What did Jesus say about Excuses?

¹⁸ If the world hates you, you know that it has hated me before it hated you.

¹⁹ If you were of the world, the world would love its own. But because you are not of the world, since I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.

²⁰ Remember the word that I said to you: ‘A servant is not greater than his lord.’ If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they kept my word, they will also keep yours.

²¹ But they will do all these things to you for my name’s sake, because they don’t know him who sent me.

²² If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not have had sin; but now they have no excuse for their sin.

²³ He who hates me, hates my Father also.

²⁴ If I hadn’t done among them the works which no one else did, they wouldn’t have had sin. But now they have seen and also hated both me and my Father.

²⁵ But this happened so that the word may be fulfilled which was written in their law, ‘They hated me without a cause.’

⁶ “Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written, ‘This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me.

⁷ They worship me in vain, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’

⁸ “For you set aside the commandment of God, and hold tightly to the tradition of men—the washing of pitchers and cups, and you do many other such things.”

⁹ “Full well do you reject the commandment of God, that you may keep your tradition.

¹⁰ For Moses said, ‘Honor your father and your mother;’ and, ‘He who speaks evil of father or mother, let him be put to death.’

¹¹ But you say, ‘If a man tells his father or his mother, “Whatever profit you might have received from me is Corban,”’”

¹² “then you no longer allow him to do anything for his father or his mother,

¹³ making void the word of God by your tradition which you have handed down. You do many things like this.”

³ “Why do you also disobey the commandment of God because of your tradition?

⁴ For God commanded, ‘Honor your father and your mother,’ and, ‘He who speaks evil of father or mother, let him be put to death.’

⁵ But you say, ‘Whoever may tell his father or his mother, “Whatever help you might otherwise have gotten from me is a gift devoted to God,”

⁶ he shall not honor his father or mother.’ You have made the commandment of God void because of your tradition.

⁷ You hypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophesy of you, saying,

⁸ ‘These people draw near to me with their mouth, and honor me with their lips; but their heart is far from me.

⁹ And they worship me in vain, teaching as doctrine rules made by men.’”

³¹ “But when the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then he will sit on the throne of his glory.

³² Before him all the nations will be gathered, and he will separate them one from another, as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats.

³³ He will set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left.

³⁴ Then the King will tell those on his right hand, ‘Come, blessed of my Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world;

³⁵ for I was hungry and you gave me food to eat. I was thirsty and you gave me drink. I was a stranger and you took me in.

³⁶ I was naked and you clothed me. I was sick and you visited me. I was in prison and you came to me.’

³⁷ “Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you a drink?

³⁸ When did we see you as a stranger and take you in, or naked and clothe you?

³⁹ When did we see you sick or in prison and come to you?’

⁴⁰ “The King will answer them, ‘Most certainly I tell you, because you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’

⁴¹ Then he will say also to those on the left hand, ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire which is prepared for the devil and his angels;

⁴² for I was hungry, and you didn’t give me food to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave me no drink;

⁴³ I was a stranger, and you didn’t take me in; naked, and you didn’t clothe me; sick, and in prison, and you didn’t visit me.’

⁴⁴ “Then they will also answer, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry, or thirsty, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and didn’t help you?’

⁴⁵ “Then he will answer them, saying, ‘Most certainly I tell you, because you didn’t do it to one of the least of these, you didn’t do it to me.’

⁴⁶ These will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”

²⁴ “Strive to enter in by the narrow door, for many, I tell you, will seek to enter in and will not be able.

²⁵ When once the master of the house has risen up and has shut the door, and you begin to stand outside and to knock at the door, saying, ‘Lord, Lord, open to us!’ then he will answer and tell you, ‘I don’t know you or where you come from.’

²⁶ Then you will begin to say, ‘We ate and drank in your presence, and you taught in our streets.’

²⁷ He will say, ‘I tell you, I don’t know where you come from. Depart from me, all you workers of iniquity.’

²⁸ There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth when you see Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and all the prophets in God’s Kingdom, and yourselves being thrown outside.

²⁹ They will come from the east, west, north, and south, and will sit down in God’s Kingdom.

³⁰ Behold, there are some who are last who will be first, and there are some who are first who will be last.”

¹² “A certain nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom and to return.

¹³ He called ten servants of his and gave them ten mina coins, and told them, ‘Conduct business until I come.’

¹⁴ But his citizens hated him, and sent an envoy after him, saying, ‘We don’t want this man to reign over us.’

¹⁵ “When he had come back again, having received the kingdom, he commanded these servants, to whom he had given the money, to be called to him, that he might know what they had gained by conducting business.

¹⁶ The first came before him, saying, ‘Lord, your mina has made ten more minas.’

¹⁷ “He said to him, ‘Well done, you good servant! Because you were found faithful with very little, you shall have authority over ten cities.’

¹⁸ “The second came, saying, ‘Your mina, Lord, has made five minas.’

¹⁹ “So he said to him, ‘And you are to be over five cities.’

²⁰ Another came, saying, ‘Lord, behold, your mina, which I kept laid away in a handkerchief,

²¹ for I feared you, because you are an exacting man. You take up that which you didn’t lay down, and reap that which you didn’t sow.’

²² “He said to him, ‘Out of your own mouth I will judge you, you wicked servant! You knew that I am an exacting man, taking up that which I didn’t lay down and reaping that which I didn’t sow.

²³ Then why didn’t you deposit my money in the bank, and at my coming, I might have earned interest on it?’

²⁴ He said to those who stood by, ‘Take the mina away from him and give it to him who has the ten minas.’

²⁵ “They said to him, ‘Lord, he has ten minas!’

²⁶ ‘For I tell you that to everyone who has, will more be given; but from him who doesn’t have, even that which he has will be taken away from him.

²⁷ But bring those enemies of mine who didn’t want me to reign over them here, and kill them before me.’”

² “The Kingdom of Heaven is like a certain king, who made a wedding feast for his son,

³ and sent out his servants to call those who were invited to the wedding feast, but they would not come.

⁴ Again he sent out other servants, saying, ‘Tell those who are invited, “Behold, I have prepared my dinner. My cattle and my fatlings are killed, and all things are ready. Come to the wedding feast!”’

⁵ But they made light of it, and went their ways, one to his own farm, another to his merchandise;

⁶ and the rest grabbed his servants, treated them shamefully, and killed them.

⁷ When the king heard that, he was angry, and sent his armies, destroyed those murderers, and burned their city.

⁸ “Then he said to his servants, ‘The wedding is ready, but those who were invited weren’t worthy.

⁹ Go therefore to the intersections of the highways, and as many as you may find, invite to the wedding feast.’

¹⁰ Those servants went out into the highways and gathered together as many as they found, both bad and good. The wedding was filled with guests.

¹¹ “But when the king came in to see the guests, he saw there a man who didn’t have on wedding clothing,

¹² and he said to him, ‘Friend, how did you come in here not wearing wedding clothing?’ He was speechless.

¹³ Then the king said to the servants, ‘Bind him hand and foot, take him away, and throw him into the outer darkness. That is where the weeping and grinding of teeth will be.’

¹⁴ For many are called, but few chosen.”

¹⁴ “For it is like a man going into another country, who called his own servants and entrusted his goods to them.

¹⁵ To one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one, to each according to his own ability. Then he went on his journey.

¹⁶ Immediately he who received the five talents went and traded with them, and made another five talents.

¹⁷ In the same way, he also who got the two gained another two.

¹⁸ But he who received the one talent went away and dug in the earth and hid his lord’s money.

¹⁹ “Now after a long time the lord of those servants came, and settled accounts with them.

²⁰ He who received the five talents came and brought another five talents, saying, ‘Lord, you delivered to me five talents. Behold, I have gained another five talents in addition to them.’

²¹ “His lord said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a few things, I will set you over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.’

²² “He also who got the two talents came and said, ‘Lord, you delivered to me two talents. Behold, I have gained another two talents in addition to them.’

²³ “His lord said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a few things. I will set you over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.’

²⁴ “He also who had received the one talent came and said, ‘Lord, I knew you that you are a hard man, reaping where you didn’t sow, and gathering where you didn’t scatter.

²⁵ I was afraid, and went away and hid your talent in the earth. Behold, you have what is yours.’

²⁶ “But his lord answered him, ‘You wicked and slothful servant. You knew that I reap where I didn’t sow, and gather where I didn’t scatter.

²⁷ You ought therefore to have deposited my money with the bankers, and at my coming I should have received back my own with interest.

²⁸ Take away therefore the talent from him and give it to him who has the ten talents.

²⁹ For to everyone who has will be given, and he will have abundance, but from him who doesn’t have, even that which he has will be taken away.

³⁰ Throw out the unprofitable servant into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’

²⁹ “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you build the tombs of the prophets and decorate the tombs of the righteous,

³⁰ and say, ‘If we had lived in the days of our fathers, we wouldn’t have been partakers with them in the blood of the prophets.’

³¹ Therefore you testify to yourselves that you are children of those who killed the prophets.

³² Fill up, then, the measure of your fathers.

³³ You serpents, you offspring of vipers, how will you escape the judgment of Gehenna?

³⁴ Therefore, behold, I send to you prophets, wise men, and scribes. Some of them you will kill and crucify; and some of them you will scourge in your synagogues and persecute from city to city,

³⁵ that on you may come all the righteous blood shed on the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zachariah son of Barachiah, whom you killed between the sanctuary and the altar.

³⁶ Most certainly I tell you, all these things will come upon this generation.

¹¹ “A certain man had two sons.

¹² The younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me my share of your property.’ So he divided his livelihood between them.

¹³ Not many days after, the younger son gathered all of this together and traveled into a far country. There he wasted his property with riotous living.

¹⁴ When he had spent all of it, there arose a severe famine in that country, and he began to be in need.

¹⁵ He went and joined himself to one of the citizens of that country, and he sent him into his fields to feed pigs.

¹⁶ He wanted to fill his belly with the pods that the pigs ate, but no one gave him any.

¹⁷ But when he came to himself, he said, ‘How many hired servants of my father’s have bread enough to spare, and I’m dying with hunger!

¹⁸ I will get up and go to my father, and will tell him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight.

¹⁹ I am no more worthy to be called your son. Make me as one of your hired servants.”’

²⁰ “He arose and came to his father. But while he was still far off, his father saw him and was moved with compassion, and ran, fell on his neck, and kissed him.

²¹ The son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’

²² “But the father said to his servants, ‘Bring out the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet.

²³ Bring the fattened calf, kill it, and let’s eat and celebrate;

²⁴ for this, my son, was dead and is alive again. He was lost and is found.’ Then they began to celebrate.

²⁵ “Now his elder son was in the field. As he came near to the house, he heard music and dancing.

²⁶ He called one of the servants to him and asked what was going on.

²⁷ He said to him, ‘Your brother has come, and your father has killed the fattened calf, because he has received him back safe and healthy.’

²⁸ But he was angry and would not go in. Therefore his father came out and begged him.

²⁹ But he answered his father, ‘Behold, these many years I have served you, and I never disobeyed a commandment of yours, but you never gave me a goat, that I might celebrate with my friends.

³⁰ But when this your son came, who has devoured your living with prostitutes, you killed the fattened calf for him.’

³¹ “He said to him, ‘Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours.

³² But it was appropriate to celebrate and be glad, for this, your brother, was dead, and is alive again. He was lost, and is found.’”

⁴⁵ “Who then is the faithful and wise servant, whom his lord has set over his household, to give them their food in due season?

⁴⁶ Blessed is that servant whom his lord finds doing so when he comes.

⁴⁷ Most certainly I tell you that he will set him over all that he has.

⁴⁸ But if that evil servant should say in his heart, ‘My lord is delaying his coming,’

⁴⁹ and begins to beat his fellow servants, and eat and drink with the drunkards,

⁵⁰ the lord of that servant will come in a day when he doesn’t expect it and in an hour when he doesn’t know it,

⁵¹ and will cut him in pieces and appoint his portion with the hypocrites. That is where the weeping and grinding of teeth will be.

⁴² “Who then is the faithful and wise steward, whom his lord will set over his household, to give them their portion of food at the right times?

⁴³ Blessed is that servant whom his lord will find doing so when he comes.

⁴⁴ Truly I tell you that he will set him over all that he has.

⁴⁵ But if that servant says in his heart, ‘My lord delays his coming,’ and begins to beat the menservants and the maidservants, and to eat and drink and to be drunken,

⁴⁶ then the lord of that servant will come in a day when he isn’t expecting him and in an hour that he doesn’t know, and will cut him in two, and place his portion with the unfaithful.

⁴⁷ That servant who knew his lord’s will, and didn’t prepare nor do what he wanted, will be beaten with many stripes,

⁴⁸ but he who didn’t know, and did things worthy of stripes, will be beaten with few stripes. To whomever much is given, of him will much be required; and to whom much was entrusted, of him more will be asked.

³² “Most certainly, I tell you, it wasn’t Moses who gave you the bread out of heaven, but my Father gives you the true bread out of heaven.

³³ For the bread of God is that which comes down out of heaven and gives life to the world.”

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Narration or other speakers' words are omitted to show Jesus' words. Read in context for the full passage.

³⁵ “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will not be hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.

³⁶ But I told you that you have seen me, and yet you don’t believe.

³⁷ All those whom the Father gives me will come to me. He who comes to me I will in no way throw out.

³⁸ For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will, but the will of him who sent me.

³⁹ This is the will of my Father who sent me, that of all he has given to me I should lose nothing, but should raise him up at the last day.

⁴⁰ This is the will of the one who sent me, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in him should have eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day.”