1“É impossível que não haja tropeções na fé”, disse Jesus aos discípulos. “Mas ai daquele que os provocar!2Melhor seria ser atirado ao mar com uma mó amarrada ao pescoço do que fazer tropeçar na fé um só destes pequeninos.3Deem atenção! Repreende o teu irmão se ele pecar e perdoa-lhe se se arrepender.4Mesmo que te ofenda sete vezes num dia, se cada vez voltar e te pedir perdão, perdoa-lhe sempre!”5Então, os apóstolos pediram ao Senhor: “Aumenta-nos a fé!”6Jesus respondeu-lhes: “Se tivessem fé como um grão de mostarda, poderiam dizer a esta amoreira: ‘Arranca-te daí e planta-te no mar!’, e ela vos obedeceria.7Um servo quando regressa do serviço nos campos ou de tratar do gado não se senta logo à mesa.8Prepara primeiro a refeição do senhor e serve-lhe o jantar antes de ele próprio comer.9E nem por isso lhe agradecem, porque está a fazer o que se espera dele.10Igualmente, quando me obedecem, digam: ‘Somos uns servos inúteis, porque cumprimos simplesmente o nosso dever!’ ”
A cura de dez leprosos
11Prosseguindo no seu caminho para Jerusalém, chegaram aos limites da Galileia com Samaria.12Quando entraram numa aldeia, dez leprosos pararam à distância,13bradando: “Jesus, Mestre, tem misericórdia de nós!”14Olhando para eles, Jesus disse: “Vão mostrar-se ao sacerdote.” Enquanto iam a caminho, constataram que a lepra desaparecera.15-16Um deles voltou a procurar Jesus e, lançando-se diante de Jesus com o rosto em terra, dava em alta voz glória a Deus e agradecia o que lhe tinha feito. Este homem era samaritano.17Então Jesus perguntou: “Não eram dez os homens que curei? Onde estão os outros nove?18Só este estrangeiro é que volta para dar glória a Deus?”19E disse ao homem: “Levanta-te, podes ir. A tua fé te salvou!”
A vinda do reino de Deus
20Um dia, os fariseus perguntaram a Jesus: “Quando irá começar o reino de Deus?” E Jesus respondeu: “O reino de Deus não é anunciado por sinais visíveis.21Nem se poderá dizer que começou aqui ou acolá, porque está entre vós.”22Mais tarde, tornou a falar no assunto com os discípulos: “Lá virá o tempo em que hão de desejar que eu estivesse convosco, nem que fosse um só dia, mas já cá não estarei.23Dirão que voltei e que estou neste ou naquele lugar; mas não acreditem nem saiam à minha procura.24Porque, assim como o brilho do relâmpago ilumina o céu de um lado ao outro, assim será com o Filho do Homem, no dia próprio para ele regressar.25Todavia, antes disso deverei sofrer muito e ser rejeitado pelas pessoas deste tempo.26Assim como foi nos dias de Noé, assim será no dia do regresso do Filho do Homem.27Naqueles dias antes do dilúvio, as pessoas comiam e bebiam e celebravam casamentos, até ao dia em que Noé entrou na arca e o dilúvio veio e destruiu a todos.28O mundo estará como nos tempos de Lot. As pessoas continuavam atarefadas nos seus negócios diários, comendo e bebendo, comprando e vendendo, cultivando e construindo,29até chegar aquela manhã em que Lot saiu de Sodoma e choveu do céu fogo e enxofre que destruiu toda a gente.30Assim será o dia em que o Filho do Homem se revelar.31Quem estiver fora de casa naquele dia não deve voltar para preparar bagagem; quem estiver nos campos não deve voltar para a cidade.32Lembrem-se do que aconteceu à mulher de Lot!33Quem procurar salvar a sua vida perdê-la-á. E quem a perder mantê-la-á.34Digo-vos que naquela noite duas pessoas estarão a dormir no mesmo quarto; uma será levada e a outra deixada.35Duas mulheres estarão a moer grão no mesmo moinho; uma será levada e a outra deixada.36Do mesmo modo, dois homens estarão a trabalhar no campo e um será levado e o outro ficará.”37“Senhor, para onde serão eles levados?”, inquiriram os discípulos. Jesus respondeu: “Onde estiver o cadáver, aí se juntarão os abutres!”
1And he said to his disciples, “Temptations to sin[1] are sure to come, but woe to the one through whom they come! (Mt 13:41; Mt 18:7; Lc 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] (Mt 18:6; Mc 9:42)3Pay attention to yourselves! If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him, (Lv 19:17; Mt 6:14; Mt 18:15; Mt 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.” (Mt 18:21)
Increase Our Faith
5The apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith!” (Mc 6:30; Mc 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. (Mt 13:31; Mt 17:20; Lc 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’? (Lc 12:35; Lc 12:37; Jo 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.’” (Jó 22:2; Jó 35:7; Mt 25:30; Rm 11:35)
Jesus Cleanses Ten Lepers
11On the way to Jerusalem he was passing along between Samaria and Galilee. (Mt 19:1; Lc 9:51; Jo 4:3)12And as he entered a village, he was met by ten lepers,[6] who stood at a distance (Lv 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. (Lv 13:2; Mt 8:4; Lc 5:14)15Then one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, praising God with a loud voice; (Lc 13:13)16and he fell on his face at Jesus’ feet, giving him thanks. Now he was a Samaritan. (Nm 16:22; Mt 10:5; Mt 26:39; Lc 5:12)17Then Jesus answered, “Were not ten cleansed? Where are the nine? (Lc 17:12)18Was no one found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?” (Is 66:5; Jo 9:24)19And he said to him, “Rise and go your way; your faith has made you well.”[7] (Mc 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, (Lc 12:39; Lc 19:11; At 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] (Lc 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. (Am 5:18; Mt 9:15; Mc 2:20; Lc 5:35; Lc 19:43; Lc 21:6; Lc 23:29; Jo 4:21; Jo 8:56)23And they will say to you, ‘Look, there!’ or ‘Look, here!’ Do not go out or follow them. (Mt 24:23; Mc 13:21; Lc 17:21; Lc 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] (Mt 24:27; 1 Co 1:8)25But first he must suffer many things and be rejected by this generation. (Mt 16:21; Mt 17:22; Mc 8:31; Lc 13:33)26Just as it was in the days of Noah, so will it be in the days of the Son of Man. (Gn 6:5; Gn 7:7; Mt 24:37; 1 Ts 5:3; Hb 11:7; 1 Pe 3:20; 2 Pe 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. (Mt 24:38)28Likewise, just as it was in the days of Lot—they were eating and drinking, buying and selling, planting and building, (2 Pe 2:7)29but on the day when Lot went out from Sodom, fire and sulfur rained from heaven and destroyed them all— (Gn 19:16; Gn 19:24; 2 Pe 2:6)30so will it be on the day when the Son of Man is revealed. (Mt 16:27; Mt 24:44; 1 Co 1:7; 2 Ts 1:7; 1 Pe 1:7; 1 Pe 1:13; 1 Pe 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. (Mt 24:17; Mc 13:15; Lc 5:19; Lc 21:21)32Remember Lot’s wife. (Gn 19:26)33Whoever seeks to preserve his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life will keep it. (Mt 10:39; At 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] (Ex 11:5; Is 47:2; Mt 24:41)37And they said to him, “Where, Lord?” He said to them, “Where the corpse[11] is, there the vultures[12] will gather.” (Jó 39:30; Mt 24:28)