The Gospel Part 4

The Son of man is here to save what was lost. Consider this. If a man has a hundred sheep, and one of them strays, does he not leave the ninety-nine and go into the mountains in search of the one gone astray?

And, if he finds it, he rejoices more over that sheep than of the ninety-nine that did not stray. So, it is not the will of your Father in heaven that one of these little ones should perish.

If your brother trespa.s.ses against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone. If he hears, you have gained your brother.

But if he will not hear you, then take another with you, that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established. If he ignores them, tell it to the church. But if he ignores the church, let him be treated as a heathen and a publican.

Whatever ye shall bind on earth, shall be bound in heaven. Whatever ye shall loose on earth, shall be loosed in heaven. If two of you agree regarding a thing that you will ask, it shall be done by my Father in heaven. For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.

Then Peter asked Him, Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me and I forgive him? Until seven times? Jesus replied, I say unto thee, not until seven times but until seventy times seven.

The kingdom of heaven is like a king who took an account of his servants. When he began to reckon, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents. But since he was unable to pay, his lord commanded him to be sold, along with his wife, and children, and all that he had, and payment to be made. The servant fell down and wors.h.i.+pped him saying, Lord, have patience with me and I will pay it all. Then the lord of that servant was moved with compa.s.sion, loosed him, and forgave him the debt.

This same servant left and met one of his fellowservants who owed him a small sum. He laid hands on him and took him by the throat saying, Pay me what thou owe. The fellowservant fell down at his feet and besought him saying, have patience with me and I will pay it all. But he would not. He cast him into prison until the debt was paid. When the rest of the servants saw what was done, they were very sorry, and went to their lord and told him everything.

Then the servant's lord called him and said, O, thou wicked servant! I forgave thee all that debt because thou desired it of me. Should not thou also have had compa.s.sion on thy fellowservant as I had pity on thee? His lord was angry and delivered him to the tormentors until he paid all that was due. So also shall my heavenly Father do to you if ye do not forgive other's trespa.s.ses.

19 After this, Jesus left Galilee and went to the coasts of Judaea beyond Jordan. Great mult.i.tudes followed Him and He healed many there. The Pharisees came to test Him. They asked Him, Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for every cause?

Jesus answered, Have ye not read: He who made them at the beginning, male and female, and said, For this cause shall a man leave father and mother and shall cleave to his wife. The two shall be one? Therefore, they are no longer two but one flesh. What G.o.d has joined together, let no one put asunder.

They said, Why, then, did Moses allow a writing of divorcement? Jesus said, Moses, because of the hardness of your hearts, allowed you to divorce your wives. But, from the beginning, it was not so. I say to you, Whoever divorces his wife, except for fornication, and marries another, commits adultery. Whoever marries a divorced woman also commits adultery.

His disciples said, If this is the case with man and wife, it is not good to marry. Jesus said, All men cannot accept this, only those to whom G.o.d gives it. There are some who were born eunuchs. There are some who were made that way by men. And there are some who do not marry for the kingdom of heaven's sake. He who is able to accept it, let him accept it.

Then little children were brought to Him that He might put His hands on them and pray. When the disciples rebuked them Jesus said, Allow these little children and do not forbid them to come to me; for of such is the kingdom of heaven. Jesus laid His hands on them, and then departed.

Behold, a young man came to Him and asked, Good Master, what must I do to gain eternal life? Jesus answered, If you will enter into life, keep the commandments. The young man asked, Which? Jesus said, Thou shalt not murder. Thou shalt not commit adultery. Thou shalt not steal. Thou shalt not bear false witness. Honor thy father and thy mother. Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.

The young man said, I have kept all these from my youth up. What do I yet lack? Jesus answered, If thou will be perfect, go and sell what you have and give to the poor. Thou shalt have treasure in heaven. Then come and follow me. But when the young man heard that answer, he went away filled with sorrow, because he had many possessions.

Then said Jesus to His disciples, Hardly a rich man shall enter into the kingdom of heaven. It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for the rich to enter the kingdom of G.o.d. When His disciples heard this they were greatly amazed. They asked, Who, then, can be saved? Jesus beheld them and said, With men, it is impossible; but with G.o.d, all things are possible!

Peter asked, Behold, we have forsaken all and followed thee. What shall we have? Jesus said, Verily, at the regeneration, when the Son of man shall sit in the throne of His glory, ye who have followed me shall also sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.

Everyone who has forsaken houses, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my name's sake, shall receive a hundredfold, and shall inherit everlasting life. But many that are first shall be last; and the last shall be first.

20 The kingdom of heaven is like a householder who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard. When he had agreed with the laborers for a coin a day, he sent them into his vineyard. Then, about the third hour he went out and saw others standing idle in the marketplace. He said to them, Go ye also into my vineyard and whatever is right I will give you.

He went out again about the sixth and the ninth hour and did the same.

About the eleventh hour he went out, found others standing idle, and said, Why stand ye here all the day idle? They answered, Because no man has hired us. He then replied, Go ye also into the vineyard and whatever is right you shall receive.

When evening came, the lord of the vineyard said to his steward, Call the laborers and give them their pay, beginning from the last unto the first. When those who were hired about the eleventh hour came, every man received a coin. But when the first came, supposing they should receive more, they each also received a coin. When they received it, they murmured against the good man of the house and said, These last have worked only an hour and you have made them equal to those of us who have borne the burden and heat of the day.

He answered one of them and said, Friend, I do thee no wrong. Did thou not agree with me for a coin? Take what is thine and go thy way. I will give to the last the same as I give to thee. Is it not lawful for me to do what I will with my own coins? Must you see evil in my goodness? So, the last shall be first, and the first last: for many are called, but few are chosen.

Then Jesus took the twelve disciples aside and said, We are now going to Jerusalem where the Son of man will be betrayed to the chief priests and scribes. They will condemn Him to death. They will deliver Him to the Gentiles to mock, scourge, and crucify Him. And on the third day He will rise again.

The mother of the sons of Zebedee and her sons, James and John, approached Jesus. She praised Him, desiring something of Him. He said to her, What wilt thou? She replied, Grant that my two sons may sit, one on thy right hand, and the other on thy left, in thy kingdom. But Jesus answered, Ye know not what ye ask. Are ye able to drink of the cup that I shall drink of, and to be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?

They said to Him, We are able. And Jesus said, Ye shall drink indeed of my cup, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with; but to sit on my right hand or on my left is not mine to give. It shall be given to them for whom it is prepared by my Father.

When the remaining ten heard this they were moved with indignation against the two brethren. But Jesus called them to Him and said, Ye know that the princes of worldliness and ambition influence them. But it shall not be so among you. Whoever will be great among you, let him be your minister. Whoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant. Likewise, the Son of man came not to be ministered to, but to minister, and to give His life as a ransom for many.

As they were leaving Jericho a great mult.i.tude followed. When they heard that Jesus was pa.s.sing by, two blind men, who were sitting by the wayside, cried out, Have mercy on us, O Lord, thou son of David. The mult.i.tude told them to keep quiet. But they cried more, saying, Have mercy on us, O Lord, thou son of David.

Jesus stood still and said to them, What shall I do for you? They answered, Lord, that our eyes may be opened. Jesus had compa.s.sion and touched their eyes. Immediately they received their sight and they followed Him.

21 As they drew close to Jerusalem, they came to Bethphage by the mount of Olives. Jesus sent two disciples ahead and said, Go into the village and ye shall find tied there an a.s.s with her colt. Untie them and bring them to me. If a man says anything to you, say, The Lord has need of them and, straightway, he will send them. All this was done so this saying of the prophet might be fulfilled: Tell ye the daughter of Sion, Behold, thy King cometh unto thee, meek, and sitting upon a colt, the foal of an a.s.s.

The disciples did as Jesus directed. They brought the a.s.s and the colt and set Jesus thereupon. A mult.i.tude spread out their garments and others cut down tree branches and lined the way. They cried out, Hosanna to the son of David. Blessed is He that comes in the name of the Lord. Hosanna in the highest. When Jesus came into Jerusalem, all the city was stirred. They asked, Who is this? The mult.i.tude said, This is Jesus the prophet from Nazareth of Galilee.

Jesus went into the temple and cast out all who bought and sold. He overthrew the tables of the moneychangers and the seats of those who sold doves. He said to them, it is written: My house shall be called a house of prayer; but ye have made it a den of thieves.

The blind and the lame came to Him in the temple and He healed them.

When the chief priests and scribes saw the wonderful things Jesus did and heard the children crying out in the temple, Hosanna to the son of David; they were greatly displeased. They said to Him, Hear thou what they are saying? Jesus answered, Yea. Have ye never read, Out of the mouth of babes comes perfect praise? Then He left them and went into Bethany where He lodged that night.

In the morning Jesus, being very hungry, started out to return to the city. On His way He saw a fig tree. As He came to it He found nothing on it but leaves. He said, Let no fruit ever grow on thee. The fig tree withered away.

When the disciples saw this, they marvelled and said, How quickly the fig tree withered away! Jesus answered, If ye have faith, and doubt not, ye shall not only do this that was done to the fig tree, but also, if ye shall say to this mountain, Be thou removed and cast into the sea; it shall be done. Those things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive.

Then He went into the temple. The chief priests and the elders of the people came up to Him as He was teaching and asked, By what authority do you do these things? Who gave you this authority?

Jesus replied, I, in turn, will ask you one thing, which, if ye can tell me, I will tell you by what authority I do these things. Did the baptism of John come from heaven or from man?

They reasoned among themselves and said, If we say, From heaven; He will ask us, Why did ye not then believe him? But if we say, From man; we fear the people for they hold John as a prophet.

Finally they said to Jesus, We cannot tell. Jesus responded, Neither, then, do I tell you by what authority I do these things.

Hear this. A man had two sons. He came to the first and said, Son, today go to work in my vineyard. The son answered, I will not. But, afterward he repented and went to work. Then the man went to the second son and said the same thing. The second son said, I will go, sir; but he did not go. Which of these two did the will of his father? They answered, The first son.

Jesus said, Verily I say, The publicans and the harlots enter the kingdom of G.o.d before you. John came to you in the way of righteousness and ye believed him not. But the publicans and the harlots believed him. And yet, even after you had seen, you did not repent that you believed him.

Hear another parable: There was a householder who planted a vineyard.

He hedged it all around, dug a winepress in it, and built a tower. Then he rented it out to husbandsmen and went abroad. When the time of the harvest drew near, he sent his servants to the husbandsmen to receive the fruits of it. The husbandsmen took his servants, beat one, stoned one, and killed another. Next, he sent more servants than the first time. They did to them the same thing.

Finally, he sent his son, saying, They will respect my son. But when the husbandsmen saw the son, they said, This is the heir. Let us kill him and seize his inheritance. So they caught him, cast him out of the vineyard, and slew him. When, therefore, the lord of the vineyard comes, what will he do to these husbandsmen?

They said to Jesus, He will destroy these miserable and wicked men and he will rent out his vineyard to others who will render him the fruits in their seasons.

Jesus said, Did ye never read in the scriptures: The stone which the builders rejected is the same that has become the cornerstone; this is the Lord's doing and it is marvellous in our eyes?

I tell you, The kingdom of G.o.d shall be taken from you and given to a nation that brings forth its fruits. Whoever falls on this stone shall be broken. On whomever this stone falls, he will be ground into powder.

When the chief priests and Pharisees heard these parables, they saw that Jesus spoke about them. But when they thought of laying hands on Him, they feared the mult.i.tude because they took Jesus for a prophet.

22 Jesus related more parables. He said, The kingdom of heaven is like a king who arranged a marriage feast for his son. He sent his servants forth to call those who were invited to the wedding but they did not come. He sent other servants to say, Dinner is prepared. The king's oxen and fatlings are killed. Everything is ready. Come to the marriage. Those who were invited made light of it and went their ways.

One went out to his farm. Another attended to his merchandise. The others took the king's servants, treated them spitefully, and then slew them.

When the king heard this he was outraged. He sent out his armies to destroy the murderers and burn their city. Then he said to his servants, The wedding is ready, but those who were invited were not worthy. Go into the highways, and as many as ye shall find, invite them to the marriage feast. These servants went out and gathered together all those they found, both bad and good, and the wedding was furnished with guests.