A Call to Repentance

(Joel 1:13-20; Amos 5:4-15; Zephaniah 2:1-3)

1And there were present certain at that time, telling him about the Galileans, whose blood Pilate did mingle with their sacrifices; 2and Jesus answering said to them, ‘Think ye that these Galileans became sinners beyond all the Galileans, because they have suffered such things? 3No — I say to you, but, if ye may not reform, all ye even so shall perish. 4‘Or those eighteen, on whom the tower in Siloam fell, and killed them; think ye that these became debtors beyond all men who are dwelling in Jerusalem? 5No — I say to you, but, if ye may not reform, all ye in like manner shall perish.’

The Parable of the Barren Fig Tree

(Isaiah 5:1-7)

6And he spake this simile: ‘A certain one had a fig-tree planted in his vineyard, and he came seeking fruit in it, and he did not find; 7and he said unto the vine-dresser, Lo, three years I come seeking fruit in this fig-tree, and do not find, cut it off, why also the ground doth it render useless? 8‘And he answering saith to him, Sir, suffer it also this year, till that I may dig about it, and cast in dung; 9and if indeed it may bear fruit —; and if not so, thereafter thou shalt cut it off.’

Jesus Heals a Woman on the Sabbath

10And he was teaching in one of the synagogues on the sabbath, 11and lo, there was a woman having a spirit of infirmity eighteen years, and she was bowed together, and not able to bend back at all, 12and Jesus having seen her, did call [her] near, and said to her, ‘Woman, thou hast been loosed from thy infirmity;’ 13and he laid on her [his] hands, and presently she was set upright, and was glorifying God. 14And the chief of the synagogue answering — much displeased that on the sabbath Jesus healed — said to the multitude, ‘Six days there are in which it behoveth [us] to be working; in these, then, coming, be healed, and not on the sabbath-day.’ 15Then the Lord answered him and said, ‘Hypocrite, doth not each of you on the sabbath loose his ox or ass from the stall, and having led away, doth water [it]? 16and this one, being a daughter of Abraham, whom the Adversary bound, lo, eighteen years, did it not behove to be loosed from this bond on the sabbath-day?’ 17And he saying these things, all who were opposed to him were being ashamed, and all the multitude were rejoicing over all the glorious things that are being done by him.

The Parable of the Mustard Seed

(Matthew 13:31-32; Mark 4:30-34)

18And he said, ‘To what is the reign of God like? and to what shall I liken it? 19It is like to a grain of mustard, which a man having taken, did cast into his garden, and it increased, and came to a great tree, and the fowls of the heavens did rest in its branches.’

The Parable of the Leaven

(Judges 20:18-23; 2 Samuel 2:12-32; 2 Chronicles 13:4-19; Matthew 13:33-33)

20And again he said, ‘To what shall I liken the reign of God? 21It is like leaven, which a woman, having taken, did hide in three measures of meal, till that all was leavened.’

The Narrow Gate

(Matthew 7:13-14)

22And he was going through cities and villages, teaching, and making progress toward Jerusalem; 23and a certain one said to him, ‘Sir, are those saved few?’ and he said unto them, 24‘Be striving to go in through the straight gate, because many, I say to you, will seek to go in, and shall not be able; 25from the time the master of the house may have risen up, and may have shut the door, and ye may begin without to stand, and to knock at the door, saying, Lord, lord, open to us, and he answering shall say to you, I have not known you whence ye are, 26then ye may begin to say, We did eat before thee, and did drink, and in our broad places thou didst teach; 27and he shall say, I say to you, I have not known you whence ye are; depart from me, all ye workers of the unrighteousness. 28‘There shall be there the weeping and the gnashing of the teeth, when ye may see Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, and all the prophets, in the reign of God, and yourselves being cast out without; 29and they shall come from east and west, and from north and south, and shall recline in the reign of God, 30and lo, there are last who shall be first, and there are first who shall be last.’

Lament over Jerusalem

(Matthew 23:37-39)

31On that day there came near certain Pharisees, saying to him, ‘Go forth, and be going on hence, for Herod doth wish to kill thee;’ 32and he said to them, ‘Having gone, say to this fox, Lo, I cast forth demons, and perfect cures to-day and to-morrow, and the third [day] I am being perfected; 33but it behoveth me to-day, and to-morrow, and the [day] following, to go on, because it is not possible for a prophet to perish out of Jerusalem. 34‘Jerusalem, Jerusalem, that is killing the prophets, and stoning those sent unto her, how often did I will to gather together thy children, as a hen her brood under the wings, and ye did not will. 35‘Lo, your house is being left to you desolate, and verily I say to you — ye may not see me, till it may come, when ye may say, Blessed [is] he who is coming in the name of the Lord.’