Read the Gospels in 40 Days

Christ teaches his disciples to avoid occasions of evil, to forgive one another, steadfastly to trust in God, and that no one should presume in his own works. He heals the ten lepers, and speaks of the latter days, and of the end of the world.

17 Then Jesus said to his disciples, It cannot be avoided but that offences will come. Nevertheless, woe be to him through whom they come. ² It would be better for him that a millstone were hung about his neck and that he were cast into the sea, than that he should hurt one of these little ones.

³ Take heed to yourselves. If your brother trespasses against you, rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him. ⁴ And even if he sins against you seven times in a day, and seven times in a day turns again to you saying, I am sorry – forgive him.

⁵ And the apostles said to the Lord, Increase our faith. ⁶ And the Lord said, If you had faith like a grain of mustard seed, and were to say to this sycamine tree, Pluck yourself up by the roots and plant yourself in the sea, it would obey you.

⁷ Who among you, if he had a servant plowing or feeding sheep, would say to him when he came in from the field, Go quickly, and sit down to food? ⁸ And not rather say to him, Prepare for me to sup, and gird yourself up, and serve me till I have eaten and drunk, and afterward you shall eat and drink? ⁹ Does he thank that servant because he did that which was commanded of him? I think not. ¹⁰ So likewise you, when you have done all the things that are commanded of you, say, We are unprofitable servants; we have done that which was our duty to do.

¹¹ And it so was that, as he journeyed to Jerusalem, he passed through Samaria and Galilee. ¹² And as he entered into a certain town, there met him ten men that were lepers, who stood afar off, ¹³ and put forth their voices and said, Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!

¹⁴ When he saw them, he said to them, Go and show yourselves to the priests. And it came to pass that as they went, they were cleansed. ¹⁵ And one of them, when he saw that he was cleansed, turned back again and with a loud voice praised God, ¹⁶ and fell down on his face at Jesus’ feet, and gave him thanks. And he was a Samaritan.

¹⁷ And Jesus answered and said, Were there not ten cleansed? But where are the other nine? ¹⁸ There are not found any that returned again to give God praise, save only this stranger. ¹⁹ And he said to the man, Arise and go your way; your faith has made you whole.

²⁰ When he was asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, he answered them and said, The kingdom of God does not come with watching for it. ²¹ Neither may men say, See here, look there! For behold, the kingdom of God is within you.

²² And he said to the disciples, The days will come when you will desire to see one day of the Son of man, and you will not see it. ²³ And they will say to you, See here, see there! Do not go after them or follow them. ²⁴ For as the lightning that appears out of the one part of the heaven and shines to the other part of heaven, so shall the Son of man be in his days. ²⁵ But first he must suffer many things, and be refused by this nation.

²⁶ As it happened in the time of Noah, so shall it be in the time of the Son of man: ²⁷ they ate, they drank, they married wives, and were married, right up to the same day that Noah went into the ark; and the flood came and destroyed them all. ²⁸ Likewise also as it happened in the days of Lot: they ate, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they built. ²⁹ And even the same day that Lot went out of Sodom, it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed them all. ³⁰ After these examples shall it be in the day when the Son of man appears.

³¹ At that day, let him who is on the housetop, with his stuff in the house, not come down to take it out. And likewise, let not him who is in the fields turn back again to what he left behind. ³² Remember Lot’s wife. ³³ Whosoever would go about to save his life, shall lose it, and whosoever will lose his life, shall save it. ³⁴ I tell you, in that night there will be two in one bed; the one will be received, and the other will be left. ³⁵ Two will also be a-grinding together; the one will be received, and the other left.

³⁷ And they answered and said to him, Where, Lord? And he said to them, Wherever the body is, there will the eagles resort.

He teaches to be fervent in prayer continually. Of the Pharisee and the publican. The kingdom of God belongs to children. Christ answers the ruler, and promises reward to all who suffer loss for his sake and follow him. The blind man is restored to his sight.

18 And he put forth a similitude to them signifying that people ought always to pray, and not to be weary of it, ² saying, There was a judge in a certain city who neither feared God nor regarded man. And there was a certain widow in the same city, who came to him, ³ saying, Avenge me of my adversary! ⁴ And he would not for a while. But afterward he said to himself, Though I do not fear God or care about people, ⁵ yet because this widow is troubling me, I will avenge her, lest she wear me out with nagging.

⁶ And the Lord said, Hear what the unrighteous judge says. ⁷ And will God not avenge his elect who cry day and night to him – yea, though he defer them? ⁸ I tell you, he will avenge them, and that quickly. Nevertheless, when the Son of man comes, do you suppose he will find faith on the earth?

⁹ And he put forth this similitude to certain people who trusted in themselves, that they were righteous, and despised others: ¹⁰ Two men went up into the temple to pray, the one a Pharisee and the other a publican. ¹¹ The Pharisee stood and prayed thus within himself: God, I thank you that I am not like other men are: extortioners, unjust, adulterers – or like this publican. ¹² I fast twice in the week; I give tithes of all that I possess. ¹³ But the publican stood afar off, and would not lift up his eyes to heaven, but smote his breast, saying, God be merciful to me, a sinner. ¹⁴ I tell you, this man departed home to his house justified more than the other. For everyone who exalts himself will be brought low, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.

¹⁵ They brought to him also babes, so that he could touch them. When his disciples saw that, they rebuked the people. ¹⁶ But Jesus called them to him and said, Allow the children to come to me, and do not forbid them. For of such is the kingdom of God. ¹⁷ Truly I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child, he shall not enter therein.

¹⁸ And a certain ruler asked him, saying, Good Master, what ought I to do to obtain eternal life? ¹⁹ Jesus said to him, Why do you call me good? None is good, save God only. ²⁰ You know the commandments: You shall not commit adultery, you shall not kill, you shall not steal, you shall not bear false witness, honour your father and your mother.

²¹ And he said, All these I have kept from my youth.

²² When Jesus heard that, he said to him, You lack yet one thing. Sell all that you have, and distribute it to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, and follow me.

²³ When the man heard that, he was downcast, for he was very rich.

²⁴ When Jesus saw him grieve, he said, With what difficulty do those who have riches enter into the kingdom of God! ²⁵ It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God. ²⁶ Then said those who heard that, And who then can be saved? ²⁷ And he said, Things that are impossible with men, are possible with God.

²⁸ Then Peter said, Lo, we have left everything and have followed you. ²⁹ And he said to them, Truly I say to you, there is no man who leaves house, or father and mother, or brethren, or wife, or children, for the kingdom of God’s sake, ³⁰ who will not receive much more in this world, and in the world to come, everlasting life.

³¹ He took the twelve and said to them, Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and all things will be fulfilled that are written by the prophets concerning the Son of man. ³² He will be delivered to the Gentiles, and will be mocked, and will be despitefully abused, and will be spit upon. ³³ And when they have scourged him, they will put him to death. And the third day, he will arise again.

³⁴ But they understood none of these things. This saying was hid from them, and they could not perceive the things that were spoken.

³⁵ And it came to pass, as he came near to Jericho, a certain blind man sat by the wayside, begging. ³⁶ And when he heard the people pass by, he asked what it meant. ³⁷ And they said to him that Jesus of Nazareth was passing by. ³⁸ And he called out, saying, Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me! ³⁹ And the people who were in front admonished him to hold his peace. But he cried all the more, Son of David, have mercy on me!

⁴⁰ And Jesus stood still, and directed him to be brought to him. And when he had come near, Jesus asked him, saying, ⁴¹ What do you want me to do for you? And he said, Lord, that I may receive my sight! ⁴² Jesus said to him, Receive your sight; your faith has saved you. ⁴³ And immediately he saw, and followed him, praising God. And all the people, when they saw it, gave laud to God.