These daily readings will allow you to understand the teaching of the Bible in its

original cultural context, bringing Scripture to life by providing fresh understanding to familiar passages. This 21-day reading plan is built from

the NIV First-Century Study Bible released by Zondervan in the fall of 2014.

Copyright Zondervan. All rights reserved

Table of ContentsDay 1: Day 2:Day 3:Day 4:Day 5:Day 6:Day 7:Day 8:Day 9:Day 10:Day 11:Day 12:Day 13:Day 14:Day 15:Day 16:Day 17:Day 18:Day 19:Day 20:Day 21:

The Parable of the SowerThe Parable of the Mustard SeedThe Parable of the Unmerciful ServantThe Parable of the Generous Land ownerThe Parable of the Wedding BanquetThe Parable of the Ten VirginsThe Parable of the Bags of GoldThe Parable of the Growing SeedThe Parable of the Good SamaritanThe Parable of the Bigger BarnsThe Parable of the Lost Sheep and the Lost CoinThe Parable of the Two Lost SonsThe Parable of the Shrewd ManagerThe Parable of the Persistent WidowThe Parable of the Pharisee and the Tax CollectorThe Parable of the Fig TreeThe Parable of the Narrow Door and the Messianic BanquetWater and the SpiritEat My Flesh and Drink My BloodRivers of Living WaterI am the Light of the World

Day 1THE PARABLE OF THE SOWER

MATTHEW 13:3-23 3 Then he told them many things in parables, saying: “A farmer went out to sow his seed. 4 As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. 5 Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. 6 But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. 7 Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants. 8 Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop—a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown. 9 Whoever has ears, let them hear.” 10 The disciples came to him and asked, “Why do you speak to the people in parables?” 11 He replied, “Because the knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of heaven has been given to you, but not to them. 12 Whoever has will be given more, and they will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them. 13 This is why I speak to them in parables: “Though seeing, they do not see; though hearing, they do not hear or understand. 14 In them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah: “‘You will be ever hearing but never understanding; you will be ever seeing but never perceiving. 15 For this people’s heart has become calloused; they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts and turn, and I would heal them.’ 16 But blessed are your eyes because they see, and your ears because they hear. 17 For truly I tell you, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it. 18 “Listen then to what the parable of the sower means: 19 When anyone hears the message about the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in their heart. This is the seed sown along the path. 20 The seed falling on rocky ground refers to someone who hears the word and at once receives it with joy. 21 But since they have no root, they last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away. 22 The seed falling among the thorns refers to someone who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, making it unfruitful. 23 But the seed falling on good soil refers to someone who hears the word and understands it. This is the one who produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.”

THINK ABOUT ITWhat is “good soil”? The various “soils” in the parable represent human hearts. Transformation of the inner life, rather than external conformity, seems to be an important theme in the story. Though Jesus explained what poor soil represented, he did not explain what good soil represented. This frustrating element of Jesus’ teaching method leads the reader to additional questions.

TALK ABOUT ITWhat do you think “good soil” represents?

Day 2THE PARABLE OF THE MUSTARD SEED

MATTHEW 13:31-3231 He told them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his field. 32 Though it is the smallest of all seeds, yet when it grows, it is the largest of garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds come and perch in its branches.”

THINK ABOUT ITThe presence of a mustard tree in the middle of a field was certainly a strange image to Jesus’ listeners. Who would want birds perching where one was trying to grow food? Jesus was comparing the kingdom to a giant shrub or weed that starts tiny but grows and takes over the garden. The image of yeast was equally strange to Jesus’ listeners. Yeast was a symbol for sin and had to be completely removed from the house before the Festival of the Passover. The comparison of the kingdom with something that was symbolically negative would have been shocking. Rather than pretty images, these were disturbing metaphors for the completely unlikely and subversive way God’s kingdom actually works.

TALK ABOUT ITWhen have you seen God work in an unexpected way?

Day 3THE PARABLE OF THE UNMERCIFUL SERVANT

MATTHEW 18:23-3523 “Therefore, the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. 24 As he began the settlement, a man who owed him ten thousand bags of gold

was brought to him. 25 Since he was not able to pay, the master ordered that he and his wife and his children and all that he had be sold to repay the debt. 26 “At this the servant fell on his knees before him. ‘Be patient with me,’ he begged, ‘and I will pay back everything.’ 27 The servant’s master took pity on him, canceled the debt and let him go. 28 “But when that servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred silver coins. He grabbed him and began to choke him. ‘Pay back what you owe me!’ he demanded. 29 “His fellow servant fell to his knees and begged him, ‘Be patient with me, and I will pay it back.’ “But he refused. Instead, he went off and had the man thrown into prison until he could pay the debt. 31 When the other servants saw what had happened, they were outraged and went and told their master everything that had happened. 32 “Then the master called the servant in. ‘You wicked servant,’ he said, ‘I canceled all that debt of yours because you begged me to. 33 Shouldn’t you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?’ 34 In anger his master handed him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed. 35 “This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother or sister from your heart.”

THINK ABOUT ITIn this parable the man owed over ten times the maximum amount ever collected by Herod’s sons. The modern equivalent would be around $2.5 billion. He was demanding around $4,000. These numbers were unthinkable to the ancient audience, making Jesus’ parable somewhat humorous.

TALK ABOUT ITWhy is forgiveness so important?

Day 4THE PARABLE OF THE GENEROUS LANDOWNER

MATTHEW 20:1-161“For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire workers for his vineyard. 2 He agreed to pay them a denarius for the day and sent them into his vineyard. 3 “About nine in the morning he went out and saw others standing in the marketplace doing nothing. 4 He told them, ‘You also go and work in my vineyard, and I will pay you whatever is right.’ 5 So they went. “He went out again about noon and about three in the afternoon and did the same thing. 6 About five in the afternoon he went out and found still others standing around. He asked them, ‘Why have you been standing here all day long doing nothing?’ 7 “‘Because no one has hired us,’ they answered. “He said to them, ‘You also go and work in my vineyard.’ 8 “When evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his foreman, ‘Call the workers and pay them their wages, beginning with the last ones hired and going on to the first.’ 9 “The workers who were hired about five in the afternoon came and each received a denarius. 10 So when those came who were hired first, they expected to receive more. But each one of them also received a denarius. 11 When they received it, they began to grumble against the landowner. 12 ‘These who were hired last worked only one hour,’ they said, ‘and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the work and the heat of the day.’ 13 “But he answered one of them, ‘I am not being unfair to you, friend. Didn’t you agree to work for a denarius? 14 Take your pay and go. I want to give the one who was hired last the same as I gave you. 15 Don’t I have the right to do what I want with my own money? Or are you envious because I am generous?’ 16 “So the last will be first, and the first will be last.”

THINK ABOUT ITThis parable is an extended reflection on Isaiah 5:1–7, which speaks of God planting and caring for the vineyard of Israel. The story questions any entitlement to God’s blessing. The generosity of God is available at any hour and is open to all. From a symbolic point of view, those who feel entitled to work in the vineyard are the ones who refuse to dwell in the transformative power of God’s mercy

TALK ABOUT ITWhat has God done that was generous in your life?

Day 5THE PARABLE OF THE WEDDING BANQUET

MATTHEW 22:1-141Jesus spoke to them again in parables, saying: 2 “The kingdom of heaven is like a king who prepared a wedding banquet for his son. 3 He sent his servants to those who had been invited to the banquet to tell them to come, but they refused to come. 4 “Then he sent some more servants and said, ‘Tell those who have been invited that I have prepared my dinner: My oxen and fattened cattle have been butchered, and everything is ready. Come to the wedding banquet.’ 5 “But they paid no attention and went off—one to his field, another to his business. 6 The rest seized his servants, mistreated them and killed them. 7 The king was enraged. He sent his army and destroyed those murderers and burned their city. 8 “Then he said to his servants, ‘The wedding banquet is ready, but those I invited did not deserve to come. 9 So go to the street corners and invite to the banquet anyone you find.’ 10 So the servants went out into the streets and gathered all the people they could find, the bad as well as the good, and the wedding hall was filled with guests. 11 “But when the king came in to see the guests, he noticed a man there who was not wearing wedding clothes. 12 He asked, ‘How did you get in here without wedding clothes, friend?’ The man was speechless. 13 “Then the king told the attendants, ‘Tie him hand and foot, and throw him outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’ 14 “For many are invited, but few are chosen.”

THINK ABOUT ITThis is another parable of belonging. The parable leaves the listener wondering what the wedding clothes represent and who in fact belongs in the kingdom. Most likely, the proper wedding clothes represent those who follow the teachings of Jesus, but it’s impossible to say for certain.

TALK ABOUT ITWhat do you think it means to wear the proper wedding clothes?

Day 6THE PARABLE OF THE TEN VIRIGINS

MATTHEW 25:1-131“At that time the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. 2 Five of them were foolish and five were wise. 3 The foolish ones took their lamps but did not take any oil with them. 4 The wise ones, however, took oil in jars along with their lamps. 5 The bridegroom was a long time in coming, and they all became drowsy and fell asleep. 6 “At midnight the cry rang out: ‘Here’s the bridegroom! Come out to meet him!’ 7 “Then all the virgins woke up and trimmed their lamps. 8 The foolish ones said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil; our lamps are going out.’ 9 “‘No,’ they replied, ‘there may not be enough for both us and you. Instead, go to those who sell oil and buy some for yourselves.’ 10 “But while they were on their way to buy the oil, the bridegroom arrived. The virgins who were ready went in with him to the wedding banquet. And the door was shut. 11 “Later the others also came. ‘Lord, Lord,’ they said, ‘open the door for us!’ 12 “But he replied, ‘Truly I tell you, I don’t know you.’ 13 “Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour.

THINK ABOUT ITIt was customary for a couple’s engagement to last about one year in Jewish tradition. After the engagement was complete, the groom would proceed to the house of his bride, escort her back to his home and begin a seven-day marriage festival. Preparation for the unexpected hour of the groom’s arrival was part of the local customs.

TALK ABOUT ITWhat can you do to prepare for Christ’s return?

Day 7THE PARABLE OF THE BAGS OF GOLD

MATTHEW 25:14-3014 “Again, it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted his wealth to them. 15 To one he gave five bags of gold, to another two bags, and to another one bag, each according to his ability. Then he went on his journey. 16 The man who had received five bags of gold went at once and put his money to work and gained five bags more. 17 So also, the one with two bags of gold gained two more. 18 But the man who had received one bag went off, dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money. 19 “After a long time the master of those servants returned and settled accounts with them. 20 The man who had received five bags of gold brought the other five. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘you entrusted me with five bags of gold. See, I have gained five more.’ 21 “His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’ 22 “The man with two bags of gold also came. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘you entrusted me with two bags of gold; see, I have gained two more.’ 23 “His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’ 24 “Then the man who had received one bag of gold came. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘I knew that you are a hard man, harvesting where you have not sown and gathering where you have not scattered seed. 25 So I was afraid and went out and hid your gold in the ground. See, here is what belongs to you.’ 26 “His master replied, ‘You wicked, lazy servant! So you knew that I harvest where I have not sown and gather where I have not scattered seed? 27 Well then, you should have put my money on deposit with the bankers, so that when I returned I would have received it back with interest. 28 “‘So take the bag of gold from him and give it to the one who has ten bags. 29 For whoever has will be given more, and they will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them. 30 And throw that worthless servant outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’

THINK ABOUT ITThe word for “servant”—doulos—can also mean “slave.” Paul called himself a doulos of Christ. The bags of gold are translated as “talents” in the Greek. They were not coins but units of monetary reckoning. The bags of gold represented very large sums of money, far more than the average person would ever see in a lifetime. The large sums of money may have brought the temple to mind for Jesus’ audience.

TALK ABOUT ITWhat gifts has God given to you?

Day 8THE PARABLE OF THE GROWING SEED

MARK 4:26-2926 He also said, “This is what the kingdom of God is like. A man scatters seed on the ground. 27 Night and day, whether he sleeps or gets up, the seed sprouts and grows, though he does not know how. 28 All by itself the soil produces grain—first the stalk, then the head, then the full kernel in the head. 29 As soon as the grain is ripe, he puts the sickle to it, because the harvest has come.”

THINK ABOUT ITThis powerful parable appears only in Mark. The slow and hidden kingdom certainly challenged the desire for dramatic, divine invention found in most apocalyptic thought in the first century. Jesus did not deny a judgment day, but he did reinterpret its timing (see Joel 3:13).

TALK ABOUT ITWhy is patience important?

Day 9THE PARABLE OF THE GOOD SAMARITAN

LUKE 10:25-3725 On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?” 26 “What is written in the Law?” he replied. “How do you read it?” 27 He answered, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’” 28 “You have answered correctly,” Jesus replied. “Do this and you will live.” 29 But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?” 30 In reply Jesus said: “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he was attacked by robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. 31 A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. 32 So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. 33 But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. 34 He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, brought him to an inn and took care of him. 35 The next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper. ‘Look after him,’ he said, ‘and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.’ 36 “Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?” 37 The expert in the law replied, “The one who had mercy on him.” Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.”

THINK ABOUT ITOften misunderstood as a story about helping the needy, the primary point of this parable was to define the “neighbor” that the Torah commanded one to love. This parable was also a story of reconciliation between two Old Testament enemies who shared the same blood: When the people of Israel attacked the people of Judah in the days of King Ahaz, the people of Israel (the territory of Samaria) were commanded to return the captives of Judah to Jericho. They “provided them with clothes and sandals, food and drink, and healing balm” (2 Chronicles 28:15).

TALK ABOUT ITWho is your “neighbor”?

Day 10THE PARABLE OF BIGGER BARNS

LUKE 12:16-2116 And he told them this parable: “The ground of a certain rich man yielded an abundant harvest. 17 He thought to himself, ‘What shall I do? I have no place to store my crops.’ 18 “Then he said, ‘This is what I’ll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store my surplus grain. 19 And I’ll say to myself, “You have plenty of grain laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry.”’ 20 “But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?’ 21 “This is how it will be with whoever stores up things for themselves but is not rich toward God.”

THINK ABOUT ITThis parable is unique to Luke and has a parallel in Ben Sirach 11:18–19: “One becomes rich through diligence and self-denial, and the reward allotted to him is this: when he says, ‘I have found rest, and now I shall feast on my goods!’ he does not know how long it will be until he leaves them to others and dies.”

TALK ABOUT ITWhat in your life will last longer than riches?

Day 11THE PARABLE OF THE LOST SHEEP AND THE LOST COIN

LUKE 15:1-101Now the tax collectors and sinners were all gathering around to hear Jesus. 2 But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law muttered, “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.” 3 Then Jesus told them this parable: 4 “Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Doesn’t he leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? 5 And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders 6 and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.’ 7 I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent. 8 “Or suppose a woman has ten silver coins and loses one. Doesn’t she light a lamp, sweep the house and search carefully until she finds it? 9 And when she finds it, she calls her friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost coin.’ 10 In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”

THINK ABOUT ITJesus’ parables in this section of Luke were meant to flesh out different images of a gracious father pursuing the wicked and desiring repentance. Jesus’ harsh words about judgment must be counterbalanced with his images of a loving father.

TALK ABOUT ITHow has God shown his love to you today?

Day 12THE PARABLE OF THE TWO LOST SONS

LUKE 15:11-3211 Jesus continued: “There was a man who had two sons. 12 The younger one said to his father, ‘Father, give me my share of the estate.’ So he divided his property between them. 13 “Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living. 14 After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he began to be in need. 15 So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs. 16 He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything. 17 “When he came to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! 18 I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. 19 I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired servants.’ 20 So he got up and went to his father. “But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him. 21 “The son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ 22 “But the father said to his servants, ‘Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. 23 Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate. 24 For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ So they began to celebrate. 25 “Meanwhile, the older son was in the field. When he came near the house, he heard music and dancing. 26 So he called one of the servants and asked him what was going on. 27 ‘Your brother has come,’ he replied, ‘and your father has killed the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound.’ 28 “The older brother became angry and refused to go in. So his father went out and pleaded with him. 29 But he answered his father, ‘Look! All these years I’ve been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders. Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends. 30 But when this son of yours who has squandered your property with prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him!’ 31 “‘My son,’ the father said, ‘you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. 32 But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’”

THINK ABOUT ITFor a son to ask for his inheritance before the death of his father was a severe cultural offense, equivalent to wishing for the father’s death. The lost son ended up in the worst of circumstances from a Jewish point of view: a place where even unclean pigs were faring better than he was. The father’s extravagant mercy turned out to be as far-reaching as the son’s offenses. The story turns near the end, when the older brother refused to join the party, revealing that he was as lost as his younger brother. This parable probably was meant to illustrate the self-righteous attitudes of observant religious people who felt entitled to the kingdom because they “never disobeyed” (Luke 15:29). Jesus left the parable unresolved, forcing his listeners to see themselves in the story.

TALK ABOUT ITWhat did this parable teach you about mercy?

Day 13THE PARABLE OF THE SHREWD MANAGER

LUKE 16:1-151Jesus told his disciples: “There was a rich man whose manager was accused of wasting his possessions. 2 So he called him in and asked him, ‘What is this I hear about you? Give an account of your management, because you cannot be manager any longer.’ 3 “The manager said to himself, ‘What shall I do now? My master is taking away my job. I’m not strong enough to dig, and I’m ashamed to beg— 4 I know what I’ll do so that, when I lose my job here, people will welcome me into their houses.’ 5 “So he called in each one of his master’s debtors. He asked the first, ‘How much do you owe my master?’ 6 “‘Nine hundred gallons of olive oil,’ he replied. “The manager told him, ‘Take your bill, sit down quickly, and make it four hundred and fifty.’ 7 “Then he asked the second, ‘And how much do you owe?’ “‘A thousand bushels of wheat,’ he replied. “He told him, ‘Take your bill and make it eight hundred.’ 8 “The master commended the dishonest manager because he had acted shrewdly. For the people of this world are more shrewd in dealing with their own kind than are the people of the light. 9 I tell you, use worldly wealth to gain friends for yourselves, so that when it is gone, you will be welcomed into eternal dwellings. 10 “Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much. 11 So if you have not been trustworthy in handling worldly wealth, who will trust you with true riches? 12 And if you have not been trustworthy with someone else’s property, who will give you property of your own? 13 “No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.” 14 The Pharisees, who loved money, heard all this and were sneering at Jesus. 15 He said to them, “You are the ones who justify yourselves in the eyes of others, but God knows your hearts. What people value highly is detestable in God’s sight.

THINK ABOUT ITIt appears that Jesus was praising an act of dishonesty (see Luke 16:8), raising questions of what was really good or bad, moral or immoral, clean or unclean. It seems that Jesus went to great lengths to shock his religious audience.

TALK ABOUT ITWhat did this parable teach you about God?

Day 14THE PARABLE OF THE PERSISTENT WIDOW

LUKE 18:1-81Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up. 2He said: “In a certain town there was a judge who neither feared God nor cared what people thought. 3 And there was a widow in that town who kept coming to him with the plea, ‘Grant me justice against my adversary.’ 4 “For some time he refused. But finally he said to himself, ‘Even though I don’t fear God or care what people think, 5 yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will see that she gets justice, so that she won’t eventually come and attack me!’” 6 And the Lord said, “Listen to what the unjust judge says. 7 And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? 8 I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?”

THINK ABOUT ITBecause of ongoing injustice, the presence of the Romans in Israel and the corruption of some of the Jewish leadership, it must have seemed to Jews in the first century as if God would never intervene. The same questions must have also weighed on the early church as they too suffered hardship and injustice.

TALK ABOUT ITWhat did this parable teach you about justice?

Day 15THE PARABLE OF THE PHARISEE AND THE TAX COLLECTORLUKE 18:10-1410 “Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 11 The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other people—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector. 12 I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.’ 13 “But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner.’ 14 “I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”

THINK ABOUT IT“God, have mercy on me, a sinner.” This passage alludes to Psalm 51 and influenced prayer in the early church. Particularly among the desert fathers, this became a repeated prayer that was eventually called “the Jesus Prayer.” Some versions of the prayer read, “Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on me, a sinner.” The act of repetitive prayer was one of the earliest contemplative expressions of Christianity. Saint Hesychius the Priest wrote, “Truly blessed is the man whose mind and heart are as closely attached to the Jesus Prayer and to the ceaseless invocation of his name as air to the body or flames to the wax.”

TALK ABOUT ITWhat did this parable teach you about repentance?

Day 16THE PARABLE OF THE FIG TREE

LUKE 13: 6-93 Then he told them many things in parables, saying: “A farmer went out to sow his seed. 4 As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. 5 Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. 6 But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. 7 Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants. 8 Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop—a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown. 9 Whoever has ears, let them hear.” 10 The disciples came to him and asked, “Why do you speak to the people in parables?” 11 He replied, “Because the knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of heaven has been given to you, but not to them. 12 Whoever has will be given more, and they will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them. 13 This is why I speak to them in parables: “Though seeing, they do not see; though hearing, they do not hear or understand. 14 In them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah: “‘You will be ever hearing but never understanding; you will be ever seeing but never perceiving. 15 For this people’s heart has become calloused; they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts and turn, and I would heal them.’ 16 But blessed are your eyes because they see, and your ears because they hear. 17 For truly I tell you, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it. 18 “Listen then to what the parable of the sower means: 19 When anyone hears the message about the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in their heart. This is the seed sown along the path. 20 The seed falling on rocky ground refers to someone who hears the word and at once receives it with joy. 21 But since they have no root, they last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away. 22 The seed falling among the thorns refers to someone who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, making it unfruitful. 23 But the seed falling on good soil refers to someone who hears the word and understands it. This is the one who produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.”

THINK ABOUT ITWhat is “good soil”? The various “soils” in the parable represent human hearts. Transformation of the inner life, rather than external conformity, seems to be an important theme in the story. Though Jesus explained what poor soil represented, he did not explain what good soil represented. This frustrating element of Jesus’ teaching method leads the reader to additional questions.

TALK ABOUT ITWhat do you think “good soil” represents?

Day 17THE PARABLE OF THE NARROW DOOR

AND THE MESSIANIC BANQUETLUKE 13:22-3022 Then Jesus went through the towns and villages, teaching as he made his way to Jerusalem. 23 Someone asked him, “Lord, are only a few people going to be saved?” He said to them, 24 “Make every effort to enter through the narrow door, because many, I tell you, will try to enter and will not be able to. 25 Once the owner of the house gets up and closes the door, you will stand outside knocking and pleading, ‘Sir, open the door for us.’ “But he will answer, ‘I don’t know you or where you come from.’ 26 “Then you will say, ‘We ate and drank with you, and you taught in our streets.’ 27 “But he will reply, ‘I don’t know you or where you come from. Away from me, all you evildoers!’ 28 “There will be weeping there, and gnashing of teeth, when you see Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, but you yourselves thrown out. 29 People will come from east and west and north and south, and will take their places at the feast in the kingdom of God. 30 Indeed there are those who are last who will be first, and first who will be last.”

THINK ABOUT ITJesus’ kingdom is filled with all sorts of surprising people. The people who think they already belong will find themselves excluded. The Dead Sea Scrolls community was absolutely certain about those who were going to participate in the Messianic kingdom, but Jesus created uncertainty among his audience. It’s hard to know if Jesus was also hinting at a person’s eternal destiny or only at a person’s participation in the present reality of the kingdom. The idea of a relatively small number of “saved” was already part of Jewish literature. The book of 4 Ezra says, “Many have been created, but only a few saved” (4 Ezra 8:3).

TALK ABOUT ITWhat did this parable teach you about God?

Day 18WATER AND THE SPIRIT

JOHN 3:5-85 Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit. 6 Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. 7 You should not be surprised at my saying, ‘You must be born again.’ 8 The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.”

THINK ABOUT ITJesus was likely alluding to Ezekiel’s promise that God would cleanse with water and give a new spirit in the final restoration of Israel (see Ezekiel 36:25–27). This was similar to the theology of the Dead Sea Scrolls community. The Dead Sea Scrolls read, “He will cleanse him of all wicked deeds by means of a holy spirit; like purified water He will sprinkle upon him the spirit of truth.”

TALK ABOUT ITWhat does this passage teach you about the Holy Spirit?

Day 19EAT MY FLESH AND DRINK MY BLOOD

JOHN 6:53-5953 Jesus said to them, “Very truly I tell you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. 54 Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day. 55 For my flesh is real food and my blood is real drink. 56 Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me, and I in them. 57 Just as the living Father sent me and I live because of the Father, so the one who feeds on me will live because of me. 58 This is the bread that came down from heaven. Your ancestors ate manna and died, but whoever feeds on this bread will live forever.” 59 He said this while teaching in the synagogue in Capernaum.

THINK ABOUT ITThis strange language could not have been taken seriously by Jesus’ audience if understood literally. The Torah and the book of Acts directly forbid the consumption of blood (see Genesis 9:4–6). But even if one reads Jesus’ words as mystical and symbolic, it’s difficult to be certain what his original audience would have understood Jesus to be saying. The allusions to the Eucharist, or communion, would have only been decipherable to a later Christian, a post-resurrection reader. Jesus’ words at the Last Supper, which are nearly identical to those here, do not appear to have been understood even by his own disciples. The radical nature of Jesus’ teachings, which were provocative and often misunderstood, is powerfully evident in this scene.

TALK ABOUT ITWhy is the Lord’s Supper important?

Day 20RIVERS OF LIVING WATER

JOHN 7:37-3937 On the last and greatest day of the festival, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink. 38 Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.” 39 By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive. Up to that time the Spirit had not been given, since Jesus had not yet been glorified.

THINK ABOUT ITThe Dead Sea Scrolls directly connect God’s Spirit with water: God “will cleanse him [the righteous] of all wicked deeds . . . like purifying waters He will shed upon him the spirit of truth.” In rabbinic literature, water is a symbol for wisdom, an aspect of God’s Spirit. Rabbi Akiva said, “The disciple who is beginning can give only water it has received; the more advanced disciple is a spring giving living water.” Believers who drink from Jesus’ well will have the Spirit of God flowing out from them. The Greek is somewhat ambiguous as to whether Jesus is the source of this water or if the believer is the source (having drunk from the well). The Gospel of Thomas reads, “Jesus said to them: ‘I am not your teacher. Because you have drunk, you have become intoxicated from the bubbling spring that I have tended.’ ” In this view, Jesus was saying believers have the same access to the Spirit—to God as the source of all life—as he does.

TALK ABOUT ITWho in your life has been a source of wisdom?

Day 21I AM THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD

JOHN 8:1212 When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”

THINK ABOUT IT“I am the light of the world.” This line is probably still connected to the Festival of Tabernacles (Hebrew sukkot) (see John 7:37). Isaiah also used light as a symbol for the salvation of the Gentiles (see Isaiah 49:6).

TALK ABOUT ITIn what ways has Jesus been the light in your life?

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