Read the Gospels in 40 Days

Jesus sends out the seventy

10 After this the master commissioned seventy others, and sent them ahead of him in pairs to every town and place where he was intending to come.

² “There’s a great harvest out there,” he said to them, “but there aren’t many workers. So plead with the harvest-master to send out workers for the harvest.

³ “Off you go now. Remember, I’m sending you out like lambs among wolves. ⁴ Take no money-bag, no pack, no sandals—and don’t stop to pass the time with anyone on the road. ⁵ Whenever you go into a house, first say, ‘Peace on this house.’ ⁶ If a child of peace lives there, your peace will rest on them; but if not, it will return to you.

⁷ “Stay in the same house, and eat and drink what they provide. The worker deserves to be paid, you see. Don’t go from house to house. ⁸ If you go into a town and they welcome you, eat what is provided, ⁹ heal the sick who are there, and say to them, ‘God’s kingdom has come close to you.’ ¹⁰ But if you go into a town and they don’t welcome you, go out into the streets of the town and say, ¹¹ ‘Here is the very dust of your town clinging to our feet—and we’re wiping it off in front of your eyes! ¹² But you should know this: God’s kingdom has come close to you!’ Let me tell you, on that day it will be more tolerable for Sodom than for that town.

¹³ “Woe betide you, Chorazin! Woe betide you, Bethsaida! If the powerful deeds done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago, sitting in sackcloth and ashes. ¹⁴ But it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon in the judgment than for you. ¹⁵ And you, Capernaum—you want to be lifted up to heaven, do you? No: you’ll be sent down to Hades!

¹⁶ “Anyone who hears you, hears me; anyone who rejects you, rejects me; and anyone who rejects me, rejects the one who sent me.”

The celebration of Jesus

¹⁷ The seventy came back exhilarated.

“Master,” they said, “even the demons obey us in your name!”

¹⁸ “I saw the satan fall like lightning from heaven,” he replied. ¹⁹ “Look: I’ve given you authority to tread on snakes and scorpions, and over every power of the enemy. Nothing will ever be able to harm you. ²⁰ But—don’t celebrate having spirits under your authority. Celebrate this, that your names are written in heaven.”

²¹ Then and there Jesus celebrated in the holy spirit.

“I thank you, Father,” he said, “Lord of heaven and earth! You hid these things from the wise and intelligent, and revealed them to babies. Yes, Father, that was what you graciously decided. ²² Everything has been given me by my father. Nobody knows who the son is except the father, and nobody knows who the father is except the son, and anyone to whom the son wishes to reveal him.”

²³ Jesus then turned to the disciples privately.

“A blessing on the eyes,” he said, “which see what you see! ²⁴ Let me tell you, many prophets and kings wanted to see what you see, and they didn’t see it; and to hear what you hear, and they didn’t hear it!”

The parable of the good Samaritan

²⁵ A lawyer got up and put Jesus on the spot.

“Teacher,” he said, “what should I do to inherit the life of the coming age?”

²⁶ “Well,” replied Jesus, “what is written in the law? What’s your interpretation of it?”

²⁷ “You shall love the Lord your God,” he replied, “with all your heart, all your soul, all your strength, and all your understanding; and your neighbor as yourself.”

²⁸ “Well said!” replied Jesus. “Do that and you will live.”

²⁹ “Ah,” said the lawyer, wanting to win the point, “but who is my neighbor?”

³⁰ Jesus rose to the challenge. “Once upon a time,” he said, “a man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and was set upon by brigands. They stripped him and beat him and ran off leaving him half dead. ³¹ A priest happened to be going down that road, and when he saw him he went past on the opposite side. ³² So too a Levite came by the place; he saw him too, and went past on the opposite side.

³³ “But a traveling Samaritan came to where he was. When he saw him he was filled with pity. ³⁴ He came over to him and bound up his wounds, pouring in oil and wine. Then he put him on his own beast, took him to an inn, and looked after him. ³⁵ The next morning, as he was going on his way, he gave the innkeeper two dinars. ‘Take care of him,’ he said, ‘and on my way back I’ll pay you whatever else you need to spend on him.’

³⁶ “Which of these three do you think turned out to be the neighbor of the man who was set upon by the brigands?”

³⁷ “The one who showed mercy on him,” came the reply.

“Well,” Jesus said to him, “you go and do the same.”

Martha and Mary

³⁸ On their journey, Jesus came into a village. There was a woman there named Martha, who welcomed him. ³⁹ She had a sister named Mary, who sat at the master’s feet and listened to his teaching.

⁴⁰ Martha was frantic with all the work in the kitchen.

“Master,” she said, coming in to where they were, “don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work all by myself? Tell her to give me a hand!”

⁴¹ “Martha, Martha,” he replied, “you are fretting and fussing about so many things. ⁴² Only one thing matters. Mary has chosen the best part, and it’s not going to be taken away from her.”

The Lord’s Prayer

11 Once Jesus was praying in a particular place. When he had finished, one of his disciples approached him.

“Teach us to pray, Master,” he said, “just like John taught his disciples.”

² “When you pray,” replied Jesus, “this is what to say:

“Father, may your name be honored; may your kingdom come; ³ give us each day our daily bread; ⁴ and forgive us our sins, since we too forgive all our debtors; and don’t put us to the test.

⁵ “Suppose one of you has a friend,” he said, “and you go to him in the middle of the night and say, ‘My dear friend, lend me three loaves of bread! ⁶ A friend of mine is on a journey and has arrived at my house, and I have nothing to put in front of him!’ ⁷ He will answer from inside his house, ‘Don’t make life difficult for me! The door is already shut, and my children and I are all in bed! I can’t get up and give you anything.’ ⁸ Let me tell you, even if he won’t get up and give you anything just because you’re his friend, because of your shameless persistence he will get up and give you whatever you need.

⁹ “So this is my word to you: ask and it will be given you; search and you will find; knock and it will be opened to you. ¹⁰ You see, everyone who asks receives! Everyone who searches finds! Everyone who knocks has the door opened for them! ¹¹ If your son asks you for a fish, is there a father among you who will give him a snake? ¹² Or if he asks for an egg, will you give him a scorpion? ¹³ So if you, evil as you are, know how to give good presents to your children, how much more will your heavenly father give the holy spirit to those who ask him!”

Jesus and Beelzebul

¹⁴ Jesus was casting out a demon that prevented speech. When the demon had gone out, the man who had been silent spoke, and the crowds were amazed. ¹⁵ But some of them said, “He casts out demons by Beelzebul, the prince of demons!” ¹⁶ Others, trying to test him out, asked him to produce a sign from heaven.

¹⁷ Jesus knew what they were thinking.

“Every kingdom split down the middle goes to ruin,” he said. “If a house turns in on itself, it falls. ¹⁸ Well then: if even the satan is split down the middle, how can his kingdom last? This,” he added, “is because you say that I cast out demons by Beelzebul!

¹⁹ “Now look: supposing I do cast out demons by Beelzebul, whose power are your own people using when they cast them out? Think about it: they will be your judges. ²⁰ But if it’s by God’s finger that I cast out demons, then God’s kingdom has come upon you.

²¹ “Imagine a strong man, armed to the teeth, guarding his palace. Everything he owns is safe and sound. ²² But supposing someone stronger comes and overpowers him, and takes away the armor he was trusting in—then he can help himself and start dividing up the plunder! ²³ If you’re not with me, you’re against me. If you’re not gathering with me, you’re scattering.

²⁴ “When the unclean spirit goes out of a person, it roams through desert landscapes looking for a place to rest. When it doesn’t find anywhere, it says to itself, ‘I shall go back to the house I left behind.’ ²⁵ And it finds the place neat and tidy. ²⁶ So it sets off and brings along seven other spirits more evil than itself, and goes back to live there. That person will end up worse off than he began.”

²⁷ While he was saying these things, a woman from the crowd raised her voice. “A blessing on the womb that bore you,” she shouted, “and the breasts that you sucked!”

²⁸ “On the contrary,” replied Jesus. “A blessing on those who hear God’s word and keep it!”

The sign of Jonah

²⁹ The crowds kept increasing. Jesus began to say to them, “This generation is an evil generation! It looks for a sign, and no sign will be given to it except the sign of Jonah.

³⁰ “Jonah was a sign to the people of Nineveh; just so, the son of man will be a sign to this generation. ³¹ The Queen of the South will rise up in the judgment with the men of this generation and will condemn them: she came from the ends of the earth to listen to Solomon’s wisdom, and look—something greater than Solomon is here. ³² The men of Nineveh will rise up in the judgment with this generation and will condemn it: they repented at Jonah’s preaching, and look—something greater than Jonah is here.

³³ “Nobody lights a lamp in order to hide it or put it under a jug. They put it on a lampstand, so that people who come in can see the light.

³⁴ “Your eye is the lamp of your body. If your eye is focused, your whole body is full of light. But if it’s evil, your body is in darkness. ³⁵ Watch out, then, in case the light inside you turns to darkness. ³⁶ If your whole body is illuminated, with no part in darkness, everything will be illuminated, just as you are by a flash of lightning.”

³⁷ While he was speaking, a Pharisee invited him to have dinner at his house. So he went in and sat down. ³⁸ The Pharisee, watching him, was surprised that he didn’t first wash before dinner.

³⁹ “Now, you Pharisees,” said the master to him, “you clean the outside of the plate and the cup, but your insides are full of violent robbery and wickedness. ⁴⁰ That’s stupid! Didn’t the one who made the outside make the inside as well? ⁴¹ You should give for alms what’s inside the bowl, and then everything will be clean for you.”

Woes against the Pharisees

⁴² “But woe betide you Pharisees!” Jesus continued. “You tithe mint and rue and herbs of all kinds; and you have sidestepped justice and the love of God. You should have done these, without missing out the others.

⁴³ “Woe betide you Pharisees! You love the chief seats in the synagogues and greetings in the market-places.

⁴⁴ “Woe betide you! You are like hidden tombs, and people walk over them without knowing it.”

⁴⁵ At this, one of the legal experts spoke up. “Teacher,” he said, “when you say this you’re insulting us too!”

⁴⁶ “Woe betide you lawyers, too!” replied Jesus. “You give people heavy loads to carry which they can hardly bear, and you yourselves don’t lift a finger to help!

⁴⁷ “Woe betide you! You build the tombs of the prophets, and your ancestors killed them. ⁴⁸ So you bear witness that you approve of what your ancestors did: they killed them, and you build their tombs.

⁴⁹ “For all this, God’s Wisdom says, ‘I’m sending you prophets and ambassadors; some of them you will kill and persecute,’ ⁵⁰ so that the blood of all the prophets shed ever since the beginning of the world may be required from this generation— ⁵¹ from the blood of Abel to the blood of Zacharias, who died between the altar and the sanctuary. Yes, let me tell you, it will all be required from this generation.

⁵² “Woe betide you lawyers! You have taken away the key of knowledge. You didn’t go in yourselves, and when people were trying to get in you stopped them.”

⁵³ He went outside, and the scribes and Pharisees began to be very threatening towards him. They interrogated him about several things, ⁵⁴ lying in wait for him to catch him in something he might say.

Further warnings

12 Crowds were gathering in their thousands, so much so that they were trampling on each other. Jesus began to say to his disciples, “Watch out for the leaven of the Pharisees—I mean, their hypocrisy. This is a matter of first importance.

² “Nothing is concealed that won’t be uncovered; nothing is hidden that won’t be made known. ³ So whatever you say in the darkness will be heard in the light, and whatever you speak indoors into someone’s ear will be proclaimed from the housetops.

⁴ “So, my friends, I have this to say to you: don’t be afraid of those who kill the body, and after that have nothing more they can do. ⁵ I will show you who to fear: fear the one who starts by killing and then has the right to throw people into Gehenna. Yes, let me tell you, that’s the one to fear!

⁶ “How much do five sparrows cost? Two copper coins? And not one of them is forgotten in God’s presence. ⁷ But the hairs of your head have all been counted. Don’t be afraid! You are worth more than lots of sparrows.

⁸ “Let me tell you: if anyone acknowledges me before others, the son of man will acknowledge that person before God’s angels. ⁹ But if anyone denies me before others, that person will be denied before God’s angels.

¹⁰ “Everyone who speaks a word against the son of man will have it forgiven; but the one who blasphemes against the holy spirit will not be forgiven.

¹¹ “When they bring you before synagogues, rulers and authorities, don’t worry about how to give an answer or what to say. ¹² The holy spirit will teach you what to say at that very moment.”

The parable of the rich fool

¹³ Someone from the crowd said to Jesus, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me!”

¹⁴ “Tell me, my good man,” replied Jesus, “who appointed me as a judge or arbitrator over you?

¹⁵ “Watch out,” he said to them, “and beware of all greed! Your life doesn’t consist of the sum total of your possessions.”

¹⁶ He told them a parable. “There was a rich man whose land produced a fine harvest. ¹⁷ ‘What shall I do?’ he said to himself. ‘I don’t have enough room to store my crops!

¹⁸ “ ‘I know!’ he said. ‘I’ll pull down my barns—and I’ll build bigger ones! Then I’ll be able to store all the corn and all my belongings there. ¹⁹ And I shall say to my soul, Soul, you’ve got many good things stored up for many years. Take it easy! Eat, drink, have a good time!’

²⁰ “But God said to him, ‘Fool! This very night your life will be demanded of you! Now who’s going to have all the things you’ve got ready?’ ²¹ That’s how it is with someone who stores up things for himself and isn’t rich before God.

²² “So let me tell you this,” he said to the disciples. “Don’t be anxious about your life—what you should eat; or about your body—what you should wear. ²³ Life is more than food! The body is more than clothing! ²⁴ Think about the ravens: they don’t sow seed, they don’t gather harvests, they don’t have storehouses or barns; and God feeds them. How much more will he feed you! Think of the difference between yourselves and the birds!

²⁵ “Which of you by being anxious can add a day to your lifetime? ²⁶ So if you can’t even do a little thing like that, why worry about anything else? ²⁷ Think about the lilies and the way they grow. They don’t work hard, they don’t weave cloth; but, let me tell you, not even Solomon in all his glory was dressed up like one of them. ²⁸ So if that’s how God clothes the grass in the field—here today, into the fire tomorrow—how much more will he clothe you, you little-faith lot!

²⁹ “So don’t you go hunting about for what to eat or what to drink, and don’t be anxious. ³⁰ The nations of the world go searching for all that stuff, and your father knows you need it. ³¹ This is what you should search for: God’s kingdom! Then all the rest will be given you as well. ³² Don’t be afraid, little flock. Your father is delighted to give you the kingdom.

³³ “Sell your possessions and give alms. Make yourselves purses that don’t wear out, a treasure in heaven that lasts forever, where the thief doesn’t come near and the moth doesn’t destroy. ³⁴ Yes: where your treasure is, that’s where your heart will be too.”

Jesus’ call to watchfulness

³⁵ “Make sure you’re dressed and ready with your lamps alight,” said Jesus. ³⁶ “You need to be like people waiting for their master when he comes back from the wedding feast, so that when he comes and knocks they will be able to open the door for him at once. ³⁷ A blessing on the servants whom the master finds awake when he comes! I’m telling you the truth: he will put on an apron and sit them down and come and wait on them. ³⁸ A blessing on them if he comes in the second watch of the night, or even the third, and finds them like that!

³⁹ “But you should know this: if the householder had known what time the thief was coming, he wouldn’t have let his house be broken into. ⁴⁰ You too should be ready, because the son of man is coming at a time you don’t expect.”

⁴¹ “Master,” said Peter, “are you telling this parable for us, or for everyone?”

⁴² “Who then is the faithful and wise servant,” said Jesus, “whom the master will set over all his household, to give them their allowance of food at the proper time? ⁴³ A blessing on the servant that his master, when he comes, finds doing just that! ⁴⁴ I’m telling you truly, he will install him as manager over all his possessions. ⁴⁵ But if that servant says in his heart, ‘My master is taking his time over coming back,’ and begins to beat the slaves and slave-girls, to eat and drink and get drunk— ⁴⁶ then the master of that servant will come on a day he doesn’t expect him to, and at a moment he didn’t imagine, and he will cut him in two. He will give him the same place as the unbelievers.

⁴⁷ “If a servant knew what the master wanted, and didn’t get ready, or do what was wanted, the punishment will be a severe beating. ⁴⁸ If the servant didn’t know, and did what deserved a beating, it will be a light beating. Much will be required from one who is given much; if someone is entrusted with much, even more will be expected in return.”

Reading the signs of the times

⁴⁹ “I came to throw fire upon the earth,” Jesus continued, “and I wish it were already alight! ⁵⁰ I have a baptism to be baptized with, and I am under huge pressure until it’s happened!

⁵¹ “Do you suppose I’ve come to give peace to the earth? No, let me tell you, but rather division. ⁵² From now on, you see, families will be split down the middle: three against two in a family of five, and two against three, ⁵³ 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.

⁵⁴ “When you see a cloud rising in the west,” he said to the crowds, “you say at once, ‘It’s going to rain,’ and rain it does. ⁵⁵ When you see the south wind getting up, you say, ‘It’s going to be very hot,’ and that’s what happens. ⁵⁶ You impostors! You know how to work out what the earth and the sky are telling you; why can’t you work out what’s going on at this very moment?

⁵⁷ “Why don’t you judge for yourselves what you ought to do? ⁵⁸ When you go with your accuser before a magistrate, do your best to reach a settlement with him. Otherwise he may drag you in front of the judge, and the judge will hand you over to the officer, and the officer will throw you into jail. ⁵⁹ Let me tell you, you won’t get out from there until you have paid the very last coin.”