Study Desk

But a Samaritan who was traveling that way came upon the man, and when he saw him, his heart was filled with pity.

He went over to him, poured oil and wine on his wounds and bandaged them; then he put the man on his own animal and took him to an inn, where he took care of him.

As Jesus and his disciples went on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha welcomed him in her home.

She had a sister named Mary, who sat down at the feet of the Lord and listened to his teaching.

One day Jesus was praying in a certain place. When he had finished, one of his disciples said to him, "Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples."

And Jesus said to his disciples, "Suppose one of you should go to a friend's house at midnight and say, ‘Friend, let me borrow three loaves of bread.

Well, what then? I tell you that even if he will not get up and give you the bread because you are his friend, yet he will get up and give you everything you need because you are not ashamed to keep on asking.

"When a strong man, with all his weapons ready, guards his own house, all his belongings are safe.

As thousands of people crowded together, so that they were stepping on each other, Jesus said first to his disciples, "Be on guard against the yeast of the Pharisees—I mean their hypocrisy.

Look how the wild flowers grow: they don't work or make clothes for themselves. But I tell you that not even King Solomon with all his wealth had clothes as beautiful as one of these flowers.

Instead, be concerned with his Kingdom, and he will provide you with these things.

How happy are those servants whose master finds them awake and ready when he returns! I tell you, he will take off his coat, have them sit down, and will wait on them.

And you can be sure that if the owner of a house knew the time when the thief would come, he would not let the thief break into his house.

The Lord answered, "Who, then, is the faithful and wise servant? He is the one that his master will put in charge, to run the household and give the other servants their share of the food at the proper time.

How happy that servant is if his master finds him doing this when he comes home!

Indeed, I tell you, the master will put that servant in charge of all his property.

But if that servant says to himself that his master is taking a long time to come back and if he begins to beat the other servants, both the men and the women, and eats and drinks and gets drunk,

"The servant who knows what his master wants him to do, but does not get himself ready and do it, will be punished with a heavy whipping.

But the servant who does not know what his master wants, and yet does something for which he deserves a whipping, will be punished with a light whipping. Much is required from the person to whom much is given; much more is required from the person to whom much more is given.

Then Jesus told them this parable: "There was once a man who had a fig tree growing in his vineyard. He went looking for figs on it but found none.