Chapter 6

1One Sabbath, Jesus was walking through fields of grain. His disciples picked some heads of grain, rubbed them between their hands, and ate the kernels.

2Some Pharisees, members of a strict Jewish religious group, asked, “Why are you doing what is not permitted on the Sabbath?”

3Jesus answered them, “Haven’t you read what David did when he and his companions were hungry?

4He entered God’s house, took the sacred bread that had been placed before God, ate some, and gave some to his companions. Yet only the priests were permitted to eat it.”

5Jesus told them, “The Son of Man—Jesus’ title for himself—has authority over the Sabbath.”

6On another Sabbath, Jesus went into a synagogue, a Jewish gathering place, and taught. A man was there whose right hand was withered and disabled.

7The experts in Jewish law and the Pharisees watched Jesus closely to see whether he would heal on the Sabbath. They wanted to find a reason to accuse him.

8But Jesus knew what they were thinking. He said to the man with the withered hand, “Get up and stand here in the middle.” The man got up and stood there.

9Then Jesus asked the religious leaders, “I ask you: Is it permitted on the Sabbath to do good or to do harm, to save a life or to destroy it?”

10Jesus looked around at all of them and then told the man, “Stretch out your hand.” The man did, and his hand was restored.

11But the religious leaders were beside themselves with rage and began discussing what they might do to Jesus.

12During those days, Jesus went out to a mountain to pray. He spent the whole night praying to God.

13When morning came, he called his disciples to him. From them he chose twelve, whom he also called apostles, meaning messengers sent with authority:

14Simon, whom he also named Peter; Simon’s brother Andrew; James; John; Philip; Bartholomew;

15Matthew; Thomas; James the son of Alphaeus; Simon, who was called the Zealot;

16Judas the son of James; and Judas Iscariot, who became a traitor.

17Jesus came down with them and stood on a level place. A large crowd of his disciples was there, along with many people from all Judea, Jerusalem, and the coastal region around Tyre and Sidon.

18They had come to hear Jesus and to be healed of their diseases. Those tormented by evil spirits were also healed.

19Everyone in the crowd was trying to touch him, because power was coming from him and healing them all.

20Jesus looked at his disciples and said, “How fortunate you who are poor are, because God’s kingdom belongs to you.

21Jesus continued, “How fortunate you who are hungry now are, because you will have plenty. How fortunate you who are crying now are, because you will laugh.

22“How fortunate you are when people hate you, exclude you, insult you, and reject your name as evil because of the Son of Man.

23“When that happens, be glad and leap for joy, because a great reward awaits you in heaven. Their ancestors treated God’s prophets in the same way.

24“But how terrible for you who are rich, because you have already received your comfort in full.

25“How terrible for you who have plenty now, because you will go hungry. How terrible for you who laugh now, because you will mourn and cry.

26“How terrible when everyone speaks well of you, because their ancestors spoke the same way about false prophets.

27Jesus continued, “But I say to you who are listening: Love your enemies. Do good to those who hate you.

28“Ask God to do good to those who curse you, and pray for those who mistreat you.

29“If someone strikes you on one cheek, offer the other as well. If someone takes your outer cloak, do not withhold the shirt underneath.

30“Give to everyone who asks you, and if someone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back.

31“Treat people the way you want them to treat you.

32“If you love only those who love you, why should that earn you any credit? Even people who do wrong love those who love them.

33“If you do good only to those who do good to you, why should that earn you any credit? People who do wrong do the same.

34“If you lend only to people from whom you expect repayment, why should that earn you any credit? Even people who do wrong lend to one another so that they can receive the same amount back.

35“Instead, love your enemies, do good, and lend without expecting anything in return. Then your reward will be great, and you will show yourselves to be children of the Most High God, because he is kind even to ungrateful and evil people.

36“Be compassionate, just as your Father, God, is compassionate.

37“Do not pass judgment on others, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn others, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven.

38“Give, and you will receive. A generous amount—packed down, shaken together, and overflowing—will be poured into the fold of your robe. The standard you use to measure what you give will be used to measure what you receive.”

39Jesus also gave them this illustration: “Can one blind person guide another? Won’t they both fall into a pit?

40“A student is not above the teacher, but every student who is fully trained will become like the teacher.

41“Why do you notice the speck in another person’s eye but fail to consider the wooden beam in your own eye?

42“How can you say, ‘Friend, let me remove the speck from your eye,’ when you cannot see the beam in your own eye? You hypocrite! First remove the beam from your own eye. Then you will see clearly enough to remove the speck from your friend’s eye.

43“A good tree does not produce bad fruit, and a bad tree does not produce good fruit.

44“Each tree is recognized by its own fruit. People do not gather figs from thornbushes or pick grapes from brambles.

45“A good person brings out good things from the good stored in the heart. An evil person brings out evil things from the evil within. The mouth speaks from what overflows in the heart.

46“Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord,’ but refuse to do what I say?

47“I will show you what everyone is like who comes to me, hears my words, and acts on them.

48“That person is like someone building a house who dug down deep and laid its foundation on rock. When a flood came, the river crashed against that house but could not shake it, because it had been built well.

49“But someone who hears my words and does not act on them is like a person who built a house directly on the ground without a foundation. When the river crashed against it, the house immediately collapsed, and its destruction was enormous.”