But if<n id="1" /> that<n id="2" /> slave should say to himself,<n id="3" /> &#8216;My master is delayed<n id="4" /> in returning,&#8217; and he begins to beat<n id="5" /> the other<n id="6" /> slaves, both men and women,<n id="7" /> and to eat, drink, and get drunk,

<t /><p class="bodytext">Then<n id="1" /> Jesus<n id="2" /> told this parable: &#8220;A man had a fig tree<n id="3" /> planted in his vineyard, and he came looking for fruit on it and found none.

So<n id="1" /> he said to the worker who tended the vineyard, &#8216;For<n id="2" /> three years<n id="3" /> now, I have come looking for fruit on this fig tree, and each time I inspect it<n id="4" /> I find none. Cut<n id="5" /> it down! Why<n id="6" /> should it continue to deplete<n id="7" /> the soil?&#8217;

Look, your house is forsaken!<n id="1" /> And I tell you, you will not see me until you say, &#8216;<b><i>Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord!i>b>&#8217;&#8221;<n id="2" />p>

But when you are invited, go and take the least important place, so that when your host<n id="1" /> approaches he will say to you, &#8216;Friend, move up here to a better place.&#8217;<n id="2" /> Then you will be honored in the presence of all who share the meal with you.

Or what king, going out to confront another king in battle, will not sit down<n id="1" /> first and determine whether he is able with ten thousand to oppose<n id="2" /> the one coming against him with twenty thousand?

Returning<n id="1" /> home, he calls together<n id="2" /> his<n id="3" /> friends and neighbors, telling them, &#8216;Rejoice with me, because I have found my sheep that was lost.&#8217;

So<n id="1" /> he got up and went to his father. But while he was still a long way from home<n id="2" /> his father saw him, and his heart went out to him;<n id="3" /> he ran and hugged<n id="4" /> his son<n id="5" /> and kissed him.

I tell you, he will give them justice speedily.<n id="1" /> Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith<n id="2" /> on earth?&#8221;p>

But Jesus called for the children,<n id="1" /> saying, &#8220;Let the little children come to me and do not try to stop them, for the kingdom of God<n id="2" /> belongs to such as these.<n id="3" />

And when Jesus came to that place, he looked up<n id="1" /> and said to him, &#8220;Zacchaeus, come down quickly,<n id="2" /> because I must<n id="3" /> stay at your house today.&#8221;<n id="4" />

He<n id="1" /> said, &#8220;Watch out<n id="2" /> that you are not misled. For many will come in my name, saying, &#8216;I am he,&#8217;<n id="3" /> and, &#8216;The time is near.&#8217; Do not follow them!

John answered them all,<n id="1" /> &#8220;I baptize you with water,<n id="2" /> but one more powerful than I am is coming &#8211; I am not worthy<n id="3" /> to untie the strap<n id="4" /> of his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.<n id="5" />

<t /><p class="bodytext">Now on<n id="1" /> one of those days, while he was teaching, there were Pharisees<n id="2" /> and teachers of the law<n id="3" /> sitting nearby (who had come from every village of Galilee and Judea and from Jerusalem),<n id="4" /> and the power of the Lord was with him<n id="5" /> to heal.

<t /><p class="bodytext">Then<n id="1" /> he came down with them and stood on a level place.<n id="2" /> And a large number<n id="3" /> of his disciples had gathered<n id="4" /> along with<n id="5" /> a vast multitude from all over Judea, from<n id="6" /> Jerusalem,<n id="7" /> and from the seacoast of Tyre<n id="8" /> and Sidon.<n id="9" /> They came to hear him and to be healed<n id="10" /> of their diseases,

But the president of the synagogue, indignant because Jesus had healed on the Sabbath, said to the crowd, &#8220;There are six days on which work<n id="1" /> should be done!<n id="2" /> So come<n id="3" /> and be healed on those days, and not on the Sabbath day.&#8221;

&#8220;If anyone comes to me and does not hate<n id="1" /> his own father and mother, and wife and children, and brothers and sisters, and even his own life,<n id="2" /> he cannot be my disciple.