The workers in the vineyard
1Jesus said:
‘Where God in heaven rules over all, it is like when a man went out in the morning to get workers to work for him in his vineyard. 2He talked to the workers and they agreed that he would pay each worker one silver_coin. Then they started to work in his vineyard.
3About the 3rd hour (9 o'clock in the morning), he went to the market place and he saw other workers standing there. They did not have work to do. 4He said to them: “You can also come and work in my vineyard. I will pay you what you must get.” 5They started working and at the 6th hour (12 o'clock) he saw more people who did not have work and he made the same agreement with them, and at the 9th hour (3 o'clock) he did the same and got more workers to come and work for him.
6At the 11th hour (5 o'clock) he went to the market place and he saw some more workers who did not have work. He said to them: “Why do you stand here all day? Why are you not working?” 7They said to him: “We are not working because no one has asked us to work.” Then the man said to them: “You can come and work in my vineyard.”
8At the end of the day the man said to his manager: “Call all the workers and pay them what they must get. You must first pay the workers that started last and then pay the workers who started first.” 9The workers who started at the 11th hour (5 o'clock) came first and he gave them their money. He paid them one silver_coin. That was the pay for a full day.
10The workers who had started to work first thought they would get more money. But he also paid them one silver_coin. 11They were not happy with their money. They went to the farmer and said it was not right. 12They said: “These last workers who started working late worked for only one hour. You gave them the same as you gave us, but we have worked hard in the sun all day long.”
13The man said to one of them: “My friend, I did nothing wrong to you. Remember, you and I agreed that I would pay you one silver_coin. 14You must take your money and go. I can decide to give the last workers the same as I gave you. 15I can do what I want with my money. Why are you jealous because I was good to them?” 16Many people who are not important now will be important then and people who are important now will be unimportant then.’
Jesus says the 3rd time that He will die and live again
17Jesus was going to Jerusalem. He took his 12 disciples to a place where no other people were and He said to them: 18‘Listen, we are now going to Jerusalem. They will give Me, the Son of man, to the chief_priests and to the teachers_of_the_Laws and they will decide that I must die. 19Then they will give Me to the Gentiles, and the Gentiles will mock Me and beat Me with a whip and they will crucify Me. But on the 3rd day God will make Me live again.’
James and John want to sit next to Jesus
20The mother of James and John came to Jesus with her 2 sons. She knelt before Him and asked Him to do something for her. 21Jesus asked her: ‘What do you want Me to do for you?’ She said to Him: ‘You will rule and be King over all. Please promise that You will let my 2 sons sit next to You, one on your right hand side and one on your left hand side.’
22Jesus said to her: ‘You do not know what you are asking. Can you suffer like I have to suffer? Can you drink from the cup that I have to drink?’ They answered Him: ‘Yes, we can do it.’
23Jesus said to them: ‘Yes, you will drink from the same cup that I must drink from. But I can not decide who will sit next to Me. My Father has already decided who will sit there.’
24When the other 10 disciples heard what the 2 brothers had asked, they were angry with them. 25Jesus called the disciples to Him and He said to them: ‘You know that there are kings and rulers who rule over their people and oppress them. There are important_leaders who always want to rule with power and show how strong they are. 26You must not do the same. If one of you wants to be the most important, then he must serve other people. 27The person who wants to be the first, or the most important, must be the slave of other people. 28You must do what I do. I, the Son of man, came to the earth to serve everyone. I did not come so that people must serve Me. I have come to give my life and to die. This is how I will pay to make many people free of punishment for their sins.’
Jesus heals 2 blind men
29Jesus and his disciples went out of Jericho and many people went with them. 30There were 2 blind men sitting next to the road. When they heard that Jesus was coming, they started to shout_loudly and they said: ‘Lord, Son of David, please feel sorry for us and help us.’
31The people rebuked them and said they must keep quiet, but they shouted even more loudly: ‘Lord, Son of David, please feel sorry for us and help us.’
32Jesus stopped and He called them and said: ‘What do you want Me to do for you?’
33They said: ‘Lord, we want to see.’
34Jesus felt sorry for them and He touched their eyes. Immediately the 2 men could see and they followed Jesus.
