1En dag sagde Jesus til sine disciple: „Det kan ikke undgås, at nogle falder fra troen. Men ve dem, som er skyld i, at andre falder fra. (Matt 18,6; Matt 18,15; Mark 9,42)2Det ville være bedre, om de blev kastet i havet med en møllesten om halsen, end at de får en af de svage i troen til at falde fra.3Pas derfor på, hvordan I lever! Hvis din ven[1] forsynder sig imod dig, så konfronter ham med det. Hvis han hører på dig og beder om tilgivelse, så tilgiv ham.4Selv hvis han forsynder sig syv gange om dagen, skal du tilgive ham, for så vidt han angrer og beder om tilgivelse.”
Om tro og lydighed
5Apostlene sagde nu til Jesus: „Giv os mere tro!”6Jesus svarede: „Var jeres tro blot som et sennepskorn, kunne I sige til morbærfigentræet her: ‚Ryk dig op og slå rod i havet!’ Og det ville adlyde jer.7Forestil jer, at en mand har en slave til at arbejde i marken eller passe får. Når slaven kommer hjem efter dagens arbejde, mon hans herre så vil sige til ham: ‚Kom her og sæt dig til bords. Nu skal jeg sørge for, at du straks får noget at spise.’8Nej, han siger: ‚Tag et forklæde på og lav aftensmad til mig. Efter at jeg er færdig med måltidet, kan du selv tage dig noget at spise.’9Siger man tak til en slave, fordi han gør, hvad han har fået besked på?10På samme måde med jer. Når I har gjort, hvad jeg har befalet jer, skal I sige: ‚Vi er jo bare slaver og har kun gjort, hvad vi fik besked på.’ ”
Ti bliver helbredt, én bliver frelst
11På sin vandring mod Jerusalem fulgte Jesus på et tidspunkt grænsen mellem Galilæa og Samaria.12I nærheden af en landsby kom ti spedalske hen imod ham. De standsede op et stykke fra ham13og råbte: „Jesus, Mester, vær barmhjertig og gør os raske!”14Han så på dem og sagde: „Gå hen til præsterne og lad jer undersøge.” Mens de var på vej derhen, forsvandt deres spedalskhed.15En af dem vendte tilbage til Jesus, da han så, at han var blevet helbredt, og på vejen lovpriste han Gud med høj røst.16Han faldt på knæ med ansigtet mod jorden foran Jesus og takkede ham for, hvad han havde gjort. Det var en samaritaner!17Jesus spurgte: „Blev de ikke helbredt alle ti? Hvor er de ni?18Er den her fremmede den eneste, der er kommet tilbage for at give Gud æren?”19Så sagde Jesus til ham: „Rejs dig blot og gå hjem. Din tro har frelst dig.”
Om Guds riges komme
20En dag spurgte farisæerne Jesus: „Hvornår kommer Guds rige?” „Guds rige kommer ikke sådan, at man kan se det i det ydre,” svarede han.21„Der er ingen, der vil kunne udpege det og sige: ‚Her er det!’ eller: ‚Dér har vi det!’ Guds rige findes allerede midt iblandt jer!”
Om Jesu genkomst og de kommende trængsler
22Matt. 24,26-27.37-41.28 Senere sagde Jesus til disciplene: „Der vil komme tidspunkter, hvor I inderligt vil længes efter, at Menneskesønnen skal komme, men I skal holde ud.23Nogle vil sige til jer: ‚Se, dér er han!’ eller: ‚Her er han!’ Men I skal ikke tro på det! Lad være med at løbe efter den slags.24Den dag Menneskesønnen virkelig kommer, vil det være som et lyn, der oplyser himlen fra den ene ende til den anden.25Men først skal jeg gennem mange lidelser og forkastes af dem, som ikke tror på mig.[2]26Som det gik i Noas dage, vil det gå ved Menneskesønnens komme.27Dengang fortsatte de med deres fester og bryllupper, lige til Noa gik ind i arken, og vandmasserne pludselig kom og udslettede dem alle.28Eller som det gik i Lots dage: Folk holdt deres fester, købte og solgte, plantede og byggede,29lige til den dag, da Lot gik ud af Sodoma, og det pludselig regnede med ild og svovl fra himlen, så alle blev udslettet.30Menneskesønnens komme vil ske lige så pludseligt og uventet.31Den dag vil de, der opholder sig uden for deres hus, ikke have tid til at løbe ind for at pakke, og de, der arbejder i marken, vil ikke have tid til at løbe hjem og hente deres ejendele.32Husk på, hvad der skete med Lots hustru!33De, der klamrer sig til livet, vil miste det, men de, der er parat til at give afkald på deres jordiske liv, vil få det evige liv.34Når det sker, vil to mennesker sove i samme seng. Den ene bliver taget med, den anden bliver ladt tilbage.35-36To kvinder vil hjælpe hinanden med at male korn. Den ene bliver taget med, den anden bliver ladt tilbage.”[3]37„Hvor vil det ske, Herre?” spurgte disciplene. „Hvor gribbene samles, der er ådslet!”[4] var Jesu svar. (Matt 24,28)
1And he said to his disciples, “Temptations to sin[1] are sure to come, but woe to the one through whom they come! (Matt 13,41; Matt 18,7; Luk 22,22)2It would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck and he were cast into the sea than that he should cause one of these little ones to sin.[2] (Matt 18,6; Mark 9,42)3Pay attention to yourselves! If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him, (3.Mos 19,17; Matt 6,14; Matt 18,15; Matt 18,21)4and if he sins against you seven times in the day, and turns to you seven times, saying, ‘I repent,’ you must forgive him.” (Matt 18,21)
Increase Our Faith
5The apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith!” (Mark 6,30; Mark 9,24)6And the Lord said, “If you had faith like a grain of mustard seed, you could say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you. (Matt 13,31; Matt 17,20; Luk 19,4)
Unworthy Servants
7“Will any one of you who has a servant[3] plowing or keeping sheep say to him when he has come in from the field, ‘Come at once and recline at table’?8Will he not rather say to him, ‘Prepare supper for me, and dress properly,[4] and serve me while I eat and drink, and afterward you will eat and drink’? (Luk 12,35; Luk 12,37; Joh 13,4)9Does he thank the servant because he did what was commanded?10So you also, when you have done all that you were commanded, say, ‘We are unworthy servants;[5] we have only done what was our duty.’” (Job 22,2; Job 35,7; Matt 25,30; Rom 11,35)
Jesus Cleanses Ten Lepers
11On the way to Jerusalem he was passing along between Samaria and Galilee. (Matt 19,1; Luk 9,51; Joh 4,3)12And as he entered a village, he was met by ten lepers,[6] who stood at a distance (3.Mos 13,45)13and lifted up their voices, saying, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us.”14When he saw them he said to them, “Go and show yourselves to the priests.” And as they went they were cleansed. (3.Mos 13,2; Matt 8,4; Luk 5,14)15Then one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, praising God with a loud voice; (Luk 13,13)16and he fell on his face at Jesus’ feet, giving him thanks. Now he was a Samaritan. (4.Mos 16,22; Matt 10,5; Matt 26,39; Luk 5,12)17Then Jesus answered, “Were not ten cleansed? Where are the nine? (Luk 17,12)18Was no one found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?” (Es 66,5; Joh 9,24)19And he said to him, “Rise and go your way; your faith has made you well.”[7] (Mark 10,52)
The Coming of the Kingdom
20Being asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, he answered them, “The kingdom of God is not coming in ways that can be observed, (Luk 12,39; Luk 19,11; Ap G 1,6)21nor will they say, ‘Look, here it is!’ or ‘There!’ for behold, the kingdom of God is in the midst of you.”[8] (Luk 17,23)22And he said to the disciples, “The days are coming when you will desire to see one of the days of the Son of Man, and you will not see it. (Amos 5,18; Matt 9,15; Mark 2,20; Luk 5,35; Luk 19,43; Luk 21,6; Luk 23,29; Joh 4,21; Joh 8,56)23And they will say to you, ‘Look, there!’ or ‘Look, here!’ Do not go out or follow them. (Matt 24,23; Mark 13,21; Luk 17,21; Luk 21,8)24For as the lightning flashes and lights up the sky from one side to the other, so will the Son of Man be in his day.[9] (Matt 24,27; 1.Kor 1,8)25But first he must suffer many things and be rejected by this generation. (Matt 16,21; Matt 17,22; Mark 8,31; Luk 13,33)26Just as it was in the days of Noah, so will it be in the days of the Son of Man. (1.Mos 6,5; 1.Mos 7,7; Matt 24,37; 1.Thess 5,3; Heb 11,7; 1.Pet 3,20; 2.Pet 2,5)27They were eating and drinking and marrying and being given in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all. (Matt 24,38)28Likewise, just as it was in the days of Lot—they were eating and drinking, buying and selling, planting and building, (2.Pet 2,7)29but on the day when Lot went out from Sodom, fire and sulfur rained from heaven and destroyed them all— (1.Mos 19,16; 1.Mos 19,24; 2.Pet 2,6)30so will it be on the day when the Son of Man is revealed. (Matt 16,27; Matt 24,44; 1.Kor 1,7; 2.Thess 1,7; 1.Pet 1,7; 1.Pet 1,13; 1.Pet 4,13)31On that day, let the one who is on the housetop, with his goods in the house, not come down to take them away, and likewise let the one who is in the field not turn back. (Matt 24,17; Mark 13,15; Luk 5,19; Luk 21,21)32Remember Lot’s wife. (1.Mos 19,26)33Whoever seeks to preserve his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life will keep it. (Matt 10,39; Ap G 7,19)34I tell you, in that night there will be two in one bed. One will be taken and the other left.35There will be two women grinding together. One will be taken and the other left.”[10] (2.Mos 11,5; Es 47,2; Matt 24,41)37And they said to him, “Where, Lord?” He said to them, “Where the corpse[11] is, there the vultures[12] will gather.” (Job 39,30; Matt 24,28)