As Jesus sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him in private. "Tell us when all this will be," they asked, "and what will happen to show that it is the time for your coming and the end of the age."

As Jesus walked along the shore of Lake Galilee, he saw two fishermen, Simon and his brother Andrew, catching fish with a net.

At once they left their nets and went with him.

Then he did not let anyone else go on with him except Peter and James and his brother John.

Six days later Jesus took with him Peter, James, and John, and led them up a high mountain, where they were alone. As they looked on, a change came over Jesus,

Then James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to Jesus. "Teacher," they said, "there is something we want you to do for us."

He took Peter, James, and John with him. Distress and anguish came over him,

One of them was Andrew, Simon Peter's brother.

At once he found his brother Simon and told him, "We have found the Messiah." (This word means "Christ.")

He would not speak to them without using parables, but when he was alone with his disciples, he would explain everything to them.

Then the disciples came to Jesus and asked him, "Why do you use parables when you talk to the people?"

When Jesus had left the crowd and gone indoors, his disciples came to him and said, "Tell us what the parable about the weeds in the field means."