Repent

13 At that time there were some present who told Jesus about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mixed with their sacrifices. ² He answered them, “Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans because they suffered these things? ³ I tell you, no. But unless you repent, you will all perish too. ⁴ Or those eighteen who were killed when the tower in Siloam fell on them—do you think that they were worse sinners than all the people living in Jerusalem? ⁵ I tell you, no. But unless you repent, you will all perish too.”

Parable of the Fig Tree

⁶ He told them this parable: “A man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard. He came looking for fruit on it, but he did not find any. ⁷ So he said to the gardener, ‘Look, for three years now I have come looking for fruit on this fig tree, and I have found none. Cut it down. Why even let it use up the soil?’ ⁸ But the gardener replied to him, ‘Sir, leave it alone this year also, until I dig around it and put fertilizer on it. ⁹ If it produces fruit next year, fine. But if not, then cut it down.’”

Jesus Heals a Crippled Woman

¹⁰ Jesus was teaching in one of the synagogues on the Sabbath. ¹¹ And a woman was there who had a spirit that had disabled her for eighteen years. She was bent over and could not stand up straight. ¹² When Jesus saw her, he called her over and said, “Woman, you are freed from your disability.” ¹³ He placed his hands on her, and immediately she stood up straight and began to glorify God.

¹⁴ But the ruler of the synagogue was indignant that Jesus had healed on the Sabbath. He said to the crowd in response, “There are six days to do work. So come to be healed on those days and not on the Sabbath day!”

¹⁵ The Lord answered him, “Hypocrites! Doesn’t each of you untie his ox or his donkey from the manger on the Sabbath and lead it to water? ¹⁶ Here is this daughter of Abraham, whom Satan has bound for eighteen years! Shouldn’t she be set free from this bondage on the Sabbath day?”

¹⁷ As he said these things, all his adversaries were put to shame. But the entire crowd was rejoicing over all the glorious things he was doing.

Mustard Seed and Yeast

¹⁸ Then Jesus asked, “What is the kingdom of God like, and to what will I compare it? ¹⁹ It is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his garden. It grew and became a large tree, and the birds of the air nested in its branches.”

²⁰ Again he said, “To what will I compare the kingdom of God? ²¹ It is like yeast, which a woman took and mixed into a bushel^[a] of flour until it was all leavened.”

The Narrow Door

²² He went on his way from one town and village to another, teaching, and making his way to Jerusalem. ²³ Someone said to him, “Lord, are only a few going to be saved?”

He said to them, ²⁴ “Strive to enter through the narrow door, because many, I tell you, will try to enter and will not be able. ²⁵ Once the master of the house gets up and shuts the door, you will begin to stand outside and knock on the door, saying, ‘Lord, open for us!’ He will tell you in reply, ‘I don’t know you or where you come from.’ ²⁶ Then you will begin to say, ‘We ate and drank in your presence, and you taught in our streets.’ ²⁷ And he will say, ‘I don’t know where you come from. Depart from me, all you evildoers.’ ²⁸ There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth when you see Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, but you yourselves thrown outside. ²⁹ People will come from east and west, from north and south, and will recline at the table in the kingdom of God. ³⁰ And note this: Some are last who will be first, and some are first who will be last.”

Jesus Warns Jerusalem

³¹ In that very hour, some Pharisees came to him and said, “Leave, and go away from here, because Herod wants to kill you.”

³² He said to them, “Go tell that fox, ‘Look, I am going to drive out demons and heal people today and tomorrow, and on the third day I will reach my goal. ³³ Nevertheless, I must go on my way today and tomorrow and the next day, because it cannot be that a prophet would be killed outside Jerusalem!’

³⁴ “Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those sent to her! How often I have wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing! ³⁵ Look, your house is left to you desolate. I tell you, you will not see me until the time comes when you will say, ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!’”^[b]