Repent or Perish

1At that time,a some people came and reported to him about the Galileansb whose blood Pilatec had mixed with their sacrifices. 2And heA responded to them, “Do you think that these Galileans were more sinful than all the other Galileans because they suffered these things?a 3No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all perish as well. 4Or those eighteen that the tower in Siloama fell on and killed — do you think they were more sinful than all the other people who live in Jerusalem? 5No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all perish as well.”

The Parable of the Barren Fig Tree

6And he told this parable:a “A man had a fig tree that was planted in his vineyard. He came looking for fruit on it and found none.b 7He 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!a Why should it even waste the soil? ’b

8“But he replied to him, ‘Sir,A leave it this year also, until I dig around it and fertilize it.a 9Perhaps it will produce fruit next year, but if not, you can cut it down.’ ”

Healing a Daughter of Abraham

10As he was teaching in one of the synagogues on the Sabbath,a 11a woman was there who had been disabled by a spirita a for over eighteen years. She was bent over and could not straighten up at all.B 12When Jesus saw her, he called out to her,A “Woman, you are free of your disability.” 13Then he laid his hands on her,a and instantly she was restoredb and began to glorify God.c

14But the leader of the synagogue, indignanta because Jesus had healed on the Sabbath, responded by telling the crowd, “There are six days when work should be done;b therefore come on those days and be healed and not on the Sabbath day.”

15But the Lord answered him and said, “Hypocrites!a Doesn’t each one of you untie his oxb or donkey from the feeding troughc on the Sabbath and lead it to water?d 16Satana has boundb this woman, a daughter of Abraham,c for eighteen years — shouldn’t she be untied from this bondageA on the Sabbath day? ”

17When he had said these things, all his adversariesa were humiliated,b but the whole crowd was rejoicing over all the glorious things he was doing.c

The Parables of the Mustard Seed and of the Leaven

18He said, therefore, “What is the kingdom of God like,a and what can I compare it to? 19It’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.”

20Again he said, “What can I compare the kingdom of Goda to? 21It’s like leavena a that a woman took and mixed into fifty poundsB of flour until all of it was leavened.”

The Narrow Way

22He went through one town and village after another, teaching and making his way to Jerusalem.a 23“Lord,” someone asked him, “are only a few people going to be saved? ”a

He said to them, 24“Make every effort to enter through the narrow door,a because I tell you, many will try to enter and won’t be able 25once the homeowner gets up and shuts the door.a Then you will stand 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.’ 26Then you will say, ‘We ate and drank in your presence, and you taught in our streets.’ 27But he will say, ‘I tell you, I don’t know you or where you’re from. Get away from me,a all you evildoers! ’ 28There will be weeping and gnashing of teetha in that place,b when you see Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and all the prophets in the kingdom of God,c but yourselves thrown out. 29They will come from east and west, from north and south, to share the banquetA in the kingdom of God. 30Note this: Some who are last will be first, and some who are first will be last.”a

Jesus and Herod Antipas

31At that time some Pharisees came and told him, “Go, get out of here. Heroda wants to kill you.”b

32He said to them, “Go tell that fox, ‘Look, I’m driving out demons and performing healings today and tomorrow, and on the third day I will complete my work.’a a 33Yet it is necessary that Ia travel today, tomorrow, and the next day, because it is not possible for a prophetb to perishc outside of Jerusalem.

Jesus’s Lamentation over Jerusalem

34“Jerusalem, Jerusalem,a who kills the prophets and stonesb those who are sent to her.c How often I wanted to gather your childrend together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings,e but you were not willing!f 35See, your house is abandoned to you.a I tell you, you will not see me until the time comes whenA you say, ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord’! ”b c