Jesus was keeping company with tax collectors. After he had eaten with them in the inn, a leper approached him and said, "Master Jesus, I was eating with lepers and keeping company with them, thus I became a leper. If you desire it, I am clean."

Immediately the Lord said, "I AM, be clean." Then the leprosy left him.

The scribes and lawyers came to test him, thus tempt him to break the law. "Master Jesus," they said, "we know that you came from Yahweh, for you have outdone all the prophets. Tell us, according to your teaching, are we allowed to bankroll kings by paying their taxes? Should we pay or not?" But Jesus discerned their evil intention and became angry, saying to them, "Why do you call me 'Master' with your mouth, but do nothing I say? Isaiah has spoken truly concerning you: 'This people honors me with their lips but their heart is far from me; their worship is vanity. They teach man-made rules.'"

Jesus and his disciples were walking along the bank of the Jordan river. Jesus quizzed his disciples, "Behold, a grain of wheat. When it is planted by nature, lying invisible beneath the earth, do we consider that time is well spent pondering its wealth?"

And as they were pondering, perplexed by this strange question, Jesus knelt and sowed a handful of wheat on the bank, watering it. Immediately before their eyes, the wheat sprouted and grew to seed, to their amazement and great joy.

II

Here is another nameless gospel excerpt of the Synoptic school found at Oxyrhynchus and dated to the early second century.

"Evil doers plan their evil works through crafty designs. Guard that you do not deserve the same fate as they! Evil doers not only receive their just recompense in this life, but they must also suffer punishment and great torment after."

He took his disciples to the place of purification, and he walked through the courts of the Temple of Jerusalem. Levi, a Pharisee, fell in with them and asked the Savior, "Who gave you and your followers permission to inspect this holy place and its holy utensils without having bathed and changed your clothing or even washing your feet? You are defiled, and have defiled this holy place and its utensils!"

Not venturing to leave that place, the Savior spoke to Levi and said, "How is it with you, since you, too, are in the same Temple Court as we are? Are you then clean?" Levi said, "I am clean, because I washed in the pool of David by going down the one stair, through the water, and up the other stair, and I have put on clean, white clothing in the prescribed manner. Only after becoming clean have I ventured into this pure place and viewed its holy utensils."

Then the Savior said to him, "Woe unto you unseeing blind man! So you have washed yourself in the water that was poured out from the same source where dogs and swine lie day after day. So you have scrubbed your skin to a chafe, just like prostitutes and erotic dancers do, making themselves up with rouge, oils, and perfumes in order to arouse men, looking so attractive, but being full of scorpions and vermin of every kind. You, who bathed with the swine, have dared to accused those who have been cleansed in the living water which falls from Heaven of being unclean? Woe to you and all like you!"