M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan

He defends the disciples that pluck the ears of grain. He heals the man with the withered hand, chooses his twelve apostles, gives a sweet sermon, and teaches to do good for evil.

6 It happened on an after-Sabbath that Jesus went through the grain field, and his disciples plucked the ears of grain and ate, rubbing them in their hands. ² And certain of the Pharisees said to them, Why do you do that which is not lawful to do on the Sabbath days? ³ And Jesus answered them and said, Have you not read what David did when he himself was hungry, and those who were with him? ⁴ How he went into the house of God, and took and ate the loaves of hallowed bread, and gave also to those who were with him – which bread it was not lawful to eat, but for the priests only? ⁵ And he said to them, The Son of man is Lord of the Sabbath day.

⁶ And it came about in another Sabbath also that he entered into the synagogue and taught. And there was there a man whose right hand was withered. ⁷ And the scribes and Pharisees watched Jesus to see if he would heal on the Sabbath day, to find an accusation against him. ⁸ But he knew their thoughts, and said to the man that had the withered hand, Rise up, and stand forth in the midst. And he arose and stepped forth. ⁹ Then Jesus said to them, I will ask you a question: whether it is lawful on the Sabbath days to do good, or to do evil; to save life, or to destroy it? ¹⁰ And he looked around at them all and said to the man, Stretch forth your hand. And he did so, and his hand was restored and made as whole as the other.

¹¹ And they were filled full of madness, and conferred with each other, what they might do to Jesus.

¹² And it came to pass in those days that he went out into a mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God. ¹³ And as soon as it was day, he called his disciples. And of them he chose twelve, whom he also called apostles: ¹⁴ Simon, whom he named Peter, and Andrew his brother; James and John; Philip and Bartholomew; ¹⁵ Matthew and Thomas; James the son of Alpheus, and Simon called Zelotes; ¹⁶ Judas, James’ son; and Judas Iscariot, which same was the traitor.

¹⁷ And he came down with them, and stood in the open field with the company of his disciples and a great crowd of people out of all parts of Judea and Jerusalem, and from the seacoast of Tyre and Sidon, who came to hear him and to be healed of their diseases, ¹⁸ and people also who were vexed with foul spirits, and they were healed. ¹⁹ And all the people pressed in to touch him, because power went out of him and healed them all.

²⁰ And he lifted up his eyes upon the disciples and said, Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God. ²¹ Blessed are you who hunger now, for you shall be satisfied. Blessed are you who weep now, for you will laugh. ²² Blessed are you when men hate you and thrust you out of their company, and rail, and abhor your name as an evil thing, for the Son of man’s sake. ²³ Rejoice then, and be glad, for behold, your reward is great in heaven. Likewise did their fathers treat the prophets.

²⁴ But woe is to you who are rich, for you have therein your consolation. ²⁵ Woe to you who are full, for you shall hunger. Woe to you who now laugh, for you will wail and weep. ²⁶ Woe to you when all men praise you, for likewise did their fathers praise the false prophets.

²⁷ But I say to you who hear: Love your enemies. Do good to those who hate you. ²⁸ Bless those who curse you, and pray for those who wrongfully trouble you. ²⁹ And to him that strikes you on the one cheek, offer also the other. And him that takes away your gown, forbid not to take your coat also. ³⁰ Give to every man that asks of you. And of him who takes away your goods, ask not for them back. ³¹ And as you would have others do unto you, so do unto them likewise.

³² If you love those who love you, what credit are you worthy of? For the very sinners love their friends. ³³ And if you do good to those who do good to you, what credit are you worthy of? For the very sinners do even the same. ³⁴ If you lend to people from whom you hope to receive, what credit should you have? For the very sinners lend to sinners, to receive as much in return. ³⁵ Therefore love your enemies, do good, and lend, looking for nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be the children of the Highest. For he is kind to the unkind and to the evil.

³⁶ Be therefore merciful, as your Father is merciful. ³⁷ Judge not, and you will not be judged. Condemn not, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. ³⁸ Give, and it will be given to you: a good measure pressed down, shaken together, and running over will men give into your bosoms. For the measure that you use will be measured back to you.

³⁹ And he put forth a similitude to them: Can the blind lead the blind? Do they not both then fall into the ditch? ⁴⁰ The disciple is not above his master, but everyone will be formed even as his teacher is.

⁴¹ Why do you see a speck in your brother’s eye, and not consider the beam that is in your own eye? ⁴² Or how can you say to your brother, Brother, let me pull out the speck that is in your eye – when you do not perceive the beam that is in your own eye? Hypocrite! First cast the beam out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to pull the speck out of your brother’s eye.

⁴³ It is not a good tree that brings forth bad fruit, nor is that a bad tree that brings forth good fruit. ⁴⁴ For every tree is known by its fruit. Neither is it from thorns that men gather figs, nor from bushes that they gather grapes. ⁴⁵ A good man, out of the good treasure of his heart, brings forth that which is good. And an evil man, out of the evil treasure of his heart, brings forth that which is evil. For out of the abundance of the heart, his mouth speaks.

⁴⁶ Why do you call me Master, Master, and yet not do as I bid you? ⁴⁷ Whoever comes to me and hears my sayings and does them, I will show you whom he is like: ⁴⁸ he is like a man who built a house, and dug deep, and laid the foundation on a rock. When the waters rose, the flood beat upon that house, and could not move it. For it was grounded upon a rock. ⁴⁹ But the person who hears and does not is like a man who built a house without a foundation upon the soil, against which the flood beat, and it fell immediately. And the fall of that house was great.

Of marriage, virginity, and widowhood.

7 As for the things you wrote to me about: it is good for a man not to touch a woman. ² Nevertheless, to avoid fornication, let every man have his wife, and let every woman have her husband. ³ Let the man give due affection to his wife; likewise also the wife to the man. ⁴ The wife does not have right over her own body, but the husband, and likewise the husband does not have right over his own body, but the wife. ⁵ Do not withdraw yourselves one from another, unless it be with consent for a time to give yourselves to fasting and prayer. And afterward, come again to the same thing, lest Satan tempt you through your lack of self control.

⁶ This I say by way of concession, and not of commandment. ⁷ For I would that all men were as I myself am. But every one has his own gift from God – one of this kind, another of that. ⁸ I say to the unmarried men and widows that it is good for them if they remain just as I do. ⁹ But if they cannot abstain, let them marry. For it is better to marry than to burn.

¹⁰ To the married command not I, but the Lord, that the wife should not separate herself from the man. ¹¹ But if she separates herself, let her remain unmarried or be reconciled to her husband again. And let not the husband put his wife away from him.

¹² To the rest I, and not the Lord, speak. If any brother has a wife who does not believe, if she is content to dwell with him, let him not put her away. ¹³ And the woman who has an unbelieving husband, if he consents to dwell with her, let her not put him away. ¹⁴ For the unbelieving husband is sanctified by the wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified by the husband. Otherwise your children would be unclean; but now they are pure. ¹⁵ But if the unbeliever departs, let him depart. A brother or a sister is not bound to such. God has called us in peace. ¹⁶ For how do you know, O woman, whether you will save that man or not? Or how do you know, O man, whether you will save that woman or not? – ¹⁷ but even as God has granted to each.

As the Lord has called every person, so let him walk; and I so ordain in all the congregations. ¹⁸ If a man is called when circumcised, let him add nothing to it. If a man is called when uncircumcised, let him not be circumcised. ¹⁹ Circumcision is nothing, uncircumcision is nothing, but the keeping of the commandments of God is everything. ²⁰ Let every person abide in the same state in which he was called. ²¹ Are you called when a servant? Care not for it. But if you may be free, avail yourself of it rather. ²² For he who is called in the Lord when a servant, is the Lord’s free man. Likewise, he who is called when free is Christ’s servant. ²³ You are dearly bought; do not be men’s servants. ²⁴ Brethren, let each, in whatever state he is called, abide therein with God.

²⁵ Concerning virgins I have no commandment from the Lord, yet I give counsel as one who has obtained mercy from the Lord to be faithful. ²⁶ I suppose that it is good for the present necessity. For it is good for a man so to be.

²⁷ Are you bound to a wife? Seek not to be released. Are you released from a wife? Do not seek a wife. ²⁸ But if you take a wife, you do not sin. Likewise, if a virgin marries, she does not sin. Nevertheless, the married will have trouble in their flesh. But I make allowance for you.

²⁹ This I say, brethren: the time is short. It remains that those who have wives should be as though they had none, ³⁰ and those who weep should be as though they wept not, and those who rejoice should be as though they did not rejoice. And those who buy should be as though they did not possess, ³¹ and those who are occupied in this world should be as not consumed in it. For the fashion of this world is passing away.

³² I would have you be without preoccupation. The single man cares for the things of the Lord, how he may please the Lord. ³³ But he who is married cares for the things of the world, how he may please his wife. ³⁴ There is a difference between a virgin and a wife. The single woman cares for the things of the Lord, that she may be pure both in body and also in spirit. But she who is married cares for the things of the world, how she may please her husband. ³⁵ This I say for your profit – not to tangle you in a snare, but for that which is fitting and agreeable for you, and so that you may quietly cleave unto the Lord without hindrance.

³⁶ If any man thinks that it is not best for his virgin, if she is passing the time of marriage and if need so requires, let him do what he wishes. He does not sin; let them be coupled in marriage. ³⁷ Nevertheless, he who purposes surely in his heart, having no need, but has power over his own will, and has thus determined in his heart that he will keep his virgin, does well. ³⁸ So then, he who joins his virgin in marriage does well, but he who does not join his virgin in marriage does better.

³⁹ The wife is bound to the law as long as her husband lives. If her husband sleeps, she is at liberty to marry whomever she wishes, only in the Lord. ⁴⁰ But she is happier if she remains as she is, in my judgment. And I think indeed that I have the Spirit of God.