TUESDAY

Next morning, as they passed by, they saw the fig tree withered to the roots. Peter remembered. “Look, Rabbi,” he said to Jesus, “the fig tree that you cursed has withered away.” The disciples were amazed when they saw it and said, “How is it that the fig tree withered instantly?” Jesus answered, “Have faith in God. In truth, I tell you, if you have faith and do not doubt at all, you will do what I have done to the fig tree. Even if you say to this mountain, “Be pulled up and thrown into the sea," with no doubt in his heart, but believing that what he says will happen, it will be done for him. I tell you, therefore, everything you ask and pray for, believe that you have it already, and it will be yours. If you have faith, everything you ask for in prayer, you will receive. When you stand in prayer, forgive whatever you have against anybody, so that your Father in heaven may forgive your failings too.” During his stay in Jerusalem for the feast of the Passover, he taught in the Temple every day. The chief priests and the scribes, in company with the leading citizens, tried to do away with him, but they could not find a way to carry this out because the whole people hung on his words. Many believed in his name when they saw the signs that he did, but Jesus knew all people and did not trust himself to them; he never needed evidence about anyone; he could tell what someone had within them. Now, among those who had come up to worship at the feast were some Greeks. They came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, and asked him, “Sir, we would like to see Jesus.” Philip went and told Andrew; then Andrew and Philip went and told Jesus. Jesus answered them, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. Amen, amen, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains just a grain of wheat; but if it dies, it produces much fruit. Whoever loves his life loses it; and whoever hates his life in this world will preserve it for eternal life. Whoever serves me must follow me; where I am, there will my servant be. The Father will honor whoever serves me. “I am troubled now. Yet what should I say? “Father, save me from this hour”? However, it was for this purpose that I came to this hour. Father, glorify your name.” Then a voice came from heaven, “I have glorified it and will glorify it again.” The crowd there heard it and said it was thunder; but others said, “An angel has spoken to him.” Jesus answered and said, “This voice did not come for my sake but for yours. Now is the time of judgment on this world. Now the ruler of this world will be driven out. And when I am lifted up from the earth, I will draw everyone to myself.” He said this indicating the kind of death he would die. Therefore, the crowd answered him, “We have heard from the law that the Messiah remains forever. Then how can you say that the Son of Man must be lifted up? Who is this Son of Man?” Jesus said to them, “The light will be among you only a little while. Walk while you have the light, so that darkness may not overcome you. Whoever walks in the dark does not know where he is going. While you have the light, believe in the light, so that you may become children of the light.” After he had said this, Jesus left and hid from them. Although he had performed so many signs in their presence, they did not believe in him, in order that the word, which Isaiah the prophet spoke might be fulfilled: ''“Who has given credence to what we have heard? And who has seen in it a revelation of Yahweh's arm?” (Isaiah 53:1) For this reason, they could not believe, because again Isaiah said, “Make this people's heart coarse, make their ears dull, shut their eyes tight, or they will use their eyes to see, use their ears to hear, use their heart to understand, and change their ways and be healed.”'' (Isaiah 6:10) Isaiah said this because he saw his glory and spoke about him. Nevertheless, many, even among the authorities, believed in him, but because of the Pharisees, they did not acknowledge it openly in order not to be expelled from the synagogue for they preferred human praise to the glory of God. Jesus cried out and said, “Whoever believes in me believes not only in me but also in the one who sent me, and whoever sees me sees the one who sent me. I came into the world as light, so that no one who believes in me might remain in darkness. If anyone hears my words and does not observe them, I do not condemn him, for I did not come to condemn the world but to save the world. Whoever rejects me and does not accept my words has something to judge him: the word that I spoke, it will condemn him on the last day, because I did not speak on my own, but the Father who sent me commanded me what to say and speak. I know that his commandment is eternal life. So what I say, I say as the Father told me.”

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