Faith and Service
(Matthew 18.6Matthew 7Matthew 21Matthew 22Mark 9.42)
1 Jesus said to his disciples:
There will always be something that causes people to sin. But anyone who causes them to sin is in for trouble. A person who causes even one of my little followers to sin 2 would be better off thrown into the ocean with a heavy stone tied around their neck. 3 So be careful what you do.
Correct any followers of mine who sin, and forgive the ones who say they are sorry. 4 Even if one of them mistreats you seven times in one day and says, “I am sorry,” you should still forgive that person.
5 The apostles said to the Lord, “Make our faith stronger!”
6 Jesus replied:
If you had faith no bigger than a tiny mustard seed, you could tell this mulberry tree to pull itself up, roots and all, and to plant itself in the ocean. And it would!
7 If your servant comes in from plowing or from taking care of the sheep, would you say, “Welcome! Come on in and have something to eat”? 8 No, you wouldn't say that. You would say, “Prepare me something to eat. Get ready to serve me, so I can have my meal. Then later on you can eat and drink.” 9 Servants don't deserve special thanks for doing what they are supposed to do. 10 And that's how it should be with you. When you've done all you should, then say, “We are merely servants, and we have simply done our duty.”
Ten Men with Leprosy
11 On his way to Jerusalem, Jesus went along the border between Samaria and Galilee. 12 As he was going into a village, ten men with leprosy came toward him. They stood at a distance 13 and shouted, “Jesus, Master, have pity on us!”
14 Jesus looked at them and said, “Go show yourselves to the priests.”
On their way they were healed. 15 When one of them discovered that he was healed, he came back, shouting praises to God. 16 He bowed down at the feet of Jesus and thanked him. The man was from the country of Samaria.
17 Jesus asked, “Weren't ten men healed? Where are the other nine? 18 Why was this foreigner the only one who came back to thank God?” 19 Then Jesus told the man, “You may get up and go. Your faith has made you well.”
God's Kingdom
(Matthew 24.23-28Matthew 37-41)
20 Some Pharisees asked Jesus when God's kingdom would come. He answered, “God's kingdom isn't something you can see. 21 There is no use saying, ‘Look! Here it is’ or ‘Look! There it is.’ God's kingdom is here with you.”
22 Jesus said to his disciples:
The time will come when you will long to see one of the days of the Son of Man, but you will not. 23 When people say to you, “Look there,” or “Look here,” don't go looking for him. 24 The day of the Son of Man will be like lightning flashing across the sky. 25 But first he must suffer terribly and be rejected by the people of today. 26 When the Son of Man comes, things will be just as they were when Noah lived. 27 People were eating, drinking, and getting married right up to the day when Noah went into the big boat. Then the flood came and drowned everyone on earth.
28 When Lot lived, people were also eating and drinking. They were buying, selling, planting, and building. 29 But on the very day Lot left Sodom, fiery flames poured down from the sky and killed everyone. 30 The same will happen on the day when the Son of Man appears.
31 At that time no one on a rooftop should go down into the house to get anything. No one in a field should go back to the house for anything. 32 Remember what happened to Lot's wife.
33 People who try to save their lives will lose them, and those who lose their lives will save them. 34 On that night two people will be sleeping in the same bed, but only one will be taken. The other will be left. 35-36 Two women will be together grinding wheat, but only one will be taken. The other will be left.
37 Then Jesus' disciples spoke up, “But where will this happen, Lord?”
Jesus said, “Where there is a corpse, there will always be vultures.”
1 Vēl viņš teica saviem mācekļiem: „Nav iespējams, ka apgrēcība nenāk, bet vai tam, caur ko tā nāk!
2 Tādam būtu labāki, ja tam ap kaklu apliktu dzirnakmeni un to nogremdētu jūrā, nekā tas apgrēcinātu vienu no šiem mazajiem!
3 Sargaities! Ja tavs brālis grēko, pamāci to, un ja viņš nožēlo, piedodi viņam.
4 Un ja viņš grēko pret tevi septiņas reizes dienā un septiņas reizes nāk pie tevis un saka: man ir žēl, —piedodi viņam.“
5 Un apustuļi sacīja savam Kungam: „Vairo mums ticību.“
6 Bet viņš sacīja: „Ja jums būtu ticība kā sinepju graudiņš un jūs sacītu uz šo vīģes koku: Izraujies ar savām saknēm un dēsties jūrā, viņš jūs pa-klausītu.
7 Kurš no jums, kam būtu kalps pie arkla vai ganos, kad tas pārnāk no lauka, viņam sacīs: Nāc tūliņun sēdies pie galda!
8 Vai viņš tam neteiks: Sataisi man ēdienu, apliec priekšautu un pasniedz man ko ēst un dzert, un pēc tam tu pats ēdīsi un dzersi?
9 Un vai viņš sacīs paldies savam kalpam, ka tas izpilda viņa pavēles?
10 Tas pats arī ar jums: Kad jūs visu, kas jums uzdots, būsit izpildījuši, sakait: Mēs esam necienīgi kalpi, mēs esam darījuši, kas bija mūsu pienākums.“
11 Un notika ceļā uz Jeruzālemi, viņš gāja vidū caur Samariju un Galileju
12 Un iegriezās kādā ciemā. Te viņam pretim nāca desmit spitālīgi vīri, tie apstājās no tālienes
13 Un paceltā balsī sauca: „Jēzu, meistar, apžēlojies par mums!“
14 Un viņš, tos ieraudzījis, tiem sacīja: „Ejiet, rādaities priesteriem!“ Un notika, ka tie aizejot ceļā kļuva veseli.
15 Tad viens no tiem, redzēdams, ka viņš kļuvis vesels, griezās atpakaļ un skaļā balsī Dievu slavēja,
16 Nometās uz savu vaigu pie viņa kājām un pateicās viņam. Un tas bija samarietis.
17 Tad Jēzus griezās pie tā un sacīja: „Vai visi desmit nav kļuvuši veseli? Kur tad tie deviņi?
18 Vai cits neviens nav atradies, kas būtu griezies atpakaļ un Dievam godu devis, kā vien šis cittautietis?“
19 Un viņš tam sacīja: „Celies, ejl Tava ticība tev ir palīdzējusi.“
20 Uz farizēju jautājumu, kad nākšot Dieva valstība, viņš tiem atbildēja: „Dieva valstība nenāk ārīgi redzamā veidā.
21 Nevarēs arī sacīt: Redzi, še viņa ir, vai tur—jo redziet, Dieva valstība ir jūsu vidū.“
22 Bet mācekļiem viņš sacīja: „Nāks dienas, kad jūs ilgosities redzēt kaut vienu Cilvēka Dēla dienu, bet neredzēsit.
23 Un kad jums kāds sacīs: Redziet še, redziet tur, neejiet un neskrieniet tam pakaļ.
24 Jo, ka zibens zibeņodams spīd no vienas debess puses līdz otrai, tāds būs Cilvēka Dēls savā dienā.
25 Bet papriekš viņam daudz jācieš un jātop šās cilts atmestam.
26 Un kā tas bija Noas dienās, tā arī būs Cilvēka Dēla dienās:
27 Ēda, dzēra un precējās, līdz kamēr Noa iegāja šķirstā un plūdi nāca un visus iznīcināja.
28 Kā tas bija Lata dienās: ēda, dzēra, pirka, pārdeva, dēstīja un būvēja;
29 Bet tai dienā, kad Lats izgāja no Sodomas, uguns un sērs lija no debesīm un visus iznīcināja.
30 Tāpat būs tai dienā, kad parādīsies Cilvēka Dēls.
31 Ja kāds tai dienā atrodas uz jumta, bet viņa lietas ir istabā, tas lai nekāpj zemē tās paņemt; un ja kāds atrodas laukā, tas lai negriežas atpakaļ.
32 Pieminiet Lata sievu!
33 Kas savu dzīvību centīsies paturēt, tas to zaudēs, bet, kas to zaudēs, tas to paturēs.
34 Es jums saku, viņā nakti divi gulēs vienā gultā: vienu pieņems un otru atstās.
35 Divas kopā mals: vienu pieņems un otru atstās.
36 Divi būs laukā: viens taps pieņemts, un otrs atstāts.“
37 Tad mācekļi to pārtrauca, jautā-dami: „Kur, Kungs?“ Bet viņš tiem sacīja: „Kur maita, tur salasās ērgli.“