Study Desk

"And which of you by worrying can add one hour to his life's span?

"Consider the lilies and wildflowers, how they grow [in the open field]. They neither labor nor spin [wool to make clothing]; yet I tell you, not even Solomon in all his glory and splendor dressed himself like one of these.

"But [strive for and actively] seek His kingdom, and these things will be given to you as well.

"But be sure of this, that if the head of the house had known at what time the thief was coming, he [would have been awake and alert, and] would not have allowed his house to be broken into.

The Lord said, "Who then is the faithful and wise steward [of the estate], whom his master will put in charge over his household, to give his servants their portion of food at the proper time?

"Blessed (happy, prosperous, to be admired) is that servant whom his master finds so doing when he arrives.

"I assure you and most solemnly say to you, he will put him in charge of all his possessions.

"But if that servant says in his heart, 'My master is taking his time in coming,' and begins to beat the servants, both men and women, and to eat and drink and get drunk,

"And that servant who knew his master's will, and yet did not get ready or act in accord with his will, will be beaten with many lashes [of the whip],

Then He began telling them this parable: "A certain man had a fig tree that had been planted in his vineyard; and he came looking for fruit on it, but did not find any;

Then He laid His hands on her; and immediately she stood erect again and she began glorifying and praising God.

But the Lord replied to him, "You hypocrites (play-actors, pretenders)! Does not each one of you on the Sabbath untie his ox or his donkey from the stall and lead it away to water it?

As He was saying this, all His opponents were being humiliated; and the entire crowd was rejoicing over all the glorious things that were being done by Him.

"It is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his own garden; and it grew and became a tree, and THE BIRDS OF THE SKY FOUND SHELTER and NESTED IN ITS BRANCHES."

Jesus journeyed on through cities and villages, teaching and making His way toward Jerusalem.

"Listen carefully: your house is left to you desolate [abandoned by God and destitute of His protection]; and I say to you, you will not see Me until the time comes when you say, 'BLESSED [to be celebrated with praise] IS HE WHO COMES IN THE NAME OF THE LORD!'"

But they kept silent. Then He took hold of the man and healed him, and sent him on his way.

and at the dinner hour he sent his servant to tell those who had been invited, 'Come, because everything is ready now.'

"So the servant came back and reported this to his master. Then [his master,] the head of the household, became angry [at the rejections of his invitation] and said to his servant, 'Go out quickly into the streets and the lanes of the city and bring in here the poor and the disabled and the blind and the lame.'

"If anyone comes to Me, and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life [in the sense of indifference to or relative disregard for them in comparison with his attitude toward God]—he cannot be My disciple.