Hello, this is Father Paul, and I'm glad we're
taking this journey together to read the Bible
in a year. Today's reading is from the Gospel
of Matthew chapter 21 and the Gospel of Mark
chapter 11. Matthew chapter 21. Now when they
drew near Jerusalem and came to Bethphage at
the Mount of Olives, then Jesus sent two disciples
saying to them, Go into the village opposite
you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied
and a colt with her. Loose them and bring them
to me. And if anyone says anything to you, you
shall say, The Lord has need of them. And immediately
he will send them. All this was done that it
might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet,
saying, Tell the daughter of Zion, Behold, your
king is coming to you, lowly and sitting on a
donkey, a colt, the foal of a donkey. So the
disciples went and did as Jesus commanded them.
They brought the donkey and the colt, laid their
clothes on them, And set him on them. And a very
great multitude spread their clothes on the road.
Others cut down branches from the trees and spread
them on the road. Then the multitudes who went
before him and those who followed cried out,
saying, Hosanna to the son of David. Blessed
is he who comes in the name of the Lord. Hosanna
in the highest. And when he had come into Jerusalem,
all the city was moved, saying, Who is this?
So the multitudes said, This is Jesus, the prophet
from Nazareth of Galilee. Then Jesus went into
the temple of God and drove out all those who
bought and sold in the temple and overturned
the tables of the money changers and the seats
of those who sold doves. And he said to them,
It is written, My house shall be called the house
of prayer, but you have made it a den of thieves.
Then the blind and the lame came to him in the
temple, and he healed them. But when the chief
priests and scribes saw the wonderful things
that he did, and the children crying out in the
temple and saying, Osanna to the son of David,
they were indignant and said to him, Do you hear
what these are saying? And Jesus said to them,
Yes, have you never read out of the mouth of
babes and nursing infants? You have perfected
praise. Then he left them and went out of the
city to Bethany, and he lodged there. Now in
the morning, as he returned to the city, he was
hungry. and seeing a fig tree by the road he
came to it and found nothing on it but leaves
and said to it let no fruit grow on you ever
again immediately the fig tree withered away
and when the disciples saw it they marveled saying
how did the fig tree wither away so soon so jesus
answered and said to them assuredly i say to
you if you have faith and do not doubt you will
not only do what was done to the fig tree, but
also if you say to this mountain, Be removed
and be cast into the sea, it will be done. And
whatever things you ask in prayer, believing,
you will receive. Now when he came into the temple,
the chief priests and the elders of the people
confronted him as he was teaching and said, By
what authority are you doing these things? And
who gave you this authority? But Jesus answered
and said to them, I also will ask you one thing.
Which if you tell me, I likewise will tell you
by what authority I do these things. The baptism
of John, where was it from? From heaven or from
men? And they reasoned among themselves, saying,
If we say from heaven, he will say to us, Why
then did you not believe him? But if we say from
men, we fear the multitude, for all count John
as a prophet. So they answered Jesus and said,
We do not know. And he said to them, Neither
will I tell you by what authority I do these
things. But what do you think? A man had two
sons, and he came to the first and said, Son,
go, work today in my vineyard. He answered and
said, I will not. But afterward he regretted
it and went. Then he came to the second and said
likewise. And he answered and said, I go, sir.
But he did not go. Which of the two did the will
of his father? They said to him, The first. Jesus
said to them, Assuredly I say to you that tax
collectors and harlots enter the kingdom of God
before you. For John came to you in the way of
righteousness, and you did not believe him. But
tax collectors and harlots believed him. And
when you saw it, you did not afterward relent
and believe him. Hear another parable. There
was a certain landowner who planted a vineyard
and set a hedge around it, dug a winepress in
it and built a tower. And he leased it to vinedressers,
and went into a far country. Now when vintage
time drew near, he sent his servants to the vinedressers,
that they might receive its fruit. And the vinedressers
took his servants, beat one, killed one, and
stoned another. Again he sent other servants,
more than the first, and they did likewise to
them. Then last of all he sent his son to them,
saying, They will respect my son. But when the
vinedressers saw the son, they said among themselves,
This is the heir. Come, let us kill him and seize
his inheritance. So they took him and cast him
out of the vineyard and killed him. Therefore,
when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will
he do to those vinedressers? They said to him,
He will destroy those wicked men miserably and
lease his vineyard to other vinedressers who
will render to him the fruits in their seasons.
Jesus said to them, Have you never read in the
scriptures, the stone which the builders rejected
has become the chief cornerstone? This was the
Lord's doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes.
Therefore I say to you, the kingdom of God will
be taken from you and given to a nation bearing
the fruits of it. And whoever falls on this stone
will be broken, but on whomever it falls, it
will grind them to powder. Now when the chief
priests and Pharisees heard his parables, they
perceived that he was speaking of them. But when
they sought to lay hands on him, they feared
the multitudes, because they took him for a prophet.
Now when they drew near Jerusalem to Bethphage
and Bethany at the Mount of Olives, he sent two
of his disciples and he said to them, Go into
the village opposite you. And as soon as you
have entered it, you will find a colt tied, on
which no one has sat. Loose it and bring it.
And if anyone says to you, Why are you doing
this? Say, The Lord has need of it, and immediately
he will send it here. So they went their way
and found the colt tied by the door, outside
on the street, and they loosed it. But some of
those who stood there said to them, What are
you doing, loosing the colt? And they spoke to
them just as Jesus had commanded. So they let
them go. Then they brought the coal to Jesus
and threw their clothes on it, and he sat on
it. And many spread their clothes on the road,
and others cut down leafy branches from the trees
and spread them on the road. Then those who went
before and those who followed cried out, saying,
Usanna, blessed is he who comes in the name of
the Lord. Blessed is the kingdom of our father
David that comes in the name of the Lord. Usanna.
in the highest. And Jesus went into Jerusalem
and into the temple. So when he had looked around
at all things, as the hour was already late,
he went out to Bethany with the twelve. Now the
next day, when they had come out from Bethany,
he was hungry, and seeing from afar a fig tree
having leaves, he went to see if perhaps he would
find something on it. When he came to it, he
found nothing but leaves, for it was not the
season for figs. In response, Jesus said to it,
but you have made it a den of thieves. And the
scribes and chief priests heard it, and sought
how they might destroy him. For they feared him,
because all the people were astonished at his
teaching. When evening had come, he went out
of the city. Now in the morning, as they passed
by, they saw the fig tree dried up from the roots.
And Peter, remembering, said to him, Rabbi, look,
the fig tree which you cursed has withered away.
So Jesus answered and said to them, Have faith
in God, for assuredly I say to you, whoever says
to this mountain, be removed and be cast into
the sea, and does not doubt in his heart, but
believes that those things he says will be done,
he will have whatever he says. Therefore I say
to you, whatever things you ask when you pray,
believe that you receive them and you will have
them. And whenever you stand praying, if you
have anything against anyone, forgive him. that
your Father in heaven may also forgive you your
trespasses. But if you do not forgive, neither
will your Father in heaven forgive your trespasses.
Then they came again to Jerusalem. And as he
was walking in the temple, the chief priests,
the scribes, and the elders came to him and they
said to him, By what authority are you doing
these things? And who gave you this authority
to do these things? But Jesus answered and said
to them, I also will ask you one question. Then
answer me, and I will tell you by what authority
I do these things. The baptism of John, was it
from heaven or from men? Answer me. And they
reasoned among themselves, saying, If we say
from heaven, he will say, Why then did you not
believe him? But if we say from men, they feared
the people, for all counted John to have been
a prophet indeed. So they answered and said to
Jesus, We do not know. And Jesus answered and
said to them, Neither will I tell you. By what
authority I do these things? I hope you enjoyed
today's reading as much as I did, and I look
forward to seeing you again tomorrow to continue
on our journey. God bless you and have a great
day.