by Roseanna White | Mar 16, 2016 | Bible Study
Luke 15
Then all the tax collectors and the sinners drew near to Him to hear Him. 2 And the Pharisees and scribes complained, saying, “This Man receives sinners and eats with them.” 3 So He spoke this parable to them, saying:
4 “What
man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he loses one of them, does not
leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness, and go after the one which is
lost until he finds it? 5 And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. 6 And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and neighbors, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost!’ 7 I
say to you that likewise there will be more Joy in heaven over one
sinner who repents than over ninety-nine just persons who need no
repentance.
The Parable of the Lost Coin
8 “Or what woman, having ten silver coins,[a] if she loses one coin, does not light a lamp, sweep the house, and search carefully until she finds it? 9 And when she has found it, she calls her friends and neighbors together, saying, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found the piece which I lost!’ 10 Likewise, I say to you, there is Joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”
The Parable of the Lost Son
11 Then He said: “A certain man had two sons. 12 And the younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the portion of goods that falls to me.’ So he divided to them his livelihood. 13 And
not many days after, the younger son gathered all together, journeyed
to a far country, and there wasted his possessions with prodigal living. 14 But when he had spent all, there arose a severe famine in that land, and he began to be in want. 15 Then he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country, and he sent him into his fields to feed swine. 16 And he would gladly have filled his stomach with the pods that the swine ate, and no one gave him anything.
17 “But
when he came to himself, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired
servants have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger! 18 I will arise and go to my father, and will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you, 19 and I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Make me like one of your hired servants.”’
20 “And
he arose and came to his father. But when he was still a great way off,
his father saw him and had compassion, and ran and fell on his neck and
kissed him. 21 And
the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your
sight, and am no longer worthy to be called your son.’
22 “But the father said to his servants, ‘Bring[b] out the best robe and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet. 23 And bring the fatted calf here and kill it, and let us eat and be merry; 24 for this my son was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ And they began to be merry.
25 “Now his older son was in the field. And as he came and drew near to the house, he heard music and dancing. 26 So he called one of the servants and asked what these things meant. 27 And
he said to him, ‘Your brother has come, and because he has received him
safe and sound, your father has killed the fatted calf.’
28 “But he was angry and would not go in. Therefore his father came out and pleaded with him. 29 So he answered and said to his
father, ‘Lo, these many years I have been serving you; I never
transgressed your commandment at any time; and yet you never gave me a
young goat, that I might make merry with my friends. 30 But as soon as this son of yours came, who has devoured your livelihood with harlots, you killed the fatted calf for him.’
31 “And he said to him, ‘Son, you are always with me, and all that I have is yours. 32 It was right that we should make merry and be glad, for your brother was dead and is alive again, and was lost and is found.’”
I didn’t really expect anything new to jump out at me in the prodigal son story–I mean really, how many times have I read/heard this??–but it did!
First was that he came to himself when the wayward son is feeding the pigs. That he knew this all along. The truth was buried deep inside. He knew the way. He knew the good. He knew what he ought to do. He’d just been ignoring it. Now, obviously this wouldn’t have been true had he not been a son of the house. Had he not already known his father, his father’s love and mercy, how graciously he treated even his servants. So as a parable go, it really does apply more to those who grow up hearing about God than to those are introduced to him later in life.
But what jumped out at me next is about the son who stayed. He refused to go in to the banquet. He was standing there, looking at the reward, looking at the celebration, and he refused to go in because it had never been offered for him.
I get pride. This makes perfect sense for me. I mean, there I am toiling and working for the man, and then my pipsqueak, stupid brother shows back up after having wasted years and dollars, and he gets a party? Yeah, angry pride is easy to understand here.
But . . . but why did he want a goat? To make merry with his friends. He doesn’t even refer to his brother as his brother, but as “this son of yours.” This dude may be the heir of all that’s left, but he doesn’t have the same heart that his father does, right? Where is his gladness that his brother’s alive? Where is his love? Where is his graciousness? Where is his mercy?
Yes, I get pride–and I know it’s a failure. Because as long as it fills your heart, it keeps you standing outside, looking in at all that God has in store for you.
by Roseanna White | Mar 15, 2016 | Remember When Wednesdays, Uncategorized
Now it happened, as He
went into the house of one of the rulers of the Pharisees to eat bread
on the Sabbath, that they watched Him closely. 2 And behold, there was a certain man before Him who had dropsy. 3 And Jesus, answering, spoke to the lawyers and Pharisees, saying, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?”[a]
4 But they kept silent. And He took him and healed him, and let him go. 5 Then He answered them, saying, “Which of you, having a donkey[b] or an ox that has fallen into a pit, will not immediately pull him out on the Sabbath day?” 6 And they could not answer Him regarding these things.
Something interesting to note is that Jesus was still honoring the Sabbath, right? He wasn’t out plowing the fields or building a house on the Sabbath. He wasn’t doing the work of man–he was doing good, doing the work of God. Every time Jesus reinterprets a commandment, he doesn’t make it less. He makes it more. Do not commit adultery or even look at someone with lust. Do not murder or hate. Remember the Sabbath and do God’s will on it.
Take the Lowly Place
7 So He told a parable to those who were invited, when He noted how they chose the best places, saying to them: 8 “When
you are invited by anyone to a wedding feast, do not sit down in the
best place, lest one more honorable than you be invited by him; 9 and
he who invited you and him come and say to you, ‘Give place to this
man,’ and then you begin with shame to take the lowest place. 10 But
when you are invited, go and sit down in the lowest place, so that when
he who invited you comes he may say to you, ‘Friend, go up higher.’
Then you will have glory in the presence of those who sit at the table
with you. 11 For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”
12 Then He also said to him who invited Him, “When
you give a dinner or a supper, do not ask your friends, your brothers,
your relatives, nor rich neighbors, lest they also invite you back, and
you be repaid. 13 But when you give a feast, invite the poor, the maimed, the lame, the blind. 14 And you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you; for you shall be repaid at the resurrection of the just.”
I love this advice. It’s such simple instruction on how to be humble . . . and on how to keep from being put to shame.
The Parable of the Great Supper
15 Now when one of those who sat at the table with Him heard these things, he said to Him, “Blessed is he who shall eat bread[c] in the kingdom of God!”
16 Then He said to him, “A certain man gave a great supper and invited many, 17 and sent his servant at supper time to say to those who were invited, ‘Come, for all things are now ready.’ 18 But they all with one accord
began to make excuses. The first said to him, ‘I have bought a piece of
ground, and I must go and see it. I ask you to have me excused.’ 19 And another said, ‘I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I am going to test them. I ask you to have me excused.’ 20 Still another said, ‘I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come.’ 21 So
that servant came and reported these things to his master. Then the
master of the house, being angry, said to his servant, ‘Go out quickly
into the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in here the poor and the maimed and the lame and the blind.’ 22 And the servant said, ‘Master, it is done as you commanded, and still there is room.’ 23 Then the master said to the servant, ‘Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled. 24 For I say to you that none of those men who were invited shall taste my supper.’”
Leaving All to Follow Christ
25 Now great multitudes went with Him. And He turned and said to them, 26 “If
anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother, wife and
children, brothers and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he cannot be
My disciple. 27 And whoever does not bear his cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple. 28 For which of you, intending to build a tower, does not sit down first and count the cost, whether he has enough to finish it— 29 lest, after he has laid the foundation, and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him, 30 saying, ‘This man began to build and was not able to finish’? 31 Or
what king, going to make war against another king, does not sit down
first and consider whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him who
comes against him with twenty thousand? 32 Or else, while the other is still a great way off, he sends a delegation and asks conditions of peace. 33 So likewise, whoever of you does not forsake all that he has cannot be My disciple.
Not exactly the promise we share with “seekers” is it? “Come follow Jesus and leave behind everything you loved before!” We tend to focus on the His burden is light side of things. And His burden may be . . . but the point remains that He doesn’t ask for just a bit of us. He asks for all of us.
Tasteless Salt Is Worthless
34 “Salt is good; but if the salt has lost its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? 35 It is neither fit for the land nor for the dunghill, but men throw it out. He who has ears to hear, let him hear!”
by Roseanna White | Mar 14, 2016 | Uncategorized
There were present at that season some who told Him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. 2 And Jesus answered and said to them, “Do you suppose that these Galileans were worse sinners than all other Galileans, because they suffered such things? 3 I tell you, no; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish. 4 Or those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them, do you think that they were worse sinners than all other men who dwelt in Jerusalem? 5 I tell you, no; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish.”
I’m always amazed (and not in a good way) when I hear about churches today who preach that anything you suffer is because of sin in your life. Have they just not read these passages? Bad things happen–but not only to people with terrible sins.
The Parable of the Barren Fig Tree
6 He also spoke this parable: “A certain man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard, and he came seeking fruit on it and found none. 7 Then
he said to the keeper of his vineyard, ‘Look, for three years I have
come seeking fruit on this fig tree and find none. Cut it down; why does
it use up the ground?’ 8 But he answered and said to him, ‘Sir, let it alone this year also, until I dig around it and fertilize it. 9 And if it bears fruit, well. But if not, after that[a] you can cut it down.’”
He is so patient with us! But the ultimate outcome is always the same: we must bear fruit or be cut down.
A Spirit of Infirmity
10 Now He was teaching in one of the synagogues on the Sabbath. 11 And behold, there was a woman who had a spirit of infirmity eighteen years, and was bent over and could in no way raise herself up. 12 But when Jesus saw her, He called her to Him and said to her, “Woman, you are loosed from your infirmity.” 13 And He laid His hands on her, and immediately she was made straight, and glorified God.
14 But
the ruler of the synagogue answered with indignation, because Jesus had
healed on the Sabbath; and he said to the crowd, “There are six days on
which men ought to work; therefore come and be healed on them, and not
on the Sabbath day.”
15 The Lord then answered him and said, “Hypocrite![b] Does not each one of you on the Sabbath loose his ox or donkey from the stall, and lead it away to water it? 16 So
ought not this woman, being a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan has
bound—think of it—for eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the
Sabbath?” 17 And
when He said these things, all His adversaries were put to shame; and
all the multitude rejoiced for all the glorious things that were done by
Him.
Just makes an “Amen!” want to come out, doesn’t it?
The Parable of the Mustard Seed
18 Then He said, “What is the kingdom of God like? And to what shall I compare it? 19 It is like a mustard seed, which a man took and put in his garden; and it grew and became a large[c] tree, and the birds of the air nested in its branches.”
The Parable of the Leaven
20 And again He said, “To what shall I liken the kingdom of God? 21 It is like leaven, which a woman took and hid in three measures[d] of meal till it was all leavened.”
The Narrow Way
22 And He went through the cities and villages, teaching, and journeying toward Jerusalem. 23 Then one said to Him, “Lord, are there few who are saved?”
And He said to them, 24 “Strive to enter through the narrow gate, for many, I say to you, will seek to enter and will not be able. 25 When
once the Master of the house has risen up and shut the door, and you
begin to stand outside and knock at the door, saying, ‘Lord, Lord, open
for us,’ and He will answer and say to you, ‘I do not know you, where
you are from,’ 26 then you will begin to say, ‘We ate and drank in Your presence, and You taught in our streets.’ 27 But He will say, ‘I tell you I do not know you, where you are from. Depart from Me, all you workers of iniquity.’ 28 There
will be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when you see Abraham and Isaac
and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, and yourselves
thrust out. 29 They will come from the east and the west, from the north and the south, and sit down in the kingdom of God. 30 And indeed there are last who will be first, and there are first who will be last.”
31 On that very day[e] some Pharisees came, saying to Him, “Get out and depart from here, for Herod wants to kill You.”
32 And He said to them, “Go, tell that fox, ‘Behold, I cast out demons and perform cures today and tomorrow, and the third day I shall be perfected.’ 33 Nevertheless I must journey today, tomorrow, and the day following; for it cannot be that a prophet should perish outside of Jerusalem.
Jesus Laments over Jerusalem
34 “O
Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those
who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children
together, as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, but you were not willing! 35 See! Your house is left to you desolate; and assuredly,[f] I say to you, you shall not see Me until the time comes when you say, ‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!’ ”[g]
I’m kind of amazed that we have Pharisees warning Jesus here–evidence that not all were whitewashed tombs; some respected. Some believed.
by Roseanna White | Mar 12, 2016 | Bible Study
In
the meantime, when an innumerable multitude of people had gathered
together, so that they trampled one another, He began to say to His
disciples first of all, “Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy. 2 For there is nothing covered that will not be revealed, nor hidden that will not be known. 3 Therefore
whatever you have spoken in the dark will be heard in the light, and
what you have spoken in the ear in inner rooms will be proclaimed on the
housetops.
Jesus Teaches the Fear of God
4 “And I say to you, My friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do. 5 But
I will show you whom you should fear: Fear Him who, after He has
killed, has power to cast into hell; yes, I say to you, fear Him!
6 “Are not five sparrows sold for two copper coins?[a] And not one of them is forgotten before God. 7 But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Do not fear therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows.
Confess Christ Before Men
8 “Also I say to you, whoever confesses Me before men, him the Son of Man also will confess before the angels of God. 9 But he who denies Me before men will be denied before the angels of God.
10 “And
anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man, it will be forgiven
him; but to him who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit, it will not be
forgiven.
11 “Now
when they bring you to the synagogues and magistrates and authorities,
do not worry about how or what you should answer, or what you should
say. 12 For the Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour what you ought to say.”
The Parable of the Rich Fool
13 Then one from the crowd said to Him, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.”
14 But He said to him, “Man, who made Me a judge or an arbitrator over you?” 15 And He said to them, “Take heed and beware of covetousness,[b] for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses.”
16 Then He spoke a parable to them, saying: “The ground of a certain rich man yielded plentifully. 17 And he thought within himself, saying, ‘What shall I do, since I have no room to store my crops?’ 18 So he said, ‘I will do this: I will pull down my barns and build greater, and there I will store all my crops and my goods. 19 And I will say to my soul, “Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years; take your ease; eat, drink, and be merry.”’ 20 But
God said to him, ‘Fool! This night your soul will be required of you;
then whose will those things be which you have provided?’
21 “So is he who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.”
Is Jesus peeking into 21st century America here, or what? So much of our attention is on providing for ourselves. Our retirement plans and insurance, mortgages and home equity loans so we can build a new garage or add on to our house or put in a swimming pool. We have set our bar by the presidential promise of “a chicken in every pot and a car in every garage” instead of in Jesus’s warning–that prosperity will gain you nothing. that, in fact . . .
Do Not Worry
22 Then He said to His disciples, “Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; nor about the body, what you will put on. 23 Life is more than food, and the body is more than clothing. 24 Consider
the ravens, for they neither sow nor reap, which have neither
storehouse nor barn; and God feeds them. Of how much more value are you
than the birds? 25 And which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature? 26 If you then are not able to do the least, why are you anxious for the rest? 27 Consider
the lilies, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; and yet I say to
you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 28 If then God so clothes the grass, which today is in the field and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, how much more will He clothe you, O you of little faith?
29 “And do not seek what you should eat or what you should drink, nor have an anxious mind. 30 For all these things the nations of the world seek after, and your Father knows that you need these things. 31 But seek the kingdom of God, and all these things[c] shall be added to you.
32 “Do not fear, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom. 33 Sell
what you have and give alms; provide yourselves money bags which do not
grow old, a treasure in the heavens that does not fail, where no thief
approaches nor moth destroys. 34 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
Did you catch that duplication of the word treasure? In verse 21, “So is he who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.” and here in 34, “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”
Where is our treasure? Oh, we know the right answer. But is it a true one?
I nearly didn’t interject this here though, because I don’t think the section should be separated from the next part. To my mind, this answers the question of how we keep our focus, our treasure where it needs to be–we serve God, wait on Him, and do His work:
The Faithful Servant and the Evil Servant
35 “Let your waist be girded and your lamps burning; 36 and
you yourselves be like men who wait for their master, when he will
return from the wedding, that when he comes and knocks they may open to
him immediately. 37 Blessed are
those servants whom the master, when he comes, will find watching.
Assuredly, I say to you that he will gird himself and have them sit down
to eat, and will come and serve them. 38 And if he should come in the second watch, or come in the third watch, and find them so, blessed are those servants. 39 But know this, that if the master of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched and[d] not allowed his house to be broken into. 40 Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.”
41 Then Peter said to Him, “Lord, do You speak this parable only to us, or to all people?”
42 And the Lord said, “Who then is that faithful and wise steward, whom his master will make ruler over his household, to give them their portion of food in due season? 43 Blessed is that servant whom his master will find so doing when he comes. 44 Truly, I say to you that he will make him ruler over all that he has. 45 But
if that servant says in his heart, ‘My master is delaying his coming,’
and begins to beat the male and female servants, and to eat and drink
and be drunk, 46 the master of that servant will come on a day when he is not looking for him, and at an hour when he is not aware, and will cut him in two and appoint him his portion with the unbelievers. 47 And that servant who knew his master’s will, and did not prepare himself or do according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes. 48 But
he who did not know, yet committed things deserving of stripes, shall
be beaten with few. For everyone to whom much is given, from him much
will be required; and to whom much has been committed, of him they will
ask the more.
Christ Brings Division
49 “I came to send fire on the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled! 50 But I have a baptism to be baptized with, and how distressed I am till it is accomplished! 51 Do you suppose that I came to give peace on earth? I tell you, not at all, but rather division. 52 For from now on five in one house will be divided: three against two, and two against three. 53 Father
will be divided against son and son against father, mother against
daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against her
daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law.”
Discern the Time
54 Then He also said to the multitudes, “Whenever you see a cloud rising out of the west, immediately you say, ‘A shower is coming’; and so it is. 55 And when you see the south wind blow, you say, ‘There will be hot weather’; and there is. 56 Hypocrites! You can discern the face of the sky and of the earth, but how is it you do not discern this time?
Make Peace with Your Adversary
57 “Yes, and why, even of yourselves, do you not judge what is right? 58 When
you go with your adversary to the magistrate, make every effort along
the way to settle with him, lest he drag you to the judge, the judge
deliver you to the officer, and the officer throw you into prison. 59 I tell you, you shall not depart from there till you have paid the very last mite.”
by Roseanna White | Mar 11, 2016 | Bible Study
Now it came to pass, as He was praying in a certain place, when He ceased, that one of His disciples said to Him, “Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples.”
2 So He said to them, “When you pray, say:
Our Father in heaven,[a]
Hallowed be Your name.
Your kingdom come.[b]
Your will be done
On earth as it is in heaven.
3 Give us day by day our daily bread.
4 And forgive us our sins,
For we also forgive everyone who is indebted to us.
And do not lead us into temptation,
But deliver us from the evil one.”[c]
A Friend Comes at Midnight
5 And He said to them, “Which of you shall have a friend, and go to him at midnight and say to him, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves; 6 for a friend of mine has come to me on his journey, and I have nothing to set before him’; 7 and
he will answer from within and say, ‘Do not trouble me; the door is now
shut, and my children are with me in bed; I cannot rise and give to
you’? 8 I
say to you, though he will not rise and give to him because he is his
friend, yet because of his persistence he will rise and give him as many
as he needs.
Keep Asking, Seeking, Knocking
9 “So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. 10 For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. 11 If a son asks for bread[d] from any father among you, will he give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent instead of a fish? 12 Or if he asks for an egg, will he offer him a scorpion? 13 If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!”
A House Divided Cannot Stand
14 And
He was casting out a demon, and it was mute. So it was, when the demon
had gone out, that the mute spoke; and the multitudes marveled. 15 But some of them said, “He casts out demons by Beelzebub,[e] the ruler of the demons.”
16 Others, testing Him, sought from Him a sign from heaven. 17 But He, knowing their thoughts, said to them: “Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation, and a house divided against a house falls. 18 If Satan also is divided against himself, how will his kingdom stand? Because you say I cast out demons by Beelzebub. 19 And if I cast out demons by Beelzebub, by whom do your sons cast them out? Therefore they will be your judges. 20 But if I cast out demons with the finger of God, surely the kingdom of God has come upon you. 21 When a strong man, fully armed, guards his own palace, his goods are in peace. 22 But
when a stronger than he comes upon him and overcomes him, he takes from
him all his armor in which he trusted, and divides his spoils. 23 He who is not with Me is against Me, and he who does not gather with Me scatters.
Let’s compare verse 23 here with Luke 9:49-50:
49 Now John
answered and said, “Master, we saw someone casting out demons in Your
name, and we forbade him because he does not follow with us.”
50 But Jesus said to him, “Do not forbid him, for he who is not against us[c] is on our side.”
So in chapter 9 Jesus says “he who is not against us is on our side.” Here in 23 he says “Heo who not with Me is against Me.” At first glance these seem opposed, until you look at them in context. In chapter 9, John was objecting to people working miracles in the name of Jesus when they weren’t among their group. But these were obviously believers. Jesus is pointing out that they’re all on the same team, so to relax (a lesson the church with its many divisions today needs to take to heart, methinks). But this section is talking about a house divided and authority working against itself. Here he’s looking at heart and motivation and pointing out that those who are not working toward the same goal are actively working against it.
An Unclean Spirit Returns
24 “When
an unclean spirit goes out of a man, he goes through dry places,
seeking rest; and finding none, he says, ‘I will return to my house from
which I came.’ 25 And when he comes, he finds it swept and put in order. 26 Then he goes and takes with him seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter and dwell there; and the last state of that man is worse than the first.”
This is an important thing to keep in mind–it’s not enough to get rid of an evil influence over a person. You have to fill the empty space with Jesus, or more evil will just come right back.
Keeping the Word
27 And it happened, as He spoke these things, that a certain woman from the crowd raised her voice and said to Him, “Blessed is the womb that bore You, and the breasts which nursed You!”
28 But He said, “More than that, blessed are those who hear the word of God and keep it!”
Seeking a Sign
29 And while the crowds were thickly gathered together, He began to say, “This is an evil generation. It seeks a sign, and no sign will be given to it except the sign of Jonah the prophet.[f] 30 For as Jonah became a sign to the Ninevites, so also the Son of Man will be to this generation. 31 The
queen of the South will rise up in the judgment with the men of this
generation and condemn them, for she came from the ends of the earth to
hear the wisdom of Solomon; and indeed a greater than Solomon is here. 32 The
men of Nineveh will rise up in the judgment with this generation and
condemn it, for they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and indeed a
greater than Jonah is here.
The Lamp of the Body
33 “No one, when he has lit a lamp, puts it in a secret place or under a basket, but on a lampstand, that those who come in may see the light. 34 The lamp of the body is the eye. Therefore, when your eye is good, your whole body also is full of light. But when your eye is bad, your body also is full of darkness. 35 Therefore take heed that the light which is in you is not darkness. 36 If then your whole body is full of light, having no part dark, the whole body will be full of light, as when the bright shining of a lamp gives you light.”
Woe to the Pharisees and Lawyers
37 And as He spoke, a certain Pharisee asked Him to dine with him. So He went in and sat down to eat. 38 When the Pharisee saw it, he marveled that He had not first washed before dinner.
39 Then the Lord said to him, “Now you Pharisees make the outside of the cup and dish clean, but your inward part is full of greed and wickedness. 40 Foolish ones! Did not He who made the outside make the inside also? 41 But rather give alms of such things as you have; then indeed all things are clean to you.
42 “But
woe to you Pharisees! For you tithe mint and rue and all manner of
herbs, and pass by justice and the love of God. These you ought to have
done, without leaving the others undone. 43 Woe to you Pharisees! For you love the best seats in the synagogues and greetings in the marketplaces. 44 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites![g] For you are like graves which are not seen, and the men who walk over them are not aware of them.”
45 Then one of the lawyers answered and said to Him, “Teacher, by saying these things You reproach us also.”
46 And He said, “Woe
to you also, lawyers! For you load men with burdens hard to bear, and
you yourselves do not touch the burdens with one of your fingers. 47 Woe to you! For you build the tombs of the prophets, and your fathers killed them. 48 In fact, you bear witness that you approve the deeds of your fathers; for they indeed killed them, and you build their tombs. 49 Therefore the wisdom of God also said, ‘I will send them prophets and apostles, and some of them they will kill and persecute,’ 50 that the blood of all the prophets which was shed from the foundation of the world may be required of this generation, 51 from
the blood of Abel to the blood of Zechariah who perished between the
altar and the temple. Yes, I say to you, it shall be required of this
generation.
52 “Woe
to you lawyers! For you have taken away the key of knowledge. You did
not enter in yourselves, and those who were entering in you hindered.”
53 And as He said these things to them,[h] the scribes and the Pharisees began to assail Him vehemently, and to cross-examine Him about many things, 54 lying in wait for Him, and seeking to catch Him in something He might say, that they might accuse Him.[i]
Roseanna M. White is a bestselling, Christy Award winning author who has long claimed that words are the air she breathes. When not writing fiction, she’s homeschooling her two kids, editing, designing book covers, and pretending her house will clean itself. Roseanna is the author of a slew of historical novels that span several continents and thousands of years. Spies and war and mayhem always seem to find their way into her books…to offset her real life, which is blessedly ordinary.