1. Then Jesus said, "Be on guard against the world, prepare yourselves with great strength, so robbers cannot find a way to get you, for the trouble you expect will come."
2. "Truly, I tell you, if the head of the house had known what hour the thief was coming, he would not have let his house be broken into.
3. "Therefore, be dressed in readiness with your lamps lit, for as well the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not know.
4. Later, He was teaching in a church on the sabbath, and a woman came to Him who for eighteen years had been sickened by a spirit, and because of this she was bent over and could not stand up straight.
5. When Jesus saw her, He called her to Him and said, "Woman, you are freed from your sickness."
6. And He laid His hands on her, and she immediately stood up straight and began to glorify God.
7. But the Pharisees were angered and offended that He had again performed healings on the sabbath, and they began saying to the crowd in response: "There are six days to work--so why do you not come on those days to be healed?"
8. But Jesus said to them, "You hypocrites! Do not each of you on the sabbath feed and water your animals, yet this woman--one of your own and one of God's own, whom Satan has afflicted all these years--should she not be released from this bond on the sabbath?
9. "If you do not observe the sabbath as a sabbath, you will never see the Father."
10. And as Jesus said these things to them, they became humiliated, and the entire crowd was rejoicing over the glorious things being done by Him.
11. And He was passing from one village and town to the next, teaching as He went, and proceeding on His way to Jerusalem.
12. And Mary asked Him, "Lord, is everybody to be saved or only a few?"
13. And Jesus said, "The Father chooses one from a thousand and two from ten thousand and they stand together as a single one.
14. "If you bring forth what is within you, what you have will save you. If you do not have that within you, what you do not have within you will kill you."
15. Just at that time, some Pharisees ran up to Him and said, "You must flee now. Herod is looking to kill you."
16. And Jesus said to them, "Go tell that fox that today I cast out demons and perform cures, and tomorrow I do the same, and on the third day I reach my goal.
17. "But, nevertheless, I must move on today, and journey the next day, and the next, for my time is coming, and it cannot be that a prophet should perish anywhere but in Jerusalem.
18. "O Jerusalem, the city that kills its prophets and stones those sent to her. How often I have wanted to gather your children together, just as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, but you would not have it!
19. "In the past, I did not tell you the things about which you asked Me. Now, I am willing to tell them to you, but you are not seeking them.
20. "Behold, your house is on fire; and truly I tell you, you will not see Me until the day when you say, 'Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord.'"
21. Then Jesus taught His disciples saying, "When you are invited by someone to a feast, do not take the place of honor as if it were owed to you, for it could be that someone more important will come and you will be asked to move for that person. Then all will see your shame.
22. "But when you come to the table, take the lowest place, and then when you are invited to sit at a higher seat, your honor will be shown to all.
23. "For everyone who exalts themselves will be humbled, and everyone who humbles themselves will be exalted.
24. "And when you give, give to those who cannot return the favor, lest they do return the favor and you are paid in full before receiving your reward in the kingdom of heaven."
25. Then He said to them, "A woman was holding a banquet and invited many people to come, and at the dinner hour, she sent her servant to say to those who had been invited, 'Come now, for everything has been prepared.'
26. "But they all began to make excuses. One said to the servant, 'I have bought some land, and I need to go look at it; please ask her to excuse my absence.'
27. "The next said, 'I have bought many horses, and I need to go see how they run. Thank her for the offer and tell her I cannot come.'
28. "The third said, 'I have just been married, so I will not be there.'
29. "When the servant came back to the woman and reported all this, she became angry and ordered the servant to the streets to call in the poor, sick, lame, and blind to dine with her.
30. "And when her house was full, she said to her servant, 'Those first invited shall never dine in my house again.'"
|
