Interpret the Time
54He also said to the crowds, “Whenever you see a cloud rising in the west, you immediately say that a rainstorm is coming, and so it happens. 55And whenever a south wind blows, you say that it is going to be hot, and it happens. 56Hypocrites! You know how to interpret the appearance of the earth and the sky, but how is it that you do not know how to interpret this present time? 57Why don't you judge for yourselves what is right? 58Indeed, as you are going with your adversary to the magistrate, make an effort on the way to reach a settlement with him. Otherwise, he may drag you off to the judge, and the judge may hand you over to the officer, and the officer may throw you into prison. 59I tell you, you will never get out of there until you have paid the last cent.”[] Repent
131At that time there were some present who told Jesus about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mixed with their sacrifices. 2He answered them, “Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans because they suffered these things? 3I tell you, no. But unless you repent, you will all perish too. 4Or those eighteen who were killed when the tower in Siloam fell on them—do you think that they were worse sinners than all the people living in Jerusalem? 5I tell you, no. But unless you repent, you will all perish too.”
Parable of the Fig Tree
6He told them this parable: “A man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard. He came looking for fruit on it, but he did not find any. 7So he said to the gardener, ‘Look, for three years now I have come looking for fruit on this fig tree, and I have found none. Cut it down. Why even let it use up the soil?’ 8But the gardener replied to him, ‘Sir, leave it alone this year also, until I dig around it and put fertilizer on it. 9If it produces fruit next year, fine. But if not, then cut it down.’”
Jesus Heals a Crippled Woman
10Jesus was teaching in one of the synagogues on the Sabbath. 11And a woman was there who had a spirit that had disabled her for eighteen years. She was bent over and could not stand up straight. 12When Jesus saw her, he called her over and said, “Woman, you are freed from your disability.” 13He placed his hands on her, and immediately she stood up straight and began to glorify God.
14But the ruler of the synagogue was indignant that Jesus had healed on the Sabbath. He said to the crowd in response, “There are six days to do work. So come to be healed on those days and not on the Sabbath day!”
15The Lord answered him, “Hypocrites! Doesn't each of you untie his ox or his donkey from the manger on the Sabbath and lead it to water? 16Here is this daughter of Abraham, whom Satan has bound for eighteen years! Shouldn't she be set free from this bondage on the Sabbath day?”
17As he said these things, all his adversaries were put to shame. But the entire crowd was rejoicing over all the glorious things he was doing.
