But the teacher of the Law wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, "Who is my neighbor?"

But he spoke back to his father, 'Look, all these years I have worked for you like a slave, and I have never disobeyed your orders. What have you given me? Not even a goat for me to have a feast with my friends!

Jesus said to them, "You are the ones who make yourselves look right in other people's sight, but God knows your hearts. For the things that are considered of great value by people are worth nothing in God's sight.

There are people who think they are pure when they are as filthy as they can be.

And then they say to others, 'Keep away from us; we are too holy for you to touch!' I cannot stand people like that---my anger against them is like a fire that never goes out.

Listen to what the LORD says, you that fear him and obey him: "Because you are faithful to me, some of your own people hate you and will have nothing to do with you. They mock you and say, 'Let the LORD show his greatness and save you, so that we may see you rejoice.' But they themselves will be disgraced!

They insulted him and said, "You are that fellow's disciple; but we are Moses' disciples.

They answered, "You were born and brought up in sin---and you are trying to teach us?" And they expelled him from the synagogue.

I myself was once alive apart from law; but when the commandment came, sin sprang to life,

while God's people, who were seeking a law that would put them right with God, did not find it.

And why not? Because they did not depend on faith but on what they did. And so they stumbled over the "stumbling stone"

They have not known the way in which God puts people right with himself, and instead, they have tried to set up their own way; and so they did not submit themselves to God's way of putting people right.

I could, of course, put my trust in such things. If any of you think you can trust in external ceremonies, I have even more reason to feel that way.

and I was so zealous that I persecuted the church. As far as a person can be righteous by obeying the commands of the Law, I was without fault.

The Pharisee stood apart by himself and prayed, 'I thank you, God, that I am not greedy, dishonest, or an adulterer, like everybody else. I thank you that I am not like that tax collector over there.

When the Pharisee saw this, he said to himself, "If this man really were a prophet, he would know who this woman is who is touching him; he would know what kind of sinful life she lives!"

the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law started grumbling, "This man welcomes outcasts and even eats with them!"

But this son of yours wasted all your property on prostitutes, and when he comes back home, you kill the prize calf for him!'

All the people who saw it started grumbling, "This man has gone as a guest to the home of a sinner!"

"Did he fool you, too?" the Pharisees asked them.

This crowd does not know the Law of Moses, so they are under God's curse!"

They asked Jesus, "Were we not right in saying that you are a Samaritan and have a demon in you?"

'Go,' the Lord said to me, 'for I will send you far away to the Gentiles.' "

You then, who eat only vegetables---why do you pass judgment on others? And you who eat anything---why do you despise other believers? All of us will stand before God to be judged by him.