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He is the messenger Malachi announced when he wrote, I'm sending my messenger on ahead To make the road smooth for you.
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"Let me lay it out for you as plainly as I can: No one in history surpasses John the Baptizer, but in the kingdom he prepared you for, the lowliest person is ahead of him.
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The ordinary and disreputable people who heard John, by being baptized by him into the kingdom, are the clearest evidence;
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the Pharisees and religious officials would have nothing to do with such a baptism, wouldn't think of giving up their place in line to their inferiors.
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"How can I account for the people of this generation?
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They're like spoiled children complaining to their parents, 'We wanted to skip rope and you were always too tired; we wanted to talk but you were always too busy.'
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John the Baptizer came fasting and you called him crazy.
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The Son of Man came feasting and you called him a lush.
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Opinion polls don't count for much, do they? The proof of the pudding is in the eating." Anointing His Feet
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One of the Pharisees asked him over for a meal. He went to the Pharisee's house and sat down at the dinner table.
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Just then a woman of the village, the town harlot, having learned that Jesus was a guest in the home of the Pharisee, came with a bottle of very expensive perfume
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and stood at his feet, weeping, raining tears on his feet. Letting down her hair, she dried his feet, kissed them, and anointed them with the perfume.
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When the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, "If this man was the prophet I thought he was, he would have known what kind of woman this is who is falling all over him."
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Jesus said to him, "Simon, I have something to tell you." "Oh? Tell me."
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"Two men were in debt to a banker. One owed five hundred silver pieces, the other fifty.
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Neither of them could pay up, and so the banker canceled both debts. Which of the two would be more grateful?"
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Simon answered, "I suppose the one who was forgiven the most."
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Then turning to the woman, but speaking to Simon, he said, "Do you see this woman? I came to your home; you provided no water for my feet, but she rained tears on my feet and dried them with her hair.
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You gave me no greeting, but from the time I arrived she hasn't quit kissing my feet.
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You provided nothing for freshening up, but she has soothed my feet with perfume.
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Impressive, isn't it? She was forgiven many, many sins, and so she is very, very grateful. If the forgiveness is minimal, the gratitude is minimal."