Read the Gospels in 40 Days
Repent or Die
13 At that time, some people who were there told Jesus[a] about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mixed with their sacrifices.[b] 2 He asked them, “Do you think that these Galileans were more sinful than all the other Galileans because they suffered like this? 3 Absolutely not, I tell you! But if you don’t repent, then you, too, will all die. 4 What about those eighteen people who were killed when the tower at Siloam fell on them? Do you think they were worse offenders than all the other people living in Jerusalem? 5 Absolutely not, I tell you! But if you don’t repent, then you, too, will all die.”
The Parable about an Unfruitful Fig Tree
6 Then Jesus[c] told them this parable: “A man had a fig tree that had been planted in his vineyard. He went to look for fruit on it but didn’t find any. 7 So he told the gardener, ‘Look here! For three years I’ve been coming to look for fruit on this tree but I haven’t found any. Cut it down! Why should it waste the soil?’ 8 But the gardener[d] replied, ‘Sir, leave it alone for one more year, until I dig around it and fertilize it. 9 Maybe next year it will bear fruit. If not, then cut it down.’”
Jesus Heals a Woman on the Sabbath
10 Jesus[e] was teaching in one of the synagogues on the Sabbath. 11 A woman was there who had a spirit that had disabled her for eighteen years. She was hunched over and completely unable to stand up straight. 12 When Jesus saw her, he called to her and said, “Woman, you are free from your illness.” 13 Then he placed his hands on her, and immediately she stood up straight and began praising God.
14 But the synagogue leader, indignant because Jesus had healed on the Sabbath, told the crowd, “There are six days when work is to be done. So come on those days to be healed, and not on the Sabbath day.”
15 The Lord replied to him, “You hypocrites! Doesn’t each of you on the Sabbath untie his ox or donkey and lead it out of its stall to give it some water? 16 Shouldn’t this woman, a descendant of Abraham whom Satan has kept bound for eighteen long years, be set free from this bondage on the Sabbath day?” 17 Even as he was saying this, all of his opponents were blushing with shame. But the rest of the crowd was rejoicing at all the wonderful things he was doing.
The Parables about a Mustard Seed and Yeast(A)
18 So Jesus[f] went on to say, “What is the kingdom of God like? What can I compare it to? 19 It is like a mustard seed that someone took and planted in his garden. It grew and became a tree, and the birds of the sky nested in its branches.”
20 Again he said, “To what can I compare the kingdom of God? 21 It’s like yeast that a woman took and mixed with[g] three measures of flour until all of it was leavened.”
The Narrow Door(B)
22 Then Jesus[h] taught in one town and village after another as he made his way to Jerusalem. 23 Someone asked him, “Lord,[i] are only a few people going to be saved?”
He told them, 24 “Keep on struggling to enter through the narrow door, because I tell you that many people will try to enter, but won’t be able to do so. 25 After the homeowner gets up and closes the door, you can stand[j] outside, knock on the door, and say again and again, ‘Lord, open the door for us!’ But he will answer you, ‘I don’t know where you come from.’ 26 Then you will say,[k] ‘We ate and drank with you, and you taught in our streets.’ 27 But he will tell you, ‘I don’t know where you come from. Get away from me, all you who practice evil!’ 28 In that place there will be crying and gnashing of teeth[l] when you see Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, and you yourselves being driven away on the outside. 29 People will come from east and west, and from north and south, and will eat in the kingdom of God. 30 You see, some who are last will be first, and some who are first will be last.
Jesus Rebukes Jerusalem(C)
31 At that hour some Pharisees came and told Jesus,[m] “Leave and get away from here, because Herod wants to kill you!”
32 He told them, “Go and tell that fox, ‘Listen! I am driving out demons and healing today and tomorrow, and on the third day I will finish my work. 33 But I must be on my way today, tomorrow, and the next day, because it’s not possible for a prophet to be killed outside of Jerusalem.’ 34 O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills the prophets and stones to death those who have been sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you people were unwilling! 35 Look! Your house is left vacant to you. I tell you, you will not see me again until you say, ‘How blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord!’”[n]
Jesus Heals a Man on the Sabbath
14 One Sabbath, Jesus[o] went to the house of a leader of the Pharisees to eat a meal. The guests[p] were watching Jesus[q] closely. 2 A man whose body was swollen with fluid suddenly appeared in front of him. 3 So Jesus asked the Pharisees and experts in the Law, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath or not?” 4 But they kept silent. So he took hold of the man,[r] healed him, and sent him away. 5 Then he asked them, “If your son[s] or ox falls into a well on the Sabbath day, you would pull him out immediately, wouldn’t you?” 6 And they couldn’t argue with him about this.
A Lesson about Guests
7 When Jesus[t] noticed how the guests were choosing the places of honor, he told them a parable. 8 “When you are invited by someone to a wedding banquet, don’t sit down at the place of honor in case someone more important than you was invited by the host.[u] 9 Then the host who invited both of you would come to you and say, ‘Give this person your place.’ In disgrace, you would have to take the place of least honor. 10 But when you are invited, go and sit down at the place of least honor. Then, when your host comes, he will tell you, ‘Friend, move up higher,’ and you will be honored in the presence of everyone who eats with you. 11 Because everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the person who humbles himself will be exalted.”
12 Then he told the man who had invited him, “When you give a luncheon or a dinner, stop inviting only[v] your friends, brothers, relatives, or rich neighbors. Otherwise, they may invite you in return and you would be repaid. 13 Instead, when you give a banquet, make it your habit to invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind. 14 Then you will be blessed because they can’t repay you. And you will be repaid when the righteous are resurrected.”
The Parable about a Banquet(D)
15 Now one of those eating with him heard this and told him, “How blessed is the person who will eat[w] in the kingdom of God!”
16 Jesus[x] told him, “A man gave a large banquet and invited many people. 17 When it was time for the banquet, he sent his servant to tell those who were invited, ‘Come! Everything is now ready.’ 18 Every single one of them began asking to be excused. The first told him, ‘I bought a field, and I need to go out and inspect it. Please excuse me.’ 19 Another said, ‘I bought five pairs of oxen, and I’m on my way to try them out. Please excuse me.’ 20 Still another said, ‘I recently got married, so I can’t come.’
21 “So the servant went back and reported all this to his master. Then the master of the house became angry and told his servant, ‘Go quickly into the streets and alleys of the town and bring back the poor, the crippled, the blind, and the lame.’ 22 The servant said, ‘Sir, what you ordered has been done, and there is still room.’ 23 Then the master told the servant, ‘Go out into the streets and the lanes and make the people come in, so that my house may be full. 24 Because I tell all of you, none of those men who were invited will taste anything at my banquet.’”
The Cost of Discipleship(E)
25 Now large crowds were traveling with Jesus.[y] He turned and told them, 26 “If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father, mother, wife, children, brothers, and sisters, as well as his own life, he can’t be my disciple. 27 Whoever doesn’t carry his cross and follow me can’t be my disciple.
28 “Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. He will first sit down and estimate the cost to see whether he has enough money to finish it, won’t he? 29 Otherwise, if he lays a foundation and can’t finish the building,[z] everyone who watches will begin to ridicule him 30 and say, ‘This person started a building but couldn’t finish it.’
31 “Or suppose a king is going to war against another king. He will first sit down and consider whether with 10,000 men he can fight the one coming against him with 20,000 men, won’t he? 32 If he can’t, he will send a delegation to ask for terms of peace while the other king[aa] is still far away. 33 In the same way, none of you can be my disciple unless he gives up all his possessions.”
Tasteless Salt(F)
34 “Now, salt is good. But if the salt should lose its taste, how can its flavor be restored? 35 It’s suitable neither for the soil nor for the manure pile. People[ab] throw it away. Let the person who has ears to hear, listen!”
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