2" /> and brother of James, Joses, Judas, and Simon? And aren&#8217;t his sisters here with us?&#8221; And so they took offense at him.

He said to them, &#8220;Isaiah prophesied correctly about you hypocrites, as it is written:p> <p class="otpoetry">&#8216;<b><i>This people honors me with their lips,i>b>p> <p class="otpoetry"><b><i>but their hearti>b><n id="1" /> <i><b>is far from meb>.i>p>

<t /><p class="bodytext">Now<n id="1" /> there was a man in Jerusalem<n id="2" /> named Simeon who was righteous<n id="3" /> and devout, looking for the restoration<n id="4" /> of Israel, and the Holy Spirit<n id="5" /> was upon him.

Then<n id="1" /> Simeon blessed them and said to his mother Mary, &#8220;Listen carefully:<n id="2" /> This child<n id="3" /> is destined to be the cause of the falling and rising<n id="4" /> of many in Israel and to be a sign that will be rejected.<n id="5" />

All<n id="1" /> were speaking well of him, and were amazed at the gracious words coming out of his mouth. They<n id="2" /> said, &#8220;Isn&#8217;t this<n id="3" /> Joseph&#8217;s son?&#8221;

They<n id="1" /> were all amazed and began to say<n id="2" /> to one another, &#8220;What&#8217;s happening here?<n id="3" /> For with authority and power<n id="4" /> he commands the unclean spirits, and they come out!&#8221;

Then<n id="1" /> the experts in the law<n id="2" /> and the Pharisees began to think<n id="3" /> to themselves,<n id="4" /> &#8220;Who is this man<n id="5" /> who is uttering blasphemies?<n id="6" /> Who can forgive sins but God alone?&#8221;

Now when the Pharisee who had invited him saw this,<n id="1" /> he said to himself, &#8220;If this man were a prophet,<n id="2" /> he would know who and what kind of woman<n id="3" /> this is who is touching him, that she is a sinner.&#8221;

Then<n id="1" /> he said to them, &#8220;Where is your faith?&#8221;<n id="2" /> But they were afraid and amazed,<n id="3" /> saying to one another, &#8220;Who then is this? He commands even the winds and the water,<n id="4" /> and they obey him!&#8221;p>

Then<n id="1" /> a man named Jairus, who was a ruler<n id="2" /> of the synagogue,<n id="3" /> came up. Falling<n id="4" /> at Jesus&#8217; feet, he pleaded<n id="5" /> with him to come to his house,