Chronological
Don’t Be Like the Pharisees(A)
12 [L Meanwhile] So many thousands of people had gathered that they were ·stepping [trampling] on each other. Jesus began to speak first to his ·followers [disciples], saying, “Beware of the ·yeast [leaven] of the Pharisees, ·because they are hypocrites [L which is hypocrisy; C the evil influence of the Pharisees was like yeast that would grow and affect everything around it; Mark 8:14–21]. 2 Everything that is ·hidden [concealed; covered up] will be ·shown [revealed; uncovered; disclosed], and everything that is ·secret [hidden] will be made known. 3 What you have said in the dark will be heard in the light, and what you have whispered ·in an inner room [or behind closed doors] will be ·shouted [proclaimed] from the housetops.
4 “I tell you, my friends, don’t be afraid of people who can kill the body but after that can do nothing more to hurt you. 5 I will ·show you [warn you about] the one to fear. Fear the one who has the ·power [authority] ·to kill you and also [L after the killing] to throw you into ·hell [L Gehenna; C a valley outside of Jerusalem where in the OT period children were sacrificed to a pagan god; later used as a burning trash heap; a metaphor for hell]. Yes, this is the one you should fear.
6 “[L Are not…?] Five sparrows are sold for only two pennies [C Greek: assaria; copper coins of very low value], ·and [yet] God does not forget any of them. 7 But ·God even knows how many hairs you have on your head [L even the hairs on your head have all been numbered]. Don’t be afraid. You are worth much more than many sparrows.
Don’t Be Ashamed of Jesus
8 “I tell you, all those who ·stand before others and say they believe in me [L confess/acknowledge me before people], ·I, the Son of Man, [L the Son of Man; C a title for the Messiah; Dan. 7:13–14] will ·say before the angels of God that they belong to me [L confess/acknowledge them before God’s angels]. 9 But all who ·stand before others and say they do not believe in me [L deny/disown me before people], I will ·say before the angels of God that they do not belong to me [L deny/disown them before God’s angels].
10 “Anyone who speaks [L a word] against the Son of Man can be forgiven, but anyone who ·speaks [L blasphemes] against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven [Matt. 12:31–32; Mark 3:28–30].
11 “When you are brought into the synagogues before the leaders and ·other powerful people [authorities], don’t worry about how to defend yourself or what to say. 12 [L For] At that time the Holy Spirit will teach you what you ·must [ought/need to] say [Matt. 10:19–20; Mark 13:11].”
Jesus Warns Against Selfishness
13 Someone in the crowd said to Jesus, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide with me the ·property our father left us [family inheritance].”
14 But Jesus said to him, “[L Man,] Who ·said I should judge or decide [appointed me judge or arbiter] between you?” 15 Then Jesus said to them, “Be careful and guard against all kinds of greed. Life ·is not measured by [does not consist of] how much one owns.”
16 Then Jesus told this ·story [parable]: “There was a rich man who had some land, which grew a good crop. 17 He thought to himself, ‘What will I do? I have no place to keep all my crops.’ 18 Then he said, ‘This is what I will do: I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store all my grain and other goods. 19 Then I can say to ·myself [L my soul], “I [L Soul, you] have enough good things stored to last for many years. ·Rest [Take it easy], eat, drink, and ·enjoy life [celebrate; T be merry]!”’
20 “But God said to him, ‘Foolish man! Tonight your ·life [L soul] will be ·taken [demanded back] from you. So who will get those things you have prepared for yourself?’
21 “This is how it will be for those who store up ·things [wealth; treasure] for themselves and are not rich ·toward [or in what matters to; or in their relationship with] God.”
Don’t Worry(B)
22 Jesus said to his ·followers [disciples], “So I tell you, don’t worry about the food you need to live, or about the clothes you need for your body. 23 [L For] Life is more than food, and the body is more than clothes. 24 ·Look at [Consider; Think of] the ·birds [L ravens]. They don’t ·plant [sow] or ·harvest [reap], they don’t have storerooms or barns, but God feeds them. And you are worth much more than birds. 25 ·You cannot [L Who of you can…?] add ·any time [or a step; L a cubit; C about eighteen inches] to your ·life [or height; C the Greek is ambiguous, but probably refers to time instead of stature] by worrying about it. 26 If you cannot ·do [change] even the little things [by worrying], then why worry about the ·big things [L the rest]? 27 ·Consider [Look; Think] how the lilies grow; they don’t ·work [toil] or ·make clothes for themselves [L spin thread]. But I tell you that even Solomon ·with his riches [L in all his glory] was not dressed as beautifully as one of these flowers. 28 God clothes [L If God clothes…?] the ·grass [wildflower] in the field, which is alive today but tomorrow is thrown into the ·fire [L furnace; oven]. So how much more will God clothe you? ·Don’t have so little faith [or You people of little faith; or How little faith you have]! 29 Don’t always think about what you will eat or what you will drink, and don’t keep worrying. 30 All the ·people [nations; Gentiles; pagans] in the world are trying to get these things, and your Father knows you need them. 31 But seek God’s kingdom, and ·all your other needs will be met as well [L these things will be given to you].
Don’t Trust in Money
32 “Don’t fear, little flock, because your Father ·wants [is glad/pleased] to give you the kingdom. 33 Sell your possessions and give ·to the poor [alms]. ·Get [Make] for yourselves ·purses [moneybags] that will not wear out, the treasure in heaven that never ·runs out [fails you], where thieves can’t ·steal [L come near] and moths can’t destroy. 34 ·Your heart will be where your treasure is [L For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also; Matt. 6:19–21].
Always Be Ready(C)
35 “·Be dressed, ready for service [T Let your loins be girded; C tucking garments into the waist belt to allow swift movement; a metaphor for preparedness], and have your lamps ·shining [burning; lit]. 36 Be like ·servants [L people] who are waiting for their ·master [lord] to come home from a wedding party. When he comes and knocks, the servants immediately open the door for him. 37 ·They [L Those servants/slaves] will be ·blessed [happy; or rewarded] when their ·master [lord] comes home, because he sees that they were ·watching [alert; awake] for him. I tell you the truth, the master will dress himself to serve and tell the servants to ·sit at the table [recline; C the posture for a banquet or dinner party; see 7:36], and he will ·serve [wait on] them [C a radical reversal in a culture where a master would never wait on a slave]. 38 Those servants will be ·blessed [happy; or rewarded] when he comes in and finds them ·still waiting [L thus; C alert and ready], even ·if it is midnight or later [L even in the second or third watches; C between 9 PM and 3 AM (by Roman reckoning)].
39 “·Remember [Know] this: If the owner of the house knew what time a thief was coming, he would not allow the thief to ·enter [break into] his house. 40 So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man [C a title for the Messiah; Dan. 7:13–14] will come at a time when you don’t expect him!”
Who Is the Trusted Servant?
41 Peter said, “Lord, did you tell this ·story to [parable for] us or ·to [for] all people?”
42 The Lord said, “Who is the ·trusted [faithful] and ·wise [sensible] ·servant [household manager] that the ·master [lord] ·trusts [L puts in charge of the household servants] to give ·the other servants [L them] their ·food [food allowance; daily provisions] at the right time? 43 That ·servant [slave] will be ·blessed [happy; or rewarded] when the master comes and finds him doing his work. 44 I tell you the truth, the master will ·choose that servant to take care [put him in charge] of everything he owns. 45 But suppose the ·servant [slave] thinks to himself, ‘My master ·will not come back soon [is delayed in coming],’ and he begins to beat the other servants, men and women, and to eat and drink and get drunk. 46 The master [L of that servant/slave] will come [L on a day] when that servant is not ready and [L at an hour when he] is not expecting him. Then the master will cut him in pieces and ·send him away to be [assign/appoint him a place] with the ·others who don’t obey [unfaithful; unbelievers; C a metaphorical reference to Jesus, the ultimate Lord and Master, returning to judge his servants].
47 “The ·servant [slave] who knows what his master wants but is not ·ready [prepared], or who does not do what the master wants, will ·be beaten with many blows [beaten severely]! 48 But the servant who does not know what his master wants and does things that should be punished will be beaten ·with few blows [lightly; C a metaphor for judgment]. From everyone who has been given much, much will be ·demanded [required]. And from the one trusted with much, much more will be expected.
Jesus Causes Division(D)
49 “I came to ·set [bring; cast] fire to the world, and I wish it were already ·burning [kindled]! 50 I have a baptism [C a metaphor for suffering, portrayed as an overwhelming deluge] ·to suffer through [L to be baptized with], and I feel very ·troubled [distressed] until it is over. 51 Do you think I came to give peace to the earth? No, I tell you, I came to ·divide it [bring division]. 52 [L For] From now on, a ·family [L house] with five people will be divided, three against two, and two against three. 53 They will be divided: father against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law [Mic. 7:6].”
Understanding the Times(E)
54 Then Jesus said to the ·people [crowds], “When you see clouds coming up in the west, [L immediately] you say, ‘It’s going to rain,’ and [L so; thus] it happens. 55 When you feel the wind begin to blow from the south [C the desert], you say, ‘It will be a hot day,’ and it happens. 56 Hypocrites! You know how to ·understand [interpret] the appearance of the earth and sky. Why don’t you ·understand [know how to interpret] ·what is happening now [this present time; C the time of the coming of the Kingdom]?
Settle Your Problems(F)
57 “Why can’t you ·decide [judge] for yourselves what is right? 58 If your ·enemy [opponent; accuser] is taking you ·to court [before the magistrate/ruler], try hard to settle it on the way. If you don’t, your enemy might ·take [drag] you to the judge, and the judge might turn you over to the officer, and the officer might throw you into ·jail [prison]. 59 I tell you, you will not get out of there until you have paid everything you owe [C Greek: the last lepton; a copper or bronze coin of very little value].”
Change Your Hearts
13 At that time some people were there who told Jesus that Pilate [C Pontius Pilate, governor of Judea from ad 26 to 36; see 3:1] had killed some people from Galilee while they were worshiping. He mixed their blood with the blood of the animals they were sacrificing to God. 2 Jesus answered, “Do you think ·this happened to them [L they suffered these things] because they were more sinful than all others from Galilee? 3 No, I tell you. But unless you ·change your hearts and lives [repent], you will [L all] be destroyed as they were! 4 [L Or] What about those eighteen people who died when the tower of Siloam fell on them? Do you think they were ·more sinful [more guilty; greater offenders] than all the others who live in Jerusalem? 5 No, I tell you. But unless you ·change your hearts and lives [repent], you will all be destroyed too!”
The Useless Tree
6 Jesus told this ·story [parable]: “A man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard. He came looking for some fruit on the tree, but he found none. 7 So the man said to his gardener, ‘[L Look,] I have been looking for fruit on this tree for three years, but I never find any. Cut it down. Why should it ·waste the ground [take up space]?’ 8 But the servant answered, ‘·Master [Sir], let the tree have one more year to produce fruit. Let me dig up the dirt around it and put on some ·fertilizer [manure]. 9 If the tree produces fruit next year, good. But if not, you can cut it down.’”
Jesus Heals on the Sabbath
10 Jesus was teaching in one of the synagogues on the Sabbath day. 11 A woman was there who, for eighteen years, had an evil spirit in her that made her ·crippled [disabled]. Her back was always bent; she could not stand up straight. 12 When Jesus saw her, he called her over and said, “Woman, you are ·free [released; set free] from your ·sickness [disability].” 13 Jesus ·put [laid] his hands on her, and immediately she was able to stand up straight and began ·praising [giving glory to] God.
14 The synagogue leader was ·angry [indignant] because Jesus healed on the Sabbath day. He said to the people, “There are six days when one has to work. So come to be healed on one of those days, and not on the Sabbath day.”
15 The Lord answered, “You hypocrites! Doesn’t each of you untie your ·work animals [L ox or donkey from the stall] and lead them to drink water on the Sabbath day? 16 This woman that I healed, a daughter of Abraham, has been held by Satan for eighteen years. ·Surely it is not wrong [L Was it not necessary…?] for her to be freed from ·her sickness [L this bond/imprisonment] on a Sabbath day!” 17 When Jesus said this, all of those who were ·criticizing [opposing] him were ashamed, but the entire crowd rejoiced at all the ·wonderful [glorious] things Jesus was doing.
Stories of Mustard Seed and Yeast(G)
18 Then Jesus said, “What is God’s kingdom like? What can I compare it with? 19 It is like a mustard seed that a man plants in his garden. The seed grows and becomes a tree, and the ·wild birds [L birds of the sky] build nests in its branches.”
20 Jesus said again, “What can I compare God’s kingdom with? 21 It is like ·yeast [leaven] that a woman took and ·hid [mixed] in a large tub [C Greek: three sata; about fifty pounds] of flour until ·it made all the dough rise [L the whole was leavened; Matt. 13:33].”
The Narrow Door(H)
22 Jesus was teaching in every town and village as he traveled toward Jerusalem. 23 Someone said to Jesus, “Lord, will only a few people be saved?”
Jesus said, 24 “·Try hard [Strive; Exert yourself] to enter through the narrow door, because many people [L I tell you] will try to enter there, but they will not be able. 25 When the owner of the house gets up and closes the door, you ·can [L begin to] stand outside and knock on the door and say, ‘·Sir [Lord], open the door for us.’ But he will answer, ‘I don’t know you or where you come from.’ 26 Then you will say, ‘We ate and drank with you, and you taught in the streets of our town.’ 27 But he will say to you, ‘I don’t know you or where you come from. Go away from me, all you who ·do evil [practice unrighteousness; Ps. 6:8]!’ 28 [L There; In that place] You will cry and ·grind [gnash] your teeth [C indicating pain and remorse, or perhaps anger at the master; see Ps. 35:16] when you see Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and all the prophets in God’s kingdom, but you yourselves thrown outside. 29 People will come from the east, west, north, and south and will ·sit down at the table [L recline; C the posture for a banquet or dinner party] in the kingdom of God [C the messianic banquet, a metaphor for God’s final salvation; Is. 25:6–8]. 30 [Indeed; L Look; T Behold] There are those who are last now who will be first in the future. And there are those who are first now who will be last in the future.”
Jesus Will Die in Jerusalem(I)
31 At that ·time [or very hour] some Pharisees came to Jesus and said, “Go away from here! Herod [C Antipas; see 3:1] wants to kill you!”
32 Jesus said to them, “Go tell that fox Herod, ‘[L Look; T Behold] Today and tomorrow I am ·forcing [driving; casting] demons out and healing people. Then, on the third day, I will ·reach my goal [accomplish my purpose; finish my work; L finish].’ 33 Yet I must be on my way today and tomorrow and the next day. Surely it ·cannot be right [is impossible; is unthinkable] for a prophet to be killed anywhere except in Jerusalem.
34 “Jerusalem, Jerusalem! You kill the prophets and stone to death those who are sent to you. ·Many times [How often] I wanted to gather your ·people [L children] as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you would not let me [Matt. 23:37–39]. 35 ·Now [L Look!; T Behold!] your house is ·left completely empty [left desolate; abandoned; Jer. 22:5]. I tell you, you will not see me until that time when you will say, ‘·God bless [L Blessed is] the One who comes in the name of the Lord [Ps. 118:26].’”
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