The Gospel According to St Matthew (1964) – Transcript

The Gospel According to St Matthew
Year: 1964
Directed by: Pier Paolo Pasolini
Written by: Pier Paolo Pasolini
Based on: Gospel of Matthew
Starring: Enrique Irazoqui (Jesus), Margherita Caruso (Mary), Susanna Pasolini (Older Mary), Marcello Morante (Joseph), Mario Socrate (John the Baptist), Settimio Di Porto (Peter), Alfonso Gatto (Andrew), Luigi Barbini (James), Giacomo Morante (John), Giorgio Agamben (Philip), Guido Cerretani (Bartholomew), Rosario Migale (Thomas), Ferruccio Nuzzo (Matthew), Marcello Galdini (James, Son of Alphaeus), Elio Spaziani (Jude), Enzo Siciliano (Simon), Otello Sestili (Judas Iscariot), Rodolfo Wilcock (Caiaphas), Alessandro Tasca (Pontius Pilate), Amerigo Bevilacqua (Herod the Great), Francesco Leonetti (Herod Antipas), Franca Cupane (Herodias), Paola Tedesco (Salome), Rossana Di Rocco (Angel of the Lord), Renato Terra (Legion), Eliseo Boschi (Joseph of Arimathea), Natalia Ginzburg (Mary of Bethany), Silvio Citti (Stephaton), Ninetto Davoli (Shepherd)
Release date: September 4, 1964

Plot: In Roman Galilee, the local Jewish community lives in poverty. Although the Romans are formally in charge, the Jewish upper class—including King Herod and the Pharisee religious elite—dominates the locals on a day-to-day basis.

The pregnant Mary has a troubled relationship with Joseph, who worries she cheated on him. Joseph reconciles with Mary after an angel tells him that God caused Mary’s pregnancy. After Mary bears Jesus Christ, the magi visit the baby Jesus. The angel tells the family to flee to Egypt. Herod—who fears a prophecy that Jesus will become king of the Jews—brutally massacres the region’s infants. The family return to Judea after Herod dies.

Many years later, John the Baptist preaches a brazenly anti-establishment message to the commoners of Galilee. Jesus visits John to be baptized, and God appears to them. Satan offers Jesus wealth and power, but Jesus declines.

Jesus recruits a band of disciples. He warns them that “I came not to bring peace, but a sword” and that they will suffer on his behalf. He travels around the country with his disciples, healing the blind, raising the dead, exorcising demons, and proclaiming the arrival of the Kingdom of God and the promised salvation. The film rapidly canvasses his parables and sayings, including the Sermon on the Mount, in a series of montaged monologues. Meanwhile, the new king imprisons John the Baptist before capriciously executing him to impress his stepdaughter.

Jesus is generally uncomfortable showing his divine power in public (with the exception of the miracle of the loaves and fishes). He prefers to preach radical messages to working-class crowds and children. The wealthy are alienated by Jesus’s socially conscious teachings, the religious elite are threatened by his contempt for their legalism and hypocrisy, and even commoners are concerned with his asceticism. Matthew is wounded when Jesus chooses Peter over him to lead the church, but accepts Jesus’s decision.

Although the public—which wants to see the supernatural—initially ignores Jesus, he attracts a large following and triumphantly enters Jerusalem to cheering crowds. The Roman army is called in for crowd control and beats several followers of Jesus.

After Jesus claims to be the Jews’s prophesied Messiah, the chief priests plot to murder him. Judas Iscariot betrays Jesus after Jesus scolds him in front of the other disciples. During the Agony in the Garden, Jesus accepts his fate, which he has long known. The chief priests organize a mob to arrest Jesus. The apostles rise to defend him, but Jesus insists on surrendering peacefully. The chief priests hand Jesus over to the Romans. Fearing a similar fate, Peter denies Jesus three times. After escaping, he breaks down crying. Judas commits suicide after realizing even the priests are disgusted by his treachery.

The Roman governor, Pilate, declares Jesus innocent but executes him anyway to placate the chief priests. Mary buries her son. After three days, Jesus rises from the dead and instructs his disciples to spread the gospel throughout the world.

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Transcript

Note for Students & Writers: This transcript is archived here for educational purposes, critical analysis, and screenwriting study. All rights belong to the original creators.

THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO MATTHEW

To the fond, happy, friendly memory of John XXIII

Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, for she has conceived by the power of the Holy Ghost.

She wil I bear a son whom you will call Jesus, for he is to save his people from their sins.

The virgin shall be with child and shall bear a son and they shall call him Emmanuel, meaning God with us.

Where has the King of the Jews been born?

We have seen his star in the east, a nd have come to worship him.

Where will Christ be born?

At Bethlehem in Judea, the prophet wrote:

“And you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judea “art far from the least among the princes of Judea.

“For out of you will arise a leader “who is to be the shepherd of my people Israel.”

Seek the child, and when you have found him bring me word so I too may come and worship him.

Take the child and his mother, flee to Egypt and remain there until I give you word.

For Herod will soon search for the child, to destroy him.

I called my son out of Egypt.

A voice was heard in Ramah

the sound of wailing and great sorrow.

Rachel wept for her children, she would not be comforted, because they are no more.

Take the child and his mother and return to Israel, for those who sought the child’s Iife are dead.

Repent, the kingdom of heaven is at hand.

He was the one the prophet Isaiah was referring to when he said:

“There is a voice of one crying in the wilderness.

“Prepare the way of the Lord, “make his paths straight.”

Brood of vipers! Who taught you to flee from the coming wrath?

Bring forth fruit that is worthy of your repentance.

Do not presume to say in your hearts: “We have Abraham for our father.”

God has power to raise up children to Abraham out of these very stones.

Already the axe has been put to the root of the trees, so that every tree that does not bear good fruit will be cut down and cast into the fire.

I am baptising you with water, for your repentance.

But one is to come after me who is mightier than I, so that I am not worthy even to carry his shoes for him.

He will baptise you with the Holy Ghost and with fire.

He holds his winnowing fan to sweep his threshing-floor clean.

He will gather the wheat into his barn but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.

It is I that ought to be baptised by you.

Do you come to me?

Let it be so for now, so that we may justly fulfil our religious duty.

This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased.

If you are the Son of God, turn these stones into bread.

Man cannot live by bread alone but by all the words which proceed from the mouth of God.

If you are the Son of God, cast yourself down to earth. For it is written:

“He has charged angels to watch over you “lest you should trip on a stone.”

It is further written: “You shall not put the Lord your God to the proof.”

I will give you all these, if you will fall down and worship me.

Away with you, Satan!

It is written: “You shall worship the Lord your God, and serve none but him.”

The people who were dwelling in darkness have seen a great light.

For men living in a land where death overshadowed them, light has dawned.

Repent, the kingdom of heaven is at hand.

Peter.

Andrew.

Come and follow me, I will make you fishers of men.

James and John, sons of Zebedee, come with me.

The harvest is plentiful, but the labourers are few.

Ask the Lord whose harvest it is to send labourers for the harvesting.

Peter.

Andrew.

James.

John.

Philip.

Thomas.

Simon.

Bartholomew.

Thaddaeus.

James, son of Alphaeus.

Matthew.

Judas Iscariot.

You shall be labourers for the harvesting.

I am sending you to be like sheep among wolves.

You must be wary as serpents, yet innocent as doves.

Be on your guard against men.

They’ll hand you over to their courts and flog you in their synagogues.

On my account you will bear witness before governors, kings and Gentiles.

When you are given up into their hands do not fear what to say, because when the time comes, you will be given the right words.

It is not you who will be speaking, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.

You will be hated by all men because you bear my name.

Fear not those who kill the body but have no means of killing the soul.

Fear him more who has the power to ruin body and soul in hell.

Are not sparrows sold two for a penny?

Yet not one of them may fall to the ground without your Father’s will.

Every hair of your head he takes into his reckoning.

Fear not, you count more than a host of sparrows.

Do not imagine I have come to bring peace to the earth.

I have come to bring a sword, not peace.

I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law.

A man’s enemies will include members of his own family.

Anyone who loves his father or mother more than me, or anyone who loves his son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.

If you cling to your life, you will lose it, but if you give up your life for me, you will find it.

Lord, if you are willing, make me clean.

I am willing, be cleansed.

Tell no man, rather go and show yourself to the priest and offer the gift that Moses commanded as a testimony to them.

Blessed are the poor in spirit; the kingdom of heaven is theirs.

Blessed are those who mourn; they shall be comforted.

Blessed are the patient; they shall inherit the land.

Blessed are those who hunger for holiness; they shall have their fill.

Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.

Blessed are the clean in heart, for they shall see God.

Blessed are the peace-makers, for they will be called the children of God.

Blessed are those who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness, because the kingdom of heaven belongs to them.

Blessed are you, when men revile you and persecute you and speak all manner of evil against you falsely because of me.

Rejoice and be glad, a rich reward awaits you in heaven.

For that is how they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

If your son asked for bread, would you give him a stone?

If he asked for a fish, would you give him a serpent?

If you, evil as you are, know what is good for your children will not your Father in heaven give more good gifts to those who ask?

Do to other men all that you would have them do to you.

That is the Law and the prophets.

Do not think I have come to set aside the Law and the prophets.

I have come to bring them to perfection.

You are the salt of the earth, but if salt loses its flavour, how can it be made salty again?

It’s no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled under foot by men.

You are the light of the world.

A city on a mountain top cannot be hidden.

A lamp is not placed under a bushel, it is put where it will light the house.

Do not lay up treasure on earth where moths and rust consume it and where thieves break in and steal it.

Instead, store up treasure for yourselves in heaven where there are no moths, no rust and no thieves to steal it.

A man cannot serve two masters.

He will hate one and love the other, devote himself to one, scorn the other.

You may serve God or money; you cannot serve both.

When you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your merciful deeds may be in secret.

Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.

You have heard it said: “An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth.”

I tell you, do not offer resistance.

If a man strikes you on your right cheek, turn the other.

You have heard it said: “Love your neighbour and hate your enemy.”

I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you so that you may be true sons of your Father in heaven who makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, his rain fall on the just and on the unjust.

Do not judge others, or you yourselves will be judged.

For in the way you judge, you will be judged and by your standard of measure, it will be measured to you.

How is it you see the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and are not aware of the log in your own?

When you pray, don’t use vain repetitions as the Gentiles do.

They think that by being so wordy they will be heard.

You are not to be like them.

Your Father knows well what your needs are before you ask him.

This, then, is to be your prayer…

Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be your name.

Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.

Give us today our daily bread.

And forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us.

Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.

Therefore I tell you, do not worry about everyday life, what you will eat or drink, or about your body, what you will wear.

Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes?

Look at the birds of the air, they do not sow, or reap, or gather grain into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them.

Are you not more valuable than they are?

Indeed, which of you can make his life any longer by being anxious?

Why should you be anxious about clothing?

See how the lilies of the field grow, they don’t work or make their clothing, and yet I tell you that even Solomon in all his glory was not dressed like one of these.

If God so clothes the grasses of the field, which live today and will be thrown into the fire tomorrow, will he not be much more ready to clothe you, men of little faith?

Do not fret then, asking what you will eat or drink or wear.

It is for the Gentiles to busy themselves over such things

you have a Father in heaven who knows that you need them all.

Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.

Do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself.

Today’s trouble is enough for today.

Make your way in by the narrow gate.

It is a broad gate and a wide road that leads to perdition and those who go that way are many indeed.

How small the gate, how narrow the road that leads to life and how few there are that find it.

Father, Lord of heaven and earth, I give you praise that you have hidden this from the wise and revealed it to children.

Yes, Father, because this is what was pleasing to you.

My Father has entrusted everything into my hands.

No one knows the Son except the Father.

And no one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.

Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened; I will give you rest.

Take my yoke upon yourselves and learn from me.

I am gentle and humble of heart; you shall find rest for your souls.

For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.

Your disciples are doing what is not lawful on the Sabbath.

Have you never read what David did, when he and his followers hungered?

How he went into the tabernacle, and ate the loaves set out there although neither he nor anyone but the priest had the right to eat them?

Or have you not read in the Law that on the Sabbath, the priests on duty in the temple may work and yet remain innocent?

I tell you, there is one standing here who is greater than the temple.

If you’d understood the words, “I desire mercy, not sacrifice”, you would not have condemned the guiltless.

For the Son of Man is Lord over the Sabbath.

Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?

If one of your sheep fell into a pit would you not pull it out on a Sabbath?

What is a sheep compared to a man?

Mercy is not unlawful on the Sabbath.

Throw away your crutches.

Tell no man that you have been healed so that the word spoken by Isaiah may be fulfilled.

Behold my servant, my chosen, with whom my soul is well pleased.

I will lay my spirit on him, and he shall proclaim my rule among Gentiles.

He will not protest and cry out; none shall hear his voice in the streets.

He will not break a bruised reed or quench a smouldering wick until the time comes when he crowns his judgement with victory.

We must find a way to make away with him.

This is a remote place, and it is already getting late.

Send all these people to the village to buy food for themselves.

They don’t need to go away. You give them something to eat.

We have only five loaves and two fishes.

Bring them to me.

I am going to pray.

Take a boat and cross to the other side.

It’s a ghost.

Take courage, it is I.

Do not be afraid.

Lord, if it is you, bid me to come to you over the water.

Come!

Lord, save me!

Why did you hesitate, man of little faith?

Is it his coming that was foretold or are we yet waiting for some other?

John has sent us to ask if it is your coming that was foretold.

Go and tell John what your own ears and eyes have witnessed.

How the blind see, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised to life, the poor have the Gospel preached to them.

Blessed is the man who does not lose confidence in me.

What did you go out into the desert to see?

A reed swayed by the wind?

If not, what did you go out to see? A man dressed in fine clothes?

No, those who wear fine clothes are in kings’ palaces.

So why then did you go out? To see a prophet?

Yes, and something more than a prophet.

This is the man of whom it was written: “I am sending before you that angel of mine who is to prepare the way.”

God has raised up no greater son of woman than John the Baptist.

Yet to be least in the kingdom of heaven is to be greater than he.

Ever since John the Baptist’s time the kingdom of heaven has suffered violence, and violent people have been seizing it.

All the prophets and the Law before John’s time spoke only of things that were to come.

If you are willing to accept it, he is that Elijah whose coming was prophesied.

As for this generation, to what shall I compare it?

It is like children sitting in the marketplaces who call out to their companions, “We played the flute for you, and you did not dance.

“We sang a dirge, and you did not mourn.”

John would not eat or drink, and they say he is possessed.

The Son of Man came, ate and drank and they call him a glutton, friend of publicans and sinners.

But wisdom is proved right by her actions.

Woe to you, cities where I did miracles and you have not repented.

If Tyre and Sidon had witnessed such miracles as I have done in you, they would have repented in sackcloth and ashes long ago.

I tell you, Tyre and Sidon will be better off on judgement day than you.

And you, Capernaum, do you hope to be lifted to heaven?

You shall fall low as hell.

Can this be the Son of David?

It is only through the power of Beelzebub that he casts devils out.

He who is not with me, is against me.

And he who doesn’t gather with me, scatters.

There is pardon for all the other sins and blasphemies of men, but not for blasphemy against the Holy Spirit.

Master, may we see a sign from you?

Wicked and unfaithful generation, the only sign that will be given is the sign of the prophet Jonah.

Jonah was three days and nights in the belly of the sea-beast.

The Son of Man will be three days and nights in the earth.

The men of Nineveh will condemn this generation on judgement day for they did penance to Jonah, and now one greater than Jonah is here.

The queen of the south will condemn this generation for she came from the ends of the earth to hear Solomon’s wisdom.

And, behold, one greater than Solomon is here.

Your mother and your brothers are outside, they want to speak to you.

When an evil spirit leaves a person it goes into the desert, seeking rest but finding none.

Then it says, “I will return to my house from which I came.”

And when it comes, it finds the house empty, swept, and put in order.

So then the spirit finds seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they all enter in and live there and the last state of that person is worse than the first.

That is how it will be with this wicked generation.

Your mother and brothers are here.

Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?

Here are my mother and brothers!

If anyone does the will of my Father in heaven he is my brother, and sister, and mother.

How did he come by this wisdom, and these miraculous powers?

Isn’t his mother Mary and his brothers James, Joseph, Simon and Judas?

And his sisters live near us, don’t they?

Where then did he get all these things?

Isn’t he just the carpenter’s son?

A prophet is not without honour, unless in his country and in his house.

Master, what shall I do to win eternal life?

Why do you ask me about what is good?

There is only one who is good.

If you want to enter into life, keep the commandments.

Which ones?

Do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not bear false witness, honour your father and mother, and love your neighbour as yourself.

All these I have kept. What do I still lack?

If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor and you will have treasure in heaven.

Then come, follow me.

Truly, I say to you, it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven.

It is easier for a camel to pass through a needle’s eye than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven.

Christ, bless our children.

Leave the Lord in peace.

Let the children be, do not keep them from me.

The kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.

Your dance has pleased me; I will grant whatever you wish.

Give me here on a platter the head of John the Baptist.

It is granted.

Let us withdraw into desert country, to be alone.

Follow me over to the other side.

Lord, give me leave to go home and bury my father.

Follow me, and leave the dead to bury their dead.

Master, I will follow you wherever you are going.

Foxes have holes and birds their nesting places.

The Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.

Howl, O gate.

Cry, O city.

Thou, whole Palestine, art dissolved, for a smoke shall come from the north.

In their streets they shall gird themselves with sackcloth.

On the tops of their houses, and in their streets e veryone shall weep abundantly.

Who do men say is the Son of Man?

So me say John the Baptist.

Others Elijah.

Others Jeremy.

Or one of the prophets.

What do you say that I a m?

You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.

Blessed are you, Simon, son of John.

It is not flesh and blood, it is my Father that has revealed this to you.

And I tell you that you are Peter.

And it is upon this rock that I will build my church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.

I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven.

Whatever you imprison on earth God will imprison in heaven.

And whatever you set free on earth shall be set free in heaven.

You are to tell no one that I am the Christ.

I must go up to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the chief priests, elders and scribes and then be put to death.

Never, Lord. This shall never happen to you.

Back, Satan! For these thoughts of yours are men’s, not God’s.

If anyone wants to be my follower, let him renounce self, take up his cross, and follow me.

The Son of Man is to be given into the hands of men.

They will put him to death, and on the third day, he will rise again.

Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?

Unless you become like little children again you shall not enter the kingdom of heaven.

Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.

And he who welcomes such a child, welcomes me.

But if anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin it would be better for him to have a large millstone hung around his neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea.

Woe to the world because it tempts people to sin.

Temptations are inevitable, but woe to the man who causes someone to sin.

If your hand or foot causes you to sin cut it off and cast it away from you.

Better to enter into life crippled or lame than to have hands and feet when you are cast into eternal fire.

What do you yourselves think?

If a man has a hundred sheep and one has strayed does he not leave the ninety-nine and go to look for the stray?

If, by good fortune, he finds it, he rejoices more over that one than over those that did not stray.

In the same way your Father in heaven is not willing that any of these little ones should be lost.

Lord, if my brother commits an offence against me how many times must I forgive him?

Up to seven times?

No, not just seven times, but seventy times seven!

Now we are going up to Jerusalem.

The Son of Man will be given up into the hands of the chief priests and the scribes who will condemn him to death and then turn him over to the Gentiles to be flogged and crucified.

But on the third day he will rise again.

Go to the village ahead of you, and at once you will find a donkey tied there, with her colt by her.

Go and bring them to me.

If anyone asks say that the Lord needs them, and he will let you have them.

It is Jesus, Son of David.

It is written, “My house shall be called a house of prayer.”

But you have turned it into a den of thieves.

Hosanna! Hosanna to the Son of David!

Do you hear what they are saying?

Yes.

Have you never read the words: “From the lips of children and infants you have ordained praise”?

May you never bear fruit again.

How has it withered so quickly?

Truly I say to you, if you have faith and do not doubt, you will not only do what was done to the fig tree, but even if you say to this mountain, “Be taken up and thrown into the sea”, it will happen.

Every gift you ask for in prayer will be granted.

By what authority do you do these things?

Who gave you this authority?

I too have a question to ask.

If you can answer me I will tell you what is my authority.

Did John’s baptism come from heaven or from men?

If we tell him it was from heaven, he will ask: “Then why did you not believe him?”

If we say from men, then we’ll be mobbed because the people believe John was a prophet.

We cannot tell.

Then I won’t tell you by what authority I do these things.

Tell me what you think: a man had two sons and he asked the first to work in his vineyard that day.

The son refused, but relented afterwards and went.

He asked his second son to work in the vineyard.

The son said he would go, but did not go.

Which of the two did his father’s will?

The second.

Truly, I say to you the publicans and harlots are further on the road to God’s kingdom than you because John came to you following all due observance, and you did not believe him.

The publicans believed him, and the harlots but even when you saw that you would not relent, and believe him.

Listen to another parable.

There was a landowner who planted a vineyard.

He walled it, dug a wine-press, and built a watchtower.

Then he rented the vineyard to some farmers and went on a journey.

At harvest time he sent his servants to collect his share of the crop.

But the vine-growers grabbed his servants, they beat one, killed one, and stoned a third.

Then he sent more servants than the first time, and the vine-growers treated them the same way.

In the end he sent his son, thinking he would be respected.

But when the vine-growers saw the son, they said to each other, “This is the heir. Let’s kill him and take his inheritance.”

So they took him and threw him out of the vineyard and killed him.

Now when the owner of the vineyard returns, what will he do to those vine-growers?

He will bring those wretches to a wretched end and will rent out the vineyard to others who will pay him his due.

Have you never read in the scriptures: “The stone which the builders rejected has become the cornerstone

“this is the Lord’s doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes”?

I tell you the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a nation that will exhibit the power of it.

When a man falls against the stone, he will break his bones.

When it falls on him, it will scatter him like chaff.

Many are called, but few are chosen.

Master, we know well that you are sincere and teach in all sincerity the ways of God.

You hold no one in awe, making no distinction between man and man.

Tell us, then, is it right to pay tribute to Caesar, or not?

Hypocrites, why test me thus?

Show me the coin used for paying the tax.

Whose likeness, whose name is inscribed on it?

Caesar.

Give to Caesar what is Caesar’s and to God what is God’s.

Master, master…

Moses told us that if a man leaves no children when he dies, his brother should marry the widow and have a child who will carry on the brother’s name.

We had seven brothers in our country, of whom the first died a married man without issue, bequeathing his wife to the second.

He died, bequeathing her to the third and finally she had been every brother’s wife, dying last of all.

When the dead rise again, which brother will be her husband?

You do not understand the scriptures, or what is the power of God.

When the dead rise again, there is no marrying or giving in marriage.

They are as the angels in heaven are.

Have you never read what God himself said of the resurrection?

I am the God of Abraham, of Jacob, and of Isaac.

Yet it is of living men, not dead men, that he is God.

Master, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?

Love the Lord your God with all your heart with all your soul and with all your mind.

This is the greatest of the commandments, and the first.

And the second is like it.

Love your neighbour as yourself.

The Law of Moses is interpreted by the scribes and the Pharisees.

Do what they tell you, observe what they tell you but do not imitate their actions, because they do not practise what they preach.

They tie up heavy loads that are hard to bear and put them on men’s shoulders, but they’re not willing to lift a finger to ease the burden.

Everything they do is done for men to see.

They make their headbands large and the tassels on their shawls long.

They love to sit at the head table at banquets and in the synagogue and respectful greetings in the market places, and they love being called Rabbi by men.

But don’t you be called “Rabbi”, because you have only one Master and you are all brothers.

And do not call anyone on earth your “father”, for you have just one father and he is in heaven.

Nor are you to be called teachers; you have one teacher, the Christ.

The greatest of all is to be the servant of all.

The man who exalts himself will be humbled.

The man who humbles himself will be exalted.

Woe to you scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites that shut the door of the kingdom of heaven in men’s faces.

You will not enter, nor let others enter when they would.

Woe upon you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites.

You travel over land and sea to win a single convert and when he becomes one, you make him twice as worthy of damnation as yourselves.

Woe upon you, blind leaders, who say: “If a man swears by the temple, it means nothing, “but if he swears by the gold in the temple, his oath stands.”

You blind fools!

Which is greater, the gold, or the temple that consecrates the gold?

And you say: “If a man swears by the altar, it means nothing, “but if he swears by the gift on the altar, his oath stands.”

Blind fools! Which is greater, the gift or the consecrating altar?

A man who swears by the altar swears by all that is on it.

He who swears by the temple, swears by him who has made it his dwelling.

The man who swears by heaven swears not only by God’s throne, but by him who sits upon it.

Woe upon you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites because you have paid the tithe on one tenth of your mint, dill, and cumin but have neglected more important matters: justice, mercy and honour.

You should have done these things without neglecting the others.

You strain your water free of gnats while you gulp down a camel!

Woe upon you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites that scour clean the outside of a cup and dish but inside they are full of greed and excess.

You blind Pharisee! First wash the inside of the cup and then the outside will become clean, too.

Woe upon you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites.

For you are like whitewashed tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful, but on the inside are full of dead men’s bones and every kind of impurity.

In the same way too, you outwardly appear righteous to men’s eyes but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness.

Woe upon you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites.

For you build tombs for the prophets and decorate monuments to the righteous.

You say: “If we had lived in our fathers’ time “we would not have murdered the prophets.”

Thereby testifying that you are the descendants of those who murdered the prophets.

It is for you to complete your fathers’ reckoning.

Brood of vipers, how are you to escape being condemned to hell?

And so, I am sending wise men and prophets to preach to you.

Some you will put to death and crucify, some you will flog in your synagogues and persecute from city to city.

As a result, you will become answerable for spilling the blood of all just men from the blood of the just Abel to the blood of Zachariah whom you slew between the temple and the altar.

Believe me, this generation shall be held responsible for all of it.

O Jerusalem, still murdering prophets and stoning messengers sent to you.

How often have I been ready to gather your children together as a hen gathers her chickens under her wings and you refused it.

Look, your house is left to you, uninhabited.

You will not see me again until the time when you will say:

“Blessed is he that comes in the name of the Lord.”

Do you see all these things?

There will not be a stone left on another, it will all be thrown down.

It is time for us to take Jesus… by some trick… and put him to death.

Not during the Passover festival otherwise a riot might occur among the people.

Why this waste?

It could have been sold for a high price and the money given to the poor.

Why are you bothering this woman? She has done a beautiful thing for me.

You will always have the poor among you, but you will not always have me.

When she poured ointment over my body it was to prepare me for burial.

I tell you the truth, wherever this Gospel is preached throughout the world, what she has done will also be told, in memory of her.

What will you pay me for handing him over to you?

Thirty pieces of silver.

I tell you the truth, one of you will betray me.

Lord, is it I?

Lord, is it I?

Lord, is it I?

Lord, is it I?

Lord, is it I?

The man who has put his hand into the bowl with me will betray me.

The Son of Man goes his way, as the scripture foretells but woe to the man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed.

It would be better for that man if he had never been born.

Master, is it I?

Your own lips have said it.

Take, eat, this is my body.

Drink from it, all of you, for this is my blood of the new testament, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.

I tell you, I will not drink of this fruit of the vine again until I drink it with you, new wine, in the kingdom of my Father.

All of you will desert me tonight.

For it has been written: “I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep of his flock will be scattered.”

But after I have risen, I will go on ahead of you into Galilee.

Even if everyone else deserts you, I will never desert you.

This very night, before the cock crows, you will disown me three times.

Even if I have to die with you, I will never disown you.

Sit down here, while I go and pray.

Peter, and you two, James and John, come with me.

My soul is ready to die with sorrow.

Stay here and watch with me.

My Father, if it is possible, let this cup be taken from me.

Nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will.

Didn’t you have the strength to watch with me even for one hour?

Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation.

For the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.

My Father, if it is not possible for this cup to be taken away unless I drink it, then may your will be done.

Put the sword back in its place!

For all those who take up the sword will perish by the sword!

Do you think I cannot call on my Father, and he will at once put at my disposal more than twelve legions of angels?

You come to arrest me with swords and clubs, as if I were a robber.

Yet day after day I sat teaching in the temple and you never laid hands on me.

All this has taken place in order to fulfil the writings of the prophets.

Greetings, Rabbi.

Friend, do what you came to do.

He said: “I can destroy the temple of God and rebuild it in three days.”

I also heard him say those things.

Have you no answer to make to these accusations?

I charge you under oath by the living God to tell us whether you are Christ, the Son of God.

Your own lips have said it.

I say to all of you you will see the Son of God again when he is seated at the right hand of God’s power and coming on the clouds of heaven.

He has blasphemed!

Why do we need any more witnesses?

You have heard his blasphemy for yourselves.

What is your finding?

The penalty is death.

You also were with Jesus of Galilee.

I don’t know what you’re talking about.

This man was with Jesus of Nazareth.

I don’t know the man.

You must be one of them, your accent gives you away.

In the name of the living God, I know nothing of the man.

He must die.

Give him up to Pontius Pilate.

I have sinned… in betraying innocent blood.

What is that to us? It concerns you only.

It must not be put into the treasury; it’s the price of blood.

We’ll use it to buy the potter’s field as a burial place for strangers, to be known as the Field of Blood.

Don’t you hear the testimony against you?

It is the Passover today, and as with every Passover it’s customary to release a prisoner… according to your choice.

Whom shall I release? Barabbas, or Jesus who is called Christ?

What wrong has he done?

Let him be crucified!

I am innocent of this man’s blood.

See to it yourselves.

His blood is upon us, and upon our children!

Hail, King of the Jews!

Carry this cross!

You will be ever hearing, but never understanding.

You will be ever seeing, but never perceiving.

The heart of this people has become dull.

Their ears are slow to listen and they ha ve closed their eyes.

So they may never see with those eyes, and never hear with those ears.

My God, why have you forsaken me?

He’s calling for Elijah.

Wait, let’s see if Elijah comes to save him.

I know you have come to look for Jesus, who was crucified.

He is not here; he has risen, as he told you.

Go now and tell his disciples that he has risen from the dead and he is going ahead of you to Galilee; you will see him there.

All authority in heaven and earth has been given to me.

Go therefore and make disciples of all nations baptising them in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Ghost teaching them to obey all the commandments I have given you.

And remember, I am with you always, even to the end of the world.