1 About that time, some men from Galilee country were killing some animals to give them to God, but then Pilate, the big boss, went with his soldiers and killed those men. Then some people went and told Jesus what happened. 2 Jesus said, “Do you reckon those men that died did more bad things than all the other men from Galilee? Is that why God let Pilate kill them? 3 No. That is not right. Listen, all of you mob do bad things. You have to stop doing bad things and turn to God. If you don’t turn to God, you will die, just like those men died.

4 And you know about the high building in Jerusalem city, at the place called Siloam. It fell down on top of 18 people and killed them. Do you think those people did more bad things than the other people in Jerusalem, and that is the reason why God let them die like that? 5 No. That is not right. Listen, all of you mob do bad things. You have to stop doing bad things and turn to God. If you don’t turn to God, you will die, just like those people died.”

6 Then Jesus told them this picture story to show them that they have to turn to God soon. He said, “A man had a garden with grape vines growing in it. There was a fruit tree there too, called a fig tree. That man used to go to that garden, to see if there was any fruit on that tree, but he never found any fruit. 7 So he talked to his work-man that looked after the garden. He said, ‘Look, this tree is no good. I came here looking for fruit on this tree. I did that for the last 3 years, but I never found any fruit. So chop it down and get rid of it. We can’t let it go on like this. It is using up the ground and giving back nothing to us.’

8 But his work-man said, ‘Wait, boss. Leave it for one more year, and I will look after it properly. I’ll dig around it and put some fertilizer stuff on it to help it grow. 9 And maybe next year it will get fruit on it. If it doesn’t get any fruit next year, then we can chop it down.’ ”

10 One Saturday, Jesus was teaching people in a Jewish meeting house. Their Jewish law said that nobody can work on a Saturday. It was their rest day.

11 There was a woman there with a bad spirit inside her. A long time before that, the bad spirit went into that woman and made her back crooked. That bad spirit lived in her for 18 years, and all that time her back was bent over. She couldn’t stand up straight.

12 Jesus saw her in that meeting house, and he called out to her to come to him. And he said to her, “Friend, you are better now. You are free from that sickness.” 13 Then he put his hands on her, and she stood up straight, right then. And she told everybody that God is really good.

14 But the boss of that meeting house got angry, because Jesus made a sick woman better on their rest day. So he told the people, “Listen, you mob. There are 6 days for work each week, so come on any one of those days and get him to make you better. But Saturday is our rest day. Don’t come on a Saturday.”* Exodus 20:9-10; Deuteronomy 5:13-14

15 Jesus said to him, “You and your mob are wrong. You say one thing, but you do something different. You work for yourselves on our rest day, right? You know, you keep cows and donkeys tied up in your yards, and every day you untie them and take them out to a water-hole, to let them drink. You do that on our rest day too. 16 Now look at this woman here. She belongs to Abraham’s family. But 18 years ago, Satan, the boss over the bad spirits, he made her back crooked. It’s like he has kept her tied up with this problem for 18 years. So why can’t I untie her, even on our rest day?”

17 When Jesus said those words, the bosses of that meeting house felt shame, but all the people were happy, because Jesus was doing a lot of really good things there.

31 At that time, some of the Pharisee mob, that were strong for the Jewish law, they went to Jesus and said, “Herod, that big boss, he wants to kill you, so you have to run away. Get right away from here.”

32 Jesus said, “Herod is a bad man, and he is tricky, like a wild dog. Tell him that I’m forcing bad spirits out of people, and I’m making sick people better, and I’ll keep on doing these things for a bit longer. Then I’ll finish my work. 33 But I have to keep going now, and I’ll keep going for a bit longer, until I get to Jerusalem city. I will not die before I get there. You see, the Jerusalem mob are the worst. They kill the people that tell God’s messages.”

34 Then Jesus gave a message for the people that lived in Jerusalem city. He said, “You Jerusalem mob. You never listen to the men that tell you God’s messages, but instead you kill them. Yes, you throw big stones at them to kill them. Listen, I wanted to look after you mob, just like a chook looks after her young chicks and covers them with her wings, so that nothing can hurt them. I often wanted to look after you like that, but you never let me. 35 So now God is leaving you. He will not look after you, or your city, or his ceremony house there. You mob will not see me again until the day comes when you will say, ‘God, we want you to look after this man you sent. Make him strong and happy.’ ”* Psalm 118:26; Jeremiah 22:5