⁹ And do not think you can say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’^(A) I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham.

The Faith of the Centurion^(A)

⁵ When Jesus had entered Capernaum, a centurion came to him, asking for help. ⁶ “Lord,” he said, “my servant lies at home paralyzed,^(B) suffering terribly.”

⁷ Jesus said to him, “Shall I come and heal him?”

⁸ The centurion replied, “Lord, I do not deserve to have you come under my roof. But just say the word, and my servant will be healed.^{(C) 9} For I myself am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. I tell this one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and that one, ‘Come,’ and he comes. I say to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.”

¹⁰ When Jesus heard this, he was amazed and said to those following him, “Truly I tell you, I have not found anyone in Israel with such great faith.^{(D) 11} I say to you that many will come from the east and the west,^(E) and will take their places at the feast with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven.^{(F) 12} But the subjects of the kingdom^(G) will be thrown outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”^(H)

¹³ Then Jesus said to the centurion, “Go! Let it be done just as you believed it would.”^(I) And his servant was healed at that moment.

The Faith of a Canaanite Woman^(A)

²¹ Leaving that place, Jesus withdrew to the region of Tyre and Sidon.^{(B) 22} A Canaanite woman from that vicinity came to him, crying out, “Lord, Son of David,^(C) have mercy on me! My daughter is demon-possessed and suffering terribly.”^(D)

²³ Jesus did not answer a word. So his disciples came to him and urged him, “Send her away, for she keeps crying out after us.”

²⁴ He answered, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel.”^(E)

²⁵ The woman came and knelt before him.^(F) “Lord, help me!” she said.

²⁶ He replied, “It is not right to take the children’s bread and toss it to the dogs.”

²⁷ “Yes it is, Lord,” she said. “Even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their master’s table.”

²⁸ Then Jesus said to her, “Woman, you have great faith!^(G) Your request is granted.” And her daughter was healed at that moment.

³¹ “Which of the two did what his father wanted?”

“The first,” they answered.

Jesus said to them, “Truly I tell you, the tax collectors^(A) and the prostitutes^(B) are entering the kingdom of God ahead of you. ³² For John came to you to show you the way of righteousness,^(C) and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors^(D) and the prostitutes^(E) did. And even after you saw this, you did not repent^(F) and believe him.

¹⁹ Therefore go and make disciples of all nations,^(A) baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,^{(B) 20} and teaching^(C) them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you^(D) always, to the very end of the age.”^(E)