M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan

Marriage and its challenges

3 In the same way, let me say a word to the women. You should be subject to your husbands, so that if there should be some who disobey the word, they may be won, without a word, through the behavior of their wives, ² as they notice you conducting yourselves with reverence and purity. ³ The beauty you should strive for ought not to be the external sort—elaborate hairdressing, gold trinkets, fine clothes! ⁴ Rather, true beauty is the secret beauty of the heart, of a sincere, gentle and quiet spirit. That is very precious to God. ⁵ That is how the holy women of old, who hoped in God, used to make themselves beautiful in submission to their husbands. ⁶ Take Sarah, for instance, who obeyed Abraham and called him “Master.” You are her children if you do good and have no fear of intimidation.

⁷ You men, in the same way, think out how to live with your wives. Yes, they are physically weaker than you, but they deserve full respect. They are heirs of the grace of life, just the same as you. That way nothing will obstruct your prayers.

The new way of life

⁸ The aim of this is for you all to be like-minded, sympathetic and loving to one another, tender-hearted and humble. ⁹ Don’t repay evil for evil, or slander for slander, but rather say a blessing. This is what you were called to, so that you may inherit a blessing.

¹³ Who is there, then, to harm you if you are eager to do what is right? ¹⁴ But if you do suffer because of your righteous behavior, God’s blessing is upon you! “Don’t fear what they fear; don’t be disturbed.” ¹⁵ Sanctify the Messiah as Lord in your hearts, and always be ready to make a reply to anyone who asks you to explain the hope that is in you. ¹⁶ Do it, though, with gentleness and respect. Hold on to a good conscience, so that when people revile your good behavior in the Messiah they may be ashamed.

Suffering for doing right

¹⁷ It’s better to suffer for good conduct (if God so wills it) than for bad. ¹⁸ For the Messiah, too, suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust, so that he might bring you to God. He was put to death in the flesh, but made alive by the spirit. ¹⁹ In the spirit, too, he went and made the proclamation to the spirits in prison ²⁰ who had earlier on been disobedient during the days of Noah, when God waited in patience. Noah built the ark, in which a few people, eight in fact, were rescued through water. ²¹ That functions as a signpost for you, pointing to baptism, which now rescues you—not by washing away fleshly pollution, but by the appeal to God of a good conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus the Messiah. ²² He has gone into heaven and is at God’s right hand, with angels, authorities and powers subject to him.

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.”