M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan

The parable of the fig tree

13 At that moment some people came up and told them the news. Some Galileans had been in the Temple, and Pilate had mixed their blood with that of the sacrifices.

² Jesus’ response was this. “Do you suppose,” he said, “that those Galileans suffered such things because they were greater sinners than all other Galileans? ³ No, let me tell you! Unless you repent, you will all be destroyed in the same way.

⁴ “And what about those eighteen who were killed when the tower in Siloam collapsed on top of them? Do you imagine they were more blameworthy than everyone else who lives in Jerusalem? ⁵ No, let me tell you! Unless you repent, you will all be destroyed in the same way.”

⁶ He told them this parable. “Once upon a time there was a man who had a fig tree in his vineyard. He came to it looking for fruit, and didn’t find any. ⁷ So he said to the gardener, ‘Look here! I’ve been coming to this fig tree for three years hoping to find some fruit, and I haven’t found any! Cut it down! Why should it use up the soil?’

⁸ “ ‘I tell you what, Master,’ replied the gardener; ‘let it alone for just this one year more. I’ll dig all round it and put on some manure. ⁹ Then, if it fruits next year, well and good; and if not, you can cut it down.’ ”

Jesus heals a crippled woman on the sabbath

¹⁰ One sabbath, Jesus was teaching in one of the synagogues. ¹¹ There was a woman there who had had a spirit of weakness for eighteen years. She was bent double, and couldn’t stand fully upright. ¹² Jesus saw her and called to her.

¹³ “Woman,” he said, laying his hands on her, “you are freed from your affliction.” And at once she stood upright, and praised God.

¹⁴ The synagogue president was angry that Jesus had healed on the sabbath.

“Look here,” he said to the crowd, “there are six days for people to work! Come on one of those days and be healed, not on the sabbath day!”

¹⁵ “You bunch of hypocrites!” replied Jesus. “You would all be quite happy to untie an ox or a donkey from its stall on the sabbath day and lead it out for a drink! ¹⁶ And isn’t it right that this daughter of Abraham, tied up by the satan for these eighteen years, should be untied from her chains on the sabbath day?”

¹⁷ At that, all the people who had been opposing him were ashamed. The whole crowd was overjoyed at all the splendid things he was doing.

¹⁸ So Jesus said, “What is God’s kingdom like? What shall we compare it with? ¹⁹ It’s like a mustard seed that someone took and placed in his garden. It grew, and became a tree, and the birds of the sky made nests in its branches.”

²⁰ And again he said, “What shall we say God’s kingdom is like? ²¹ It’s like leaven that a woman took and hid in three measures of flour, until the whole thing was leavened.”

Entering through the narrow door

²² Jesus went through the towns and villages, teaching as he went, making his way towards Jerusalem.

²³ “Master,” somebody said to him, “will there be only a few that are saved?”

²⁴ “Struggle hard,” Jesus replied, “to get in by the narrow gate. Let me tell you: many will try to get in and won’t be able to. ²⁵ When the householder gets up and shuts the door—at that moment you will begin to stand outside and knock at the door and say, ‘Master, open the door for us.’ Then he will say in response, ‘I don’t know where you’ve come from.’ ²⁶ Then you will begin to say, ‘We ate with you and drank with you, and you taught in our streets!’ ²⁷ And he will say to you, ‘I don’t know where you people are from. Be off with you, you wicked lot.’

²⁸ “That’s where you’ll find weeping and gnashing of teeth: when you see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in God’s kingdom, and you yourselves thrown out. ²⁹ People will come from East and West, from North and South, and sit down to feast in God’s kingdom. ³⁰ And, listen to this: some who are last will be first, and some of the first will be last.”

Jesus grieves over Jerusalem

³¹ Just then some Pharisees came up and spoke to Jesus.

“Get away from here,” they said, “because Herod wants to kill you.”

³² “Go and tell that fox,” replied Jesus, “ ‘Look here: I’m casting out demons today and tomorrow, and completing my healings. I’ll be finished by the third day. ³³ But I have to continue my travels today, tomorrow and the day after that! It couldn’t happen that a prophet would perish away from Jerusalem.’

³⁴ “Jerusalem, Jerusalem! You kill the prophets, and stone the people sent to you! How many times did I want to collect your children, like a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you would have none of it! ³⁵ Look, your house has been abandoned. Let me tell you this: you will never see me until you are prepared to say, ‘Welcome with a blessing in the name of the Lord!’ ”

Priorities in worship

14 Pursue love; and long for the spiritual gifts, especially that you may prophesy. ² Someone who speaks in a tongue, you see, isn’t speaking to human beings but to God. Nobody can understand such speakers, because they speak mysteries in the spirit. ³ But the one who prophesies speaks to other people, to build them up, to strengthen them, and to console them. ⁴ The one who speaks in a tongue builds up himself or herself; but the one who prophesies builds up the church.

⁵ I would be delighted for all of you to speak in tongues, but I would be even more delighted to have you all prophesying. The one who prophesies is greater than the one who speaks in a tongue, unless they also give an interpretation so that the church may be built up.

Speaking clearly in church

⁶ Well then, my brothers and sisters, if I come to you speaking in tongues, how am I going to bring you any benefit unless I speak to you either in a revelation or in a word of knowledge or in a prophecy or in teaching? ⁷ It’s the same with lifeless objects that make a sound, like a flute or a lyre. If they don’t give a distinct note, how will anyone know what tune is being blown or plucked? ⁸ Think about it: if the trumpet doesn’t make a clear sound, who will get ready to fight?

⁹ It’s the same with you. Unless your tongue gives a distinct message, how will anyone be able to tell what you’re talking about? You will be like someone speaking into thin air. ¹⁰ To be sure, there are all kinds and types of languages in the world, and none of them is meaningless. ¹¹ But if I don’t know the force of the words, I will remain a foreigner to the speaker, and the speaker will be a foreigner to me. ¹² It’s the same with you. Since you are so eager for spiritual matters, try to specialize in doing things that will build up the church.

Praying with mind as well as spirit

¹³ So the one who speaks in a tongue should pray to be able to say the same thing in clear speech. ¹⁴ If I pray in a tongue, you see, my spirit prays, but my mind remains fruitless. ¹⁵ Why is that important? I will pray with the spirit, and I will pray with the mind as well. I will sing with the spirit, and I will sing with the mind as well. ¹⁶ You see, if you say a blessing in the spirit, how can someone who isn’t one of the inner circle say the “Amen” to your prayer? They won’t know what you’re talking about! ¹⁷ You may well be giving thanks in fine style, but the other person isn’t being built up. ¹⁸ I thank God that I speak in tongues more than all of you. ¹⁹ But in the assembly I would rather speak five words with my mind, to teach other people, than a thousand words in a tongue.

Signs for believers and unbelievers

²⁰ Brothers and sisters, don’t be children in your thinking. Be babies when it comes to evil, but in your thinking be grown-ups. ²¹ This is what it says in the law: “I will speak to this people in foreign languages and with the lips of strangers, and even so they won’t listen to me, says the Lord.” ²² So tongues are not meant for believers, but are a warning for unbelievers; while prophecy is not designed for unbelievers, but for those who come to faith. ²³ What I mean is this: if the whole assembly comes together and everybody speaks in tongues, and outsiders or unbelievers come in, they’ll say you’re crazy, won’t they? ²⁴ But if everyone prophesies, and outsiders or unbelievers come in, they will be called to account by everyone, judged by everyone, ²⁵ the secrets of their hearts will be laid bare, and so they will fall down on their faces and worship God, declaring that “God is truly among you.”

Final instructions for worship

²⁶ So where does this leave us, my brothers and sisters? When you come together, one person has a psalm, another some teaching, another a revelation, another a tongue, and another some interpretation. Let everything be done for the general upbuilding. ²⁷ If anyone speaks in a tongue, there should be two or at most three, each taking their turn, and one of them should put it into plain speech. ²⁸ But if none of them can do that, let them be silent in the assembly, and speak to themselves and to God.

²⁹ As for prophets, let two or three speak, and the others evaluate what is said. ³⁰ If fresh revelation comes to someone sitting there, the first person should be silent. ³¹ You can all prophesy one by one, so that everyone can learn, and everyone can be encouraged. ³² The spirits of prophets are under the control of prophets, ³³ since God is the God, not of chaos, but of peace.

As in all the assemblies of God’s people, ³⁴ the women should keep silence in the assemblies. They are not permitted to speak; they should remain in submission, just as the law declares. ³⁵ If they want to understand something more, they should ask their own husbands when they get home. It’s shameful, you see, for a woman to speak in the assembly. ³⁶ Do you suppose God’s word began with you? Are you the only ones it has reached?

³⁷ If anyone thinks they are a prophet, or spiritual, they should acknowledge that what I write to you is the Lord’s command. ³⁸ If anyone disregards this, they can be disregarded.

³⁹ So, my brothers and sisters, be eager to prophesy, and don’t forbid speaking in tongues. ⁴⁰ But everything should be done in a seemly fashion, and in proper order.