Consider the lilies how they grow: they toil not, they spin not; and yet I say unto you, that Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. If then G.o.d so clothe the gra.s.s, which is to day in the field, and to morrow is cast into the oven; how much more _will he clothe_ you, O ye of little faith? And seek not ye what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink, neither be ye of doubtful mind. For all these things do the nations of the world seek after; and your Father knoweth that ye have need of these things. But rather seek ye the kingdom of G.o.d; and all these things shall be added unto you.
Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father"s good pleasure to give you the kingdom. Sell that ye have, and give alms; provide yourselves bags which wax not old, a treasure in the heavens that faileth not, where no thief approacheth, neither moth corrupteth. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.
Let your loins be girded about, and _your_ lights burning; and ye yourselves like unto men that wait for their lord, when he will return from the wedding; that when he cometh and knocketh, they may open unto him immediately. Blessed _are_ those servants, whom the lord when he cometh shall find watching: verily I say unto you, that he shall gird himself, and make them to sit down to meat, and will come forth and serve them.
And if he shall come in the second watch, or come in the third watch, and find _them_ so, blessed are those servants. And this know, that if the goodman of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched, and not have suffered his house to be broken through. Be ye therefore ready also; for the Son of man cometh at an hour when ye think not.
Then Peter said unto him, Lord, speakest thou this parable unto us, or even to all? and the Lord said,
Who then is that faithful and wise steward, whom _his_ lord shall make ruler over his household, to give _them their_ portion of meat in due season? Blessed _is_ that servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing. Of a truth I say unto you, that he will make him ruler over all that he hath.
But and if that servant say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming; and shall begin to beat the men servants and maidens, and to eat and drink, and to be drunken; the lord of that servant will come in a day when he looketh not for _him_, and at an hour when he is not aware, and will cut him in sunder, and will appoint him his portion with the unbelievers.
And that servant which knew his lord"s will, and prepared not _himself_, neither did according to his will, shall be beaten with many _stripes_. But he that knew not, and did commit things worthy of stripes, shall be beaten with few _stripes_.
For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required: and to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the more.
I am come to send fire on the earth; and what will I, if it be already kindled? But I have a baptism to be baptized with: and how am I straitened till it be accomplished! Suppose ye that I am come to give peace on earth? I tell you, Nay; but rather division: for from henceforth there shall be five in one house divided, three against two, and two against three. The father shall be divided against the son, and the son against the father; the mother against the daughter, and the daughter against the mother; the mother in law against the daughter in law, and the daughter in law against her mother in law.
And he said also to the people,
When ye see a cloud rise out of the west, straightway ye say, There cometh a shower; and so it is. And when _ye see_ the south wind blow, ye say, There will be heat; and it cometh to pa.s.s. _Ye_ hypocrites, ye can discern the face of the sky and of the earth: but how is it that ye do not discern this time?
Yea, and why even of yourselves judge ye not what is right?
When thou goest with thine adversary to the magistrate, _as thou art_ in the way, give diligence that thou mayest be delivered from him; lest he hale thee to the judge, and the judge deliver thee to the officer, and the officer cast thee into prison. I tell thee, thou shalt not depart thence, till thou hast paid the very last mite.
CHAPTER XLIV.
TOKENS OF COMING JUDGMENT--EIGHTEEN YEARS INFIRMITY.
There were present at that season some that told him of the Galileans, whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. And Jesus answering said unto them,
Suppose ye that these Galileans were sinners above all the Galileans, because they suffered such things? I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish. Or those eighteen, upon whom the tower in Siloam fell, and slew them, think ye that they were sinners above all men that dwelt in Jerusalem? I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.
He spake also this parable:
A certain _man_ had a fig tree planted in his vineyard; and he came and sought fruit thereon, and found none. Then said he unto the dresser of his vineyard, Behold, these three years I come seeking fruit on this fig tree, and find none: cut it down; why c.u.mbereth it the ground? And he answering said unto him, Lord, let it alone this year also, till I shall dig about it, and dung _it_: and if it bear fruit, _well_: and if not, _then_ after that thou shalt cut it down.
And he was teaching in one of the synagogues on the sabbath. And, behold, there was a woman which had a spirit of infirmity eighteen years, and was bowed together, and could in no wise lift up _herself_.
And when Jesus saw her, he called _her_ to _him_, and said unto her.
Woman, thou art loosed from thine infirmity.
And he laid _his_ hands on her: and immediately she was made straight, and glorified G.o.d. And the ruler of the synagogue answered with indignation, because that Jesus had healed on the sabbath day, and said unto the people, There are six days in which men ought to work: in them therefore come and be healed, and not on the sabbath day. The Lord then answered him, and said,
_Thou_ hypocrite, doth not each one of you on the sabbath loose his ox or _his_ a.s.s from the stall, and lead _him_ away to watering? And ought not this woman, being a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan hath bound, lo, these eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the sabbath day?
And when he had said these things, all his adversaries were ashamed: and all the people rejoiced for all the glorious things that were done by him. Then said he,
Unto what is the kingdom of G.o.d like? and whereunto shall I resemble it? It is like a grain of mustard seed, which a man took, and cast into his garden; and it grew, and waxed a great tree: and the fowls of the air lodged in the branches of it.
And again he said,
Whereunto shall I liken the kingdom of G.o.d? It is like leaven, which a woman took and hid in three measures of meal, till the whole was leavened.
And he went through the cities and villages, teaching, and journeying toward Jerusalem. Then said one unto him, Lord, are there few that be saved? And he said unto them,
Strive to enter in at the strait gate: for many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in, and shall not be able. When once the master of the house is risen up, and hath shut to the door, and ye begin to stand without, and to knock at the door, saying, Lord, Lord, open unto us: and he shall answer and say unto you, I know you not whence ye are: Then shall ye begin to say, We have eaten and drunk in thy presence, and thou hast taught in our streets. But he shall say, I tell you, I know you not whence ye are; depart from me, all _ye_ workers of iniquity. There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when ye shall see Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, and all the prophets, in the kingdom of G.o.d, and you _yourselves_ thrust out.
And they shall come from the east, and _from_ the west, and from the north, and _from_ the south, and shall sit down in the kingdom of G.o.d. And, behold, there are last which shall be first, and there are first which shall be last.
The same day there came certain of the Pharisees, saying unto him, Get thee out and depart hence, for Herod will kill thee. And he said unto them,
Go ye, and tell that fox, Behold, I cast out devils, and I do cures to day and to morrow, and the third _day_ I shall be perfected. Nevertheless I must walk to day, and to morrow, and the _day_ following: for it cannot be that a prophet perish out of Jerusalem.
O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, which killest the prophets, and stonest them that are sent unto thee; how often would I have gathered thy children together, as a hen _doth gather_ her brood under _her_ wings, and ye would not! Behold your house is left unto you desolate: and verily I say unto you, Ye shall not see me, until _the time_ come when ye shall say, Blessed _is_ he that cometh in the name of the Lord.
CHAPTER XLV.
DROPSY CURED--PARABLE OF THE GREAT SUPPER.
And it came to pa.s.s, as he went into the house of one of the chief Pharisees to eat bread on the sabbath day, that they watched him. And, behold, there was a certain man before him which had the dropsy. And Jesus answering spake unto the lawyers and Pharisees, saying,
Is it lawful to heal on the sabbath day?
And they held their peace. And he took _him_, and healed him, and let him go; and answered them, saying,
Which of you shall have an a.s.s or an ox fallen into a pit, and will not straightway pull him out on the sabbath day?
And they could not answer him again to these things.
And he put forth a parable to those which were bidden, when he marked how they chose out the chief rooms; saying unto them,
When thou art bidden of any _man_ to a wedding, sit not down in the highest room; lest a more honorable man than thou be bidden of him; and he that bade thee and him come and say to thee, Give this man place; and thou begin with shame to take the lowest room. But when thou art bidden, go and sit down in the lowest room; that when he that bade thee cometh, he may say unto thee, Friend, go up higher: then shalt thou have worship in the presence of them that sit at meat with thee.
For whosoever exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.
Then said he also to him that bade him,
When thou makest a dinner or a supper, call not thy friends, nor thy brethren, neither thy kinsmen, nor _thy_ rich neighbors; lest they also bid thee again, and a recompense be made thee. But when thou makest a feast, call the poor, the maimed, the lame, the blind: and thou shalt be blessed; for they cannot recompense thee: for thou shalt be recompensed at the resurrection of the just.
And when one of them that sat at meat with him heard these things, he said unto him, Blessed _is_ he that shall eat bread in the kingdom of G.o.d. Then said he unto him,