Study Desk

At that time,^(a) some people came and reported to Him about the Galileans^(b) whose blood Pilate^(c) had mixed with their sacrifices.

And He^[a] responded to them, "Do you think that these Galileans were more sinful than all Galileans because they suffered these things?^(d)

No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all perish as well!

Or those 18 that the tower in Siloam^(e) fell on and killed—do you think they were more sinful than all the people who live in Jerusalem?

No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all perish as well!"

And He told this parable:^(f) "A man had a fig tree that was planted in his vineyard. He came looking for fruit on it and found none. ^(g)

He told the vineyard worker, ‘Listen, for three years I have come looking for fruit on this fig tree and haven't found any. Cut it down!^(h) Why should it even waste the soil?'⁽ⁱ⁾

"But he replied to him, ‘Sir,^[b] leave it this year also, until I dig around it and fertilize it. ^(j)

Perhaps it will bear fruit next year, but if not, you can cut it down.'"

As He was teaching in one of the synagogues on the Sabbath,^(k)

a woman was there who had been disabled by a spirit^[c](l) for over 18 years. She was bent over and could not straighten up at all.^[d]

When Jesus saw her, He called out to her,^[e] "Woman, you are free of your disability."

Then He laid His hands on her,^(m) and instantly she was restored⁽ⁿ⁾ and began to glorify God.^(o)

But the leader of the synagogue, indignant^(p) because Jesus had healed on the Sabbath, responded by telling the crowd, "There are six days when work should be done;^(q) therefore come on those days and be healed and not on the Sabbath day."

But the Lord answered him and said, "Hypocrites!^(r) Doesn't each one of you untie his ox^(s) or donkey from the feeding trough^(t) on the Sabbath and lead it to water? ^(u)

Satan^(v) has bound^(w) this woman, a daughter of Abraham,^(x) for 18 years—shouldn't she be untied from this bondage on the Sabbath day?"

When He had said these things, all His adversaries^(y) were humiliated,^(z) but the whole crowd was rejoicing over all the glorious things He was doing.^(aa)

He said, therefore, "What is the kingdom of God like,^(ab) and what can I compare it to?

It's like a mustard seed that a man took and sowed in his garden. It grew and became a tree, and the birds of the sky nested in its branches."

Again He said, "What can I compare the kingdom of God^(ac) to?

It's like yeast^(ad) that a woman took and mixed into 50 pounds^[f] of flour until it spread through the entire mixture." ^[g]

He went through one town and village after another, teaching and making His way to Jerusalem.^(ae)

"Lord," someone asked Him, "are there few being saved?"^[h](af) He said to them,

"Make every effort to enter through the narrow door,^(ag) because I tell you, many will try to enter and won't be able

once the homeowner gets up and shuts the door.^(ah) Then you will stand^[i] outside and knock on the door, saying, ‘Lord, open up for us!' He will answer you, ‘I don't know you or where you're from.'

Then you will say,^[j] ‘We ate and drank in Your presence, and You taught in our streets!'

But He will say, ‘I tell you, I don't know you or where you're from. Get away from Me,^(ai) all you workers of unrighteousness!'

There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth^(aj) in that place,^(ak) when you see Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and all the prophets in the kingdom of God,^(al) but yourselves thrown out.

They will come from east and west, from north and south, and recline at the table^(am) in the kingdom of God.

Note this: Some are last who will be first, and some are first who will be last." ^(an)

At that time some Pharisees came and told Him, "Go, get out of here! Herod^(ao) wants to kill You!"^(ap)

He said to them, "Go tell that fox, ‘Look! I'm driving out demons and performing healings today and tomorrow, and on the third day^[k] I will complete My work.' ^[l](aq)

Yet I must^(ar) travel today, tomorrow, and the next day, because it is not possible for a prophet^(as) to perish^(at) outside of Jerusalem!

"Jerusalem, Jerusalem!^(au) She who kills the prophets and stones^(av) those who are sent to her.^(aw) How often I wanted to gather your children^(ax) together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings,^(ay) but you were not willing! ^(az)

See, your house^[m] is abandoned to you.^(ba) And I tell you, you will not see Me until the time comes when you say, ‘He who comes in the name of the Lord is the blessed One '!" ^(bb)[n]

One Sabbath, when He went to eat^[a] at the house of one of the leading Pharisees,^(a) they were watching Him closely.^(b)

There in front of Him was a man whose body was swollen with fluid.^[b]

In response, Jesus asked the law experts^(c) and the Pharisees, "Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath or not?"^(d)

But they kept silent. He took the man, healed him, and sent him away.

And to them, He said, "Which of you whose son or ox falls into a well, will not immediately pull him out on the Sabbath day?" ^(e)

To this they could find no answer.

He told a parable^(f) to those who were invited, when He noticed how they would choose the best places^(g) for themselves:

"When you are invited by someone to a wedding banquet, don't recline at the best place, because a more distinguished person^(h) than you may have been invited by your host.^[c]

The one who invited both of you may come and say to you, ‘Give your place to this man,' and then in humiliation, you will proceed to take the lowest place.

"But when you are invited, go and recline in the lowest place, so that when the one who invited you comes, he will say to you, ‘Friend, move up higher.' You will then be honored⁽ⁱ⁾ in the presence of all the other guests. ^(j)

For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and the one who humbles himself will be exalted." ^(k)

He also said to the one who had invited Him, "When you give a lunch or a dinner, don't invite your friends, your brothers, your relatives, or your rich neighbors, because they might invite you back, and you would be repaid.

On the contrary, when you host a banquet,^(l) invite those who are poor, maimed, lame, or blind. ^(m)

And you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you; for you will be repaid⁽ⁿ⁾ at the resurrection of the righteous." ^(o)

When^(p) one of those who reclined at the table with Him heard these things, he said to Him, "The one who will eat bread in the kingdom of God^(q) is blessed!"

Then He told him: "A man was giving a large banquet and invited many.

At the time of the banquet, he sent his slave to tell those who were invited, ‘Come, because everything is now ready.'

"But without exception^[d] they all began to make excuses. The first one said to him, ‘I have bought a field, and I must go out and see it. I ask you to excuse me.'

"Another said, ‘I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I'm going to try them out. I ask you to excuse me.'

"And another said, ‘I just got married, ^[e](r) and therefore I'm unable to come.'

"So the slave came back and reported these things to his master. Then in anger, the master of the house told his slave, ‘Go out quickly into the streets and alleys of the city, and bring in here the poor, maimed, blind, and lame!'^(s)

"‘Master,' the slave said, ‘what you ordered has been done, and there's still room.'

"Then the master told the slave, ‘Go out into the highways and lanes and make them come in, so that my house may be filled.

For I tell you, not one of those men who were invited will enjoy my banquet!'"

Now^(t) great crowds were traveling with Him. So He turned and said to them:

"If anyone comes to Me^(u) and does not hate^(v) his own father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters—yes, and even his own life—he cannot be My disciple.

Whoever does not bear his own cross^(w) and come after Me cannot be My disciple.

"For which of you, wanting to build a tower, doesn't first sit down and calculate the cost^(x) to see if he has enough to complete it?

Otherwise, after he has laid the foundation and cannot finish it, all the onlookers will begin to make fun of him,

saying, ‘This man started to build and wasn't able to finish.'

"Or what king, going to war against another king, will not first sit down and decide if he is able with 10,000 to oppose the one who comes against him with 20,000?

If not, while the other is still far off, he sends a delegation and asks for terms of peace.

In the same way, therefore, every one of you who does not say good-bye to^[f] all his possessions^(y) cannot be My disciple.

"Now,^(z) salt^(aa) is good, but if salt should lose its taste, how will it be made salty?

It isn't fit for the soil or for the manure pile; they throw it out. Anyone who has ears to hear should listen!" ^(ab)