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1He said to the disciples, “It is impossible that no occasions of stumbling should come, but woe to him through whom they come! 2It would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were thrown into the sea, rather than that he should cause one of these little ones to stumble. 3Be careful. If your brother sins against you, rebuke him. If he repents, forgive him. 4If he sins against you seven times in the day, and seven times returns, saying, ‘I repent,’ you shall forgive him.”

5The apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith.”

6The Lord said, “If you had faith like a grain of mustard seed, you would tell this sycamore tree, ‘Be uprooted and be planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you. 7But who is there among you, having a servant plowing or keeping sheep, that will say when he comes in from the field, ‘Come immediately and sit down at the table’? 8Wouldn’t he rather tell him, ‘Prepare my supper, clothe yourself properly, and serve me while I eat and drink. Afterward you shall eat and drink’? 9Does he thank that servant because he did the things that were commanded? I think not. 10Even so you also, when you have done all the things that are commanded you, say, ‘We are unworthy servants. We have done our duty.’”

11As he was on his way to Jerusalem, he was passing along the borders of Samaria and Galilee. 12As he entered into a certain village, ten men who were lepers met him, who stood at a distance. 13They lifted up their voices, saying, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!”

14When he saw them, he said to them, “Go and show yourselves to the priests.” As they went, they were cleansed. 15One of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, glorifying God with a loud voice. 16He fell on his face at Jesus’ feet, giving him thanks; and he was a Samaritan.

17Jesus answered, “Weren’t the ten cleansed? But where are the nine? 18Were there none found who returned to give glory to God, except this foreigner?” 19Then he said to him, “Get up, and go your way. Your faith has healed you.”

20Being asked by the Pharisees when God’s Kingdom would come, he answered them, “God’s Kingdom doesn’t come with observation; 21neither will they say, ‘Look, here!’ or, ‘Look, there!’ for behold, God’s Kingdom is within you.”

22He said to the disciples, “The days will come when you will desire to see one of the days of the Son of Man, and you will not see it. 23They will tell you, ‘Look, here!’ or ‘Look, there!’ Don’t go away or follow after them, 24for as the lightning, when it flashes out of one part under the sky, shines to another part under the sky, so will the Son of Man be in his day. 25But first, he must suffer many things and be rejected by this generation. 26As it was in the days of Noah, even so it will also be in the days of the Son of Man. 27They ate, they drank, they married, and they were given in marriage until the day that Noah entered into the ship, and the flood came and destroyed them all. 28Likewise, even as it was in the days of Lot: they ate, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they built; 29but in the day that Lot went out from Sodom, it rained fire and sulfur from the sky and destroyed them all. 30It will be the same way in the day that the Son of Man is revealed. 31In that day, he who will be on the housetop and his goods in the house, let him not go down to take them away. Let him who is in the field likewise not turn back. 32Remember Lot’s wife! 33Whoever seeks to save his life loses it, but whoever loses his life preserves it. 34I tell you, in that night there will be two people in one bed. One will be taken and the other will be left. 35There will be two grinding grain together. One will be taken and the other will be left.” 36

37They, answering, asked him, “Where, Lord?”

He said to them, “Where the body is, there the vultures will also be gathered together.”

The Teaching Methods of Jesus

The Teaching Methods of Jesus

Topical Study | Matt 5:2 | Hershel Wayne House

The Ways in Which Jesus Taught

Picturesque Speech

Vivid or overstated language

Matt 7:3-5

"And why do you look at the speck in your brother's eye, but do not consider the plank in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, 'Let me remove the speck from your eye'; and look, a plank is in your own eye? Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye?" Luke 14:26

"If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he cannot be My disciple."

Puns

A play on words

John 3:8, interchange of wind and Spirit, which are the same word in the Greek  Matt 23:24, gnat (qalma') and camel (gamla') are used in reacting to a Pharisee observance of Lev 11:41f.

Proverbs

Not to be understood as absolutes; they stress one side of a truth

Prov 26:4-5

Do not answer a fool according to his folly,

     Lest you also be like him.

Answer a fool according to his folly,

     Lest he be wise in his own eyes. Matt 7:1 with Matt 7:6

"Judge not, that you be not judged."

"Do not give what is holy to the dogs; nor cast your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you in pieces."

Poetry

Hebrew poetry is not based on rhyme or meter as is commonly done today but is concerned with balance of thought. Jesus used this form. There are various kinds of poetical form:

Luke 6:27-28 Synonymous

But I say to you who hear:

    Love your enemies, 

        do good to those who hate you, 

    bless those who curse you, 

        and pray for those who spitefully use you.

Mark 8:35 Antithetic

    For whoever desires to save his life will lose it,

         but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel's will save it.

Luke 9:48 Stairlike or climactic

    "Whoever receives this little child in My name receives me;

    and whoever receives Me receives Him who sent Me.

    For he who is least among you all will be great."

Luke 17:26-30 Double parallel stanzas

    26 As it was in the days of Noah, even so it will also be in the days of the Son of Man. 

        27  They ate, they drank, they married, and they were given in marriage until the day that Noah entered into the ship, and the flood came and destroyed them all. 

        28  Likewise, even as it was in the days of Lot: they ate, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they built; 29 but in the day that Lot went out from Sodom, it rained fire and sulfur from the sky and destroyed them all. 

  30  It will be the same way in the day that the Son of Man is revealed.

See Bruce Metzger, Introduction to the New Testament.