Henry: Welcome To Immerse: The Daily Bible Reading Experience.
Day 57.
When Jesus had finished saying these things, he left Galilee
and went down to the region of Judea, east of the Jordan River.
Large crowds followed him there and he healed their sick.
Some Pharisees came and tried to trap him with this question.
Should a man be allowed to divorce his wife for just any reason?
Haven't you read the scriptures?
Jesus replied.
They record that from the beginning.
God made the male and female and he said, this explains why a man leaves
his father and mother and is joined to his wife and the two are united into one
since they are no longer two, but one.
Let no one split apart what God has joined together.
Then why did Moses say in the law that a man could give his wife a written
notice of divorce and send her away?
They asked.
Jesus replied, Moses permitted divorce only as a concession to
your hard hearts, but it was not what God had originally intended.
And I tell you this, whoever divorces his wife and marries
someone else commits adultery unless his wife has been unfaithful.
Jesus Disciples then said to him, if this is the case, it is better not to marry.
Not everyone can accept this statement.
Jesus said, only those whom God helps.
Some are born as eunuchs.
Some have been made eunuch by others, and some choose not to marry for
the sake of the kingdom of heaven.
Let anyone accept this.
Who can?
One day some parents brought their children to Jesus so he could lay
his hands on them and pray for them.
But the disciples scolded the parents for bothering him.
But Jesus said, let the children come to me.
Don't stop them.
For the kingdom of Heaven belongs to those who are like these children.
And he placed his hands on their heads and blessed them before he left, someone
came to Jesus with this question.
Teacher, what good deed must I do to have eternal life?
Why ask me about what is good?
Jesus replied, there is only one who is good, but to answer your
question, if you want to receive eternal life, keep the commandments.
Which ones the man asked?
And Jesus replied.
You must not murder.
You must not commit adultery.
You must not steal.
You must not testify falsely.
Honor your father and mother.
Love your neighbor as yourself.
I've obeyed all these commandments.
The young man replied, what else must I do?
Jesus told him.
If you want to be perfect, go and sell all your possessions and give the
money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven, then come follow me.
But when the young man heard this, he went away sad for he had many possessions.
Then Jesus said to his disciples, now I tell you the truth, it
is very hard for a rich person to enter the kingdom of heaven.
I'll say it again.
It is easier for camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich
person to enter the kingdom of God.
The disciples were astounded then who in the world can be saved?
They asked.
Jesus looked at them intently and said, humanly speaking, it is impossible,
but with God, everything is possible.
Then Peter said to him, We've given up everything to follow you.
What will we get?
Jesus replied, I assure you that when the world is made new and the son of man sits
upon his glorious throne, you who have been my followers, while also sit on 12
Thrones judging the 12 tribes of Israel.
And everyone who has given up houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother
or children or property, for my sake, will receive a hundred times as much in
return and will inherit eternal life.
But many who are the greatest now will be least important then.
And those who seem least important now will be the greatest then.
Well, the Kingdom of Heaven is like the landowner who went out early one
morning to hire workers for his vineyard.
He agreed to pay the normal daily wage and sent them out to work
at nine o'clock in the morning.
He was passing through the marketplace and saw some people
standing around doing nothing.
So he hired them, telling them he would pay them whatever was
right at the end of the day.
So they went to work in the vineyard.
At noon, and again at three o'clock, he did the same thing.
At five o'clock that afternoon, he was in town again and saw
some more people standing around.
He asked them, why haven't you been working today?
They replied, because no one hired us.
The landowner told them, then go out and join the others
in my vineyard that evening.
He told the foreman to call the workers in and pay them.
Beginning with the last workers first, when those hired at five o'clock were
paid, each received a full day's wage.
When those hired first came to get their pay, they assumed they would receive
more, but they too were paid a day's wage.
When they received their pay, they protested to the owner.
Those people worked only one hour, and yet you've paid them just as
much as you paid us, who worked all day in the scorching heat.
He answered one of them.
Friend, I haven't been unfair.
Didn't you agree to work all day for the usual wage?
Take your money and go.
I wanted to pay this last worker the same as you.
Is it against the law for me to do what I want with my money?
Should you be jealous?
Because I am kind to others.
So those who are last now will be first then, and those
who are first will be last.
As Jesus was going up to Jerusalem, he took the 12 disciples aside privately and
told them what was going to happen to him.
Listen, he said, we're going up to Jerusalem where the son of man will
be betrayed to the leading priests and the teachers of religious law.
They will sentence him to die.
Then they will hand him over to the Romans to be mocked, flogged
with a whip and crucified.
But on the third day, he will be raised from the dead.
Then the mother of James and John, the sons of Zedi, came to Jesus with her sons.
She knelt respectfully to ask a favor, what is your request?
He asked, she replied, in your kingdom, please let my two sons
sit in places of honor next to you.
One on your right and the other on your left.
But Jesus answered by saying to them, you don't know what you are asking.
Are you able to drink from the bitter cup of suffering?
I am about to drink?
Oh, yes, they replied.
We are able, Jesus told them, you will indeed drink from my bitter
cup, but I have no right to say who will sit on my right or my left.
My father has prepared those places for the ones he has chosen.
When the 10 other disciples heard what James and John had asked, they
were indignant, but Jesus called them together and said, you know that
the rulers in this world lorded over their people and officials flaunt
their authority over those under them.
But among you, it will be different.
Whoever wants to be a leader among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to
be first among you must become your slave.
For even the son of man came not to be served, but to serve others and to give
his life as a ransom for many as Jesus and the disciples left the town of Jericho.
A large crowd followed behind.
Two blind men were sitting beside the road.
When they heard that Jesus was coming that way, they began shouting, Lord,
son of David, have mercy on us.
Be quiet.
The crowd yelled at them.
But they only shouted louder.
Lord, son of David, have mercy on us.
When Jesus heard them, he stopped and called, what do you
want me to do for you, Lord?
They said, we want to see.
Jesus felt sorry for them and touched their eyes instantly they could see.
Then they followed him as Jesus and the disciples approached Jerusalem.
They came to the town of Beth Fiji on the Mount of Olives.
Jesus sent two of them on a head.
Go into the village over there.
He said, as soon as you enter it, you will see a donkey tied
there with its cult, beside it, untied them and bring them to me.
If anyone asks what you are doing, just say the Lord needs them and he
will immediately let you take them.
This took place to fulfill the prophecy that said, tell the people of Jerusalem.
Look, your king is coming to you.
He is humble.
Riding on a donkey, riding on a donkey's colt, the two
disciples did as Jesus commanded.
They brought the donkey and the colt to him and threw their garments
over the cult, and he sat on it.
Most of the crowd spread their garments on the road ahead of him
and others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road.
Jesus was in the center of the procession and the people
all around him were shouting.
Praise God for the Son of David.
Blessings on the one who comes in the name of the Lord.
Praise God In highest heaven.
The entire city of Jerusalem was in an uproar as he entered.
Who is this?
They asked and the crowds replied.
It's Jesus the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee.
Jesus entered the temple and began to drive out all the people buying
and selling animals for sacrifice.
He knocked over the tables of the money changers and the chairs of
those selling doves, he said to them.
The scriptures declare my temple will be called a house of prayer, but you
have turned it into a den of thieves.
The blind and the lame came to him in the temple and he healed them.
The leading priests in the teachers of religious law saw these wonderful miracles
and heard even the children in the temple shouting, praise God for the son of David.
But the leaders were indignant.
They asked Jesus.
Do you hear what these children are saying?
Yes.
Jesus replied, haven't you ever read the scriptures for, they say you have taught
children and infants to give you praise.
Then he returned to Bethany where he stayed overnight in the morning
as Jesus was returning to Jerusalem.
He was hungry and he noticed a fig tree beside the road.
He went over to see if there were any figs, but there were only leaves.
Then he said to it, may you never bear fruit again, and immediately
the fig tree withered up.
The disciples were amazed when they saw this and asked, how did
the fig tree wither so quickly?
Then Jesus told them, I tell you the truth, if you have faith and don't doubt,
You can do things like this and much more.
You can even say to this mountain, may you be lifted up and thrown
into the sea and it will happen.
You can pray for anything and if you have faith, you will receive it.
When Jesus returned to the temple and began teaching the leading
priests and elders came up to him, they demanded, by what authority
are you doing all these things?
Who gave you the right?
I'll tell you by what authority I do these things.
If you answer one question, Jesus replied, did John's authority to baptize come
from heaven or was it merely human?
They talked it over among themselves.
If we say it was from heaven, he will ask us why we didn't believe
John, but if we say it was merely human, we'll be mobbed because the
people believe John was a prophet.
So they finally replied, we don't know, and Jesus responded.
Then I won't tell you by what authority I do these things, but
what do you think about this?
A man with two sons told the older boy son a go out and work in the vineyard today.
The son answered, no, I won't go.
But later he changed his mind and went anyway.
Then the father told the other son, You go and he said, yes, sir, I will.
But he didn't go.
Which of the two obeyed his father?
They replied the first.
Then Jesus explained his meaning.
I tell you the truth.
Corrupt tax collectors and prostitutes will get into the kingdom of God.
Before you do, for John the Baptist came and showed you the right way to live.
But you didn't believe him while tax collectors and prostitutes did.
And even when you saw this happening, you refused to believe
him in repent of your sins.
Now, listen to another story.
A certain land owner planted a vineyard, built a wall around it,
dug a pit for pressing out the grape juice and built a lookout tower.
Then he leased the vineyard to tinted farmers and moved to another country.
At the time of the grape harvest, he sent his servants to collect his
share of the crop, but the farmers grabbed his servants, beat one,
killed one, and stoned another.
So the landowner sent a larger group of his servants to collect for
him, but the results were the same.
Finally, the owner sent his son thinking surely they will respect my son.
But when the tenant farmer saw his son coming, they said to one another,
here comes the air to this estate.
Come on, let's kill him and get the estate for ourselves.
So they grabbed him, dragged him out of the vineyard, and murdered him.
When the owner of the vineyard returns, Jesus asked, what do you
think he will do to those farmers?
The religious leaders replied.
He will put the wicked men to a horrible death and lease the vineyard
to others who will give him his share of the crop after each harvest.
Then Jesus asked them, didn't you ever read this in the scriptures?
The stone that the builders rejected has now become the cornerstone.
This is the Lord's doing, and it is wonderful to see.
I tell you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a nation
that will produce the proper fruit.
Anyone who stumbles over that stone will be broken to pieces
and it will crush anyone.
It falls on.
When the leading priests and Pharisees heard this parable, they realized he
was telling the story against them.
They were the wicked farmers.
They wanted to arrest him, but they were afraid of the crowds who
considered Jesus to be a prophet.
Jesus also told them other parables.
He said, the kingdom of heaven can be illustrated by the story
of a king who prepared a great wedding feast for his son.
When the banquet was ready, he sent his servants to notify those who were
invited, but they all refused to come.
So he sent other servants to tell them the feast has been prepared.
The bulls and fattened cattle have been killed and everything
is ready, come to the banquet.
But the guests he had invited, ignored them and went their own way, one to
his farm, another to his business.
Others seized his messengers and insulted them and killed them.
The king was furious and he sent out his army to destroy the
murderers and burn their town.
And he said to his servants, the wedding feast is ready.
And the guests I invited aren't worthy of the honor.
Now go out to the street corners and invite everyone you see.
So the servants brought in everyone they could find good and bad alike, and the
banquet hall was filled with guests.
But when the king came in to meet the guests, he noticed a
man who wasn't wearing the proper clothes for a wedding friend.
He asked, how is it that you are here without wedding clothes?
But the man had no reply.
Then the king said to his aide, bind his hands and feet and throw him into
the outer darkness where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth for
many are called, but few are chosen.
Then the Pharisees met together to plot how to trap Jesus into saying
something for which he could be arrested.
They sent some of their disciples along with the supporters
of Herod to meet with him.
Teacher, they said, we know how honest you are.
You teach the way of God truthfully, you are impartial and don't play favorites.
Now, tell us what you think about this.
Is it right to pay taxes to Caesar or not?
But Jesus knew their evil motives, you hypocrites.
He said, why are you trying to trap me here?
Show me the coin used for the tax.
When they handed him a Roman coin, he asked whose picture
and title are stamped on it?
Caesars, they replied.
Well, then he said, give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar and
give to God what belongs to God.
His reply amazed them and they went away.
This concludes today's Immer reading experience.
Thank you for joining us.