15 The scribes and the Pharisees muttered against the disciples, saying "Why do you eat with Publicans and sinners?"
16 Jesus knew they meant Demetrius, for he was a Roman. Jesus answered them, saying, "You men who think yourself so righteous have no righeousness at all. This one you so despise will enter into Heaven and stand before God, while you are still at the Gate. As for these others, they that are whole need not a physician, but they that are sick need His comfort.
17 I come not to call the righteous. My Father already has those. But I come for the sinner, that they might repent."
18 They said to Him, "Why do the disciples of John fast often and make prayers, likewise, the disciples of the Pharisees, but yours eat and drink?"
19 He said unto them, "Can you make the children of the bridechamber fast, while the bridegroom is with them? But the day will come when the bridegroom shall be taken away. Then shall they fast in those days."
20 They knew He spoke of prophecy and their anger was very great against Him.
JESUS AND NICODEMUS
Chapter Eighteen
And He spoke also a parable unto them.
2 "No man puts a piece of a new garment on an old one. If otherwise then both the new makes a rent, and the piece that was taken out of the new agreed not with the old.
3 And no man puts new wine into old bottles. For the new wine will burst the bottles and be spoiled, and the bottles shall perish.
4 But new wine must be put in new bottles and both are preserved.
5 No man also having drunk old wine will straight away drink new. For he says the old is better."
6 And now it was time for The Passover, and they went up to Jerusalem. And when Jesus entered the temple he found there people selling oxen, sheep and doves, and changing money.
7 He saw that these were cheating the poeple. He bound together some cords to a stick, and with this drove them from the temple, releasing the doves and overturning the tables.
8 And He said unto them, "Take these things outside of the temple! Make not my Father's house a house of merchants, and, a place of thieves."
9 And the disciples remembered that it was written 'The zeal of your house has eaten me up.'
10 Then the Jews in great anger asked Him, "What sign will you show us seeing that you have done these things?"
11 And Jesus answered, saying, "Destroy this temple and in three days I will raise it up."
12 Then said the Jews, "Forty and six years was this temple in building. He could not rise it up in three days!"
13 But He spoke of the temple of His body, when therefore, He would rise from the dead. And His disciples remembered He had said this to them, and they knew the Scriptures, but their hearts were closed, for they did not want it.
14 Now, the Jews followed them out into the street and there was a great commotion and the Roman soldiers came, for they feared disorder.
15 But Demetrius stood before the officer and made a sign with his finger on his shoulder. And the officer, seeing it, came over to him. "This is a thing between the Jews," Demetrius commanded. "Do not get involved in it. Let this Jesus and His people go their way."
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