Read the Gospels in 40 Days
A Call to Repent
13 Now[a] there were some present on that occasion who told him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mixed with their sacrifices.[b] 2 He[c] answered them, “Do you think these Galileans were worse sinners[d] than all the other Galileans, because they suffered these things? 3 No, I tell you! But unless you repent,[e] you will all perish as well![f] 4 Or those eighteen who were killed[g] when the tower in Siloam fell on them,[h] do you think they were worse offenders than all the others who live in Jerusalem? 5 No, I tell you! But unless you repent[i] you will all perish as well!”[j]
Warning to Israel to Bear Fruit
6 Then[k] Jesus[l] told this parable: “A man had a fig tree[m] planted in his vineyard, and he came looking for fruit on it and found none. 7 So[n] he said to the worker who tended the vineyard, ‘For[o] three years[p] now, I have come looking for fruit on this fig tree, and each time I inspect it[q] I find none. Cut[r] it down! Why[s] should it continue to deplete[t] the soil?’ 8 But the worker[u] answered him, ‘Sir, leave it alone this year too, until I dig around it and put fertilizer[v] on it. 9 Then if[w] it bears fruit next year,[x] very well,[y] but if[z] not, you can cut it down.’”
Healing on the Sabbath
10 Now he was teaching in one of the synagogues[aa] on the Sabbath, 11 and a woman was there[ab] who had been disabled by a spirit[ac] for eighteen years. She[ad] was bent over and could not straighten herself up completely.[ae] 12 When[af] Jesus saw her, he called her to him[ag] and said, “Woman,[ah] you are freed[ai] from your infirmity.”[aj] 13 Then[ak] he placed his hands on her, and immediately[al] she straightened up and praised God. 14 But the president of the synagogue, indignant because Jesus had healed on the Sabbath, said to the crowd, “There are six days on which work[am] should be done![an] So come[ao] and be healed on those days, and not on the Sabbath day.” 15 Then the Lord answered him,[ap] “You hypocrites! Does not each of you on the Sabbath untie his ox or his donkey from its stall,[aq] and lead it to water?[ar] 16 Then[as] shouldn’t[at] this woman, a daughter of Abraham whom Satan[au] bound for eighteen long[av] years, be released from this imprisonment[aw] on the Sabbath day?” 17 When[ax] he said this all his adversaries were humiliated,[ay] but[az] the entire crowd was rejoicing at all the wonderful things[ba] he was doing.[bb]
On the Kingdom of God
18 Thus Jesus[bc] asked,[bd] “What is the kingdom of God[be] like?[bf] To[bg] what should I compare it? 19 It is like a mustard seed[bh] that a man took and sowed[bi] in his garden. It[bj] grew and became a tree,[bk] and the wild birds[bl] nested in its branches.”[bm]
20 Again[bn] he said, “To what should I compare the kingdom of God?[bo] 21 It is like yeast that a woman took and mixed with[bp] three measures[bq] of flour until all the dough had risen.”[br]
The Narrow Door
22 Then[bs] Jesus[bt] traveled throughout[bu] towns[bv] and villages, teaching and making his way toward[bw] Jerusalem. 23 Someone[bx] asked[by] him, “Lord, will only a few[bz] be saved?” So[ca] he said to them, 24 “Exert every effort[cb] to enter through the narrow door, because many, I tell you, will try to enter and will not be able to. 25 Once[cc] the head of the house[cd] gets up[ce] and shuts the door, then you will stand outside and start to knock on the door and beg him, ‘Lord,[cf] let us in!’[cg] But he will answer you,[ch] ‘I don’t know where you come from.’[ci] 26 Then you will begin to say, ‘We ate and drank in your presence, and you taught in our streets.’[cj] 27 But[ck] he will reply,[cl] ‘I don’t know where you come from![cm] Go away from me, all you evildoers!’[cn] 28 There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth[co] when you see Abraham, Isaac, Jacob,[cp] and all the prophets in the kingdom of God[cq] but you yourselves thrown out.[cr] 29 Then[cs] people[ct] will come from east and west, and from north and south, and take their places at the banquet table[cu] in the kingdom of God.[cv] 30 But[cw] indeed,[cx] some are last[cy] who will be first, and some are first who will be last.”
Going to Jerusalem
31 At that time,[cz] some Pharisees[da] came up and said to Jesus,[db] “Get away from here,[dc] because Herod[dd] wants to kill you.” 32 But[de] he said to them, “Go[df] and tell that fox,[dg] ‘Look, I am casting out demons and performing healings today and tomorrow, and on the third day[dh] I will complete my work.[di] 33 Nevertheless I must[dj] go on my way today and tomorrow and the next day, because it is impossible[dk] that a prophet should be killed[dl] outside Jerusalem.’[dm] 34 O Jerusalem, Jerusalem,[dn] you who kill the prophets and stone those who are sent to you![do] How often I have longed[dp] to gather your children together as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but[dq] you would have none of it![dr] 35 Look, your house is forsaken![ds] And I tell you, you will not see me until you say, ‘Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord!’”[dt]
Healing Again on the Sabbath
14 Now[du] one Sabbath when Jesus went to dine[dv] at the house of a leader[dw] of the Pharisees,[dx] they were watching[dy] him closely. 2 There[dz] right[ea] in front of him was a man whose body was swollen with fluid.[eb] 3 So[ec] Jesus asked[ed] the experts in religious law[ee] and the Pharisees, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath[ef] or not?” 4 But they remained silent. So[eg] Jesus[eh] took hold of the man,[ei] healed him, and sent him away.[ej] 5 Then[ek] he said to them, “Which of you, if you have a son[el] or an ox that has fallen into a well on a Sabbath day, will not immediately pull him out?” 6 But[em] they could not reply[en] to this.
On Seeking Seats of Honor
7 Then[eo] when Jesus[ep] noticed how the guests[eq] chose the places of honor,[er] he told them a parable. He said to them, 8 “When you are invited by someone to a wedding feast,[es] do not take[et] the place of honor, because a person more distinguished than you may have been invited by your host.[eu] 9 So[ev] the host who invited both of you will come and say to you, ‘Give this man your place.’ Then, ashamed,[ew] you will begin to move to the least important[ex] place. 10 But when you are invited, go and take the least important place, so that when your host[ey] approaches he will say to you, ‘Friend, move up here to a better place.’[ez] Then you will be honored in the presence of all who share the meal with you. 11 For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but[fa] the one who humbles[fb] himself will be exalted.”
12 He[fc] said also to the man[fd] who had invited him, “When you host a dinner or a banquet,[fe] don’t invite your friends or your brothers or your relatives or rich neighbors so you can be invited by them in return and get repaid. 13 But when you host an elaborate meal,[ff] invite the poor, the crippled,[fg] the lame, and[fh] the blind.[fi] 14 Then[fj] you will be blessed,[fk] because they cannot repay you, for you will be repaid[fl] at the resurrection of the righteous.”
The Parable of the Great Banquet
15 When[fm] one of those at the meal with Jesus[fn] heard this, he said to him, “Blessed is everyone[fo] who will feast[fp] in the kingdom of God!”[fq] 16 But Jesus[fr] said to him, “A man once gave a great banquet[fs] and invited[ft] many guests.[fu] 17 At[fv] the time for the banquet[fw] he sent his slave[fx] to tell those who had been invited, ‘Come, because everything is now ready.’ 18 But one after another they all[fy] began to make excuses.[fz] The first said to him, ‘I have bought a field,[ga] and I must go out and see it. Please excuse me.’[gb] 19 Another[gc] said, ‘I have bought five yoke of oxen,[gd] and I am going out[ge] to examine them. Please excuse me.’ 20 Another[gf] said, ‘I just got married, and I cannot come.’[gg] 21 So[gh] the slave came back and reported this to his master. Then the master of the household was furious[gi] and said to his slave, ‘Go out quickly[gj] to the streets and alleys of the city,[gk] and bring in the poor,[gl] the crippled,[gm] the blind, and the lame.’ 22 Then[gn] the slave said, ‘Sir, what you instructed has been done, and there is still room.’[go] 23 So[gp] the master said to his[gq] slave, ‘Go out to the highways[gr] and country roads[gs] and urge[gt] people[gu] to come in, so that my house will be filled.[gv] 24 For I tell you, not one of those individuals[gw] who were invited[gx] will taste my banquet!’”[gy]
Counting the Cost
25 Now large crowds[gz] were accompanying Jesus,[ha] and turning to them he said, 26 “If anyone comes to me and does not hate[hb] his own father and mother, and wife and children, and brothers and sisters, and even his own life,[hc] he cannot be my disciple. 27 Whoever does not carry his own cross[hd] and follow[he] me cannot be my disciple. 28 For which of you, wanting to build a tower, doesn’t sit down[hf] first and compute the cost[hg] to see if he has enough money to complete it? 29 Otherwise,[hh] when he has laid[hi] a foundation and is not able to finish the tower,[hj] all who see it[hk] will begin to make fun of[hl] him. 30 They will say,[hm] ‘This man[hn] began to build and was not able to finish!’[ho] 31 Or what king, going out to confront another king in battle, will not sit down[hp] first and determine whether he is able with 10,000 to oppose[hq] the one coming against him with 20,000? 32 If he cannot succeed,[hr] he will send a representative[hs] while the other is still a long way off and ask for terms of peace.[ht] 33 In the same way therefore not one of you can be my disciple if he does not renounce all his own possessions.[hu]
34 “Salt[hv] is good, but if salt loses its flavor,[hw] how can its flavor be restored? 35 It is of no value[hx] for the soil or for the manure pile; it is to be thrown out.[hy] The one who has ears to hear had better listen!”[hz]
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