Luke
13
- Now there were some present at that time
who told Jesus about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mixed with their
sacrifices.
- Jesus answered, "Do you think that
these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans because they
suffered this way?
- I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you
too will all perish.
- Or those eighteen who died when the tower
in Siloam fell on them--do you think they were more guilty than all the others
living in Jerusalem?
- I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you
too will all perish."
- Then he told this parable: "A man had
a fig tree, planted in his vineyard, and he went to look for fruit on it,
but did not find any.
- So he said to the man who took care of the
vineyard, 'For three years now I've been coming to look for fruit on this
fig tree and haven't found any. Cut it down! Why should it use up the soil?'
- "'Sir,' the man replied, 'leave it
alone for one more year, and I'll dig around it and fertilize it.
- If it bears fruit next year, fine! If not,
then cut it down.'"
- On a Sabbath Jesus was teaching in one of
the synagogues,
- and a woman was there who had been crippled
by a spirit for eighteen years. She was bent over and could not straighten
up at all.
- When Jesus saw her, he called her forward
and said to her, "Woman, you are set free from your infirmity."
- Then he put his hands on her, and immediately
she straightened up and praised God.
- Indignant because Jesus had healed on the
Sabbath, the synagogue ruler said to the people, "There are six days
for work. So come and be healed on those days, not on the Sabbath."
- The Lord answered him, "You hypocrites!
Doesn't each of you on the Sabbath untie his ox or donkey from the stall and
lead it out to give it water?
- Then should not this woman, a daughter of
Abraham, whom Satan has kept bound for eighteen long years, be set free on
the Sabbath day from what bound her?"
- When he said this, all his opponents were
humiliated, but the people were delighted with all the wonderful things he
was doing.
- Then Jesus asked, "What is the kingdom
of God like? What shall I compare it to?
- It is like a mustard seed, which a man took
and planted in his garden. It grew and became a tree, and the birds of the
air perched in its branches."
- Again he asked, "What shall I compare
the kingdom of God to?
- It is like yeast that a woman took and mixed
into a large amount of flour until it worked all through the dough."
- Then Jesus went through the towns and villages,
teaching as he made his way to Jerusalem.
- Someone asked him, "Lord, are only
a few people going to be saved?" He said to them,
- "Make every effort to enter through
the narrow door, because many, I tell you, will try to enter and will not
be able to.
- Once the owner of the house gets up and
closes the door, you will stand outside knocking and pleading, 'Sir, open
the door for us.' "But he will answer, 'I don't know you or where you
come from.'
- "Then you will say, 'We ate and drank
with you, and you taught in our streets.'
- "But he will reply, 'I don't know you
or where you come from. Away from me, all you evildoers!'
- "There will be weeping there, and gnashing
of teeth, when you see Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the
kingdom of God, but you yourselves thrown out.
- People will come from east and west and
north and south, and will take their places at the feast in the kingdom of
God.
- Indeed there are those who are last who
will be first, and first who will be last."
- At that time some Pharisees came to Jesus
and said to him, "Leave this place and go somewhere else. Herod wants
to kill you."
- He replied, "Go tell that fox, 'I will
drive out demons and heal people today and tomorrow, and on the third day
I will reach my goal.'
- In any case, I must keep going today and
tomorrow and the next day--for surely no prophet can die outside Jerusalem!
- "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill
the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather
your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you
were not willing!
- Look, your house is left to you desolate.
I tell you, you will not see me again until you say, 'Blessed is he who comes
in the name of the Lord.'"
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