Lexicon :: Strong's G3379 - mēpote

and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down. For it is written:

He will give his angels orders concerning you,

and they will support you with their hands

so that you will not strike

your foot against a stone.”

“Reach a settlement quickly with your adversary while you’re on the way with him to the court, or your adversary will hand you over to the judge, and the judge to[fn] the officer, and you will be thrown into prison.

“Don’t give what is holy to dogs or toss your pearls before pigs, or they will trample them under their feet, turn, and tear you to pieces.

“For this people’s heart has grown callous;

their ears are hard of hearing,

and they have shut their eyes;

otherwise they might see with their eyes,

and hear with their ears, and

understand with their hearts,

and turn back —

and I would heal them.

“ ‘No,’ he said. ‘When you pull up the weeds, you might also uproot the wheat with them.

Jesus called his disciples and said, “I have compassion on the crowd, because they’ve already stayed with me three days and have nothing to eat. I don’t want to send them away hungry, otherwise they might collapse on the way.”

“The wise ones answered, ‘No, there won’t be enough for us and for you. Go instead to those who sell oil, and buy some for yourselves.’

“So give orders that the tomb be made secure until the third day. Otherwise, his disciples may come, steal him, and tell the people, ‘He has been raised from the dead,’ and the last deception will be worse than the first.”

“so that

they may indeed look,

and yet not perceive;

they may indeed listen,

and yet not understand;

otherwise, they might turn back

and be forgiven.”[fn]

“Not during the festival,” they said, “so that there won’t be a riot among the people.”

Now the people were waiting expectantly, and all of them were questioning in their hearts whether John might be the Messiah.

“and

they will support you with their hands,

so that you will not strike

your foot against a stone.”

“As you are going with your adversary to the ruler, make an effort to settle with him on the way. Then he won’t drag you before the judge, the judge hand you over to the bailiff, and the bailiff throw you into prison.

“When you are invited by someone to a wedding banquet, don’t sit in the place of honor, because a more distinguished person than you may have been invited by your host.

He also said to the one who had invited him, “When you give a lunch or a dinner, don’t invite your friends, your brothers or sisters, your relatives, or your rich neighbors, because they might invite you back, and you would be repaid.

“Otherwise, after he has laid the foundation and cannot finish it, all the onlookers will begin to ridicule him,

“Be on your guard, so that your minds are not dulled[fn] from carousing,[fn] drunkenness, and worries of life, or that day will come on you unexpectedly

“Yet, look, he’s speaking publicly and they’re saying nothing to him. Can it be true that the authorities know he is the Messiah?

“but if it is of God, you will not be able to overthrow them. You may even be found fighting against God.” They were persuaded by him.

“For the hearts of these people

have grown callous,

their ears are hard of hearing,

and they have shut their eyes;

otherwise they might see with their eyes

and hear with their ears,

understand with their heart

and turn,

and I would heal them.

instructing his opponents with gentleness. Perhaps God will grant them repentance leading them to the knowledge of the truth.

For this reason, we must pay attention all the more to what we have heard, so that we will not drift away.

Watch out, brothers and sisters, so that there won’t be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God.

Therefore, since the promise to enter his rest remains, let us beware[fn] that none of you be found to have fallen short.[fn]

For a will is valid only when people die, since it is never in effect while the one who made it is living.