Read the Gospels in 40 Days
Teaching About Divorce(A)
19 Now when Jesus finished these sayings, He departed from Galilee and came into the region of Judea beyond the Jordan. 2 Large crowds followed Him, and He healed them there.
3 The Pharisees also came to Him, tempting Him and saying, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any reason?”
4 He answered, “Have you not read that He who made them at the beginning ‘made them male and female,’[a] 5 and said, ‘For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh’[b]? 6 So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let no man put asunder.”
7 They said to Him, “Then why did Moses command to give a certificate of divorce, and to send her away?”[c]
8 He said to them, “Moses, for the hardness of your hearts, permitted you to divorce your wives, but from the beginning it was not so. 9 But I say to you, whoever divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another, commits adultery. And whoever marries her who is divorced commits adultery.”
10 His disciples said to Him, “If such is the case of the man with his wife, it is not good to marry.”
11 But He said to them, “Not all men can receive this precept, but only those to whom it is given. 12 For there are some eunuchs who have been so from birth, there are some eunuchs who have been made eunuchs by men, and there are some eunuchs who have made themselves eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom of heaven. He who is able to receive this, let him receive it.”
Little Children Blessed(B)
13 Then little children were brought to Him that He might put His hands on them and pray. But the disciples rebuked them.
14 But Jesus said, “Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them. For to such belongs the kingdom of heaven.” 15 He laid His hands on them and departed from there.
The Rich Young Man(C)
16 Now one came and said to Him, “Good Teacher, what good deed shall I do to have eternal life?”
17 He replied to him, “Why do you call Me good? There is One who is good. But if you would enter life, keep the commandments.”
18 He said to Him, “Which ones?”
Jesus said, “You shall not murder, You shall not commit adultery, You shall not steal, You shall not bear false witness,[d] 19 Honor your father and your mother,[e] and, You shall love your neighbor as yourself.[f]”
20 The young man said to Him, “All these I have kept from my youth. What do I still lack?”
21 Jesus said to him, “If you would be perfect, go and sell what you have, and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. And come, follow Me.”
22 But when the young man heard this, he went away sorrowful. For he had great possessions.
23 Then Jesus said to His disciples, “Truly, I say to you that it will be hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. 24 And again I say to you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.”
25 When His disciples heard this, they were greatly amazed, saying, “Who then can be saved?”
26 But Jesus looked at them and said, “With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”
27 Then Peter answered Him, “See, we have left everything and followed You. What then shall we have?”
28 Jesus said to them, “Truly I say to you, in the regeneration, when the Son of Man sits on His glorious throne, you who have followed Me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. 29 And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or fields for My name’s sake shall receive a hundred times as much and inherit eternal life. 30 But many who are first will be last, and the last first.”
The Workers in the Vineyard
20 “For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard. 2 When he had agreed with the laborers for a denarius a day, he sent them into his vineyard.
3 “Then he went out about the third hour and saw others standing idle in the marketplace, 4 and said to them, ‘You also go into the vineyard, and whatever is right I will give you.’ So they went. 5 Again he went out about the sixth hour and the ninth hour and did likewise.
6 “About the eleventh hour he went out and found others standing idle, and said to them, ‘Why do you stand here idle all day?’
7 “They said to him, ‘Because no one has hired us.’
“He said to them, ‘You also go into the vineyard, and whatever is right you will receive.’
8 “So when evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his steward, ‘Call the laborers and give them their wages, beginning with the last to the first.’
9 “When they who were hired about the eleventh hour came, they each received a denarius. 10 But when the first came, they supposed that they would receive more, but each of them likewise received a denarius. 11 When they received it, they grumbled against the landowner, 12 saying, ‘These last worked only one hour, and you made them equal to us, who have borne the burden and the heat of the day.’
13 “But he answered one of them, ‘Friend, I am doing you no wrong. Did you not agree with me for a denarius? 14 Take what is yours and go your way. I will give to this last one even as I give to you. 15 Is it not lawful for me to do what I wish with my own things? Or is your eye evil because I am good?’
16 “So the last will be first, and the first last. For many are called, but few are chosen.”
A Third Time Jesus Foretells His Death and Resurrection(D)
17 As Jesus was going up to Jerusalem, He took the twelve disciples aside on the road and said to them, 18 “Now we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be betrayed to the chief priests and scribes. And they will condemn Him to death 19 and deliver Him to the Gentiles to mock, and to scourge, and to crucify Him, but on the third day He will rise.”
A Mother’s Request(E)
20 Then the mother of Zebedee’s sons came to Him with her sons. And kneeling before Him, she asked for a certain thing.
21 He said to her, “What do you want?”
She said to Him, “Grant that these two sons of mine may sit, one at Your right hand and one at Your left, in Your kingdom.”
22 But Jesus answered, “You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink from the cup that I am to drink, and to be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?”
They said to Him, “We are able.”
23 He said to them, “You will indeed drink from My cup and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with. But to sit at My right hand and at My left is not Mine to grant, but it is for those for whom it is prepared by My Father.”
24 When the ten heard it, they were moved with indignation against the two brothers. 25 But Jesus called them to Him and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and those who are great exercise authority over them. 26 It shall not be so among you. Whoever would be great among you, let him serve you, 27 and whoever would be first among you, let him be your slave, 28 even as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve and to give His life as a ransom for many.”
The Healing of Two Blind Men(F)
29 As they departed from Jericho, a large crowd followed Him. 30 There, two blind men sitting by the road, when they heard that Jesus was passing by, cried out, “Have mercy on us, O Lord, Son of David!”
31 The crowd rebuked them, that they should be silent. But they cried out even more, “Have mercy on us, O Lord, Son of David!”
32 Jesus stood still and called them, saying, “What do you want Me to do for you?”
33 They said to Him, “Lord, let our eyes be opened.”
34 So Jesus had compassion on them and touched their eyes. Immediately their eyes received sight, and they followed Him.
The Holy Bible, Modern English Version. Copyright © 2014 by Military Bible Association. Published and distributed by Charisma House.