New Testament · Gospels and Acts

Luke chapter 13

Right around that time, some people told Jesus about whose blood had mixed with their .Jesus answered them, “Do you think those Galileans were than everyone else in Galilee, just because they suffered like that?”“Absolutely not! But I’m telling you, unless you all , every one of you will die the same way.”“Or those eighteen people who were killed when the tower at collapsed on them — do you think they were than everyone else living in Jerusalem?”“Absolutely not! But I’m telling you, unless you rethink everything and completely change direction, every one of you will die the same way.”Then he told them this : “A man had a planted in his . He went looking for fruit on it but didn’t find any.”“So he told the gardener, ‘Look, I’ve been coming to check on this fig tree for three years now and haven’t found a single fig. Cut it down. Why should it keep using up the soil?’”“The gardener replied, ‘Sir, leave it alone for one more year. Let me dig around it and put down fertilizer.’”“‘If it produces fruit next year, great. If not, then cut it down.’”One , Jesus was teaching in one of the .A woman was there who had been crippled by an for eighteen years. She was bent over and couldn’t straighten up at all.When Jesus saw her, he called her over and said, “Woman, you are from your sickness.”He placed his hands on her, and instantly she straightened up and began God.But the was furious that Jesus had healed on the Sabbath. He told the crowd, “There are six days for getting work done. Come and be healed on those days — not on the Sabbath day.”Jesus fired back, “You ! Doesn’t every one of you untie your ox or donkey from the feeding trough on the Sabbath and lead it out to give it water?”“Then shouldn’t this woman — a who has kept for eighteen long years — shouldn’t she be untied from this chain on the Sabbath day?”When he said this, all his opponents were . But the whole crowd was overjoyed at all the he was doing.Then Jesus said, “What is like? What can I compare it to?”“It’s like a that someone took and planted in their garden. It grew and became a tree, and the birds made nests in its branches.”“And again he said, “What can I compare God’s kingdom to?”“It’s like that a woman took and mixed into a huge batch of flour — about — until it worked all the way through the dough.”Jesus traveled through towns and villages, teaching as he made his way toward .Someone asked him, “, will only a few people be ?” He said to them,“ to get in through the , because I’m telling you — many people will try to get in and won’t be able to.”“Once the owner of the house gets up and locks the door, you’ll be left standing outside knocking, saying, ‘Sir, open up for us!’ And he’ll answer, ‘I don’t know you or where you’re from.’”“Then you’ll start saying, ‘We ate and drank with you! You taught in our streets!’”“But he’ll say, ‘I’m telling you, I don’t know where you’re from. Get away from me, all of you .’”“That’s where the will be — when you see Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and all the inside God’s kingdom, but you yourselves thrown out.”“People will come from east and west, from north and south, and take their places at the in God’s kingdom.”“And pay attention: some who are last will be first, and some who are first will be last.”Right then, some came and told Jesus, “Get out of here — wants to kill you.”Jesus replied, “Go tell that : ‘Look, I’m driving out evil spirits and healing people today and tomorrow, and on the third day .’”“But I need to keep going today, tomorrow, and the next day — because it’s unthinkable for a prophet to be killed outside of Jerusalem!”“Jerusalem, Jerusalem — the city that kills the prophets and the messengers sent to you! How many times I wanted to your children together the way a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but !”“Look — . And I’m telling you, you won’t see me again until the time comes when you say, ‘!’”