QR code logo

The Gift New Testament

Truth Over Tradition

Jesus defends the children

1 Then he said to his disciples, “Stumbling blocks are inevitable, but woe to whoever sets them up! 2 It would be better for such people to have a large millstone tied around their neck and be flung into the sea, rather than to have ensnared one of these little ones. 3 So watch yourselves! Yet if your brother or sister does you wrong, rebuke them; and if they’re sorry, forgive them. 4 Even if they do you wrong seven times in a day, and seven times they turn around and apologize, forgive them.“

Faith like a mustard seed

5 Then the apostles said to the Master, “Increase our faith.” 6 And he replied, “If you have faith as tiny as a mustard seed, you could tell this mulberry tree to uproot itself and be planted in the sea instead, and it would listen to you.

Duty and respect

7 “Now suppose one of you had a slave doing the plowing or shepherding, and they came in from the field. Would you say to them, ‘Come, sit right down at the table’? 8 No, you would say, ‘Prepare my meal, then prepare to serve me my food and drink. After that, you may have your meal.’ 9 Does that slave expect to be thanked for doing their duty? 10 In the same way, when you do your duty you should say, ‘We are useless slaves; we have only done our duty.’ ”

Jesus heals ten lepers

11 Now it happened that as he went toward Jerusalem, he passed through the middle of Samaria and Galilee. 12 And when he entered a certain village, he was met by ten men with leprosy. They stood a distance away 13 and called out to Jesus, “Oh exalted one, have pity on us!” 14 Then he looked at them and said, “Off you go! Show yourselves to the priests.” And as they went on their way, they were suddenly healed.

15 One of them, when he realized he was healed, went back and loudly gave honor to God. 16 He fell to his face next to Jesus, thanking him. And he was a Samaritan. 17 But Jesus responded, “Weren’t there ten who were healed? So where are the other nine? 18 Did no one come back to give honor to God except this foreigner?” 19 And he said to him, “Get up! Your faith has healed you.”

Jesus as the kingdom of God

20 Another time, Jesus was asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come. And he replied, “The kingdom of God is not coming in a way you can watch for it. 21 No one will be able to say ‘Look, over here!’ or ‘Look, over there!’, for the kingdom of God is right here in front of you.”21

22 Then he said to his disciples, “The days will come when you will wish you could see just one of the days of the Human, but you won’t see it. 23 And people will say to you, ‘Look, over there! ’ or ‘Look, over here!’, but don’t even go to investigate it. 24 For just as lightning flashes and lights up the whole sky, so it will be when the Human comes in his day. 25 But first he must suffer many things and be rejected by this generation.

Prophecies of the end times

26 “Just as it was in the days of Noah, so it will also be in the days of the Human: 27 People ate, drank, and married, right up to the day when Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and wiped them all out. 28 Likewise as in the days of Lot: they ate and drank, they bought and sold, they planted and built, 29 right up to the day when Lot left Sodom, and fire and sulfur rained down from the sky and wiped them all out. 30 This is how it will be on the day the Human is revealed. 31 On that day, the one on the rooftop who has left tools in the house must not go down to retrieve them. Likewise, the one in the field must not turn back to what is behind them; 32 remember Lot’s wife! 33 Whoever tries to preserve their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life will live. 34 And I tell you this: One night there will be two people in a bed; one will be accepted and the other will be abandoned. 35 Two will be grinding grain; one will be accepted and the other will be abandoned.”

35 36 37 “Where, Master?” asked the disciples.

And he replied, “Where the body is, there will the eagles gather.”