This Bible reading plan takes you through most of the Holy Scriptures each weekday of the year. Each day has three Bible readings:
You're welcome to read one, two, or all three of the readings every weekday. And if you fall behind, don't worry! You can either use the weekends to catch up or you can simply dive in to the reading for that day, even if you've missed a few days, weeks, or even months!
You can download a foldable bookmark here: 2026
13:1 There were some present at that very time who told him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. 2 And he answered them, “Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans, because they suffered in this way? 3 No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish. 4 Or those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them: do you think that they were worse offenders than all the others who lived in Jerusalem? 5 No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.”
6 And he told this parable: “A man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard, and he came seeking fruit on it and found none. 7 And he said to the vinedresser, ‘Look, for three years now I have come seeking fruit on this fig tree, and I find none. Cut it down. Why should it use up the ground?’ 8 And he answered him, ‘Sir, let it alone this year also, until I dig around it and put on manure. 9 Then if it should bear fruit next year, well and good; but if not, you can cut it down.’”
10 Now he was teaching in one of the synagogues on the Sabbath. 11 And behold, there was a woman who had had a disabling spirit for eighteen years. She was bent over and could not fully straighten herself. 12 When Jesus saw her, he called her over and said to her, “Woman, you are freed from your disability.” 13 And he laid his hands on her, and immediately she was made straight, and she glorified God. 14 But the ruler of the synagogue, indignant because Jesus had healed on the Sabbath, said to the people, “There are six days in which work ought to be done. Come on those days and be healed, and not on the Sabbath day.” 15 Then the Lord answered him, “You hypocrites! Does not each of you on the Sabbath untie his ox or his donkey from the manger and lead it away to water it? 16 And ought not this woman, a daughter of Abraham whom Satan bound for eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the Sabbath day?” 17 As he said these things, all his adversaries were put to shame, and all the people rejoiced at all the glorious things that were done by him.
18 He said therefore, “What is the kingdom of God like? And to what shall I compare it? 19 It is like a grain of mustard seed that a man took and sowed in his garden, and it grew and became a tree, and the birds of the air made nests in its branches.”
20 And again he said, “To what shall I compare the kingdom of God? 21 It is like leaven that a woman took and hid in three measures of flour, until it was all leavened.”
22 He went on his way through towns and villages, teaching and journeying toward Jerusalem. 23 And someone said to him, “Lord, will those who are saved be few?” And he said to them, 24 “Strive to enter through the narrow door. For many, I tell you, will seek to enter and will not be able. 25 When once the master of the house has risen and shut the door, and you begin to stand outside and to knock at the door, saying, ‘Lord, open to us,’ then he will answer you, ‘I do not know 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 But he will say, ‘I tell you, I do not know where you come from. Depart from me, all you workers of evil!’ 28 In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when you see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God but you yourselves cast out. 29 And people will come from east and west, and from north and south, and recline at table in the kingdom of God. 30 And behold, some are last who will be first, and some are first who will be last.”
31 At that very hour some Pharisees came and said to him, “Get away from here, for Herod wants to kill you.” 32 And he said to them, “Go and tell that fox, ‘Behold, I cast out demons and perform cures today and tomorrow, and the third day I finish my course. 33 Nevertheless, I must go on my way today and tomorrow and the day following, for it cannot be that a prophet should perish away from Jerusalem.’ 34 O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often would I have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing! 35 Behold, your house is forsaken. And I tell you, you will not see me until you say, ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!’”
(ESV)
I know the stereotype demands that, when preparing for a trip, guys pack light while women bring five suitcases for a two-night stay, but as much as I hate to confess this, I tend to pack pretty heavily myself. Granted, I don't necessarily bring an exorbitantly large number of personal effects, but I always bring my work bag, crammed with books and papers, determined to "catch up" on a bunch of work while I have some "down time."
When I'm flying, it's my workbag that I take with me as my carry on. However, it is almost always comically bursting at the seams as I lug it down the jet way to my aircraft. This means that it also becomes incredibly difficult to fit my overstuffed carry on under the seat in front of me. But that's okay. I have a system. I start with the bottom of my bag and begin to jam it under the seat. Then, if it doesn't fit, I pull out a book or two and hold them in my lap. After all, I'll want to read those on the flight anyway. If it still doesn't fit, it's nothing a good-old-fashioned kick can't solve. And with that, my bag becomes irremovably lodged under the seat in front of me. I always stand amazed at how much carry on I can fit into such a small space. There's a lot more space under that seat than you might first think.
In our reading for today from Luke 13, Jesus is asked a question: "Lord, are only a few people going to be saved" (verse 23)? This man wants to know: "How many people can God cram into the kingdom of heaven?" Interestingly, Jesus does not answer this man's question directly, but instead offers a picture of the door which leads to salvation:
Make every effort to enter through the narrow door, because many, I tell you, will try to enter and will not be able to. Once the owner of the house gets up and closes the door, you will stand outside knocking and pleading, "Sir open the door for us." But he will answer, "I don't know you or where you came from... Away from me, you evildoers!" (verses 24-25, 27)
Jesus calls heaven's entrance a "narrow door." Some have taken this to mean, as Jesus' questioner opines, that only an elect few will be saved. An old nineteenth century Baptist hymn expresses this sentiment thusly: "We are the Lord's elected few, let all the rest be damned. There's room enough in hell for you; we don't want heaven crammed!" As you have hopefully already deduced, this is hardly an accurate paraphrase of Jesus' teaching.
The Greek here is interesting. The word for "door" is pule which is commonly used to describe not the doors of normal, everyday houses, but the gates of cities and palaces. In other words, a pule is not just a door, it's a large door. Thus, Jesus' language is almost oxymoronic: "Make every effort to enter through the little big door."
What is Jesus' point? The door to salvation does indeed look narrow and small. And you may wonder how anyone can fit through such a small space. But there's a lot more room in heaven than you might first think, for the door to heaven is a little big door.
Indeed, this is exactly what Jesus says: "People will come from east and west and north and south, and will take their places at the feast in the kingdom of God" (verse 29). Even though the gate to heaven is narrow, and even though many will be left outside "weeping and gnashing their teeth" (verse 28) because of unbelief, heaven will still be packed with believers from every corner of the earth - east and west, north and south.
Jesus draws his words concerning the earth's four corners in verse 29 from Psalm 107:
Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever. Let the redeemed of the LORD say this - those he redeemed from the hand of the foe, those he gathered from the lands, from east and west, from north and south. (Psalm 107:1-3)
God will redeem people from every corner of the earth, says the Psalmist. The Psalmist then continues:
Some wandered in desert wastelands,
finding no way to a city where they could settle. Then they cried out to the LORD in their trouble,
and he delivered them from their distress. Some sat in darkness and the deepest gloom,
prisoners suffering in iron chains. Then they cried to the LORD in their trouble,
and he saved them from their distress. Some became fools through their rebellious ways
and suffered affliction because of their iniquities. Then they cried to the LORD in their trouble, and he saved them from their distress. (Psalm 107:4, 6, 10, 13, 17, 19)
Some from here, some from there. Some from north, south, east, and west. And by the time you put all these people together, you find there's a lot more room in heaven than you might first think. A lot of people will finally fit through that little big door. And you know what the best news is? By faith, you'll fit too.
24 “Elam is there, and all her multitude around her grave; all of them slain, fallen by the sword, who went down uncircumcised into the world below, who spread their terror in the land of the living; and they bear their shame with those who go down to the pit. 25 They have made her a bed among the slain with all her multitude, her graves all around it, all of them uncircumcised, slain by the sword; for terror of them was spread in the land of the living, and they bear their shame with those who go down to the pit; they are placed among the slain.
26 “Meshech-Tubal is there, and all her multitude, her graves all around it, all of them uncircumcised, slain by the sword; for they spread their terror in the land of the living. 27 And they do not lie with the mighty, the fallen from among the uncircumcised, who went down to Sheol with their weapons of war, whose swords were laid under their heads, and whose iniquities are upon their bones; for the terror of the mighty men was in the land of the living. 28 But as for you, you shall be broken and lie among the uncircumcised, with those who are slain by the sword.
29 “Edom is there, her kings and all her princes, who for all their might are laid with those who are killed by the sword; they lie with the uncircumcised, with those who go down to the pit.
30 “The princes of the north are there, all of them, and all the Sidonians, who have gone down in shame with the slain, for all the terror that they caused by their might; they lie uncircumcised with those who are slain by the sword, and bear their shame with those who go down to the pit.
31 “When Pharaoh sees them, he will be comforted for all his multitude, Pharaoh and all his army, slain by the sword, declares the Lord GOD. 32 For I spread terror in the land of the living; and he shall be laid to rest among the uncircumcised, with those who are slain by the sword, Pharaoh and all his multitude, declares the Lord GOD.”
33:1 The word of the LORD came to me: 2 “Son of man, speak to your people and say to them, If I bring the sword upon a land, and the people of the land take a man from among them, and make him their watchman, 3 and if he sees the sword coming upon the land and blows the trumpet and warns the people, 4 then if anyone who hears the sound of the trumpet does not take warning, and the sword comes and takes him away, his blood shall be upon his own head. 5 He heard the sound of the trumpet and did not take warning; his blood shall be upon himself. But if he had taken warning, he would have saved his life. 6 But if the watchman sees the sword coming and does not blow the trumpet, so that the people are not warned, and the sword comes and takes any one of them, that person is taken away in his iniquity, but his blood I will require at the watchman’s hand.
7 “So you, son of man, I have made a watchman for the house of Israel. Whenever you hear a word from my mouth, you shall give them warning from me. 8 If I say to the wicked, O wicked one, you shall surely die, and you do not speak to warn the wicked to turn from his way, that wicked person shall die in his iniquity, but his blood I will require at your hand. 9 But if you warn the wicked to turn from his way, and he does not turn from his way, that person shall die in his iniquity, but you will have delivered your soul.
(ESV)
Ezekiel described the judgment of the nations who along with Egypt were lost eternally, the "uncircumcised" who had no part in God's kingdom because of their idolatry, their sinful pride, and their violence. These included Elam east of Babylon, Meshech-Tubal in Asia Minor, the hardened enemy of Israel Edom, and the princes of the north including Syria, Phoenicia and the Sidonians. God then gave Ezekiel a word for his own people. God declared that whenever He brought judgment on a land and a watchman would warn the people of impending judgment, anyone who did not heed the warning and respond, "his blood shall be upon his own head," for if he had taken the warning to heart he could have been saved. However, if a watchman would fail to give warning about impending judgment, even though the people were punished for their own sin, God would hold that watchman accountable for failing to do his job. God then made the scenario personal for Ezekiel: "So you, son of man, I have made a watchman for the house of Israel." If God would give Ezekiel words of warning for the wicked, but Ezekiel would not speak that warning, God would hold Ezekiel accountable for their death. On the other hand, if Ezekiel were to speak the warning, but the individual refused to heed it, that person would die for his own sin, but Ezekiel would not be held accountable, rather "you will have delivered your soul," God said. As we read these words, we should be cognizant both of our responsibility to hear the Law and the Gospel and respond favorably to it, but we should also recognize our responsibility to speak Law and Gospel as words of warning and deliverance to the people God places in our lives. If we ignore God's warnings we will be responsible for our own destruction. But in addition, if we would refuse to speak God's Word of repentance and forgiveness, we can be held accountable for those individuals who could have been saved if we had been God's watchmen, and if we would have spoken His Word of warning as we should. Thus, when we refuse to warn someone, we are guilty. But, when they refuse to heed our warning, they are guilty.
130:1 Out of the depths I cry to you, O LORD!
2 O Lord, hear my voice!
Let your ears be attentive
to the voice of my pleas for mercy!
3 If you, O LORD, should mark iniquities,
O Lord, who could stand?
4 But with you there is forgiveness,
that you may be feared.
5 I wait for the LORD, my soul waits,
and in his word I hope;
6 my soul waits for the Lord
more than watchmen for the morning,
more than watchmen for the morning.
7 O Israel, hope in the LORD!
For with the LORD there is steadfast love,
and with him is plentiful redemption.
8 And he will redeem Israel
from all his iniquities.
131:1 O LORD, my heart is not lifted up;
my eyes are not raised too high;
I do not occupy myself with things
too great and too marvelous for me.
2 But I have calmed and quieted my soul,
like a weaned child with its mother;
like a weaned child is my soul within me.
3 O Israel, hope in the LORD
from this time forth and forevermore.
(ESV)