The Gospel Part 16

So it is with whoever lays up treasure for himself and is not rich toward G.o.d.

Jesus said to His disciples, Therefore, take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat; or for the body, what ye shall put on. Life is more than meat, and the body is more than raiment.

Consider the ravens. They neither sow nor reap. They have no storehouse or barn. G.o.d feeds them. How much better than the fowls are ye? And who of you, by thinking or reasoning, can add to his stature one cubit? If you are not able to do that which is so little, why take thought for the rest?

Consider the lilies and how they grow! They toil not, they spin not; and yet, I say to you, Solomon, in all his glory, was not arrayed like one of these. If G.o.d, then, so clothes the gra.s.s, which is today in the field and tomorrow cast into the oven; how much more will He clothe you, O ye of little faith?

Seek not what ye shall eat or drink. Neither be of a doubtful mind. For these same things do all the nations of the world seek after, and your Father knows that ye have need of these things. Instead, seek ye the kingdom of G.o.d and all these things shall be added to you.

Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom. Sell what you have and give alms. Provide yourselves with purses that do not wear out, a treasure in the heavens that does not fail, where no thief approaches, nor moth corrupts. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.

Let your loins be girded about and your lights kept burning. Be like those who wait for their lord to return from the wedding that, when he comes and knocks, they are ready to welcome him instantly. Blessed are those servants, who, when the lord comes, He finds ready and waiting.

And consider this, if the good man of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched, and not suffered his house to be broken into. So, be ready because the Son of man comes at an hour when you think not.

Then Peter said to Him, Lord, will you speak more about this parable to us, or even to all? The Lord said, Who, then, is that faithful and wise steward whom his lord shall make ruler over his household to justly give out the portions of meat in due season? Blessed is that servant whom his lord, when he comes, shall find already doing so. I tell you, he will make him ruler over all that he has.

But if a servant says in his heart, My lord delays his coming; and so begins to beat the menservants and maidens, and to eat and drink to excess; the lord of that servant will come in a day when the servant does not look for him and at an hour when he is not aware. His lord will cast him aside and appoint him his portion with the unbelievers.

That servant, who knew his lord's will but did not prepare or act according to his lord's will, shall be beaten with many stripes.

But he that did not know and committed things worthy of stripes, shall be beaten lightly. To whomever much is given, of him much is required.

To whomever much is entrusted, of him even much more will be demanded.

I came to set the earth on fire; and I wish it was already kindled. But I have a baptism to be baptized with; and am I bound until it is accomplished!

Do you suppose that I came to give peace on earth? I tell you, No; but rather division. From now on there shall be five in one house divided, three against two, and two against three. The father shall be divided against the son, and the son against the father; the mother against the daughter, and the daughter against the mother; the mother in law against her daughter in law, and the daughter in law against her mother in law.

Then Jesus said to the people, When ye see a cloud rise out of the west, ye say, A shower is coming; and so it is. When ye see the south wind blow, ye say, It is going to be hot; and it comes to pa.s.s. Ye hypocrites, ye can discern the face of the sky and of the earth; but how is it that ye do not discern this time? And why do you not judge, within yourselves, what is right?

When you go with your adversary to court, settle along the way so you may be delivered from him; lest he hale thee to the judge, and the judge deliver thee to the officer, and the officer cast thee into prison. You will not leave there until you have paid every last cent.

13 Among those present were some who said that Pilate mingled blood of the Galilaeans with their sacrifices. Jesus said to them, Do you suppose these Galilaeans were sinners above all other Galilaeans because they suffered such things? I tell you, No: but, unless you repent, you shall all likewise perish. Or the eighteen upon whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed; do you think they were sinners above all men who lived in Jerusalem? I tell you again, No: but, unless you repent, ye shall all likewise perish.

Jesus told this parable. A man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard.

He came out to get some fruit and found none. He said to the dresser of his vineyard, Behold, for three years I have come seeking fruit on this fig tree and found none. Cut it down; why have it take up s.p.a.ce? His dresser said to him, Lord, let it alone this year also, until I dig around it and fertilize it. If it bears fruit, all is well, and, if not, then afterward it shall be cut down.

He was teaching in one of the synagogues on the sabbath. He saw a woman who, for eighteen years, had been bowed over and could not stand upright. When Jesus recognized her, He called her to Him, and said, Woman, thou art loosed from this infirmity. He laid His hands on her and, immediately she was made straight, and glorified G.o.d.

The ruler of the synagogue, filled with indignation because Jesus had healed on the sabbath day, said to the people, There are six days in which men ought to work. On those days, therefore, come and be healed, and not on the sabbath day.

The Lord said to the ruler of the synagogue, Thou hypocrite, does not each one of you on the sabbath loose his ox or his a.s.s from the stall, and lead him to be watered? Here is a woman, a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan has bound for eighteen years. Should she not be loosed from this bond on the sabbath day? Upon saying this, Jesus' adversaries were ashamed and the rest of the people rejoiced for all the glorious things that were done by Him.

Then He said, I will tell you what the the Kingdom of G.o.d is like. It is like a grain of mustard seed, which was cast into a garden. It grew up and turned into such a great tree that the fowls of the air lodged in its branches. And He said, The kingdom of G.o.d is like leaven that is put in a few small measures of meal and, in a while, the whole batch is leavened.

Journeying toward Jerusalem, Jesus stopped and taught in many cities and villages along the way. And a follower came forward and asked, Lord, are there only a few that can be saved? Jesus looked out on the group and replied, Strive to enter in at the strait gate. Many, I tell you, will seek to enter in, and shall not be able.

Once the master of the house is risen up, the door is closed. From outside you will knock at the door, saying, Lord, Lord, open the door to us; but He will answer, I do not know who you are.

Then you will say, We have eaten and drunk in thy presence, and thou has taught in our streets. But He shall say, I tell you, I do not know you; depart from me, all you workers of iniquity. There shall be weeping and gnas.h.i.+ng of teeth when ye see Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, and all the prophets in the kingdom of G.o.d, and you are left outside.

They shall come from the east, the west, the north, and the south, and shall sit down in the kingdom of G.o.d. And, behold, the last shall be first, and the first shall be last.

Then one of the Pharisees said to Him, Get out. Leave here for Herod will kill thee. Jesus said, Go and tell that fox, Behold, I cast out devils and I do cures today and tomorrow, and the third day I shall be perfected. Nevertheless, I must walk today and tomorrow and the day following for it cannot be that a prophet perish anywhere but Jerusalem.

O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, which kills the prophets, and stones those who are sent to thee; how often would I have gathered thy children together, as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and ye would not have it! Behold, your house is left desolate and, verily I say to you, Ye shall not see me until the time comes when ye say, Blessed is He that comes in the name of the Lord.

14 It came to pa.s.s, Jesus went to eat at the house of one of the chief Pharisees on the sabbath day. A man was there who had the dropsy.

Jesus, observing that He was being carefully watched, said to the lawyers and Pharisees, Is it lawful to heal on the sabbath day? They held their peace.

Jesus healed the afflicted man and then said, Which of you shall have an a.s.s or an ox fall into a pit and will not straightway pull him out on the sabbath day? Again, they could not answer Him.

Jesus told a parable. He said, When you are invited to a wedding, do not sit down in the highest room; lest one more honorable than you has been invited. The host would have to come and tell you the room was for someone else and, with shame, you move to the lowest room. Instead, sit down in the lowest room. Then the host may come to you and say, Friend, go up higher. You will, then, have the respect of the other guests.

Whoever exalts himself shall be abased; and he who humbles himself shall be exalted.

Then Jesus said to his host, When you make a dinner or a supper, do not call your friends, or your brethren, or kinsmen, or rich neighbors; lest they also invite you in return, and you incur an obligation. When you make a feast, call the poor, the maimed, the lame, the blind. You will be blessed because they cannot repay you; you will be repaid at the resurrection of the just.

When one of them that sat at the table with Jesus heard these things, he said, Blessed is he that shall eat bread in the kingdom of G.o.d. Then Jesus told another parable.

He said, A man made a great supper and invited many people. When it was supper time he sent his servant to say to those who were invited, Come.

All things are now ready. One after another, each one made an excuse.

The first said, I have bought some land and I must go to see it. Please have me excused. Another said, I just purchased five yoke of oxen and I must go to claim them. Please have me excused. Another said, I have just married and cannot come.

The servant returned and reported these things to his lord. Then the master of the house became angry and said, Go out into the streets and lanes of the city. Gather the poor, the maimed, the halt, and the blind and bring them here.

The servant returned and said, Lord, it is done as you commanded, and there is still room. The lord said, Go out, then, into all the highways and compel them to come in so my house may be filled. For I say to you, None of those who were invited shall taste of my supper.

Now there were great mult.i.tudes that followed along with Jesus. He turned around and said to them, If any man comes to me, and does not forsake his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yes, and his own life, he cannot be my disciple. Whoever does not bear his cross and come after me, cannot be my disciple.

Which of you, intending to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost, to see whether you have what is needed to finish it?

Lest, after you have laid the foundation, and are not able to finish it, all that behold it begin to mock you and say, This man began to build but was not able to finish.

Or what king, contemplating war against another king, does not first sit and consult whether he is able, with ten thousand, to meet him that comes against him with twenty thousand? If not, while the other is yet a great way off, he sends his amba.s.sadors to discuss conditions of peace.

So likewise, any of you that does not forsake all he has, cannot be my disciple. Salt is good: but if the salt has lost its savour, with what can it be seasoned? It is not fit for the land, yet not ready for the dunghill; so men cast it aside. He that has ears to hear, let him hear.

15 Seeing how Jesus was often surrounded by publicans and sinners who listened closely to His sayings, the Pharisees and scribes murmured, This man receives sinners and even eats with them. Thus, Jesus spoke another parable.

He said, What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he loses one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness, and search for the one that is lost until he finds it? And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. When he comes home, he calls his friends and neighbors together, saying, Rejoice with me. I have found my sheep which was lost. I say to you, there is more joy in heaven over one sinner that repents, than over ninety-nine just persons who need no repentance.

What woman, having ten pieces of silver, if she loses one piece, does not light a candle, sweep the house, and seek diligently until she finds it? And when she has found it, she calls her friends and her neighbors together, saying, Rejoice with me. I have found the piece that was lost. I say to you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of G.o.d over one sinner that repents.

And He said, A man had two sons. The younger of them said to his father, Father, give me the portion of my inheritance. The father gave him his portion and the younger son journeyed into a far country.

After he spent everything on riotous living and had nothing left, there arose a mighty famine in that land. He began to be in want and the only work he could get was feeding swine in a countryman's field. And he would fain have filled his belly with the husks that the swine ate because he had nothing to eat.

When he came to his senses, he said, How many of my father's hired servants have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger! I will arise and go to my father, and will say to him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before thee. I am no longer worthy to be called thy son; but make me one of thy hired servants.

He arose and went to his father. But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him and had compa.s.sion. He ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him. The son said to him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in thy sight, and am not worthy to be called thy son.