One Year Pray for the Persecuted Bible - Flipbook - Page 83
63
January 20
31 Here is another illustration J
esus used:
“The Kingdom of Heaven is like a mustard
seed planted in a field. 32 It is the smallest of
all seeds, but it becomes the largest of garden
plants; it grows into a tree, and birds come and
make nests in its branches.”
33
Jesus also used this illustration: “The
Kingdom of Heaven is like the yeast a woman
used in making bread. Even though she put
only a little yeast in three measures of flour, it
permeated e very part of the dough.”
34
Jesus always used stories and illustrations like these when speaking to the crowds.
In fact, he never spoke to them without using
such parables. 35 This fulfilled what God had
spoken through the prophet:
“I will speak to you in parables.
I will explain things hidden since the
creation of the world.*”
36 Then, leaving the crowds outside, J
esus
went into the house. His disciples said, “Please
explain to us the story of the weeds in the
field.”
37
Jesus replied, “The Son of Man* is the
farmer who plants the good seed. 38 The field
is the world, and the good seed represents
the people of the Kingdom. The weeds are
the people who belong to the evil one. 39 The
enemy who planted the weeds among the
wheat is the devil. The harvest is the end of
the world,* and the harvesters are the angels.
40 “Just as the weeds are sorted out and
burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of
the world. 41 The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will remove from his Kingdom
everything that causes sin and all who do evil.
42 And the angels will throw them into the
fiery furnace, where there will be weeping
and gnashing of teeth. 43 Then the righteous
will shine like the sun in their Father’s Kingdom. Anyone with ears to hear should listen
and understand!
44 “The Kingdom of Heaven is like a treasure
that a man discovered hidden in a field. In his
excitement, he hid it again and sold every
thing he owned to get enough money to buy
the field.
45 “Again, the Kingdom of Heaven is like a
merchant on the lookout for choice pearls.
46 When he discovered a pearl of great value,
he sold everything he owned and bought it!”
13:35 Some manuscripts do not include of the world. Ps 78:2.
13:37 “Son of Man” is a title Jesus used for himself. 13:39 Or the
age; also in 13:40, 49.
PSALM 18:1‑15
For the choir director: A psalm of David, the servant
of the Lord. He sang this song to the Lord on the
day the Lord rescued him from all his enemies and
from Saul. He sang:
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
I love you, Lord;
you are my strength.
The Lord is my rock, my fortress, and
my savior;
my God is my rock, in whom I find
protection.
He is my shield, the power that saves me,
and my place of safety.
I called on the Lord, who is worthy of
praise,
and he saved me from my enemies.
The ropes of death entangled me;
floods of destruction swept over me.
The grave* wrapped its ropes around me;
death laid a trap in my path.
But in my distress I cried out to the Lord;
yes, I prayed to my God for help.
He heard me from his sanctuary;
my cry to him reached his ears.
Then the earth quaked and trembled.
The foundations of the mountains shook;
they quaked because of his anger.
Smoke poured from his nostrils;
fierce flames leaped from his mouth.
Glowing coals blazed forth from him.
He opened the heavens and came down;
dark storm clouds were beneath his feet.
Mounted on a mighty angelic being,*
he flew,
soaring on the wings of the wind.
He shrouded himself in darkness,
veiling his approach with dark rain
clouds.
Thick clouds shielded the brightness
around him
and rained down hail and burning
coals.*
The Lord thundered from heaven;
the voice of the Most High resounded
amid the hail and burning coals.
He shot his arrows and scattered his
enemies;
great bolts of lightning flashed, and they
were confused.
Then at your command, O Lord,
at the blast of your breath,
the bottom of the sea could be seen,
and the foundations of the earth were
laid bare.
18:5 Hebrew Sheol.
18:10 Hebrew a cherub.
18:12 Or and
lightning bolts; also in 18:13.
PROVERBS 4:1‑6
1
My children,* listen when your father
corrects you.
