Read the Gospels in 40 Days
Turn Away From Sin or Die
13 Some people who were there at that time told Jesus about certain Galileans. Pilate had mixed their blood with their sacrifices. 2 Jesus said, “These people from Galilee suffered greatly. Do you think they were worse sinners than all the other Galileans? 3 I tell you, no! But unless you turn away from your sins, you will all die too. 4 Or what about the 18 people in Siloam? They died when the tower fell on them. Do you think they were more guilty than all the others living in Jerusalem? 5 I tell you, no! But unless you turn away from your sins, you will all die too.”
6 Then Jesus told a story. “A man had a fig tree,” he said. “It was growing in his vineyard. When he went to look for fruit on it, he didn’t find any. 7 So he went to the man who took care of the vineyard. He said, ‘For three years now I’ve been coming to look for fruit on this fig tree. But I haven’t found any. Cut it down! Why should it use up the soil?’
8 “ ‘Sir,’ the man replied, ‘leave it alone for one more year. I’ll dig around it and feed it. 9 If it bears fruit next year, fine! If not, then cut it down.’ ”
Jesus Heals a Disabled Woman on the Sabbath Day
10 Jesus was teaching in one of the synagogues on a Sabbath day. 11 A woman there had been disabled by an evil spirit for 18 years. She was bent over and could not stand up straight. 12 Jesus saw her. He asked her to come to him. He said to her, “Woman, you will no longer be disabled. I am about to set you free.” 13 Then he put his hands on her. Right away she stood up straight and praised God.
14 Jesus had healed the woman on the Sabbath day. This made the synagogue leader angry. He told the people, “There are six days for work. So come and be healed on those days. But do not come on the Sabbath day.”
15 The Lord answered him, “You pretenders! Doesn’t each of you go to the barn and untie your ox or donkey on the Sabbath day? Then don’t you lead it out to give it water? 16 This woman is a member of Abraham’s family line. But Satan has kept her disabled for 18 long years. Shouldn’t she be set free on the Sabbath day from what was keeping her disabled?”
17 When Jesus said this, all those who opposed him were put to shame. But the people were delighted. They loved all the wonderful things he was doing.
The Stories of the Mustard Seed and the Yeast
18 Then Jesus asked, “What is God’s kingdom like? What can I compare it to? 19 It is like a mustard seed. Someone took the seed and planted it in a garden. It grew and became a tree. The birds sat in its branches.”
20 Again he asked, “What can I compare God’s kingdom to? 21 It is like yeast that a woman used. She mixed it into 60 pounds of flour. The yeast worked its way all through the dough.”
The Narrow Door
22 Then Jesus went through the towns and villages, teaching the people. He was on his way to Jerusalem. 23 Someone asked him, “Lord, are only a few people going to be saved?”
He said to them, 24 “Try very hard to enter through the narrow door. I tell you, many will try to enter and will not be able to. 25 The owner of the house will get up and close the door. Then you will stand outside knocking and begging. You will say, ‘Sir, open the door for us.’
“But he will answer, ‘I don’t know you. And I don’t know where you come from.’
26 “Then you will say, ‘We ate and drank with you. You taught in our streets.’
27 “But he will reply, ‘I don’t know you. And I don’t know where you come from. Get away from me, all you who do evil!’
28 “You will weep and grind your teeth together when you see those who are in God’s kingdom. You will see Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets there. But you yourselves will be thrown out. 29 People will come from east and west and north and south. They will take their places at the feast in God’s kingdom. 30 Then the last will be first. And the first will be last.”
Jesus’ Sadness Over Jerusalem
31 At that time some Pharisees came to Jesus. They said to him, “Leave this place. Go somewhere else. Herod wants to kill you.”
32 He replied, “Go and tell that fox, ‘I will keep on driving out demons. I will keep on healing people today and tomorrow. And on the third day I will reach my goal.’ 33 In any case, I must keep going today and tomorrow and the next day. Certainly no prophet can die outside Jerusalem!
34 “Jerusalem! Jerusalem! You kill the prophets and throw stones in order to kill those who are sent to you. Many times I have wanted to gather your people together. I have wanted to be like a hen who gathers her chicks under her wings. And you would not let me. 35 Look, your house is left empty. I tell you, you will not see me again until you say, ‘Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord.’ ” (Psalm 118:26)
Jesus Eats at a Pharisee’s House
14 One Sabbath day, Jesus went to eat in the house of a well-known Pharisee. While he was there, he was being carefully watched. 2 In front of him was a man whose body was badly swollen. 3 Jesus turned to the Pharisees and the authorities on the law. He asked them, “Is it breaking the Law to heal on the Sabbath day?” 4 But they remained silent. So Jesus took hold of the man and healed him. Then he sent him away.
5 He asked them another question. He said, “Suppose one of you has a child or an ox that falls into a well on the Sabbath day. Wouldn’t you pull it out right away?” 6 And they had nothing to say.
7 Jesus noticed how the guests picked the places of honor at the table. So he told them a story. 8 He said, “Suppose someone invites you to a wedding feast. Do not take the place of honor. A person more important than you may have been invited. 9 If so, the host who invited both of you will come to you. He will say, ‘Give this person your seat.’ Then you will be filled with shame. You will have to take the least important place. 10 But when you are invited, take the lowest place. Then your host will come over to you. He will say, ‘Friend, move up to a better place.’ Then you will be honored in front of all the other guests. 11 All those who lift themselves up will be made humble. And those who make themselves humble will be lifted up.”
12 Then Jesus spoke to his host. “Suppose you give a lunch or a dinner,” he said. “Do not invite your friends, your brothers or sisters, or your relatives, or your rich neighbors. If you do, they may invite you to eat with them. So you will be paid back. 13 But when you give a banquet, invite those who are poor. Also invite those who can’t see or walk. 14 Then you will be blessed. Your guests can’t pay you back. But you will be paid back when those who are right with God rise from the dead.”
The Story of the Great Banquet
15 One of the people at the table with Jesus heard him say those things. So he said to Jesus, “Blessed is the one who will eat at the feast in God’s kingdom.”
16 Jesus replied, “A certain man was preparing a great banquet. He invited many guests. 17 Then the day of the banquet arrived. He sent his servant to those who had been invited. The servant told them, ‘Come. Everything is ready now.’
18 “But they all had the same idea. They began to make excuses. The first one said, ‘I have just bought a field. I have to go and see it. Please excuse me.’
19 “Another said, ‘I have just bought five pairs of oxen. I’m on my way to try them out. Please excuse me.’
20 “Still another said, ‘I just got married, so I can’t come.’
21 “The servant came back and reported this to his master. Then the owner of the house became angry. He ordered his servant, ‘Go out quickly into the streets and lanes of the town. Bring in those who are poor. Also bring those who can’t see or walk.’
22 “ ‘Sir,’ the servant said, ‘what you ordered has been done. But there is still room.’
23 “Then the master told his servant, ‘Go out to the roads. Go out to the country lanes. Make the people come in. I want my house to be full. 24 I tell you, not one of those people who were invited will get a taste of my banquet.’ ”
The Cost of Being a Disciple
25 Large crowds were traveling with Jesus. He turned and spoke to them. He said, 26 “Anyone who comes to me must hate their father and mother. They must hate their wife and children. They must hate their brothers and sisters. And they must hate even their own life. Unless they do this, they can’t be my disciple. 27 Whoever doesn’t carry their cross and follow me can’t be my disciple.
28 “Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Won’t you sit down first and figure out how much it will cost? Then you will see whether you have enough money to finish it. 29 Suppose you start building and are not able to finish. Then everyone who sees what you have done will laugh at you. 30 They will say, ‘This person started to build but wasn’t able to finish.’
31 “Or suppose a king is about to go to war against another king. And suppose he has 10,000 men, while the other has 20,000 coming against him. Won’t he first sit down and think about whether he can win? 32 And suppose he decides he can’t win. Then he will send some men to ask how peace can be made. He will do this while the other king is still far away. 33 In the same way, you must give up everything you have. Those of you who don’t cannot be my disciple.
34 “Salt is good. But suppose it loses its saltiness. How can it be made salty again? 35 It is not good for the soil. And it is not good for the trash pile. It will be thrown out.
“Whoever has ears should listen.”
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