Day 8: Matthew 19 - 21
New Testament in 90 days reading for day 8.
Matthew 19
- 8 Jesus replied, “Moses permitted you to divorce your wives because of your hardness of heart; but it was not this way from the beginning.
- 9 Now I tell you that whoever divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another woman, commits adultery.”
- 10 His disciples said to Him, “If this is the case between a man and his wife, it is better not to marry.”
- 11 “Not everyone can accept this word,” He replied, “but only those to whom it has been given.
- 12 For there are eunuchs who were born that way; others were made that way by men; and still others live like eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom of heaven. The one who can accept this should accept it.”
- 13 Then the little children were brought to Jesus for Him to place His hands on them and pray for them. And the disciples rebuked those who brought them.
- 14 But Jesus said, “Let the little children come to Me, and do not hinder them! For the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.”
- 15 And after He had placed His hands on them, He went on from there.
- 16 Just then a man came up to Jesus and inquired, “Teacher, what good thing must I do to obtain eternal life?”
- 17 “Why do you ask Me about what is good?” Jesus replied. “There is only One who is good. If you want to enter life, keep the commandments.”
- 18 “Which ones?” the man asked. Jesus answered, “‘Do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not bear false witness,
- 19 honor your father and mother, and love your neighbor as yourself.’”
- 20 “All these I have kept,” said the young man. “What do I still lack?”
- 21 Jesus told him, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow Me.”
- 22 When the young man heard this, he went away in sorrow, because he had great wealth.
- 23 Then Jesus said to His disciples, “Truly I tell you, it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven.
- 24 Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.”
- 25 When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astonished and asked, “Who then can be saved?”
- 26 Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”
- 27 “Look,” Peter replied, “we have left everything to follow You. What then will there be for us?”
- 28 Jesus said to them, “Truly I tell you, in the renewal of all things, when the Son of Man sits on His glorious throne, you who have followed Me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.
- 29 And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or fields for the sake of My name will receive a hundredfold and will inherit eternal life.
- 30 But many who are first will be last, and the last will be first.
Matthew 20
- 1 “For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire workers for his vineyard.
- 2 He agreed to pay them a denarius for the day and sent them into his vineyard.
- 3 About the third hour he went out and saw others standing in the marketplace doing nothing.
- 4 ‘You also go into my vineyard,’ he said, ‘and I will pay you whatever is right.’
- 5 So they went. He went out again about the sixth hour and the ninth hour and did the same thing.
- 6 About the eleventh hour he went out and found still others standing around. ‘Why have you been standing here all day long doing nothing?’ he asked.
- 7 ‘Because no one has hired us,’ they answered. So he told them, ‘You also go into my vineyard.’
- 8 When evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his foreman, ‘Call the workers and pay them their wages, starting with the last ones hired and moving on to the first.’
- 9 The workers who were hired about the eleventh hour came and each received a denarius.
- 10 So when the original workers came, they assumed they would receive more. But each of them also received a denarius.
- 11 On receiving their pay, they began to grumble against the landowner.
- 12 ‘These men who were hired last worked only one hour,’ they said, ‘and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden and the scorching heat of the day.’
- 13 But he answered one of them, ‘Friend, I am not being unfair to you. Did you not agree with me on one denarius?
- 14 Take your pay and go. I want to give this last man the same as I gave you.
- 15 Do I not have the right to do as I please with what is mine? Or are you envious because I am generous?’
- 16 So the last will be first, and the first will be last.”
- 17 As Jesus was going up to Jerusalem, He took the twelve disciples aside and said,
- 18 “Look, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be delivered over to the chief priests and scribes. They will condemn Him to death
- 19 and will deliver Him over to the Gentiles to be mocked and flogged and crucified. And on the third day He will be raised to life.”
- 20 Then the mother of Zebedee’s sons came to Jesus with her sons and knelt down to make a request of Him.
- 21 “What do you want?” He inquired. She answered, “Declare that in Your kingdom one of these two sons of mine may sit at Your right hand, and the other at Your left.”
- 22 “You do not know what you are asking,” Jesus replied. “Can you drink the cup I am going to drink?” “We can,” the brothers answered.
- 23 “You will indeed drink My cup,” Jesus said. “But to sit at My right or left is not Mine to grant. These seats belong to those for whom My Father has prepared them.”
- 24 When the ten heard about this, they were indignant with the two brothers.
- 25 But Jesus called them aside and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their superiors exercise authority over them.
- 26 It shall not be this way among you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant,
- 27 and whoever wants to be first among you must be your slave—
- 28 just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many.”
- 29 As they were leaving Jericho, a large crowd followed Him.
- 30 And there were two blind men sitting beside the road. When they heard that Jesus was passing by, they cried out, “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us!”
- 31 The crowd admonished them to be silent, but they cried out all the louder, “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us!”
- 32 Jesus stopped and called them. “What do you want Me to do for you?” He asked.
- 33 “Lord,” they answered, “let our eyes be opened.”
- 34 Moved with compassion, Jesus touched their eyes, and at once they received their sight and followed Him.
Matthew 21
- 1 As they approached Jerusalem and came to Bethphage on the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent out two disciples,
- 2 saying to them, “Go into the village ahead of you, and at once you will find a donkey tied there, with her colt beside her. Untie them and bring them to Me.
- 3 If anyone questions you, tell him that the Lord needs them, and he will send them right away.”
- 4 This took place to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet:
- 5 “Say to the Daughter of Zion, ‘See, your King comes to you, gentle and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.’”
- 6 So the disciples went and did as Jesus had directed them.
- 7 They brought the donkey and the colt and laid their cloaks on them, and Jesus sat on them.
- 8 A massive crowd spread their cloaks on the road, while others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road.
- 9 The crowds that went ahead of Him and those that followed were shouting: “Hosanna to the Son of David!” “Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!” “Hosanna in the highest!”
- 10 When Jesus had entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred and asked, “Who is this?”
- 11 The crowds replied, “This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee.”
- 12 Then Jesus entered the temple courts and drove out all who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those selling doves.
- 13 And He declared to them, “It is written: ‘My house will be called a house of prayer.’ But you are making it ‘a den of robbers.’”
- 14 The blind and the lame came to Him at the temple, and He healed them.
- 15 But the chief priests and scribes were indignant when they saw the wonders He performed and the children shouting in the temple courts, “Hosanna to the Son of David!”
- 16 “Do You hear what these children are saying?” they asked. “Yes,” Jesus answered. “Have you never read: ‘From the mouths of children and infants You have ordained praise’?”
- 17 Then He left them and went out of the city to Bethany, where He spent the night.
- 18 In the morning, as Jesus was returning to the city, He was hungry.
- 19 Seeing a fig tree by the road, He went up to it but found nothing on it except leaves. “May you never bear fruit again!” He said. And immediately the tree withered.
- 20 When the disciples saw this, they marveled and asked, “How did the fig tree wither so quickly?”
- 21 “Truly I tell you,” Jesus replied, “if you have faith and do not doubt, not only will you do what was done to the fig tree, but even if you say to this mountain, ‘Be lifted up and thrown into the sea,’ it will happen.
- 22 If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer.”
- 23 When Jesus returned to the temple courts and began to teach, the chief priests and elders of the people came up to Him. “By what authority are You doing these things?” they asked. “And who gave You this authority?”
- 24 “I will also ask you one question,” Jesus replied, “and if you answer Me, I will tell you by what authority I am doing these things.
- 25 What was the source of John’s baptism? Was it from heaven or from men?” They deliberated among themselves and said, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ He will ask, ‘Why then did you not believe him?’
- 26 But if we say, ‘From men,’ we are afraid of the people, for they all regard John as a prophet.”
- 27 So they answered, “We do not know.” And Jesus replied, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things.
- 28 But what do you think? There was a man who had two sons. He went to the first one and said, ‘Son, go and work today in the vineyard.’
- 29 ‘I will not,’ he replied. But later he changed his mind and went.
- 30 Then the man went to the second son and told him the same thing. ‘I will, sir,’ he said. But he did not go.
- 31 Which of the two did the will of his father?” “The first,” they answered. Jesus said to them, “Truly I tell you, the tax collectors and prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God before you.
- 32 For John came to you in a righteous way and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and prostitutes did. And even after you saw this, you did not repent and believe him.