Oct 18 - Matthew 22-26
Matthew
1And again Jesus spoke to them in parables, saying,2"The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who gave a wedding feast for his son,3and sent his servants to call those who were invited to the wedding feast, but they would not come.4Again he sent other servants, saying, 'Tell those who are invited, See, I have prepared my dinner, my oxen and my fat calves have been slaughtered, and everything is ready. Come to the wedding feast.'5But they paid no attention and went off, one to his farm, another to his business,6while the rest seized his servants, treated them shamefully, and killed them.7The king was angry, and he sent his troops and destroyed those murderers and burned their city.8Then he said to his servants, 'The wedding feast is ready, but those invited were not worthy.9Go therefore to the main roads and invite to the wedding feast as many as you find.'10And those servants went out into the roads and gathered all whom they found, both bad and good. So the wedding hall was filled with guests.11"But when the king came in to look at the guests, he saw there a man who had no wedding garment.12And he said to him, 'Friend, how did you get in here without a wedding garment?' And he was speechless.13Then the king said to the attendants, 'Bind him hand and foot and cast him into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.'14For many are called, but few are chosen."15Then the Pharisees went and plotted how to entangle him in his talk.16And they sent their disciples to him, along with the Herodians, saying, "Teacher, we know that you are true and teach the way of God truthfully, and you do not care about anyone's opinion, for you are not swayed by appearances.17Tell us, then, what you think. Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not?"18But Jesus, aware of their malice, said, "Why put me to the test, you hypocrites?19Show me the coin for the tax." And they brought him a denarius.20And Jesus said to them, "Whose likeness and inscription is this?"21They said, "Caesar's." Then he said to them, "Therefore render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's."22When they heard it, they marveled. And they left him and went away.23The same day Sadducees came to him, who say that there is no resurrection, and they asked him a question,24saying, "Teacher, Moses said, 'If a man dies having no children, his brother must marry the widow and raise up children for his brother.'25Now there were seven brothers among us. The first married and died, and having no children left his wife to his brother.26So too the second and third, down to the seventh.27After them all, the woman died.28In the resurrection, therefore, of the seven, whose wife will she be? For they all had her."29But Jesus answered them, "You are wrong, because you know neither the Scriptures nor the power of God.30For in the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven.31And as for the resurrection of the dead, have you not read what was said to you by God:32'I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob'? He is not God of the dead, but of the living."33And when the crowd heard it, they were astonished at his teaching.34But when the Pharisees heard that he had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together.35And one of them, a lawyer, asked him a question to test him.36"Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?"37And he said to him, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.38This is the great and first commandment.39And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.40On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets."41Now while the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them a question,42saying, "What do you think about the Christ? Whose son is he?" They said to him, "The son of David."43He said to them, "How is it then that David, in the Spirit, calls him Lord, saying,44"'The Lord said to my Lord, Sit at my right hand, until I put your enemies under your feet'?45If then David calls him Lord, how is he his son?"46And no one was able to answer him a word, nor from that day did anyone dare to ask him any more questions.
1Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples,2"The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses' seat,3so practice and observe whatever they tell you--but not what they do. For they preach, but do not practice.4They tie up heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on people's shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to move them with their finger.5They do all their deeds to be seen by others. For they make their phylacteries broad and their fringes long,6and they love the place of honor at feasts and the best seats in the synagogues7and greetings in the marketplaces and being called rabbi by others.8But you are not to be called rabbi, for you have one teacher, and you are all brothers.9And call no man your father on earth, for you have one Father, who is in heaven.10Neither be called instructors, for you have one instructor, the Christ.11The greatest among you shall be your servant.12Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.13"But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you shut the kingdom of heaven in people's faces. For you neither enter yourselves nor allow those who would enter to go in.14See Footnote15Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you travel across sea and land to make a single proselyte, and when he becomes a proselyte, you make him twice as much a child of hell as yourselves.16"Woe to you, blind guides, who say, 'If anyone swears by the temple, it is nothing, but if anyone swears by the gold of the temple, he is bound by his oath.'17You blind fools! For which is greater, the gold or the temple that has made the gold sacred?18And you say, 'If anyone swears by the altar, it is nothing, but if anyone swears by the gift that is on the altar, he is bound by his oath.'19You blind men! For which is greater, the gift or the altar that makes the gift sacred?20So whoever swears by the altar swears by it and by everything on it.21And whoever swears by the temple swears by it and by him who dwells in it.22And whoever swears by heaven swears by the throne of God and by him who sits upon it.23"Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint and dill and cumin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faithfulness. These you ought to have done, without neglecting the others.24You blind guides, straining out a gnat and swallowing a camel!25"Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you clean the outside of the cup and the plate, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence.26You blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and the plate, that the outside also may be clean.27"Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful, but within are full of dead people's bones and all uncleanness.28So you also outwardly appear righteous to others, but within you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.29"Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you build the tombs of the prophets and decorate the monuments of the righteous,30saying, 'If we had lived in the days of our fathers, we would not have taken part with them in shedding the blood of the prophets.'31Thus you witness against yourselves that you are sons of those who murdered the prophets.32Fill up, then, the measure of your fathers.33You serpents, you brood of vipers, how are you to escape being sentenced to hell?34Therefore I send you prophets and wise men and scribes, some of whom you will kill and crucify, and some you will flog in your synagogues and persecute from town to town,35so that on you may come all the righteous blood shed on earth, from the blood of innocent Abel to the blood of Zechariah the son of Barachiah, whom you murdered between the sanctuary and the altar.36Truly, I say to you, all these things will come upon this generation.37"O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often would I have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you would not!38See, your house is left to you desolate.39For I tell you, you will not see me again, until you say, 'Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.'"
1Jesus left the temple and was going away, when his disciples came to point out to him the buildings of the temple.2But he answered them, "You see all these, do you not? Truly, I say to you, there will not be left here one stone upon another that will not be thrown down."3As he sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately, saying, "Tell us, when will these things be, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the close of the age?"4And Jesus answered them, "See that no one leads you astray.5For many will come in my name, saying, 'I am the Christ,' and they will lead many astray.6And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not alarmed, for this must take place, but the end is not yet.7For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in various places.8All these are but the beginning of the birth pains.9"Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and put you to death, and you will be hated by all nations for my name's sake.10And then many will fall away and betray one another and hate one another.11And many false prophets will arise and lead many astray.12And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold.13But the one who endures to the end will be saved.14And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.15"So when you see the abomination of desolation spoken of by the prophet Daniel, standing in the holy place (let the reader understand),16then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains.17Let the one who is on the housetop not go down to take what is in his house,18and let the one who is in the field not turn back to take his cloak.19And alas for women who are pregnant and for those who are nursing infants in those days!20Pray that your flight may not be in winter or on a Sabbath.21For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been from the beginning of the world until now, no, and never will be.22And if those days had not been cut short, no human being would be saved. But for the sake of the elect those days will be cut short.23Then if anyone says to you, 'Look, here is the Christ!' or 'There he is!' do not believe it.24For false christs and false prophets will arise and perform great signs and wonders, so as to lead astray, if possible, even the elect.25See, I have told you beforehand.26So, if they say to you, 'Look, he is in the wilderness,' do not go out. If they say, 'Look, he is in the inner rooms,' do not believe it.27For as the lightning comes from the east and shines as far as the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man.28Wherever the corpse is, there the vultures will gather.29"Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken.30Then will appear in heaven the sign of the Son of Man, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.31And he will send out his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.32"From the fig tree learn its lesson: as soon as its branch becomes tender and puts out its leaves, you know that summer is near.33So also, when you see all these things, you know that he is near, at the very gates.34Truly, I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place.35Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.36"But concerning that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only.37As were the days of Noah, so will be the coming of the Son of Man.38For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark,39and they were unaware until the flood came and swept them all away, so will be the coming of the Son of Man.40Then two men will be in the field; one will be taken and one left.41Two women will be grinding at the mill; one will be taken and one left.42Therefore, stay awake, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming.43But know this, that if the master of the house had known in what part of the night the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and would not have let his house be broken into.44Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.45"Who then is the faithful and wise servant, whom his master has set over his household, to give them their food at the proper time?46Blessed is that servant whom his master will find so doing when he comes.47Truly, I say to you, he will set him over all his possessions.48But if that wicked servant says to himself, 'My master is delayed,'49and begins to beat his fellow servants and eats and drinks with drunkards,50the master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he does not know51and will cut him in pieces and put him with the hypocrites. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
1"Then the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom.2Five of them were foolish, and five were wise.3For when the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them,4but the wise took flasks of oil with their lamps.5As the bridegroom was delayed, they all became drowsy and slept.6But at midnight there was a cry, 'Here is the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.'7Then all those virgins rose and trimmed their lamps.8And the foolish said to the wise, 'Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.'9But the wise answered, saying, 'Since there will not be enough for us and for you, go rather to the dealers and buy for yourselves.'10And while they were going to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the marriage feast, and the door was shut.11Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, 'Lord, lord, open to us.'12But he answered, 'Truly, I say to you, I do not know you.'13Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour.14"For it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted to them his property.15To one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability. Then he went away.16He who had received the five talents went at once and traded with them, and he made five talents more.17So also he who had the two talents made two talents more.18But he who had received the one talent went and dug in the ground and hid his master's money.19Now after a long time the master of those servants came and settled accounts with them.20And he who had received the five talents came forward, bringing five talents more, saying, 'Master, you delivered to me five talents; here I have made five talents more.'21His master said to him, 'Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.'22And he also who had the two talents came forward, saying, 'Master, you delivered to me two talents; here I have made two talents more.'23His master said to him, 'Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.'24He also who had received the one talent came forward, saying, 'Master, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you scattered no seed,25so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. Here you have what is yours.'26But his master answered him, 'You wicked and slothful servant! You knew that I reap where I have not sowed and gather where I scattered no seed?27Then you ought to have invested my money with the bankers, and at my coming I should have received what was my own with interest.28So take the talent from him and give it to him who has the ten talents.29For to everyone who has will more be given, and he will have an abundance. But from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away.30And cast the worthless servant into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.'31"When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne.32Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats.33And he will place the sheep on his right, but the goats on the left.34Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.35For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me,36I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.'37Then the righteous will answer him, saying, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink?38And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you?39And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?'40And the King will answer them, 'Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.'41"Then he will say to those on his left, 'Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.42For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink,43I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.'44Then they also will answer, saying, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to you?'45Then he will answer them, saying, 'Truly, I say to you, as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.'46And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life."
1When Jesus had finished all these sayings, he said to his disciples,2"You know that after two days the Passover is coming, and the Son of Man will be delivered up to be crucified."3Then the chief priests and the elders of the people gathered in the palace of the high priest, whose name was Caiaphas,4and plotted together in order to arrest Jesus by stealth and kill him.5But they said, "Not during the feast, lest there be an uproar among the people."6Now when Jesus was at Bethany in the house of Simon the leper,7a woman came up to him with an alabaster flask of very expensive ointment, and she poured it on his head as he reclined at table.8And when the disciples saw it, they were indignant, saying, "Why this waste?9For this could have been sold for a large sum and given to the poor."10But Jesus, aware of this, said to them, "Why do you trouble the woman? For she has done a beautiful thing to me.11For you always have the poor with you, but you will not always have me.12In pouring this ointment on my body, she has done it to prepare me for burial.13Truly, I say to you, wherever this gospel is proclaimed in the whole world, what she has done will also be told in memory of her."14Then one of the twelve, whose name was Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests15and said, "What will you give me if I deliver him over to you?" And they paid him thirty pieces of silver.16And from that moment he sought an opportunity to betray him.17Now on the first day of Unleavened Bread the disciples came to Jesus, saying, "Where will you have us prepare for you to eat the Passover?"18He said, "Go into the city to a certain man and say to him, 'The Teacher says, My time is at hand. I will keep the Passover at your house with my disciples.'"19And the disciples did as Jesus had directed them, and they prepared the Passover.20When it was evening, he reclined at table with the twelve.21And as they were eating, he said, "Truly, I say to you, one of you will betray me."22And they were very sorrowful and began to say to him one after another, "Is it I, Lord?"23He answered, "He who has dipped his hand in the dish with me will betray me.24The Son of Man goes as it is written of him, but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been better for that man if he had not been born."25Judas, who would betray him, answered, "Is it I, Rabbi?" He said to him, "You have said so."26Now as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and after blessing it broke it and gave it to the disciples, and said, "Take, eat; this is my body."27And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, saying, "Drink of it, all of you,28for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.29I tell you I will not drink again of this fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father's kingdom."30And when they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.31Then Jesus said to them, "You will all fall away because of me this night. For it is written, 'I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.'32But after I am raised up, I will go before you to Galilee."33Peter answered him, "Though they all fall away because of you, I will never fall away."34Jesus said to him, "Truly, I tell you, this very night, before the rooster crows, you will deny me three times."35Peter said to him, "Even if I must die with you, I will not deny you!" And all the disciples said the same.36Then Jesus went with them to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to his disciples, "Sit here, while I go over there and pray."37And taking with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, he began to be sorrowful and troubled.38Then he said to them, "My soul is very sorrowful, even to death; remain here, and watch with me."39And going a little farther he fell on his face and prayed, saying, "My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will."40And he came to the disciples and found them sleeping. And he said to Peter, "So, could you not watch with me one hour?41Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak."42Again, for the second time, he went away and prayed, "My Father, if this cannot pass unless I drink it, your will be done."43And again he came and found them sleeping, for their eyes were heavy.44So, leaving them again, he went away and prayed for the third time, saying the same words again.45Then he came to the disciples and said to them, "Sleep and take your rest later on. See, the hour is at hand, and the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners.46Rise, let us be going; see, my betrayer is at hand."47While he was still speaking, Judas came, one of the twelve, and with him a great crowd with swords and clubs, from the chief priests and the elders of the people.48Now the betrayer had given them a sign, saying, "The one I will kiss is the man; seize him."49And he came up to Jesus at once and said, "Greetings, Rabbi!" And he kissed him.50Jesus said to him, "Friend, do what you came to do." Then they came up and laid hands on Jesus and seized him.51And behold, one of those who were with Jesus stretched out his hand and drew his sword and struck the servant of the high priest and cut off his ear.52Then Jesus said to him, "Put your sword back into its place. For all who take the sword will perish by the sword.53Do you think that I cannot appeal to my Father, and he will at once send me more than twelve legions of angels?54But how then should the Scriptures be fulfilled, that it must be so?"55At that hour Jesus said to the crowds, "Have you come out as against a robber, with swords and clubs to capture me? Day after day I sat in the temple teaching, and you did not seize me.56But all this has taken place that the Scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled." Then all the disciples left him and fled.57Then those who had seized Jesus led him to Caiaphas the high priest, where the scribes and the elders had gathered.58And Peter was following him at a distance, as far as the courtyard of the high priest, and going inside he sat with the guards to see the end.59Now the chief priests and the whole Council were seeking false testimony against Jesus that they might put him to death,60but they found none, though many false witnesses came forward. At last two came forward61and said, "This man said, 'I am able to destroy the temple of God, and to rebuild it in three days.'"62And the high priest stood up and said, "Have you no answer to make? What is it that these men testify against you?"63But Jesus remained silent. And the high priest said to him, "I adjure you by the living God, tell us if you are the Christ, the Son of God."64Jesus said to him, "You have said so. But I tell you, from now on you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of Power and coming on the clouds of heaven."65Then the high priest tore his robes and said, "He has uttered blasphemy. What further witnesses do we need? You have now heard his blasphemy.66What is your judgment?" They answered, "He deserves death."67Then they spit in his face and struck him. And some slapped him,68saying, "Prophesy to us, you Christ! Who is it that struck you?"69Now Peter was sitting outside in the courtyard. And a servant girl came up to him and said, "You also were with Jesus the Galilean."70But he denied it before them all, saying, "I do not know what you mean."71And when he went out to the entrance, another servant girl saw him, and she said to the bystanders, "This man was with Jesus of Nazareth."72And again he denied it with an oath: "I do not know the man."73After a little while the bystanders came up and said to Peter, "Certainly you too are one of them, for your accent betrays you."74Then he began to invoke a curse on himself and to swear, "I do not know the man." And immediately the rooster crowed.75And Peter remembered the saying of Jesus, "Before the rooster crows, you will deny me three times." And he went out and wept bitterly.