M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan
Born of God
3 Look at the remarkable love the father has given us—that we should be called God’s children! That indeed is what we are. That’s why the world doesn’t know us, because it didn’t know him. 2 Beloved ones, we are now, already, God’s children; it hasn’t yet been revealed what we are going to be. We know that when he is revealed we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is. 3 All who have this hope in him make themselves pure, just as he is pure.
4 Everyone who goes on sinning is breaking the law; sin, in fact, is lawlessness. 5 And you know that he was revealed so that he might take away sins, and there is no sin in him. 6 Everyone who abides in him does not go on sinning. Everyone who goes on sinning has not seen him, or known him.
7 Children, don’t let anyone deceive you. The person who does righteousness is righteous, just as he is righteous. 8 The person who goes on sinning is from the devil, because the devil is a sinner from the very start. The son of God was revealed for this purpose, to destroy the works of the devil. 9 Everyone who is fathered by God does not go on sinning, because God’s offspring remain in him; they cannot go on sinning, because they have been fathered by God. 10 That is how it is clear who are the children of God and who are the children of the devil: everyone who does not do what is right is not of God, particularly those who do not love their brother or sister.
The challenge of love
11 This is the message which you heard right from the start, you see, that we should love one another. 12 We should not be like Cain, who was of the evil one, and murdered his brother. Why did he murder him? Because his deeds were evil, while his brother’s were right.
13 Don’t be surprised, my brothers and sisters, if the world hates you. 14 We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love the family. Anyone who doesn’t love abides in death. 15 Everyone who hates their brother or sister is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has the life of the coming age abiding in them. 16 This is how we know love: he laid down his life for us. And we too ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters. 17 Anyone who has the means of life in this world, and sees a brother or sister in need, and closes their heart against them—how can God’s love be abiding in them? 18 Children, let us not love in word, or in speech, but in deed and in truth.
19 Because of this, we know we are of the truth, and we will persuade our hearts of this fact before him, 20 because if our hearts condemn us, God is greater than our hearts. He knows everything. 21 Beloved, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have boldness before God, 22 and we receive from him whatever we ask, because we keep his commands and give him pleasure when he sees what we are doing. 23 And this is his command, that we should believe in the name of his son Jesus the Messiah, and should love one another, just as he gave us the commandment. 24 Anyone who keeps his commandments abides in him, and he in them. This is how we know that he abides in us, by his spirit that he has given us.
The parables of the persistent widow and the tax-collector
18 Jesus told them a parable, about how they should always pray and not give up.
2 “There was once a judge in a certain town,” he said, “who didn’t fear God, and didn’t have any respect for people. 3 There was a widow in that town, and she came to him and said, ‘Judge my case! Vindicate me against my enemy!’
4 “For a long time he refused. But, in the end, he said to himself, ‘It’s true that I don’t fear God, and don’t have any respect for people. 5 But because this widow is causing me a lot of trouble, I will put her case right and vindicate her, so that she doesn’t end up coming and giving me a black eye.’
6 “Well,” said the master, “did you hear what this unjust judge says? 7 And don’t you think that God will see justice done for his chosen ones, who shout out to him day and night? Do you suppose he is deliberately delaying? 8 Let me tell you, he will vindicate them very quickly. But—when the son of man comes, will he find faith on the earth?”
9 He told this next parable against those who trusted in their own righteous standing and despised others.
10 “Two men,” he said, “went up to the Temple to pray. One was a Pharisee, the other was a tax-collector. 11 The Pharisee stood and prayed in this way to himself: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like the other people—greedy, unjust, immoral, or even like this tax-collector. 12 I fast twice in the week; I give tithes of all that I get.’
13 “But the tax-collector stood a long way off, and didn’t even want to raise his eyes to heaven. He beat his breast and said, ‘God, be merciful to me, sinner that I am.’ 14 Let me tell you, he was the one who went back to his house in the right before God, not the other. Don’t you see? People who exalt themselves will be humbled, and people who humble themselves will be exalted.”
The rich young ruler
15 People were bringing even tiny babies to Jesus for him to touch them. When the disciples saw it, they forbade them sternly. 16 But Jesus called them. “Let the children come to me,” he said, “and don’t stop them! God’s kingdom belongs to the likes of these. 17 I’m telling you the truth: anyone who doesn’t receive God’s kingdom like a child will never get into it.”
18 There was a ruler who asked him, “Good teacher, what must I do to inherit the life of the age to come?”
19 “Why call me good?” said Jesus to him. “No one is good except God alone. 20 You know the commandments: Don’t commit adultery, don’t kill, don’t steal, don’t swear falsely, honor your father and mother.”
21 “I’ve kept them all,” he said, “since I was a boy.”
22 When Jesus heard that, he said to him, “There’s just one thing you’re short of. Sell everything you own, and distribute it to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come and follow me.”
23 When he heard that he became very sad. He was extremely wealthy.
24 Jesus saw that he had become sad, and said, “How hard it is for those with possessions to enter God’s kingdom! 25 Yes: it’s easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter God’s kingdom.”
26 The people who heard it said, “So who can be saved?”
27 “What’s impossible for humans,” said Jesus, “is possible for God.”
28 “Look here,” said Peter, “we’ve left everything and followed you.”
29 “I’m telling you the truth,” said Jesus, “everyone who has left house or wife or brothers or parents or children, because of God’s kingdom, 30 will receive far more in return in the present time—and in the age to come they will receive the life that belongs to that age.”
Jesus heals a blind beggar
31 Jesus took the Twelve aside.
“Look,” he said, “we’re going up to Jerusalem. Everything that’s written in the prophets about the son of man will be fulfilled. 32 Yes: he will be handed over to the pagans; he’ll be mocked, abused and spat upon. 33 They will beat him and kill him; and on the third day he’ll be raised.”
34 They didn’t understand any of this. The word was hidden from them, and they didn’t know what he meant.
35 As they were getting near Jericho there was a blind man sitting by the road, begging. 36 When he heard a crowd passing through the town he asked what was going on.
37 “Jesus of Nazareth is coming by,” people said to him.
38 So he shouted out, “Jesus—David’s son! Have pity on me!”
39 The people who were at the front of the group firmly told him to be silent. But he yelled out all the more, “David’s son! Have pity on me!”
40 Jesus stopped, and told them to bring the man to him. When he came up, he asked him, 41 “What d’you want me to do for you?”
“Master,” he said, “I want to see again.”
42 “Then see again,” said Jesus. “Your faith has saved you.”
43 At once he received his sight again, and followed him, glorifying God. And when all the people saw it, they gave praise to God.
Scripture quotations from The New Testament for Everyone are copyright © Nicholas Thomas Wright 2011, 2018, 2019.