Bible Reading Plan – Day 290

₁Jesus was walking through some cornfields on the Sabbath. His disciples began to pick the ears of corn, rub them in their hands, and eat the grain. ₂Some Pharisees asked, “Why are you doing what our Law says you cannot do on the Sabbath?”

₃Jesus answered them, “Haven't you read what David did when he and his men were hungry? ₄He went into the house of God, took the bread offered to God, ate it, and gave it also to his men. Yet it is against our Law for anyone except the priests to eat that bread.”

₅And Jesus concluded, “The Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath.”

₆On another Sabbath Jesus went into a synagogue and taught. A man was there whose right hand was paralysed. ₇Some teachers of the Law and some Pharisees wanted a reason to accuse Jesus of doing wrong, so they watched him closely to see if he would heal on the Sabbath. ₈But Jesus knew their thoughts and said to the man, “Stand up and come here to the front.” The man got up and stood there. ₉Then Jesus said to them, “I ask you: what does our Law allow us to do on the Sabbath? To help or to harm? To save someone's life or destroy it?” ₁₀He looked around at them all; then he said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” He did so, and his hand became well again.

₁₁They were filled with rage and began to discuss among themselves what they could do to Jesus.

₁₂At that time Jesus went up a hill to pray and spent the whole night there praying to God. ₁₃When day came, he called his disciples to him and chose twelve of them, whom he named apostles: ₁₄Simon (whom he named Peter) and his brother Andrew; James and John, Philip and Bartholomew, ₁₅Matthew and Thomas, James son of Alphaeus, and Simon (who was called the Patriot), ₁₆Judas son of James, and Judas Iscariot, who became the traitor.

₁₇When Jesus had come down from the hill with the apostles, he stood on a level place with a large number of his disciples. A large crowd of people was there from all over Judea and from Jerusalem and from the coastal cities of Tyre and Sidon; ₁₈they had come to hear him and to be healed of their diseases. Those who were troubled by evil spirits also came and were healed. ₁₉All the people tried to touch him, for power was going out from him and healing them all.

₂₀Jesus looked at his disciples and said,

₂₂“Happy are you when people hate you, reject you, insult you, and say that you are evil, all because of the Son of Man! ₂₃Be glad when that happens, and dance for joy, because a great reward is kept for you in heaven. For their ancestors did the very same things to the prophets.

₂₆“How terrible when all people speak well of you; their ancestors said the very same things about the false prophets.

₂₇“But I tell you who hear me: love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, ₂₈bless those who curse you, and pray for those who ill-treat you. ₂₉If anyone hits you on one cheek, let him hit the other one too; if someone takes your coat, let him have your shirt as well. ₃₀Give to everyone who asks you for something, and when someone takes what is yours, do not ask for it back. ₃₁Do for others just what you want them to do for you.

₃₂“If you love only the people who love you, why should you receive a blessing? Even sinners love those who love them! ₃₃And if you do good only to those who do good to you, why should you receive a blessing? Even sinners do that! ₃₄And if you lend only to those from whom you hope to get it back, why should you receive a blessing? Even sinners lend to sinners, to get back the same amount! ₃₅No! Love your enemies and do good to them; lend and expect nothing back. You will then have a great reward, and you will be children of the Most High God. For he is good to the ungrateful and the wicked. ₃₆Be merciful just as your Father is merciful.

₃₇“Do not judge others, and God will not judge you; do not condemn others, and God will not condemn you; forgive others, and God will forgive you. ₃₈Give to others, and God will give to you. Indeed, you will receive a full measure, a generous helping, poured into your hands — all that you can hold. The measure you use for others is the one that God will use for you.”

₃₉And Jesus told them this parable: “One blind man cannot lead another one; if he does, both will fall into a ditch. ₄₀No pupil is greater than his teacher; but every pupil, when he has completed his training, will be like his teacher.

₄₁“Why do you look at the speck in your brother's eye, but pay no attention to the log in your own eye? ₄₂How can you say to your brother, ‘Please, brother, let me take that speck out of your eye,’ yet cannot even see the log in your own eye? You hypocrite! First take the log out of your own eye, and then you will be able to see clearly to take the speck out of your brother's eye.

₄₃“A healthy tree does not bear bad fruit, nor does a poor tree bear good fruit. ₄₄Every tree is known by the fruit it bears; you do not pick figs from thorn bushes or gather grapes from bramble bushes. ₄₅A good person brings good out of the treasure of good things in his heart; a bad person brings bad out of his treasure of bad things. For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of.

₄₆“Why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and yet don't do what I tell you? ₄₇Anyone who comes to me and listens to my words and obeys them — I will show you what he is like. ₄₈He is like a man who, in building his house, dug deep and laid the foundation on rock. The river overflowed and hit that house but could not shake it, because it was well built. ₄₉But anyone who hears my words and does not obey them is like a man who built his house without laying a foundation; when the flood hit that house it fell at once — and what a terrible crash that was!”

₁When Jesus had finished saying all these things to the people, he went to Capernaum. ₂A Roman officer there had a servant who was very dear to him; the man was sick and about to die. ₃When the officer heard about Jesus, he sent some Jewish elders to ask him to come and heal his servant. ₄They came to Jesus and begged him earnestly, “This man really deserves your help. ₅He loves our people and he himself built a synagogue for us.”

₆So Jesus went with them. He was not far from the house when the officer sent friends to tell him, “Sir, don't trouble yourself. I do not deserve to have you come into my house, ₇neither do I consider myself worthy to come to you in person. Just give the order, and my servant will get well. ₈I, too, am a man placed under the authority of superior officers, and I have soldiers under me. I order this one, ‘Go!’ and he goes; I order that one, ‘Come!’ and he comes; and I order my slave, ‘Do this!’ and he does it.”

₉Jesus was surprised when he heard this; he turned round and said to the crowd following him, “I tell you, I have never found faith like this, not even in Israel!”

₁₀The messengers went back to the officer's house and found his servant well.

₁₁Soon afterwards Jesus went to a town called Nain, accompanied by his disciples and a large crowd. ₁₂Just as he arrived at the gate of the town, a funeral procession was coming out. The dead man was the only son of a woman who was a widow, and a large crowd from the town was with her. ₁₃When the Lord saw her, his heart was filled with pity for her, and he said to her, “Don't cry.” ₁₄Then he walked over and touched the coffin, and the men carrying it stopped. Jesus said, “Young man! Get up, I tell you!” ₁₅The dead man sat up and began to talk, and Jesus gave him back to his mother.

₁₆They all were filled with fear and praised God. “A great prophet has appeared among us!” they said; “God has come to save his people!”

₁₇This news about Jesus went out through all the country and the surrounding territory.

₁₈When John's disciples told him about all these things, he called two of them ₁₉and sent them to the Lord to ask him, “Are you the one John said was going to come, or should we expect someone else?”

₂₀When they came to Jesus, they said, “John the Baptist sent us to ask if you are the one he said was going to come, or if we should expect someone else.”

₂₁At that very time Jesus cured many people of their sicknesses, diseases, and evil spirits, and gave sight to many blind people. ₂₂He answered John's messengers, “Go back and tell John what you have seen and heard: the blind can see, the lame can walk, those who suffer from dreaded skin diseases are made clean, the deaf can hear, the dead are raised to life, and the Good News is preached to the poor. ₂₃How happy are those who have no doubts about me!”

₂₄After John's messengers had left, Jesus began to speak about him to the crowds: “When you went out to John in the desert, what did you expect to see? A blade of grass bending in the wind? ₂₅What did you go out to see? A man dressed up in fancy clothes? People who dress like that and live in luxury are found in palaces! ₂₆Tell me, what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes indeed, but you saw much more than a prophet. ₂₇For John is the one of whom the scripture says: ‘God said, I will send my messenger ahead of you to open the way for you.’ ₂₈I tell you,” Jesus added, “John is greater than anyone who has ever lived. But the one who is least in the Kingdom of God is greater than John.”

₂₉All the people heard him; they and especially the tax collectors were the ones who had obeyed God's righteous demands and had been baptized by John. ₃₀But the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law rejected God's purpose for themselves and refused to be baptized by John.

₃₁Jesus continued, “Now to what can I compare the people of this day? What are they like? ₃₂They are like children sitting in the market place. One group shouts to the other, ‘We played wedding music for you, but you wouldn't dance! We sang funeral songs, but you wouldn't cry!’ ₃₃John the Baptist came, and he fasted and drank no wine, and you said, ‘He has a demon in him!’ ₃₄The Son of Man came, and he ate and drank, and you said, ‘Look at this man! He is a glutton and a drinker, a friend of tax collectors and other outcasts!’ ₃₅God's wisdom, however, is shown to be true by all who accept it.”