Repent or Perish

13 Now there were some present at that time who told Jesus about the Galileans whose blood Pilater had mixed with their sacrifices. 2 Jesus answered, “Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans because they suffered this way?s 3 I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish. 4 Or those eighteen who died when the tower in Siloamt fell on them—do you think they were more guilty than all the others living in Jerusalem? 5 I tell you, no! But unless you repent,u you too will all perish.”

6 Then he told this parable: “A man had a fig tree growing in his vineyard, and he went to look for fruit on it but did not find any.v 7 So he said to the man who took care of the vineyard, ‘For three years now I’ve been coming to look for fruit on this fig tree and haven’t found any. Cut it down!w Why should it use up the soil?’

8 “ ‘Sir,’ the man replied, ‘leave it alone for one more year, and I’ll dig around it and fertilize it. 9 If it bears fruit next year, fine! If not, then cut it down.’ ”

Jesus Heals a Crippled Woman on the Sabbath

10 On a Sabbath Jesus was teaching in one of the synagogues,x 11 and a woman was there who had been crippled by a spirit for eighteen years.y She was bent over and could not straighten up at all. 12 When Jesus saw her, he called her forward and said to her, “Woman, you are set free from your infirmity.” 13 Then he put his hands on her,z and immediately she straightened up and praised God.

14 Indignant because Jesus had healed on the Sabbath,a the synagogue leaderb said to the people, “There are six days for work.c So come and be healed on those days, not on the Sabbath.”

15 The Lord answered him, “You hypocrites! Doesn’t each of you on the Sabbath untie your ox or donkey from the stall and lead it out to give it water?d 16 Then should not this woman, a daughter of Abraham,e whom Satanf has kept bound for eighteen long years, be set free on the Sabbath day from what bound her?”

17 When he said this, all his opponents were humiliated,g but the people were delighted with all the wonderful things he was doing.

The Parables of the Mustard Seed and the Yeast

13:18,19pp—Mk 4:30–32
13:18–21pp—Mt 13:31–33

18 Then Jesus asked, “What is the kingdom of Godh like?i What shall I compare it to? 19 It is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his garden. It grew and became a tree,j and the birds perched in its branches.”k

20 Again he asked, “What shall I compare the kingdom of God to? 21 It is like yeast that a woman took and mixed into about sixty poundsa of flour until it worked all through the dough.”l

The Narrow Door

22 Then Jesus went through the towns and villages, teaching as he made his way to Jerusalem.m