Read the Gospels in 40 Days
Chapter 4
Jesus Is Tempted by the Devil.[a]1 Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert to be tempted by the devil. 2 He fasted for forty days and forty nights, after which he was famished.
3 Then the tempter approached him and said, “If you are the Son of God,[b] command these stones to be transformed into loaves of bread.” 4 Jesus answered, “As it is written:
‘Man does not live by bread alone,
but by every word that comes forth from the mouth of God.’ ”[c]
5 Next the devil took him to the holy city and had him stand on the summit of the temple.[d] 6 [e]Then he said to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down. For it is written:
‘He will command his angels concerning you,
and with their hands they will raise you up
lest you dash your foot against a stone.’ ”
7 Jesus said to him, “It is also written:
‘You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.’ ”
8 Finally, the devil took him to an exceedingly high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world in their splendor. 9 Then he said to him, “All these will I give you if you kneel down and worship me.” 10 Jesus said to him in reply, “Depart from me, Satan! It is written:
‘You shall worship the Lord your God,
and him alone shall you serve.’ ”[f]
11 Then the devil departed from him, and suddenly angels came and ministered to him.
12 Jesus Begins His Ministry in Galilee.[g]When Jesus learned that John had been arrested,[h] he withdrew to Galilee. 13 Departing from Nazareth, he settled in Capernaum[i] by the sea, in the region of Zebulun and Naphtali, 14 in order that what had been spoken through the prophet Isaiah might be fulfilled:
15 “Land of Zebulun and land of Naphtali,
the passageway to the sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles:
16 The people who lived in darkness
have seen a great light,
and for those who dwell in a land darkened by the shadow of death
light has dawned.”
17 From that day forward Jesus began to proclaim the message: “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is close at hand.”
18 Jesus Calls the First Disciples.[j] As Jesus was walking by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon who is called Peter, and his brother Andrew, casting a net into the water, for they were fishermen. 19 He said to them, “Come, follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.” 20 Immediately, they abandoned their nets and followed him.
21 As he proceeded farther, he saw two more brothers, James the son of Zebedee, and his brother John. They were in a boat with their father Zebedee, mending their nets, and he called them. 22 Immediately, they left their boat and their father and followed him.
23 Jesus Proclaims the Message and Heals the Sick.[k] Jesus traveled all throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom, and curing every type of disease and illness among the people. 24 His reputation spread throughout Syria,[l] and they brought to him all those who were sick, afflicted with various diseases, racked with pain, or possessed by demons, as well as those who were stricken with epilepsy or paralyzed, and he healed them. 25 Great throngs from Galilee, the Decapolis,[m] Jerusalem, and Judea, and from beyond the Jordan, followed him.
Chapter 5
The Sermon on the Mount—Magna Carta of the Christian Life[n]
The Beatitudes.[o] When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up on the mountain. After he was seated, his disciples gathered around him. 2 Then he began to teach them as follows:3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
4 Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.
5 Blessed are the meek,
for they will inherit the earth.
6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for justice,
for they will have their fill.
7 Blessed are the merciful,
for they will obtain mercy.
8 Blessed are the pure of heart, for they will see God.
9 Blessed are the peacemakers,
for they will be called children of God.
10 Blessed are those who are persecuted in the cause of justice,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
11 “Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you and utter all kinds of calumnies against you for my sake. 12 Rejoice and be glad, for your reward will be great in heaven. In the same manner, they persecuted the prophets who preceded you.
13 Salt of the Earth and Light of the World.[p]“You are the salt of the earth. But if salt loses its taste, what can be done to make it salty once again? It is no longer good for anything, and thus it is cast out and trampled underfoot.
14 “You are the light of the world. A city built upon a mountain cannot be hidden. 15 Nor would someone light a lamp and then put it under a basket; rather, it is placed upon a lampstand so that it may afford light to all in the house. 16 In the same way, your light must shine so that it can be seen by others; this will enable them to observe your good works and give praise to your Father in heaven.
The New Law[q]
17 The Fulfillment of the Law.“Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets. I have come not to abolish but to fulfill them. 18 Amen, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not a single letter,[r] not even a tiny portion of a letter, will disappear from the Law until all things have been accomplished. 19 Therefore, whoever breaks even one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be considered least in the kingdom of heaven. But whoever observes these commandments and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. 20 I tell you, if your righteousness does not exceed that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.
21 Anger.[s]“You have heard that your ancestors were told: ‘You shall not kill, and anyone who kills will be subject to judgment.’ 22 But I say this to you: Anyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to judgment, and whoever addresses his brother in an insulting way will answer for it before the Sanhedrin, and whoever calls his brother a fool will be liable to the fires of Gehenna.[t]
23 “Therefore, when offering your gift at the altar, if you should remember that your brother has something against you, 24 leave your gift there at the altar and first go to be reconciled with your brother. Then return and offer your gift.
25 “Come to terms quickly with your opponent while you are on the way to court with him. If you fail to do so, he may hand you over to the judge, and the judge will put you in the custody of the guard, and you will be thrown into prison. 26 Believe the truth of what I tell you: you will not be given your freedom until you have paid your debt down to the last penny.[u]
27 Adultery.[v]“You have heard that it was said of old: ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ 28 But I say to you that anyone who looks with lust at a woman has already committed adultery with her in his heart. 29 If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. It is preferable for you to lose one part of your body than to have your whole body thrown into Gehenna. 30 And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is preferable for you to lose one of your limbs than to have your whole body thrown into Gehenna.
31 Divorce.“It has also been said: ‘Whoever divorces his wife shall give her a certificate of dismissal.’ 32 But I say to you that anyone who divorces his wife, except if the marriage was unlawful, causes her to commit adultery, and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery.
33 Oaths.[w]“Again, you have heard that our ancestors were told: ‘Do not swear falsely, but fulfill the vows you have made to the Lord.’ 34 But what I tell you is this: Do not swear at all, either by heaven, since it is God’s throne, 35 or by earth, since that is his footstool, or by Jerusalem, since that is the city of the great King. 36 Nor should you swear by your head, for you cannot turn one hair of it white or black. 37 All you need to do is to say ‘Yes’ if you mean ‘Yes’ and ‘No’ if you mean ‘No.’ Anything beyond this comes from the evil one.
38 Retaliation.[x]“You have heard that it was said: ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’ 39 But I say to you: Offer no resistance to someone who is wicked. If someone strikes you on your right cheek, turn and offer him the other cheek as well. 40 If anyone wishes to sue you to gain possession of your tunic, give him your cloak as well. 41 If someone forces you to go one mile, go with him for a second mile. 42 Give to anyone who begs from you, and do not turn your back on anyone who wishes to borrow from you.
43 Love for Enemies.[y]“You have heard that it was said: ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ 44 But I say to you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you. 45 This will make you children of your heavenly Father. For he causes his sun to rise on evil people as well as on those who are good, and his rain falls on both the righteous and the wicked. 46 If you love only those who love you, what reward will you receive? Do not even tax collectors[z] do the same? 47 And if you greet only your brethren, what about that is so extraordinary? Even the pagans do as much.
48 Perfection.[aa]“Therefore, strive to be perfect, just as your heavenly Father is perfect.
The True Practice of Religion[ab]
Chapter 6
Giving Alms in Secret. 1 “Beware of performing righteous deeds before others in order to impress them. If you do so, you will receive no reward from your Father in heaven. 2 Therefore, whenever you give alms, do not trumpet your generosity, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets in order to win the praise of others. Amen, I say to you, they have already received their reward. 3 But when you give alms, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing. 4 Your almsgiving must be done in secret. And your Father who sees everything that is done in secret will reward you.
Praying in Secret. 5 “Whenever you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, who love to stand and pray in the synagogues and on street corners so that others may observe them doing so. Amen, I say to you, they have already received their reward. 6 But when you pray, go into your room, close the door, and pray to your Father in secret. And your Father who sees everything that is done in secret will reward you.
The Lord’s Prayer.[ac] 7 “When you pray do not go on babbling endlessly as the pagans do, for they believe that they are more likely to be heard because of their many words. 8 Do not imitate them. Your Father knows what you need before you ask him.
9 “This is how you should pray:
‘Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name.
10 Your kingdom come.
Your will be done
on earth as it is in heaven.
11 Give us this day our daily bread.
12 And forgive us our debts
as we forgive our debtors.
13 And do not lead us into temptation,[ad]
but deliver us from the evil one.’
14 If you forgive others for the wrongs they have done, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 15 But if you do not forgive others, then your Father will not forgive your transgressions.
16 Fasting in Secret.[ae]“Whenever you fast, do not assume a gloomy expression like the hypocrites who contort their faces so that others may realize that they are fasting. Amen, I say to you, they have received their reward. 17 But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, 18 so that the fact that you are fasting will not be obvious to others but only to your Father who is hidden. And your Father who sees everything that is done in secret will reward you.
19 Treasures in Heaven.[af]“Do not store up treasures for yourselves on earth, where they will be destroyed by moth and rust and where thieves break in and steal. 20 Rather, store up treasure for yourselves in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves cannot break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there will your heart also be.
22 The Lamp of the Body.[ag]“The eyes are the lamp of the body. If your eyes are sound, your whole body will be filled with light. 23 However, if your eyes are diseased, your whole body will be in darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great will that darkness be!
24 God and Money.“No one can serve two masters. For you will either hate the one and love the other or be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.[ah]
25 Seek First the Kingdom of God.[ai]“Therefore, heed my words. Do not be concerned about your life and what you will have to eat or drink, or about your body and what you will wear. Surely life is more than food, and the body is more than clothing.
26 “Gaze upon the birds in the sky. They do not sow or reap or store in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of far greater value than they? 27 Can any of you through worrying add a single moment to your span of life?
28 “And why are you concerned about what you are to wear? Consider the lilies of the field and how they grow. They neither labor nor spin. 29 Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his royal splendor was clothed like one of these. 30 If God so clothes the grass of the field, which grows today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, will he not all the more clothe you, O you of little faith?
31 “Therefore, stop being anxious about such things. Do not say: ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 These are things that are of concern to the Gentiles. Your heavenly Father is fully aware of all your needs. 33 Rather, seek the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.
34 “So do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will take care of itself. Each day has enough troubles of its own.
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