Sunday, August 16

15So when they had eaten breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, 'Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me more than these?' He said to Him, 'Yes, Lord; You know that I love You.' He said to him, 'Feed My lambs.'

16He said to him again a second time, 'Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me?' He said to Him, 'Yes, Lord; You know that I love You.' He said to him, 'Tend My sheep.'

17He said to him the third time, 'Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me?' Peter was grieved because He said to him the third time, 'Do you love Me?' And he said to Him, 'Lord, You know all things; You know that I love You.' Jesus said to him, 'Feed My sheep.'

18Most assuredly, I say to you, when you were younger, you girded yourself and walked where you wished; but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will gird you and carry you where you do not wish.'

19This He spoke, signifying by what death he would glorify God. And when He had spoken this, He said to him, 'Follow Me.'

20Then Peter, turning around, saw the disciple whom Jesus loved following, who also had leaned on His breast at the supper, and said, 'Lord, who is the one who betrays You?'

21Peter, seeing him, said to Jesus, 'But Lord, what about this man?'

22Jesus said to him, 'If I will that he remain till I come, what is that to you? You follow Me.'

23Then this saying went out among the brethren that this disciple would not die. Yet Jesus did not say to him that he would not die, but, 'If I will that he remain till I come, what is that to you?'

24This is the disciple who testifies of these things, and wrote these things; and we know that his testimony is true.

25And there are also many other things that Jesus did, which if they were written one by one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that would be written. Amen.

2If I am not an apostle to others, yet doubtless I am to you. For you are the seal of my apostleship in the Lord.

3My defense to those who examine me is this:

4Do we have no right to eat and drink?

5Do we have no right to take along a believing wife, as do also the other apostles, the brothers of the Lord, and Cephas?

6Or is it only Barnabas and I who have no right to refrain from working?

7Who ever goes to war at his own expense? Who plants a vineyard and does not eat of its fruit? Or who tends a flock and does not drink of the milk of the flock?

8Do I say these things as a mere man? Or does not the law say the same also?

9For it is written in the law of Moses, 'You shall not muzzle an ox while it treads out the grain.' Is it oxen God is concerned about?

10Or does He say it altogether for our sakes? For our sakes, no doubt, this is written, that he who plows should plow in hope, and he who threshes in hope should be partaker of his hope.

11If we have sown spiritual things for you, is it a great thing if we reap your material things?

12If others are partakers of this right over you, are we not even more?

12giving thanks to the Father who has qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in the light.

13He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love,

14in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins.

15He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation.

16For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him.

17And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist.

18And He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the preeminence.

23Therefore the kingdom of heaven is like a certain king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants.

24And when he had begun to settle accounts, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents.

25But as he was not able to pay, his master commanded that he be sold, with his wife and children and all that he had, and that payment be made.

26The servant therefore fell down before him, saying, 'Master, have patience with me, and I will pay you all.'

27Then the master of that servant was moved with compassion, released him, and forgave him the debt.

28'But that servant went out and found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii; and he laid hands on him and took him by the throat, saying, 'Pay me what you owe!'

29So his fellow servant fell down at his feet and begged him, saying, 'Have patience with me, and I will pay you all.'

30And he would not, but went and threw him into prison till he should pay the debt.

31So when his fellow servants saw what had been done, they were very grieved, and came and told their master all that had been done.

32Then his master, after he had called him, said to him, 'You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you begged me.

33Should you not also have had compassion on your fellow servant, just as I had pity on you?'

34And his master was angry, and delivered him to the torturers until he should pay all that was due to him.

35'So My heavenly Father also will do to you if each of you, from his heart, does not forgive his brother his trespasses.'

51Now it came to pass, when the time had come for Him to be received up, that He steadfastly set His face to go to Jerusalem,

52and sent messengers before His face. And as they went, they entered a village of the Samaritans, to prepare for Him.

53But they did not receive Him, because His face was set for the journey to Jerusalem.

54And when His disciples James and John saw this, they said, 'Lord, do You want us to command fire to come down from heaven and consume them, just as Elijah did?'

55But He turned and rebuked them, and said, 'You do not know what manner of spirit you are of.

56For the Son of Man did not come to destroy men's lives but to save them.' And they went to another village.

57Now it happened as they journeyed on the road, that someone said to Him, 'Lord, I will follow You wherever You go.'

58And Jesus said to him, 'Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head.'

59Then He said to another, 'Follow Me.'

60But he said, 'Lord, let me first go and bury my father.' Jesus said to him, 'Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and preach the kingdom of God.'

61And another also said, 'Lord, I will follow You, but let me first go and bid them farewell who are at my house.'

62But Jesus said to him, 'No one, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.'

1After these things the Lord appointed seventy others also, and sent them two by two before His face into every city and place where He Himself was about to go.

2Then He said to them, 'The harvest truly is great, but the laborers are few; therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.

3Go your way; behold, I send you out as lambs among wolves.

4Carry neither money bag, knapsack, nor sandals; and greet no one along the road.

5But whatever house you enter, first say, 'Peace to this house.'

6And if a son of peace is there, your peace will rest on it; if not, it will return to you.

7And remain in the same house, eating and drinking such things as they give, for the laborer is worthy of his wages. Do not go from house to house.

8Whatever city you enter, and they receive you, eat such things as are set before you.

9And heal the sick there, and say to them, 'The kingdom of God has come near to you.'

10But whatever city you enter, and they do not receive you, go out into its streets and say,

11'The very dust of your city which clings to us we wipe off against you. Nevertheless know this, that the kingdom of God has come near you.'

12But I say to you that it will be more tolerable in that Day for Sodom than for that city.

13'Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the mighty works which were done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago, sitting in sackcloth and ashes.

14But it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the judgment than for you.

15And you, Capernaum, who are exalted to heaven, will be brought down to Hades.

16He who hears you hears Me, he who rejects you rejects Me, and he who rejects Me rejects Him who sent Me.'

17Then the seventy returned with joy, saying, 'Lord, even the demons are subject to us in Your name.'

18And He said to them, 'I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven.

19Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you.

20Nevertheless do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rather rejoice because your names are written in heaven.'

21In that hour Jesus rejoiced in the Spirit and said, 'I thank You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and prudent and revealed them to babes. Even so, Father, for so it seemed good in Your sight.

22All things have been delivered to Me by My Father, and no one knows who the Son is except the Father, and who the Father is except the Son, and the one to whom the Son wills to reveal Him.'

23Then He turned to His disciples and said privately, 'Blessed are the eyes which see the things you see;

24for I tell you that many prophets and kings have desired to see what you see, and have not seen it, and to hear what you hear, and have not heard it.'