Some teachers of the Law, who were Pharisees, saw that Jesus was eating with these outcasts and tax collectors, so they asked his disciples, "Why does he eat with such people?"

Some Pharisees and teachers of the Law who had come from Jerusalem gathered around Jesus.

They noticed that some of his disciples were eating their food with hands that were ritually unclean---that is, they had not washed them in the way the Pharisees said people should.

Then some teachers of the Law and some Pharisees spoke up. "Teacher," they said, "we want to see you perform a miracle."

Some Pharisees and Sadducees who came to Jesus wanted to trap him, so they asked him to perform a miracle for them, to show that God approved of him.

And early in the morning you say, 'It is going to rain, because the sky is red and dark.' You can predict the weather by looking at the sky, but you cannot interpret the signs concerning these times!

Some Pharisees came to him and tried to trap him by asking, "Does our Law allow a man to divorce his wife for whatever reason he wishes?"

Jesus came back to the Temple; and as he taught, the chief priests and the elders came to him and asked, "What right do you have to do these things? Who gave you such right?"

The Pharisees went off and made a plan to trap Jesus with questions.

Jesus, however, was aware of their evil plan, and so he said, "You hypocrites! Why are you trying to trap me?

That same day some Sadducees came to Jesus and claimed that people will not rise from death.

When the Pharisees heard that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, they came together,

and one of them, a teacher of the Law, tried to trap him with a question.

When Jesus left that place, the teachers of the Law and the Pharisees began to criticize him bitterly and ask him questions about many things,

trying to lay traps for him and catch him saying something wrong.

"Have you ever known one of the authorities or one Pharisee to believe in him?

Others wanted to trap Jesus, so they asked him to perform a miracle to show that God approved of him.

Jesus said also to the people, "When you see a cloud coming up in the west, at once you say that it is going to rain---and it does.

Hypocrites! You can look at the earth and the sky and predict the weather; why, then, don't you know the meaning of this present time?

Jesus said to him, "None of you will ever believe unless you see miracles and wonders."

They replied, "What miracle will you perform so that we may see it and believe you? What will you do?

Jews want miracles for proof, and Greeks look for wisdom.

As for us, we proclaim the crucified Christ, a message that is offensive to the Jews and nonsense to the Gentiles;

But Jesus saw through their trick and answered, "Why are you trying to trap me? Bring a silver coin, and let me see it."

They complained to Moses and said, "Give us water to drink." Moses answered, "Why are you complaining? Why are you putting the LORD to the test?"

The place was named Massah and Meribah, because the Israelites complained and put the LORD to the test when they asked, "Is the LORD with us or not?"

"Do not put the LORD your God to the test, as you did at Massah.

As we see it, proud people are the ones who are happy. Evil people not only prosper, but they test God's patience with their evil deeds and get away with it.' "

A teacher of the Law came up and tried to trap Jesus. "Teacher," he asked, "what must I do to receive eternal life?"

So Peter said to her, "Why did you and your husband decide to put the Lord's Spirit to the test? The men who buried your husband are at the door right now, and they will carry you out too!"

We must not put the Lord to the test, as some of them did---and they were killed by snakes.