Book of Common Prayer

⁷ When Jesus was a man, he talked to God who was able to save him from death. He called loudly to him with tears. God heard him because he honoured and respected God.

⁸ Even though Jesus was his Son, he learned to obey God in the troubles he had.

⁹ When he became perfect, he saved for ever all who obeyed him.

¹⁰ God called him a high priest like Melchizedek was a priest.

¹¹ We have many things to say about him. But they are hard to explain to you. You are so slow to understand what we tell you.

¹² By this time you should be able to teach others. But you need someone to teach you God's word again from the very beginning. Like children, you need milk, not meat.

¹³ Anyone who takes milk does not understand the message about which things are right.

¹⁴ But meat is for people who are grown up. It is for people who have trained their minds to know the difference between what is good and what is bad.

³⁷ The next day they came down the hill. Many people met him.

³⁸ One man among them called out, `Teacher, I beg you, look at my son. He is my only child.

³⁹ A bad spirit takes hold of him and he screams. It throws him around and makes him foam at his mouth. It beats him badly and does not want to leave him.

⁴⁰ I begged your disciples to drive the bad spirit out, but they could not do it.'

⁴¹ Jesus said, `You people today do not believe. You have turned away from God. How long must I be with you? How long must I put up with you? Bring the boy here to me.'

⁴² While he was coming, the bad spirit knocked him down and threw him around. Jesus told the spirit to stop. He healed the boy and gave him back to his father.

⁴³ All the people were surprised to see that God has so much power. While the people were wondering about everything Jesus did, he talked to his disciples.

⁴⁴ He said, `Listen well to what I say. The Son of Man will be given over to men,'

⁴⁵ But they did not understand what he said. The meaning was hidden from them so they would not understand it. And they were afraid to ask him about it.

⁴⁶ The disciples started talking among themselves. They quarrelled about which of them was the greatest person.

⁴⁷ Jesus knew what they were thinking. So he took a child and put him by his side.

⁴⁸ Then he said, `If anyone takes in a child like this for my sake, he takes in me. And if anyone takes in me, he takes in the one who sent me. The one who takes the least or lowest place among you is the greatest.'

⁴⁹ John answered, `Master, we saw a man driving bad spirits out of people. He was using your name. We told him to stop because he is not one of us.'

⁵⁰ But Jesus said, `Do not stop him. Anyone who is not against you is on your side.'