Day 295 of 364

^6:1Now on the second Sabbath after the first, he was going through the grain fields. His disciples plucked the heads of grain and ate, rubbing them in their hands. ^6:2But some of the Pharisees said to them, “Why do you do that which is not lawful to do on the Sabbath day?” ^6:3Jesus, answering them, said, “Haven’t you read what David did when he was hungry, he and those who were with him, ^6:4how he entered into God’s house, and took and ate the show bread, and gave also to those who were with him, which is not lawful to eat except for the priests alone?” ^6:5He said to them, “The Son of Man is lord of the Sabbath.” ^6:6It also happened on another Sabbath that he entered into the synagogue and taught. There was a man there, and his right hand was withered. ^6:7The scribes and the Pharisees watched him, to see whether he would heal on the Sabbath, that they might find an accusation against him. ^6:8But he knew their thoughts; and he said to the man who had the withered hand, “Rise up and stand in the middle.” He arose and stood. ^6:9Then Jesus said to them, “I will ask you something: Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good, or to do harm? To save a life, or to kill?” ^6:10He looked around at them all, and said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” He did, and his hand was restored as sound as the other. ^6:11But they were filled with rage, and talked with one another about what they might do to Jesus. ^6:12In these days, he went out to the mountain to pray, and he continued all night in prayer to God. ^6:13When it was day, he called his disciples, and from them he chose twelve, whom he also named apostles: ^6:14Simon, whom he also named Peter; Andrew, his brother; James; John; Philip; Bartholomew; ^6:15Matthew; Thomas; James the son of Alphaeus; Simon who was called the Zealot; ^6:16Judas the son of James; and Judas Iscariot, who also became a traitor. ^6:17He came down with them and stood on a level place, with a crowd of his disciples and a great number of the people from all Judea and Jerusalem and the sea coast of Tyre and Sidon, who came to hear him and to be healed of their diseases, ^6:18as well as those who were troubled by unclean spirits; and they were being healed. ^6:19All the multitude sought to touch him, for power came out of him and healed them all. ^6:20He lifted up his eyes to his disciples, and said: “Blessed are you who are poor, for God’s Kingdom is yours. ^6:21Blessed are you who hunger now, for you will be filled. Blessed are you who weep now, for you will laugh. ^6:22Blessed are you when men hate you, and when they exclude and mock you, and throw out your name as evil, for the Son of Man’s sake. ^6:23Rejoice in that day and leap for joy, for behold, your reward is great in heaven, for their fathers did the same thing to the prophets. ^6:24“But woe to you who are rich! For you have received your consolation. ^6:25Woe to you, you who are full now, for you will be hungry. Woe to you who laugh now, for you will mourn and weep. ^6:26Woe, when men speak well of you, for their fathers did the same thing to the false prophets. ^6:27“But I tell you who hear: love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, ^6:28bless those who curse you, and pray for those who mistreat you. ^6:29To him who strikes you on the cheek, offer also the other; and from him who takes away your cloak, don’t withhold your coat also. ^6:30Give to everyone who asks you, and don’t ask him who takes away your goods to give them back again. ^6:31“As you would like people to do to you, do exactly so to them. ^6:32“If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. ^6:33If you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. ^6:34If you lend to those from whom you hope to receive, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, to receive back as much. ^6:35But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing back; and your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High; for he is kind toward the unthankful and evil. ^6:36“Therefore be merciful, even as your Father is also merciful. ^6:37Don’t judge, and you won’t be judged. Don’t condemn, and you won’t be condemned. Set free, and you will be set free. ^6:38“Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over, will be given to you. For with the same measure you measure it will be measured back to you.” ^6:39He spoke a parable to them. “Can the blind guide the blind? Won’t they both fall into a pit? ^6:40A disciple is not above his teacher, but everyone when he is fully trained will be like his teacher. ^6:41Why do you see the speck of chaff that is in your brother’s eye, but don’t consider the beam that is in your own eye? ^6:42Or how can you tell your brother, ‘Brother, let me remove the speck of chaff that is in your eye,’ when you yourself don’t see the beam that is in your own eye? You hypocrite! First remove the beam from your own eye, and then you can see clearly to remove the speck of chaff that is in your brother’s eye. ^6:43“For there is no good tree that produces rotten fruit, nor again a rotten tree that produces good fruit. ^6:44For each tree is known by its own fruit. For people don’t gather figs from thorns, nor do they gather grapes from a bramble bush. ^6:45The good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings out that which is good, and the evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings out that which is evil, for out of the abundance of the heart, his mouth speaks. ^6:46“Why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and don’t do the things which I say? ^6:47Everyone who comes to me, and hears my words and does them, I will show you who he is like. ^6:48He is like a man building a house, who dug and went deep and laid a foundation on the rock. When a flood arose, the stream broke against that house, and could not shake it, because it was founded on the rock. ^6:49But he who hears and doesn’t do, is like a man who built a house on the earth without a foundation, against which the stream broke, and immediately it fell; and the ruin of that house was great.” ^7:1After he had finished speaking in the hearing of the people, he entered into Capernaum. ^7:2A certain centurion’s servant, who was dear to him, was sick and at the point of death. ^7:3When he heard about Jesus, he sent to him elders of the Jews, asking him to come and save his servant. ^7:4When they came to Jesus, they begged him earnestly, saying, “He is worthy for you to do this for him, ^7:5for he loves our nation, and he built our synagogue for us.” ^7:6Jesus went with them. When he was now not far from the house, the centurion sent friends to him, saying to him, “Lord, don’t trouble yourself, for I am not worthy for you to come under my roof. ^7:7Therefore I didn’t even think myself worthy to come to you; but say the word, and my servant will be healed. ^7:8For I also am a man placed under authority, having under myself soldiers. I tell this one, ‘Go!’ and he goes; and to another, ‘Come!’ and he comes; and to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.” ^7:9When Jesus heard these things, he marveled at him, and turned and said to the multitude who followed him, “I tell you, I have not found such great faith, no, not in Israel.” ^7:10Those who were sent, returning to the house, found that the servant who had been sick was well. ^7:11Soon afterwards, he went to a city called Nain. Many of his disciples, along with a great multitude, went with him. ^7:12Now when he came near to the gate of the city, behold, one who was dead was carried out, the only born son of his mother, and she was a widow. Many people of the city were with her. ^7:13When the Lord saw her, he had compassion on her and said to her, “Don’t cry.” ^7:14He came near and touched the coffin, and the bearers stood still. He said, “Young man, I tell you, arise!” ^7:15He who was dead sat up and began to speak. Then he gave him to his mother. ^7:16Fear took hold of all, and they glorified God, saying, “A great prophet has arisen among us!” and, “God has visited his people!” ^7:17This report went out concerning him in the whole of Judea and in all the surrounding region. ^7:18The disciples of John told him about all these things. ^7:19John, calling to himself two of his disciples, sent them to Jesus, saying, “Are you the one who is coming, or should we look for another?” ^7:20When the men had come to him, they said, “John the Baptizer has sent us to you, saying, ‘Are you he who comes, or should we look for another?’” ^7:21In that hour he cured many of diseases and plagues and evil spirits; and to many who were blind he gave sight. ^7:22Jesus answered them, “Go and tell John the things which you have seen and heard: that the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and the poor have good news preached to them. ^7:23Blessed is he who finds no occasion for stumbling in me.” ^7:24When John’s messengers had departed, he began to tell the multitudes about John, “What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind? ^7:25But what did you go out to see? A man clothed in soft clothing? Behold, those who are gorgeously dressed and live delicately are in kings’ courts. ^7:26But what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and much more than a prophet. ^7:27This is he of whom it is written, ‘Behold, I send my messenger before your face, who will prepare your way before you.’ ^7:28“For I tell you, among those who are born of women there is not a greater prophet than John the Baptizer; yet he who is least in God’s Kingdom is greater than he.” ^7:29When all the people and the tax collectors heard this, they declared God to be just, having been baptized with John’s baptism. ^7:30But the Pharisees and the lawyers rejected the counsel of God, not being baptized by him themselves. ^7:31“To what then should I compare the people of this generation? What are they like? ^7:32They are like children who sit in the marketplace and call to one another, saying, ‘We piped to you, and you didn’t dance. We mourned, and you didn’t weep.’ ^7:33For John the Baptizer came neither eating bread nor drinking wine, and you say, ‘He has a demon.’ ^7:34The Son of Man has come eating and drinking, and you say, ‘Behold, a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’ ^7:35Wisdom is justified by all her children.” ^7:36One of the Pharisees invited him to eat with him. He entered into the Pharisee’s house and sat at the table. ^7:37Behold, a woman in the city who was a sinner, when she knew that he was reclining in the Pharisee’s house, brought an alabaster jar of ointment. ^7:38Standing behind at his feet weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears, and she wiped them with the hair of her head, kissed his feet, and anointed them with the ointment. ^7:39Now when the Pharisee who had invited him saw it, he said to himself, “This man, if he were a prophet, would have perceived who and what kind of woman this is who touches him, that she is a sinner.” ^7:40Jesus answered him, “Simon, I have something to tell you.” He said, “Teacher, say on.” ^7:41“A certain lender had two debtors. The one owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. ^7:42When they couldn’t pay, he forgave them both. Which of them therefore will love him most?” ^7:43Simon answered, “He, I suppose, to whom he forgave the most.” He said to him, “You have judged correctly.” ^7:44Turning to the woman, he said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I entered into your house, and you gave me no water for my feet, but she has wet my feet with her tears, and wiped them with the hair of her head. ^7:45You gave me no kiss, but she, since the time I came in, has not ceased to kiss my feet. ^7:46You didn’t anoint my head with oil, but she has anointed my feet with ointment. ^7:47Therefore I tell you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven, for she loved much. But one to whom little is forgiven, loves little.” ^7:48He said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.” ^7:49Those who sat at the table with him began to say to themselves, “Who is this who even forgives sins?” ^7:50He said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you. Go in peace.”