The Gospels

by Sarah Ruden

  33 “Sell your possessions and give them away as gifts of mercy. Provide yourselves with wallets that won’t get worn out, and a storehouse in the skies that will never rob you of your expectations, where a robber*137 won’t come near or a moth destroy anything. 34 Where your storehouse is, there your heart will be too.

  35 “Keep your clothes belted up high, and keep the lamps burning.*138 36 Then you’ll be like people who’re waiting for their master to get back from a wedding, so that when he comes and knocks, they can open the door right away for him. 37 Those are happy slaves, when the master comes and finds them on the alert. Amēn I tell you, he’ll belt up his own clothes for them and have them recline at the table, and he’ll come and wait on them. 38 Even if he comes during the second or third watch of the night*139 and finds it like that, those will be happy people. 39 But be aware of this: If the head of the house had known what time the thief was coming, he wouldn’t have let his house be broken into. 40 You too have to be ready, because the son of mankind is coming at a time you don’t expect.”*140

  41 Then Petros said, “Master, are you making this comparison just for us, or for everybody?” 42 And the master said, “Now, who’s the trusty, shrewd manager, whom the master will put in charge of his contingent of slaves, to give them [their] measure of grain at the right time? 43 That’s a happy slave, if the master, when he comes, finds him behaving this way. 44 I tell you that he’ll put him in charge of all his property. 45 But if that slave says in his heart, ‘My master’s taking his time coming,’ and he starts to beat the slave boys and girls, and to eat and drink and get drunk, 46 that slave’s master will arrive on a day when the slave doesn’t anticipate it, and at a time he doesn’t have in mind, and he’ll practically cut him in two and put him where those who aren’t to be trusted go.*141

  47 “The slave who knew what his master wanted but didn’t get ready or carry out what he wanted will get a lengthy beating. 48 But the one who didn’t know, though he did things to earn some blows, will get just a brief beating. From everyone who’s been given a lot, a lot will be required; and from the one who’s been entrusted with a lot, they will demand even more.

  49 “It’s fire I’ve come to bring to the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled! 50 But I need to be baptized beyond baptism, and I’m seized with anguish until it’s completed. 51 Do you think I’ve appeared here to bring peace to the earth? No, I tell you, it was to bring division. 52 From now on, five in one house will be divided, three against two and two against three. 53 They’ll be divided, father against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against her son’s bride and the bride against the mother-in-law.”*142

  54 Jesus said to the crowds, “As soon as you see [the] cloud rising from the place the sun sets, straight off you say, ‘A rainstorm’s coming,’ and that’s what happens. 55 And when you see the south wind blowing, you say, ‘It’ll be burning hot,’ and it is. 56 You play-actors! You know how to interpret the face of the earth and sky. Why don’t you know how to interpret this critical time?

  57 “And why don’t you also judge for yourselves what’s lawful and right? 58 So make it your business to reconcile with your adversary at law while you’re on the road with him, heading off to the magistrate. Otherwise, he may drag you off to the judge, and the judge will hand you over to the bailiff, and the bailiff will throw you into prison. 59 I tell you, you’ll never get out of there until you’ve paid the very last lepton you owe.”*143

  Chapter 13

  1 At that actual juncture, some people there reported to him about the Galilaioi whose blood Pilatos had mixed with that of their sacrifices. 2 And in response he said to them, “Do you think these Galilaioi were wrongdoers, beyond all the other Galilaioi, because these things have been inflicted on them?*144 3 No, I tell you; on the contrary, if you don’t change your thinking, you’re all going to be destroyed, as they were. 4 Or those eighteen that the tower at Silōam fell on, killing them*145—do you think they were answerable for that, more than all the other people who were living in Ierousalēm? 5 No, I tell you: on the contrary, if you don’t change your way of thinking, you’re all going to be destroyed, as they were.”

  6 Now he told this story by way of illustration: “Somebody had a fig tree, which was planted in his vineyard, and he came looking for fruit on it but couldn’t find any. 7 And he said to his vineyard-keeper, “Look, for three years now I’ve come looking for fruit on this fig tree but haven’t found any. [So] cut her down—what’s the reason for her wasting ground?” 8 But the vineyard-keeper answered by saying, ‘Master, leave her alone for one more year, until I dig around her and put on some manure, 9 and if she produces fruit next year, then fine; if she doesn’t, you can cut her down.”*146

  10 Now, he was teaching in one of the synagogues on the sabbata. 11 And look, there was a woman who for eighteen years had had a spirit of debility in her and was bent double and completely unable to unbend and stand upright. 12 When he saw her, Iēsous called her over and said to her: “Woman, you’re set free from your debility,” 13 and he placed his hands on her. And, then and there, she straightened herself up and started to glorify god. 14 But in response, the head of the synagogue was angry that Iēsous had performed a healing on the sabbaton, and he said to the crowd, “There are six days on which it’s necessary to work. So on these, you can all come and be healed, but not on the day of the sabbaton.” 15 But the master answered him by saying, “You play-actors! Doesn’t each one of you, on the sabbaton, untie his ox or donkey from the feeding trough and lead it away to water it?*147 16 But this woman is a daughter of Abraam, and, look, satanas had chained her up for eighteen years—and she didn’t need to be set free from this chain on the day of the sabbaton?” 17 And while he said these things, all those opposing him were humiliated, whereas the whole crowd was happy at the glorious things that were being done by him.

  18 Hence he said, “To what is the kingdom of god comparable, and what shall I compare it to? 19 It’s comparable to the seed of a mustard plant: a man took the seed and tossed it into his garden, and it grew and became a tree, and the birds of the sky found shelter among its branches.”

  20 And he spoke once again: “What am I going to compare to the kingdom of god? 21 It’s comparable to yeast. A woman took it and hid it in three sata*148 of flour, and waited until the whole lump of dough was risen with the yeast.”

  22 Then he went on his way through towns and villages one by one, teaching and making his journey to Hierosoluma.

  23 And someone said to him, “Master, will only a few people be rescued?” But he said to them, 24 “All of you, exert yourselves to come in through the narrow gate, because many people—I’m telling you—try to come in, but they’re not strong enough. 25 Once the head of the house has gotten up and locked the gate, you’ll proceed to stand outside and bang at the gate and say, “Sir, open up for us!” but he’ll say to you in answer, “I don’t know where you’re from.” 26 Then you’ll proceed to say, “We ate and drank right across from you, and you taught in our streets.” 27 And he’ll speak to you like this: “I don’t know [you] where you’re from. Keep away from me, all of you who work at nothing but outrage!” 28 There’s going to be crying and grinding of teeth in pain in that place, when you’ll see Abraam and Isaak and Iakōb and all the prophets in the kingdom of god, while you’re thrown out! 29 Then they’ll arrive from where the sun rises and from where it sets, and from where the north and the south winds come, and they’ll recline on dining couches in god’s kingdom. 30 And look, some who are in the lowest positions now will be in the highest then, and some who are in the highest ones will be in the lowest.”

  31 At that exact hour, certain Farisaioi approached, saying to him, “Leave here and be on your way, because Hērōdēs wants to kill you.” 32 But he said to them, “You be on your way and tell that fox for me, ‘Look, I’ll be expelling demons and carrying o
ut healings today and tomorrow, but on the third day, I’ll be finished. 33 Still, today and tomorrow and on the day after, I need to be on my way, because it’s impossible for a prophet to be destroyed outside Ierousalēm.*149

  34 “Ierousalēm, Ierousalēm, who kills prophets and stones those sent to her! How often I’ve wanted to gather your children together as a bird gathers her brood under her wings—but you didn’t want that.*150 35 Look, your house is abandoned. [But] I tell you all: You will never see me until [the time comes] when you say,

  “ ‘Blessed is the one coming in the name of the lord.’ ”*151

  Chapter 14

  1 Then it happened that when he came into the house of a certain leading Farisaios on the sabbaton to eat bread, they were watching him closely.

  2 And look, there was a certain man in front of him, who had dropsy. 3 And Iēsous reacted by speaking to the experts in the law*152 and the Farisaioi in these terms: “Is it permitted to treat diseases on the sabbaton or not?” 4 They held their peace, and he took hold of him, healed him, and sent him away. 5 Then he said to them, “Which of you has a son or an ox who’s fallen into a pit, and doesn’t pull him out right away, even though it’s the day of the sabbaton?” 6 And they weren’t able to answer him back about these things.*153

  7 Then, noticing how the other guests chose the couches of honor for themselves, he gave them a comparative lesson, telling them, 8 “When you’ve been invited by somebody to a wedding banquet, don’t lie down on the first couch, in case somebody more distinguished than you has also been invited by him. 9 Then the one who’s invited both you and him might just come and say to you, ‘Give your place to him’—and then, in humiliation, you’ll proceed to take the lowest place. 10 Instead, when you’re an invited guest, make your way to the lowest place and recline there, so that when the man who’s invited you comes, he’ll say to you, ‘My friend, move up higher.’ Then you’ll make an excellent showing before all those who are reclining with you: 11 because everyone who raises himself will be lowered, and whoever lowers himself will be raised.”*154

  12 Then he turned and said to the man who’d invited him: “When you’re giving a luncheon or dinner, don’t summon your friends or brothers or your other relatives, or your rich neighbors; they’d just invite you back themselves later on, and you’d be repaid.13 Instead, when giving a banquet, invite beggars, mutilated people, the crippled, the blind. 14 And you’ll be happy and blessed, because they don’t have the means to pay you back, but you’ll in fact be repaid when good people are awakened for a new life.”

  15 Someone who was reclining at the table with him heard these things and said to him, “Whoever eats a loaf of bread in god’s kingdom will be happy and blessed.”

  16 But he said to him, “A certain man was putting on a great feast, and he invited many people. 17 Then he sent out his slave at the time of the feast to tell those he’d invited, ‘Come, because it’s already prepared.’ 18 But they all began to make excuses in the same sort of way. The first one told him, ‘I’ve bought a field, and I have no choice but to go out and see it. Please, accept my excuse.’ 19 And the second said, ‘I’ve bought five pair of oxen and I’m on my way to try them out. Please, accept my excuse.’ 20 And the third said, ‘I’ve married a woman, and this is the reason I can’t come.’ 21 And the slave, arriving back at home, reported these things to his master. Then the head of the house was furious, and said to his slave, ‘Go out quickly to the streets and the alleys of the city and find the beggars and the mutilated and the blind and the crippled, and bring them in here.’ 22 But the slave said, ‘Master, what you ordered has been done, but there’s still room.’ 23 Then the master said to the slave, ‘Go out to the country roads and paths and force them to come in,*155 so that the house will be full to bursting.’ 24 I’m telling all of you that not one of those gentlemen who were invited will taste my banquet.”

  25 Large crowds were traveling with him, and he turned and said to them, 26 “If anyone comes to me and doesn’t hate his own father and mother and his children and brothers and sisters and even his own life besides, he can’t be my student. 27 Whoever doesn’t carry his own execution stake and come after me can’t be my student.

  28 “Which of you who wants to build a tower doesn’t first sit down and figure out how much it’s going to cost, to see if he has enough resources to complete it? 29 Otherwise, when he’s laid the foundation but doesn’t have means to finish, everybody who’s looking on is going to start ridiculing him, 30 saying, ‘This guy started to build but didn’t have the means to finish.’ 31 Or what king goes against another king to wage war with him but doesn’t first sit down and plan whether, with a force of ten thousand, he has the means to meet the king with twenty thousand who’s coming against him? 32 If he doesn’t have the means, while the other’s still far away he sends off an embassy and asks for peace terms. 33 In the same way, then, every one of you who doesn’t part with everything he possesses can’t be my student.

  34 “So salt is a fine thing; but if salt actually loses its bite and is dulled and dumbed down, what are you going to use to flavor it? 35 It’s not even suitable for the soil or the manure pile: people simply throw it out of bounds.*156 Whoever has ears had better hear!”

  Chapter 15

  1 Now all the tax-collectors and other wrongdoers came near him to listen to him. 2 And the Farisaioi and the scholars both were griping loudly, saying, “He welcomes wrongdoers and eats with them.”

  3 But he spoke and addressed this analogy to them: 4 “What man among you, who has a hundred sheep and loses one, doesn’t leave the ninety-nine behind in the wilderness and go after the lost one until he finds it? 5 And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders, 6 and when he goes back home, he calls together his friends and neighbors, saying to them, ‘Share this joy with me, because I’ve found my lost sheep.’*157 7 I tell you that, in the same way, there’ll be more joy in the sky over one wrongdoer who changes his purpose than over ninety-nine upstanding people who don’t need to change their purpose.

  8 “Or what woman, who has ten drachmas and loses one, doesn’t light a lamp and sweep her house and search carefully until she finds it? 9 And when she finds it, she calls together her women friends and neighbors, saying, ‘Share this joy with me, because I’ve found the drachma I lost.’*158 10 So, I tell you, that’s the kind of joy among god’s messengers when one wrongdoer changes his purpose.”

  11 Then he said, “A certain man had two sons. 12 And the younger of them said to the father, ‘Father, give me the share of the property that will fall to me.’ So he divided between them what the family lived off. 13 Then after a few days, the younger son got together everything that belonged to him and went abroad into a distant country, and there he threw his property around, living with reckless abandon. 14 After he’d spent everything he had, there came a severe famine throughout that country, and he started to fall short of essentials. 15 Then he went and hired himself out to one of that country’s citizens, and this man sent him into his fields to graze pigs. 16 And he longed to fill himself up with some of the carob pods the pigs were eating, but nobody would let him have him any.*159 17 Then, coming to himself, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired workers have more loaves than they can eat, while I’m dying of hunger here? 18 I’ll set off and travel to my father, and I’ll say to him, “Father, I’ve done wrong toward heaven and before your face; 19 I no longer deserve to be called your son: treat me like one of your hired workers.” ’ 20 Then he set off and came to his father. But while he was still at a distance, his father saw him and felt a wrenching pity: he ran to him, threw his arms around his neck, and kissed him warmly. 21 But the son said to him, ‘Father, I’ve done wrong toward heaven and before your face; I no longer deserve to be called your son.’ 22 But the father said to his slaves: ‘Quick, bring out a robe, the best one there is, and put it on him, and put a ring on his finger and sandals on his
feet, 23 and bring the calf that’s been fed on grain, sacrifice it, and let’s eat and celebrate, 24 because my son here was a corpse, but he’s come back to life; he was lost but now he’s been found.’ Then they began to celebrate. 25 Now his older son was in the field, and as he was coming back and nearing the house, he heard music and dancing. 26 He called one of the slave boys to him and asked what was going on here. 27 And he told him, ‘Your brother’s come back, and your father sacrificed the grain-fed calf*160 for him, because he got your brother back safe and sound.’ 28 And he was furious and didn’t want to go in, so his father came out and appealed to him. 29 By way of an answer, he told his father, ‘Look, for all these years I’ve been slaving away for you, and I never once ignored any order from you, but you never once gave me a young goat so that I could celebrate with my friends. 30 But now that this son of yours has come back, after he wolfed down, in the company of whores, the property that was your livelihood, you’ve sacrificed the grain-fed calf for him.’ 31 But he said to him, ‘Child, you’re always with me, and everything I have is yours. 32 But there was no choice but to celebrate and be joyful, because your brother here was a corpse, but now he’s come to life, and he was lost, but he’s now been found.’ ”