But ¹  the Pharisees ²  and their experts in the law ³  complained ⁴  to his disciples, saying, “Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?” ⁵ 

Jesus ¹  was going through the grain fields on ²  a Sabbath, ³  and his disciples picked some heads of wheat, ⁴  rubbed them in their hands, and ate them. ⁵ 

Now Jesus’ ¹  mother and his brothers ²  came to him, but ³  they could not get near him because of the crowd.

Now Herod ¹  the tetrarch ²  heard about everything that was happening, and he was thoroughly perplexed, ³  because some people were saying that John ⁴  had been raised from the dead,

Now if I cast out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your sons ¹  cast them ²  out? Therefore they will be your judges.

For this reason also the wisdom ¹  of God said, ‘I will send them prophets and apostles, some of whom they will kill and persecute,’

yet because this widow keeps on bothering me, I will give her justice, or in the end she will wear me out ¹  by her unending pleas.’” ² 

Why then didn’t you put ¹  my money in the bank, ²  so that when I returned I could have collected it with interest?’

So ¹  they discussed it with one another, saying, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will say, ‘Why did you not believe him?’

He released the man they asked for, who had been thrown in prison for insurrection and murder. But he handed Jesus over ¹  to their will. ² 

I did not recognize ¹  him, but I came baptizing with water so that he could be revealed to Israel.” ² 

Just as the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so the one who consumes ¹  me will live because of me.

So Jesus added, ¹  “Because of this I told you that no one can come to me unless the Father has allowed him to come.” ² 

However, because Moses gave you the practice of circumcision ¹  (not that it came from Moses, but from the forefathers), you circumcise a male child ²  on the Sabbath.

Then the officers ¹  returned ²  to the chief priests and Pharisees, ³  who said to them, “Why didn’t you bring him back with you?” ⁴ 

The one who belongs to ¹  God listens and responds ²  to God’s words. You don’t listen and respond, ³  because you don’t belong to God.” ⁴ 

“I tell you the solemn truth, ¹  the one who does not enter the sheepfold ²  by the door, ³  but climbs in some other way, is a thief and a robber.

Jesus said to them, ¹  “I have shown you many good deeds ²  from the Father. For which one of them are you going to stone me?”

I knew that you always listen to me, ¹  but I said this ²  for the sake of the crowd standing around here, that they may believe that you sent me.”

Nevertheless, even among the rulers ¹  many believed in him, but because of the Pharisees ²  they would not confess Jesus to be the Christ, ³  so that they would not be put out of ⁴  the synagogue. ⁵