Saturday, December 16

16do not cease to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers:

17that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him,

18the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints,

19and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power

20which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places,

21far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come.

22And He put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the church,

23which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.

1Now it happened, as He went into the house of one of the rulers of the Pharisees to eat bread on the Sabbath, that they watched Him closely.

2And behold, there was a certain man before Him who had dropsy.

3And Jesus, answering, spoke to the lawyers and Pharisees, saying, 'Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?'

4But they kept silent. And He took him and healed him, and let him go.

5Then He answered them, saying, 'Which of you, having a donkey or an ox that has fallen into a pit, will not immediately pull him out on the Sabbath day?'

6And they could not answer Him regarding these things.

7So He told a parable to those who were invited, when He noted how they chose the best places, saying to them:

8'When you are invited by anyone to a wedding feast, do not sit down in the best place, lest one more honorable than you be invited by him;

9and he who invited you and him come and say to you, 'Give place to this man,' and then you begin with shame to take the lowest place.

10But when you are invited, go and sit down in the lowest place, so that when he who invited you comes he may say to you, 'Friend, go up higher.' Then you will have glory in the presence of those who sit at the table with you.

11For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.'