John Wesley

Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him. “Far be it from You, Lord!” he said. “This shall never happen to You!”

“Yea, so far is this advice, favour thyself, from being fit for a Christian either to give or take, that if any man will come after Christ, his very first step is to deny, or renounce himself: in the room of his own will, to…”

Then Jesus told His disciples, “If anyone wants to come after Me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow Me.

“Should we not consider all crosses, all things grievous to flesh and blood, as what they really are, as opportunities of embracing God's will at the expense of our own? And consequently as so many steps by which we may advance toward perfection?”

Truly I tell you, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see the Son of Man coming in His kingdom.”

“And as an emblem of this, there are some here who shall live to see the Messiah coming to set up his mediatorial kingdom, with great power and glory, by the increase of his Church, and the destruction of the temple, city, and polity of…”

Suddenly Moses and Elijah appeared before them, talking with Jesus.

“There appeared Moses and Elijah - Here for the full confirmation of their faith in Jesus, Moses, the giver of the law, Elijah, the most zealous of all the prophets, and God speaking from heaven, all bore witness to him.”

The disciples asked Him, “Why then do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?”

“Why then say the scribes, that Elijah must come first - Before the Messiah? If no man is to know of his coming?”

“Because you have so little faith,” He answered. “For truly I tell you, if you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move…

“Because of your unbelief - Because in this particular they had not faith. If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed - That is, the least measure of it.”

“This kind of devils - goeth not out but by prayer and fasting - What a testimony is here of the efficacy of fasting, when added to fervent prayer! Some kinds of devils the apostles had cast out before this, without fasting.”

After they had arrived in Capernaum, the collectors of the two-drachma tax came to Peter and asked, “Does your Teacher pay the two drachmas?”

“This was the reason why they stayed till he came thither, to ask him for the tribute. Doth not your Master pay tribute?”

“Yes,” he answered. When Peter entered the house, Jesus preempted him. “What do you think, Simon?” He asked.

“Jesus prevented him - Just when St. Peter was going to ask him for it. Of their own sons, or of strangers? - That is, such as are not of their own family.”

“From others,” Peter answered. “Then the sons are exempt,” Jesus declared.

“Then are the sons free - The sense is, This is paid for the use of the house of God. Therefore I am free from any obligation of paying this to my own Father.”

“But so that we may not offend them, go to the sea, cast a hook, and take the first fish you catch.

“O what would not one of a loving spirit do for peace! Any thing which is not expressly forbidden in the word of God.”

For where two or three gather together in My name, there am I with them.”

“Where two or three are gathered together in my name - That is, to worship me. I am in the midst of them - By my Spirit, to quicken their prayers, guide their counsels, and answer their petitions.”

As he began the settlements, a debtor was brought to him owing ten thousand talents.

“One was brought who owed him ten thousand talents - According to the usual computation, if these were talents of gold, this would amount to seventy-two millions sterling.”

Jesus answered, “Have you not read that from the beginning the Creator ‘made them male and female,’

“He who made them, made them male and female from the beginning - At least from the beginning of the Mosaic creation. And where do we read of any other?”

“Why then,” they asked, “did Moses order a man to give his wife a certificate of divorce and send her away?”

“Why did Moses command - Christ replies, Moses permitted (not commanded) it, because of the hardness of your hearts - Because neither your fathers nor you could bear the more excellent way.”

“Not everyone can accept this word,” He replied, “but only those to whom it has been given.

“Now this is given to three sorts of persons to some by natural constitution, without their choice: to others by violence, against their choice; and to others by grace with their choice: who steadily withstand their natural inclinations, that they may wait upon God without…”

Jesus told him, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow Me.”

“If thou desirest to be perfect - That is, to be a real Christian: Sell what thou hast - He who reads the heart saw his bosom sin was love of the world; and knew he could not be saved from this, but by literally…”

When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astonished and asked, “Who then can be saved?”

“His disciples were amazed, saying, Who then can be saved? - If rich men, with all their advantages, cannot? A poor man; a peasant; a beggar: ten thousand of them, sooner than one that is rich.”

Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”

“Jesus looking upon them - To compose their hurried spirits. O what a speaking look was there! Said to them - With the utmost sweetness: With men this is impossible - It is observable, he does not retract what he had said: no, nor soften…”

Jesus said to them, “Truly I tell you, in the renewal of all things, when the Son of Man sits on His glorious throne, you who have followed Me will…

“Then being absolved, they shall sit with the Judge, 1 Cor. vi, ii, On twelve thrones - So our Lord promised, without expressing any condition: yet as absolute as the words are, it is certain there is a condition implied, as in many scriptures, where…”

But many who are first will be last, and the last will be first.

“But many first - Many of those who were first called, shall be last - Shall have the lowest reward: those who came after them being preferred before them: and yet possibly both the first and the last may be saved, though with different degrees…”

“For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire workers for his vineyard.

“The kingdom of heaven is like - That is, the manner of God's proceeding in his kingdom resembles that of a householder. In the morning - At six, called by the Roman and Jews, the first hour.”

The workers who were hired about the eleventh hour came and each received a denarius.

“Who were hired about the eleventh hour - Either the Gentiles, who were called long after the Jews into the vineyard of the Church of Christ; or those in every age who did not hear, or at least understand the Gospel call, till their day…”

‘These men who were hired last worked only one hour,’ they said, ‘and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden and the scorching heat of…

“Thou hast made them equal to us - So St. Peter expressly, Acts xv, 9. God-hath put no difference between us (Jews) and them, (Gentiles, ) purifying their hearts by faith.”

Take your pay and go. I want to give this last man the same as I gave you.

“It is my will to give to this last called among the heathens even as to the first called among the Jews: yea, and to the late converted publicans and sinners, even as to those who, were called long before.”