The Living Bible (324 page)
Authors: Inc. Tyndale House Publishers
Tags: #BIBLES / Other Translations / Text
Meanwhile the crowds grew until thousands upon thousands were milling about and crushing each other. He turned now to his disciples and warned them,
“More than anything else, beware of these Pharisees and the way they pretend to be good when they aren’t. But such hypocrisy cannot be hidden forever.
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It will become as evident as yeast in dough.
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Whatever they
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have said in the dark shall be heard in the light, and what you have whispered in the inner rooms shall be broadcast from the housetops for all to hear!
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“Dear friends, don’t be afraid of these who want to murder you. They can only kill the body; they have no power over your souls.
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But I’ll tell you whom to fear—fear God who has the power to kill and then cast into hell.
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“What is the price of five sparrows? A couple of pennies? Not much more than that. Yet God does not forget a single one of them.
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And he knows the number of hairs on your head! Never fear, you are far more valuable to him than a whole flock of sparrows.
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“And I assure you of this: I, the Messiah,
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will publicly honor you in the presence of God’s angels if you publicly acknowledge me here on earth as your Friend.
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But I will deny before the angels those who deny me here among men.
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(Yet those who speak against me
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may be forgiven—while those who speak against the Holy Spirit shall never be forgiven.)
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“And when you are brought to trial before these Jewish rulers and authorities in the synagogues, don’t be concerned about what to say in your defense,
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for the Holy Spirit will give you the right words even as you are standing there.”
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Then someone called from the crowd, “Sir, please tell my brother to divide my father’s estate with me.”
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But Jesus replied,
“Man, who made me a judge over you to decide such things as that?
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Beware! Don’t always be wishing for what you don’t have. For real life and real living are not related to how rich we are.”
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Then he gave an illustration:
“A rich man had a fertile farm that produced fine crops.
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In fact, his barns were full to overflowing—he couldn’t get everything in. He thought about his problem,
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and finally exclaimed, ‘I know—I’ll tear down my barns and build bigger ones! Then I’ll have room enough.
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And I’ll sit back and say to myself, “Friend, you have enough stored away for years to come. Now take it easy! Wine, women, and song for you!”’
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“But God said to him, ‘Fool! Tonight you die. Then who will get it all?’
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“Yes, every man is a fool who gets rich on earth but not in heaven.”
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Then turning to his disciples he said,
“Don’t worry about whether you have enough food to eat or clothes to wear.
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For life consists of far more than food and clothes.
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Look at the ravens—they don’t plant or harvest or have barns to store away their food, and yet they get along all right—for God feeds them. And you are far more valuable to him than any birds!
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“And besides, what’s the use of worrying? What good does it do? Will it add a single day to your life? Of course not!
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And if worry can’t even do such little things as that, what’s the use of worrying over bigger things?
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“Look at the lilies! They don’t toil and spin, and yet Solomon in all his glory was not robed as well as they are.
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And if God provides clothing for the flowers that are here today and gone tomorrow, don’t you suppose that he will provide clothing for you, you doubters?
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And don’t worry about food—what to eat and drink; don’t worry at all that God will provide it for you.
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All mankind scratches for its daily bread, but your heavenly Father knows your needs.
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He will always give you all you need from day to day if you will make the Kingdom of God your primary concern.
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“So don’t be afraid, little flock. For it gives your Father great happiness to give you the Kingdom.
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Sell what you have and give to those in need. This will fatten your purses in heaven! And the purses of heaven have no rips or holes in them. Your treasures there will never disappear; no thief can steal them; no moth can destroy them.
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Wherever your treasure is, there your heart and thoughts will also be.
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“Be prepared—all dressed and ready—
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for your Lord’s return from the wedding feast. Then you will be ready to open the door and let him in the moment he arrives and knocks.
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There will be great joy for those who are ready and waiting for his return. He himself will seat them and put on a waiter’s uniform and serve them as they sit and eat!
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He may come at nine o’clock at night—or even at midnight. But whenever he comes, there will be joy for his servants who are ready!
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“Everyone would be ready for him if they knew the exact hour of his return—just as they would be ready for a thief if they knew when he was coming.
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So be ready all the time. For I, the Messiah,
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will come when least expected.”
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Peter asked, “Lord, are you talking just to us or to everyone?”
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And the Lord replied,
“I’m talking to any faithful, sensible man whose master gives him the responsibility of feeding the other servants. If his master returns and finds that he has done a good job, there will be a reward—his master will put him in charge of all he owns.
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“But if the man begins to think, ‘My Lord won’t be back for a long time,’ and begins to whip the men and women he is supposed to protect, and to spend his time at drinking parties and in drunkenness—
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well, his master will return without notice and remove him from his position of trust and assign him to the place of the unfaithful.
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He will be severely punished, for though he knew his duty he refused to do it.
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“But anyone who is not aware that he is doing wrong will be punished only lightly. Much is required from those to whom much is given, for their responsibility is greater.
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“I have come to bring fire to the earth, and, oh, that my task were completed!
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There is a terrible baptism ahead of me, and how I am pent up until it is accomplished!
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“Do you think I have come to give peace to the earth?
No!
Rather, strife and division!
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From now on families will be split apart, three in favor of me, and two against—or perhaps the other way around.
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A father will decide one way about me; his son, the other; mother and daughter will disagree; and the decision of an honored mother-in-law
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will be spurned by her daughter-in-law.”
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Then he turned to the crowd and said,
“When you see clouds beginning to form in the west, you say, ‘Here comes a shower.’ And you are right.
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“When the south wind blows you say, ‘Today will be a scorcher.’ And it is.
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Hypocrites! You interpret the sky well enough, but you refuse to notice the warnings all around you about the crisis ahead.
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Why do you refuse to see for yourselves what is right?
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“If you meet your accuser on the way to court, try to settle the matter before it reaches the judge, lest he sentence you to jail;
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for if that happens, you won’t be free again until the last penny is paid in full.”
About this time he was informed that Pilate had butchered some Jews from Galilee as they were sacrificing at the Temple in Jerusalem.
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“Do you think they were worse sinners than other men from Galilee?”
he asked.
“Is that why they suffered?
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Not at all! And don’t you realize that you also will perish unless you leave your evil ways and turn to God?
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“And what about the eighteen men who died when the Tower of Siloam fell on them? Were they the worst sinners in Jerusalem?
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Not at all! And you, too, will perish unless you repent.”
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Then he used this illustration:
“A man planted a fig tree in his garden and came again and again to see if he could find any fruit on it, but he was always disappointed.
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Finally he told his gardener to cut it down. ‘I’ve waited three years and there hasn’t been a single fig!’ he said. ‘Why bother with it any longer? It’s taking up space we can use for something else.’
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“‘Give it one more chance,’ the gardener answered. ‘Leave it another year, and I’ll give it special attention and plenty of fertilizer.
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If we get figs next year, fine; if not, I’ll cut it down.’”
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One Sabbath as he was teaching in a synagogue,
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he saw a seriously handicapped woman who had been bent double for eighteen years and was unable to straighten herself.
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Calling her over to him Jesus said,
“Woman, you are healed of your sickness!”
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He touched her, and instantly she could stand straight. How she praised and thanked God!
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But the local Jewish leader in charge of the synagogue was very angry about it because Jesus had healed her on the Sabbath day. “There are six days of the week to work,” he shouted to the crowd. “Those are the days to come for healing, not on the Sabbath!”
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But the Lord replied,
“You hypocrite! You work on the Sabbath! Don’t you untie your cattle from their stalls on the Sabbath and lead them out for water?
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And is it wrong for me, just because it is the Sabbath day, to free this Jewish woman from the bondage in which Satan has held her for eighteen years?”
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This shamed his enemies. And all the people rejoiced at the wonderful things he did.
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Now he began teaching them again about the Kingdom of God:
“What is the Kingdom like?”
he asked.
“How can I illustrate it?
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It is like a tiny mustard seed planted in a garden; soon it grows into a tall bush and the birds live among its branches.
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“It is like yeast kneaded into dough, which works unseen until it has risen high and light.”
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He went from city to city and village to village, teaching as he went, always pressing onward toward Jerusalem.
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Someone asked him, “Will only a few be saved?”
And he replied,
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“The door to heaven is narrow. Work hard to get in, for the truth is that many will try to enter but when the head of the house has locked the door, it will be too late. Then if you stand outside knocking, and pleading, ‘Lord, open the door for us,’ he will reply, ‘I do not know you.’
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“‘But we ate with you, and you taught in our streets,’ you will say.
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“And he will reply, ‘I tell you, I don’t know you. You can’t come in here, guilty as you are. Go away.’
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“And there will be great weeping and gnashing of teeth as you stand outside and see Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and all the prophets within the Kingdom of God—
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for people will come from all over the world to take their places there.
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And note this: some who are despised now will be greatly honored then; and some who are highly thought of now will be least important then.”
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A few minutes later some Pharisees said to him, “Get out of here if you want to live, for King Herod is after you!”
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Jesus replied,
“Go tell that fox that I will keep on casting out demons and doing miracles of healing today and tomorrow; and the third day I will reach my destination.
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Yes, today, tomorrow, and the next day! For it wouldn’t do for a prophet of God to be killed except in Jerusalem!
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“O Jerusalem, Jerusalem! The city that murders the prophets. The city that stones those sent to help her. How often I have wanted to gather your children together even as a hen protects her brood under her wings, but you wouldn’t let me.
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And now—now your house is left desolate. And you will never again see me until you say, ‘Welcome to him who comes in the name of the Lord.’”