Monday, February 16

1The Elder, To the beloved Gaius, whom I love in truth:

2Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers.

3For I rejoiced greatly when brethren came and testified of the truth that is in you, just as you walk in the truth.

4I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth.

5Beloved, you do faithfully whatever you do for the brethren and for strangers,

6who have borne witness of your love before the church. If you send them forward on their journey in a manner worthy of God, you will do well,

7because they went forth for His name's sake, taking nothing from the Gentiles.

8We therefore ought to receive such, that we may become fellow workers for the truth.

9I wrote to the church, but Diotrephes, who loves to have the preeminence among them, does not receive us.

10Therefore, if I come, I will call to mind his deeds which he does, prating against us with malicious words. And not content with that, he himself does not receive the brethren, and forbids those who wish to, putting them out of the church.

11Beloved, do not imitate what is evil, but what is good. He who does good is of God, but he who does evil has not seen God.

12Demetrius has a good testimony from all, and from the truth itself. And we also bear witness, and you know that our testimony is true.

13I had many things to write, but I do not wish to write to you with pen and ink;

14but I hope to see you shortly, and we shall speak face to face.

29And it came to pass, when He drew near to Bethphage and Bethany, at the mountain called Olivet, that He sent two of His disciples,

30saying, 'Go into the village opposite you, where as you enter you will find a colt tied, on which no one has ever sat. Loose it and bring it here.

31And if anyone asks you, 'Why are you loosing it?' thus you shall say to him, 'Because the Lord has need of it.' '

32So those who were sent went their way and found it just as He had said to them.

33But as they were loosing the colt, the owners of it said to them, 'Why are you loosing the colt?'

34And they said, 'The Lord has need of him.'

35Then they brought him to Jesus. And they threw their own clothes on the colt, and they set Jesus on him.

36And as He went, many spread their clothes on the road.

37Then, as He was now drawing near the descent of the Mount of Olives, the whole multitude of the disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works they had seen,

38saying: ''Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the LORD!' Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!'

39And some of the Pharisees called to Him from the crowd, 'Teacher, rebuke Your disciples.'

40But He answered and said to them, 'I tell you that if these should keep silent, the stones would immediately cry out.'

41Now as He drew near, He saw the city and wept over it,

42saying, 'If you had known, even you, especially in this your day, the things that make for your peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes.

43For days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment around you, surround you and close you in on every side,

44and level you, and your children within you, to the ground; and they will not leave in you one stone upon another, because you did not know the time of your visitation.'

45Then He went into the temple and began to drive out those who bought and sold in it,

46saying to them, 'It is written, 'My house is a house of prayer,' but you have made it a 'den of thieves.' '

47And He was teaching daily in the temple. But the chief priests, the scribes, and the leaders of the people sought to destroy Him,

48and were unable to do anything; for all the people were very attentive to hear Him.

1Now it happened on one of those days, as He taught the people in the temple and preached the gospel, that the chief priests and the scribes, together with the elders, confronted Him

2and spoke to Him, saying, 'Tell us, by what authority are You doing these things? Or who is he who gave You this authority?'

3But He answered and said to them, 'I also will ask you one thing, and answer Me:

4The baptism of John—was it from heaven or from men?'

5And they reasoned among themselves, saying, 'If we say, 'From heaven,' He will say, 'Why then did you not believe him?'

6But if we say, 'From men,' all the people will stone us, for they are persuaded that John was a prophet.'

7So they answered that they did not know where it was from.

8And Jesus said to them, 'Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things.'

9Then He began to tell the people this parable: 'A certain man planted a vineyard, leased it to vinedressers, and went into a far country for a long time.

10Now at vintage-time he sent a servant to the vinedressers, that they might give him some of the fruit of the vineyard. But the vinedressers beat him and sent him away empty-handed.

11Again he sent another servant; and they beat him also, treated him shamefully, and sent him away empty-handed.

12And again he sent a third; and they wounded him also and cast him out.

13'Then the owner of the vineyard said, 'What shall I do? I will send my beloved son. Probably they will respect him when they see him.'

14But when the vinedressers saw him, they reasoned among themselves, saying, 'This is the heir. Come, let us kill him, that the inheritance may be ours.'

15So they cast him out of the vineyard and killed him. Therefore what will the owner of the vineyard do to them?

16He will come and destroy those vinedressers and give the vineyard to others.'

17And when they heard it they said, 'Certainly not!' Then He looked at them and said, 'What then is this that is written: 'The stone which the builders rejected Has become the chief cornerstone'?

18Whoever falls on that stone will be broken; but on whomever it falls, it will grind him to powder.'

19And the chief priests and the scribes that very hour sought to lay hands on Him, but they feared the people—for they knew He had spoken this parable against them.

20So they watched Him, and sent spies who pretended to be righteous, that they might seize on His words, in order to deliver Him to the power and the authority of the governor.

21Then they asked Him, saying, 'Teacher, we know that You say and teach rightly, and You do not show personal favoritism, but teach the way of God in truth:

22Is it lawful for us to pay taxes to Caesar or not?'

23But He perceived their craftiness, and said to them, 'Why do you test Me?

24Show Me a denarius. Whose image and inscription does it have?'

25They answered and said, 'Caesar's.' And He said to them, 'Render therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's.'

26But they could not catch Him in His words in the presence of the people. And they marveled at His answer and kept silent.

27Then some of the Sadducees, who deny that there is a resurrection, came to Him and asked Him,

28saying: 'Teacher, Moses wrote to us that if a man's brother dies, having a wife, and he dies without children, his brother should take his wife and raise up offspring for his brother.

29Now there were seven brothers. And the first took a wife, and died without children.

30And the second took her as wife, and he died childless.

31Then the third took her, and in like manner the seven also; and they left no children, and died.

32Last of all the woman died also.

33Therefore, in the resurrection, whose wife does she become? For all seven had her as wife.'

34Jesus answered and said to them, 'The sons of this age marry and are given in marriage.

35But those who are counted worthy to attain that age, and the resurrection from the dead, neither marry nor are given in marriage;

36nor can they die anymore, for they are equal to the angels and are sons of God, being sons of the resurrection.

37But even Moses showed in the burning bush passage that the dead are raised, when he called the Lord 'the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.'

38For He is not the God of the dead but of the living, for all live to Him.'

39Then some of the scribes answered and said, 'Teacher, You have spoken well.'

40But after that they dared not question Him anymore.