Daily Bible Reading

Day 5

Today's reading: Luke 13-15

Look for the promises in God’s word. As you read and find them, write them in your journal along with the scripture reference.

Luke 13

A Call to Repent

1. Now there were some present on that occasion who told him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mixed with their sacrifices.
2. He answered them, “Do you think these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans, because they suffered these things?
3. No, I tell you! But unless you repent, you will all perish as well!
4. Or those eighteen who were killed when the tower in Siloam fell on them, do you think they were worse offenders than all the others who live in Jerusalem?
5. No, I tell you! But unless you repent you will all perish as well!”

Warning to Israel to Bear Fruit

6. Then Jesus told this parable: “A man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard, and he came looking for fruit on it and found none.
7. So he said to the worker who tended the vineyard, ‘For three years now, I have come looking for fruit on this fig tree, and each time I inspect it I find none. Cut it down! Why should it continue to deplete the soil?’
8. But the worker answered him, ‘Sir, leave it alone this year too, until I dig around it and put fertilizer on it.
9. Then if it bears fruit next year, very well, but if not, you can cut it down.’”

Healing on the Sabbath

10. Now he was teaching in one of the synagogues on the Sabbath,
11. and a woman was there who had been disabled by a spirit for eighteen years. She was bent over and could not straighten herself up completely.
12. When Jesus saw her, he called her to him and said, “Woman, you are freed from your infirmity.”
13. Then he placed his hands on her, and immediately she straightened up and praised God.
14. But the president of the synagogue, indignant because Jesus had healed on the Sabbath, said to the crowd, “There are six days on which work should be done! So come and be healed on those days, and not on the Sabbath day.”
15. Then the Lord answered him, “You hypocrites! Does not each of you on the Sabbath untie his ox or his donkey from its stall, and lead it to water?
16. Then shouldn’t this woman, a daughter of Abraham whom Satan bound for eighteen long years, be released from this imprisonment on the Sabbath day?”
17. When he said this all his adversaries were humiliated, but the entire crowd was rejoicing at all the wonderful things he was doing.

On the Kingdom of God

18. Thus Jesus asked, “What is the kingdom of God like? To what should I compare it?
19. It is like a mustard seed that a man took and sowed in his garden. It grew and became a tree, and the wild birds nested in its branches.”
20. Again he said, “To what should I compare the kingdom of God?
21. It is like yeast that a woman took and mixed with three measures of flour until all the dough had risen.”

The Narrow Door

22. Then Jesus traveled throughout towns and villages, teaching and making his way toward Jerusalem.
23. Someone asked him, “Lord, will only a few be saved?” So he said to them,
24. “Exert every effort to enter through the narrow door, because many, I tell you, will try to enter and will not be able to.
25. Once the head of the house gets up and shuts the door, then you will stand outside and start to knock on the door and beg him, ‘Lord, let us in!’ But he will answer you, ‘I don’t know where you come 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 reply, ‘I don’t know where you come from! Go away from me, all you evildoers!’
28. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth when you see Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and all the prophets in the kingdom of God but you yourselves thrown out.
29. Then people will come from east and west, and from north and south, and take their places at the banquet table in the kingdom of God.
30. But indeed, some are last who will be first, and some are first who will be last.”

Going to Jerusalem

31. At that time, some Pharisees came up and said to Jesus, “Get away from here, because Herod wants to kill you.”
32. But he said to them, “Go and tell that fox, ‘Look, I am casting out demons and performing healings today and tomorrow, and on the third day I will complete my work.
33. Nevertheless I must go on my way today and tomorrow and the next day, because it is impossible that a prophet should be killed outside Jerusalem.’
34. O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those who are sent to you! How often I have longed to gather your children together as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you would have none of it!
35. Look, your house is forsaken! And I tell you, you will not see me until you say, ‘Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord!’”

Luke 14

Healing Again on the Sabbath

1. Now one Sabbath when Jesus went to dine at the house of a leader of the Pharisees, they were watching him closely.
2. There right in front of him was a man suffering from dropsy.
3. So Jesus asked the experts in religious law and the Pharisees, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath or not?”
4. But they remained silent. So Jesus took hold of the man, healed him, and sent him away.
5. Then he said to them, “Which of you, if you have a son or an ox that has fallen into a well on a Sabbath day, will not immediately pull him out?”
6. But they could not reply to this.

On Seeking Seats of Honor

7. Then when Jesus noticed how the guests chose the places of honor, he told them a parable. He said to them,
8. “When you are invited by someone to a wedding feast, do not take the place of honor, because a person more distinguished than you may have been invited by your host.
9. So the host who invited both of you will come and say to you, ‘Give this man your place.’ Then, ashamed, you will begin to move to the least important place.
10. But when you are invited, go and take the least important place, so that when your host approaches he will say to you, ‘Friend, move up here to a better place.’ Then you will be honored in the presence of all who share the meal with you.
11. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.”
12. He said also to the man who had invited him, “When you host a dinner or a banquet, don’t invite your friends or your brothers or your relatives or rich neighbors so you can be invited by them in return and get repaid.
13. But when you host an elaborate meal, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind.
14. Then you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you, for you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.”

The Parable of the Great Banquet

15. When one of those at the meal with Jesus heard this, he said to him, “Blessed is everyone who will feast in the kingdom of God!”
16. But Jesus said to him, “A man once gave a great banquet and invited many guests.
17. At the time for the banquet he sent his slave to tell those who had been invited, ‘Come, because everything is now ready.’
18. But one after another they all began to make excuses. The first said to him, ‘I have bought a field, and I must go out and see it. Please excuse me.’
19. Another said, ‘I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I am going out to examine them. Please excuse me.’
20. Another said, ‘I just got married, and I cannot come.’
21. So the slave came back and reported this to his master. Then the master of the household was furious and said to his slave, ‘Go out quickly to the streets and alleys of the city, and bring in the poor, the crippled, the blind, and the lame.’
22. Then the slave said, ‘Sir, what you instructed has been done, and there is still room.’
23. So the master said to his slave, ‘Go out to the highways and country roads and urge people to come in, so that my house will be filled.
24. For I tell you, not one of those individuals who were invited will taste my banquet!’”

Counting the Cost

25. Now large crowds were accompanying Jesus, and turning to them he said,
26. “If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother, and wife and children, and brothers and sisters, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple.
27. Whoever does not carry his own cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.
28. For which of you, wanting to build a tower, doesn’t sit down first and compute the cost to see if he has enough money to complete it?
29. Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish the tower, all who see it will begin to make fun of him.
30. They will say, ‘This man began to build and was not able to finish!’
31. Or what king, going out to confront another king in battle, will not sit down first and determine whether he is able with ten thousand to oppose the one coming against him with twenty thousand?
32. If he cannot succeed, he will send a representative while the other is still a long way off and ask for terms of peace.
33. In the same way therefore not one of you can be my disciple if he does not renounce all his own possessions.
34. “Salt is good, but if salt loses its flavor, how can its flavor be restored?
35. It is of no value for the soil or for the manure pile; it is to be thrown out. The one who has ears to hear had better listen!”

Luke 15

The Parable of the Lost Sheep and Coin

1. Now all the tax collectors and sinners were coming to hear him.
2. But the Pharisees and the experts in the law were complaining, “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.”
3. So Jesus told them this parable:
4. “Which one of you, if he has a hundred sheep and loses one of them, would not leave the ninety-nine in the open pasture and go look for the one that is lost until he finds it?
5. Then when he has found it, he places it on his shoulders, rejoicing.
6. Returning home, he calls together his friends and neighbors, telling them, ‘Rejoice with me, because I have found my sheep that was lost.’
7. I tell you, in the same way there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous people who have no need to repent.
8. “Or what woman, if she has ten silver coins and loses one of them, does not light a lamp, sweep the house, and search thoroughly until she finds it?
9. Then when she has found it, she calls together her friends and neighbors, saying, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found the coin that I had lost.’
10. In the same way, I tell you, there is joy in the presence of God’s angels over one sinner who repents.”

The Parable of the Compassionate Father

11. Then Jesus said, “A man had two sons.
12. The younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the share of the estate that will belong to me.’ So he divided his assets between them.
13. After a few days, the younger son gathered together all he had and left on a journey to a distant country, and there he squandered his wealth with a wild lifestyle.
14. Then after he had spent everything, a severe famine took place in that country, and he began to be in need.
15. So he went and worked for one of the citizens of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs.
16. He was longing to eat the carob pods the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything.
17. But when he came to his senses he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired workers have food enough to spare, but here I am dying from hunger!
18. I will get up and go to my father and say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you.
19. I am no longer worthy to be called your son; treat me like one of your hired workers.”’
20. So he got up and went to his father. But while he was still a long way from home his father saw him, and his heart went out to him; he ran and hugged his son and kissed him.
21. Then his son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you; I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’
22. But the father said to his slaves, ‘Hurry! Bring the best robe, and put it on him! Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet!
23. Bring the fattened calf and kill it! Let us eat and celebrate,
24. because this son of mine was dead, and is alive again – he was lost and is found!’ So they began to celebrate.
25. “Now his older son was in the field. As he came and approached the house, he heard music and dancing.
26. So he called one of the slaves and asked what was happening.
27. The slave replied, ‘Your brother has returned, and your father has killed the fattened calf because he got his son back safe and sound.’
28. But the older son became angry and refused to go in. His father came out and appealed to him,
29. but he answered his father, ‘Look! These many years I have worked like a slave for you, and I never disobeyed your commands. Yet you never gave me even a goat so that I could celebrate with my friends!
30. But when this son of yours came back, who has devoured your assets with prostitutes, you killed the fattened calf for him!’
31. Then the father said to him, ‘Son, you are always with me, and everything that belongs to me is yours.
32. It was appropriate to celebrate and be glad, for your brother was dead, and is alive; he was lost and is found.’”

{Luke 10-12}   {Daily Reading Guide}   {Luke 16-18}