On Causing Others to Sin
Jesus spoke to his disciples with serious concern. "There will always be things that cause people to fall away from what is right," he said. "This is bound to happen. But how terrible it will be for anyone who causes these problems! If someone leads one of these vulnerable people astray, it would be better for that person to have a heavy stone tied around their neck and be thrown into the deep water to drown. That would be a kinder fate than what awaits someone who destroys the faith of an innocent person."
On Forgiveness
Be careful how you live. If another believer does something wrong, confront them about it. If they feel sorry and change their heart, forgive them. Even if that same person wrongs you seven times in one day, and seven times comes back to you saying they're truly sorry, you must forgive them every time.
On Faith
The apostles came to the Lord with a request. "Give us more faith!" they asked him. The Lord responded to them, "If you had faith even as small as a mustard seed, you could speak to this mulberry tree and command it, 'Pull yourself up by the roots and go plant yourself in the sea,' and the tree would do exactly what you told it to do."
The Parable of the Unworthy Servants
Suppose one of you has a servant who has been out plowing your fields or taking care of your sheep all day. When that servant comes back to the house, would you immediately tell him, "Come right in and sit down for dinner"? Of course not. Instead, you would say to him, "First go prepare my meal, and get yourself ready to serve me. Wait on me while I eat and drink, and then afterward you can have your own meal." You wouldn't even think to thank that servant for doing exactly what you told him to do, would you? In the same way, when you have done everything that God has commanded you to do, you should say to yourselves, "We are servants who don't deserve any special praise. We have simply done what was required of us."
The Healing of Ten Lepers
Jesus was traveling toward Jerusalem, passing through the border region between Samaria and Galilee. As he approached one of the villages, ten men with leprosy came toward him. Because of their disease, they had to keep their distance from healthy people, but they called out loudly to him, "Jesus, Master, please have mercy on us!" When Jesus saw them, he told them, "Go and show yourselves to the priests." This was what the law required when someone was healed of leprosy. As the ten men walked away to obey Jesus, something amazing happened—their leprosy disappeared and they were completely healed. One of the men, when he realized what had happened to him, turned around and came back. He was shouting praises to God at the top of his voice. When he reached Jesus, he threw himself face down at Jesus' feet, thanking him over and over again. This man was a Samaritan. Jesus looked around and asked, "Weren't all ten men healed? Where are the other nine? Was this foreigner the only one who came back to give glory to God?" Then Jesus spoke directly to the Samaritan man: "Get up and go on your way. Your faith has made you well."
The Coming of the Kingdom of God
The Pharisees came to Jesus and asked him when God's kingdom would arrive. Jesus answered them, "God's kingdom won't come in a way that you can watch for and see happening. People won't be able to point and say, 'Look, there it is!' or 'It's over here!' because God's kingdom is already here among you."
The Day of the Son of Man
Then Jesus spoke to his disciples about what was coming. "There will be times when you will desperately wish you could see even one day of the Son of Man, but you won't be able to see it. People will come to you saying, 'Look, he's over there!' or 'Look, he's right here!' Don't go running after them or chase these claims. When the Son of Man comes in his day, it will be like lightning that flashes across the entire sky from one end to the other—sudden, unmistakable, and visible to everyone. But before that happens, he must first go through terrible suffering and be completely rejected by the people of this time. The coming of the Son of Man will be exactly like what happened in Noah's time. People were going about their normal lives—eating their meals, drinking, getting married, and celebrating weddings—right up until the very day Noah stepped into the ark. Then the great flood came and swept them all away to their destruction. It was the same story in Lot's day. People were living their ordinary lives—eating and drinking, buying and selling goods, planting crops, and constructing buildings. But on the exact day when Lot fled from Sodom, fire and burning sulfur poured down from the sky and destroyed every single person. This is exactly how it will be on the day when the Son of Man appears for all to see. When that day comes, anyone who is up on their rooftop must not go back down into the house to grab their belongings. Similarly, anyone who is working out in the field must not turn back to collect anything they left behind. Don't forget what happened to Lot's wife! Anyone who tries to cling to their life and save it will end up losing it completely. But anyone who is willing to lose their life will actually keep it safe. I'm telling you the truth—on that night, two people will be lying in the same bed, and one will be taken away while the other is left behind. Two women will be working together, grinding grain, and one will be taken while the other is left." The disciples asked him, "But where will this happen, Lord?" Jesus answered them, "Wherever you find a dead body, that's where the vultures will circle and gather."