DAILY BIBLE READING FOR SUNDAY OCTOBER 18
Matthew 25-28The Message (MSG)
The Story of the Virgins
25 1-5 "God's kingdom is like ten young virgins who took oil lamps and went
out to greet the bridegroom. Five were silly and five were smart. The silly
virgins took lamps, but no extra oil. The smart virgins took jars of oil to
feed their lamps. The bridegroom didn't show up when they expected him, and
they all fell asleep.
6 "In the middle of the night someone yelled out, 'He's here! The
bride-groom's here! Go out and greet him!'
7-8 "The ten virgins got up and got their lamps ready. The silly virgins
said to the smart ones, 'Our lamps are going out; lend us some of your oil.'
9 "They answered, 'There might not be enough to go around; go buy your own.'
10 "They did, but while they were out buying oil, the bridegroom arrived.
When everyone who was there to greet him had gone into the wedding feast,
the door was locked.
11 "Much later, the other virgins, the silly ones, showed up and knocked on
the door, saying, 'Master, we're here. Let us in.'
12 "He answered, 'Do I know you? I don't think I know you.'
13 "So stay alert. You have no idea when he might arrive.
The Story About Investment
14-18 "It's also like a man going off on an extended trip. He called his
servants together and delegated responsibilities. To one he gave five
thousand dollars, to another two thousand, to a third one thousand,
depending on their abilities. Then he left. Right off, the first servant
went to work and doubled his master's investment. The second did the same.
But the man with the single thousand dug a hole and carefully buried his
master's money.
19-21 "After a long absence, the master of those three servants came back
and settled up with them. The one given five thousand dollars showed him how
he had doubled his investment. His master commended him: 'Good work! You did
your job well. From now on be my partner.'
22-23 "The servant with the two thousand showed how he also had doubled his
master's investment. His master commended him: 'Good work! You did your job
well. From now on be my partner.'
24-25 "The servant given one thousand said, 'Master, I know you have high
standards and hate careless ways, that you demand the best and make no
allowances for error. I was afraid I might disappoint you, so I found a good
hiding place and secured your money. Here it is, safe and sound down to the
last cent.'
26-27 "The master was furious. 'That's a terrible way to live! It's criminal
to live cautiously like that! If you knew I was after the best, why did you
do less than the least? The least you could have done would have been to
invest the sum with the bankers, where at least I would have gotten a little
interest.
28-30 "'Take the thousand and give it to the one who risked the most. And
get rid of this "play-it-safe" who won't go out on a limb. Throw him out
into utter darkness.'
The Sheep and the Goats
31-33 "When he finally arrives, blazing in beauty and all his angels with
him, the Son of Man will take his place on his glorious throne. Then all the
nations will be arranged before him and he will sort the people out, much as
a shepherd sorts out sheep and goats, putting sheep to his right and goats
to his left.
34-36 "Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Enter, you who are
blessed by my Father! Take what's coming to you in this kingdom. It's been
ready for you since the world's foundation. And here's why:
I was hungry and you fed me,
I was thirsty and you gave me a drink,
I was homeless and you gave me a room,
I was shivering and you gave me clothes, I was sick and you stopped to
visit, I was in prison and you came to me.'
37-40 "Then those 'sheep' are going to say, 'Master, what are you talking
about? When did we ever see you hungry and feed you, thirsty and give you a
drink? And when did we ever see you sick or in prison and come to you?' Then
the King will say, 'I'm telling the solemn truth: Whenever you did one of
these things to someone overlooked or ignored, that was me-you did it to
me.'
41-43 "Then he will turn to the 'goats,' the ones on his left, and say, 'Get
out, worthless goats! You're good for nothing but the fires of hell. And
why? Because-
I was hungry and you gave me no meal,
I was thirsty and you gave me no drink,
I was homeless and you gave me no bed,
I was shivering and you gave me no clothes, Sick and in prison, and you
never visited.'
44 "Then those 'goats' are going to say, 'Master, what are you talking
about? When did we ever see you hungry or thirsty or homeless or shivering
or sick or in prison and didn't help?'
45 "He will answer them, 'I'm telling the solemn truth: Whenever you failed
to do one of these things to someone who was being overlooked or ignored,
that was me-you failed to do it to me.'
46 "Then those 'goats' will be herded to their eternal doom, but the 'sheep'
to their eternal reward."
Anointed for Burial
26 1-2 When Jesus finished saying these things, he told his disciples, "You
know that Passover comes in two days. That's when the Son of Man will be
betrayed and handed over for crucifixion."
3-5 At that very moment, the party of high priests and religious leaders was
meeting in the chambers of the Chief Priest named Caiaphas, conspiring to
seize Jesus by stealth and kill him. They agreed that it should not be done
during Passover Week. "We don't want a riot on our hands," they said.
6-9 When Jesus was at Bethany, a guest of Simon the Leper, a woman came up
to him as he was eating dinner and anointed him with a bottle of very
expensive perfume. When the disciples saw what was happening, they were
furious. "That's criminal! This could have been sold for a lot and the money
handed out to the poor."
10-13 When Jesus realized what was going on, he intervened. "Why are you
giving this woman a hard time? She has just done something wonderfully
significant for me. You will have the poor with you every day for the rest
of your lives, but not me. When she poured this perfume on my body, what she
really did was anoint me for burial. You can be sure that wherever in the
whole world the Message is preached, what she has just done is going to be
remembered and admired."
14-16 That is when one of the Twelve, the one named Judas Iscariot, went to
the cabal of high priests and said, "What will you give me if I hand him
over to you?" They settled on thirty silver pieces. He began looking for
just the right moment to hand him over.
The Traitor
17 On the first of the Days of Unleavened Bread, the disciples came to Jesus
and said, "Where do you want us to prepare your Passover meal?"
18-19 He said, "Enter the city. Go up to a certain man and say, 'The Teacher
says, My time is near. I and my disciples plan to celebrate the Passover
meal at your house.'" The disciples followed Jesus' instructions to the
letter, and prepared the Passover meal.
20-21 After sunset, he and the Twelve were sitting around the table. During
the meal, he said, "I have something hard but important to say to you: One
of you is going to hand me over to the conspirators."
22 They were stunned, and then began to ask, one after another, "It isn't
me, is it, Master?"
23-24 Jesus answered, "The one who hands me over is someone I eat with
daily, one who passes me food at the table. In one sense the Son of Man is
entering into a way of treachery well-marked by the Scriptures-no surprises
here. In another sense that man who turns him in, turns traitor to the Son
of Man-better never to have been born than do this!"
25 Then Judas, already turned traitor, said, "It isn't me, is it, Rabbi?"
Jesus said, "Don't play games with me, Judas."
The Bread and the Cup
26-29 During the meal, Jesus took and blessed the bread, broke it, and gave
it to his disciples:
Take, eat.
This is my body.
Taking the cup and thanking God, he gave it to them:
Drink this, all of you.
This is my blood,
God's new covenant poured out for many people
for the forgiveness of sins.
"I'll not be drinking wine from this cup again until that new day when I'll
drink with you in the kingdom of my Father."
30 They sang a hymn and went directly to Mount Olives.
Gethsemane
31-32 Then Jesus told them, "Before the night's over, you're going to fall
to pieces because of what happens to me. There is a Scripture that says,
I'll strike the shepherd;
helter-skelter the sheep will be scattered.
But after I am raised up, I, your Shepherd, will go ahead of you, leading
the way to Galilee."
33 Peter broke in, "Even if everyone else falls to pieces on account of you,
I won't."
34 "Don't be so sure," Jesus said. "This very night, before the rooster
crows up the dawn, you will deny me three times."
35 Peter protested, "Even if I had to die with you, I would never deny you."
All the others said the same thing.
36-38 Then Jesus went with them to a garden called Gethsemane and told his
disciples, "Stay here while I go over there and pray." Taking along Peter
and the two sons of Zebedee, he plunged into an agonizing sorrow. Then he
said, "This sorrow is crushing my life out. Stay here and keep vigil with
me."
39 Going a little ahead, he fell on his face, praying, "My Father, if there
is any way, get me out of this. But please, not what I want. You, what do
you want?"
40-41 When he came back to his disciples, he found them sound asleep. He
said to Peter, "Can't you stick it out with me a single hour? Stay alert; be
in prayer so you don't wander into temptation without even knowing you're in
danger. There is a part of you that is eager, ready for anything in God. But
there's another part that's as lazy as an old dog sleeping by the fire."
42 He then left them a second time. Again he prayed, "My Father, if there is
no other way than this, drinking this cup to the dregs, I'm ready. Do it
your way."
43-44 When he came back, he again found them sound asleep. They simply
couldn't keep their eyes open. This time he let them sleep on, and went back
a third time to pray, going over the same ground one last time.
45-46 When he came back the next time, he said, "Are you going to sleep on
and make a night of it? My time is up, the Son of Man is about to be handed
over to the hands of sinners. Get up! Let's get going! My betrayer is here."
With Swords and Clubs
47-49 The words were barely out of his mouth when Judas (the one from the
Twelve) showed up, and with him a gang from the high priests and religious
leaders brandishing swords and clubs. The betrayer had worked out a sign
with them: "The one I kiss, that's the one-seize him." He went straight to
Jesus, greeted him, "How are you, Rabbi?" and kissed him.
50-51 Jesus said, "Friend, why this charade?"
Then they came on him-grabbed him and roughed him up. One of those with
Jesus pulled his sword and, taking a swing at the Chief Priest's servant,
cut off his ear.
52-54 Jesus said, "Put your sword back where it belongs. All who use swords
are destroyed by swords. Don't you realize that I am able right now to call
to my Father, and twelve companies-more, if I want them-of fighting angels
would be here, battle-ready? But if I did that, how would the Scriptures
come true that say this is the way it has to be?"
55-56 Then Jesus addressed the mob: "What is this-coming out after me with
swords and clubs as if I were a dangerous criminal? Day after day I have
been sitting in the Temple teaching, and you never so much as lifted a hand
against me. You've done it this way to confirm and fulfill the prophetic
writings."
Then all the disciples cut and ran.
False Charges
57-58 The gang that had seized Jesus led him before Caiaphas the Chief
Priest, where the religion scholars and leaders had assembled. Peter
followed at a safe distance until they got to the Chief Priest's courtyard.
Then he slipped in and mingled with the servants, watching to see how things
would turn out.
59-60 The high priests, conspiring with the Jewish Council, tried to cook up
charges against Jesus in order to sentence him to death. But even though
many stepped up, making up one false accusation after another, nothing was
believable.
60-61 Finally two men came forward with this: "He said, 'I can tear down
this Temple of God and after three days rebuild it.'"
62 The Chief Priest stood up and said, "What do you have to say to the
accusation?"
63 Jesus kept silent.
Then the Chief Priest said, "I command you by the authority of the living
God to say if you are the Messiah, the Son of God."
64 Jesus was curt: "You yourself said it. And that's not all. Soon you'll
see it for yourself:
The Son of Man seated at the right hand of the Mighty One, Arriving on the
clouds of heaven."
65-66 At that, the Chief Priest lost his temper, ripping his robes, yelling,
"He blasphemed! Why do we need witnesses to accuse him? You all heard him
blaspheme! Are you going to stand for such blasphemy?"
They all said, "Death! That seals his death sentence."
67-68 Then they were spitting in his face and banging him around. They
jeered as they slapped him: "Prophesy, Messiah: Who hit you that time?"
Denial in the Courtyard
69 All this time, Peter was sitting out in the courtyard. One servant girl
came up to him and said, "You were with Jesus the Galilean."
70 In front of everybody there, he denied it. "I don't know what you're
talking about."
71 As he moved over toward the gate, someone else said to the people there,
"This man was with Jesus the Nazarene."
72 Again he denied it, salting his denial with an oath: "I swear, I never
laid eyes on the man."
73 Shortly after that, some bystanders approached Peter. "You've got to be
one of them. Your accent gives you away."
74-75 Then he got really nervous and swore. "I don't know the man!"
Just then a rooster crowed. Peter remembered what Jesus had said: "Before
the rooster crows, you will deny me three times." He went out and cried and
cried and cried.
Thirty Silver Coins
27 1-2 In the first light of dawn, all the high priests and religious
leaders met and put the finishing touches on their plot to kill Jesus. Then
they tied him up and paraded him to Pilate, the governor.
3-4 Judas, the one who betrayed him, realized that Jesus was doomed.
Overcome with remorse, he gave back the thirty silver coins to the high
priests, saying, "I've sinned. I've betrayed an innocent man."
They said, "What do we care? That's your problem!"
5 Judas threw the silver coins into the Temple and left. Then he went out
and hung himself.
6-10 The high priests picked up the silver pieces, but then didn't know what
to do with them. "It wouldn't be right to give this-a payment for murder!-as
an offering in the Temple." They decided to get rid of it by buying the
"Potter's Field" and use it as a burial place for the homeless. That's how
the field got called "Murder Meadow," a name that has stuck to this day.
Then Jeremiah's words became history:
They took the thirty silver pieces,
The price of the one priced by some sons of Israel, And they purchased the
potter's field.
And so they unwittingly followed the divine instructions to the letter.
Pilate
11 Jesus was placed before the governor, who questioned him: "Are you the
'King of the Jews'?"
Jesus said, "If you say so."
12-14 But when the accusations rained down hot and heavy from the high
priests and religious leaders, he said nothing. Pilate asked him, "Do you
hear that long list of accusations? Aren't you going to say something?"
Jesus kept silence-not a word from his mouth. The governor was impressed,
really impressed.
15-18 It was an old custom during the Feast for the governor to pardon a
single prisoner named by the crowd. At the time, they had the infamous Jesus
Barabbas in prison. With the crowd before him, Pilate said, "Which prisoner
do you want me to pardon: Jesus Barabbas, or Jesus the so-called Christ?" He
knew it was through sheer spite that they had turned Jesus over to him.
19 While court was still in session, Pilate's wife sent him a message:
"Don't get mixed up in judging this noble man. I've just been through a long
and troubled night because of a dream about him."
20 Meanwhile, the high priests and religious leaders had talked the crowd
into asking for the pardon of Barabbas and the execution of Jesus.
21 The governor asked, "Which of the two do you want me to pardon?"
They said, "Barabbas!"
22 "Then what do I do with Jesus, the so-called Christ?"
They all shouted, "Nail him to a cross!"
23 He objected, "But for what crime?"
But they yelled all the louder, "Nail him to a cross!"
24 When Pilate saw that he was getting nowhere and that a riot was imminent,
he took a basin of water and washed his hands in full sight of the crowd,
saying, "I'm washing my hands of responsibility for this man's death. From
now on, it's in your hands. You're judge and jury."
25 The crowd answered, "We'll take the blame, we and our children after us."
26 Then he pardoned Barabbas. But he had Jesus whipped, and then handed over
for crucifixion.
The Crucifixion
27-31 The soldiers assigned to the governor took Jesus into the governor's
palace and got the entire brigade together for some fun. They stripped him
and dressed him in a red toga. They plaited a crown from branches of a
thornbush and set it on his head. They put a stick in his right hand for a
scepter. Then they knelt before him in mocking reverence: "Bravo, King of
the Jews!" they said. "Bravo!" Then they spit on him and hit him on the head
with the stick. When they had had their fun, they took off the toga and put
his own clothes back on him. Then they proceeded out to the crucifixion.
32-34 Along the way they came on a man from Cyrene named Simon and made him
carry Jesus' cross. Arriving at Golgotha, the place they call "Skull Hill,"
they offered him a mild painkiller (a mixture of wine and myrrh), but when
he tasted it he wouldn't drink it.
35-40 After they had finished nailing him to the cross and were waiting for
him to die, they whiled away the time by throwing dice for his clothes.
Above his head they had posted the criminal charge against him: this is
jesus, the king of the jews. Along with him, they also crucified two
criminals, one to his right, the other to his left. People passing along the
road jeered, shaking their heads in mock lament: "You bragged that you could
tear down the Temple and then rebuild it in three days-so show us your
stuff! Save yourself! If you're really God's Son, come down from that
cross!"
41-44 The high priests, along with the religion scholars and leaders, were
right there mixing it up with the rest of them, having a great time poking
fun at him: "He saved others-he can't save himself! King of Israel, is he?
Then let him get down from that cross. We'll all become believers then! He
was so sure of God-well, let him rescue his 'Son' now-if he wants him! He
did claim to be God's Son, didn't he?" Even the two criminals crucified next
to him joined in the mockery.
45-46 From noon to three, the whole earth was dark. Around midafternoon
Jesus groaned out of the depths, crying loudly, "Eli, Eli, lama
sabachthani?" which means, "My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?"
47-49 Some bystanders who heard him said, "He's calling for Elijah." One of
them ran and got a sponge soaked in sour wine and lifted it on a stick so he
could drink. The others joked, "Don't be in such a hurry. Let's see if
Elijah comes and saves him."
50 But Jesus, again crying out loudly, breathed his last.
51-53 At that moment, the Temple curtain was ripped in two, top to bottom.
There was an earthquake, and rocks were split in pieces. What's more, tombs
were opened up, and many bodies of believers asleep in their graves were
raised. (After Jesus' resurrection, they left the tombs, entered the holy
city, and appeared to many.)
54 The captain of the guard and those with him, when they saw the earthquake
and everything else that was happening, were scared to death. They said,
"This has to be the Son of God!"
55-56 There were also quite a few women watching from a distance, women who
had followed Jesus from Galilee in order to serve him. Among them were Mary
Magdalene, Mary the mother of James and Joseph, and the mother of the
Zebedee brothers.
The Tomb
57-61 Late in the afternoon a wealthy man from Arimathea, a disciple of
Jesus, arrived. His name was Joseph. He went to Pilate and asked for Jesus'
body. Pilate granted his request. Joseph took the body and wrapped it in
clean linens, put it in his own tomb, a new tomb only recently cut into the
rock, and rolled a large stone across the entrance. Then he went off. But
Mary Magdalene and the other Mary stayed, sitting in plain view of the tomb.
62-64 After sundown, the high priests and Pharisees arranged a meeting with
Pilate. They said, "Sir, we just remembered that that liar announced while
he was still alive, 'After three days I will be raised.' We've got to get
that tomb sealed until the third day. There's a good chance his disciples
will come and steal the corpse and then go around saying, 'He's risen from
the dead.' Then we'll be worse off than before, the final deceit surpassing
the first."
65-66 Pilate told them, "You will have a guard. Go ahead and secure it the
best you can." So they went out and secured the tomb, sealing the stone and
posting guards.
Risen from the Dead
28 1-4 After the Sabbath, as the first light of the new week dawned, Mary
Magdalene and the other Mary came to keep vigil at the tomb. Suddenly the
earth reeled and rocked under their feet as God's angel came down from
heaven, came right up to where they were standing. He rolled back the stone
and then sat on it. Shafts of lightning blazed from him. His garments
shimmered snow-white. The guards at the tomb were scared to death. They were
so frightened, they couldn't move.
5-6 The angel spoke to the women: "There is nothing to fear here. I know
you're looking for Jesus, the One they nailed to the cross. He is not here.
He was raised, just as he said. Come and look at the place where he was
placed.
7 "Now, get on your way quickly and tell his disciples, 'He is risen from
the dead. He is going on ahead of you to Galilee. You will see him there.'
That's the message."
8-10 The women, deep in wonder and full of joy, lost no time in leaving the
tomb. They ran to tell the disciples. Then Jesus met them, stopping them in
their tracks. "Good morning!" he said. They fell to their knees, embraced
his feet, and worshiped him. Jesus said, "You're holding on to me for dear
life! Don't be frightened like that. Go tell my brothers that they are to go
to Galilee, and that I'll meet them there."
11-15 Meanwhile, the guards had scattered, but a few of them went into the
city and told the high priests everything that had happened. They called a
meeting of the religious leaders and came up with a plan: They took a large
sum of money and gave it to the soldiers, bribing them to say, "His
disciples came in the night and stole the body while we were sleeping." They
assured them, "If the governor hears about your sleeping on duty, we will
make sure you don't get blamed." The soldiers took the bribe and did as they
were told. That story, cooked up in the Jewish High Council, is still going
around.
16-17 Meanwhile, the eleven disciples were on their way to Galilee, headed
for the mountain Jesus had set for their reunion. The moment they saw him
they worshiped him. Some, though, held back, not sure about worship, about
risking themselves totally.
18-20 Jesus, undeterred, went right ahead and gave his charge: "God
authorized and commanded me to commission you: Go out and train everyone you
meet, far and near, in this way of life, marking them by baptism in the
threefold name: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Then instruct them in the
practice of all I have commanded you. I'll be with you as you do this, day
after day after day, right up to the end of the age."
The Message (MSG)
Copyright C 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene H. Peterson
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Victoria E Gilkerson
