READER 1	I have come to bring fire on the earth,
READER 2	Fire
READER 3	Judgment
READER 1	I have come to bring fire on the earth,
READER 2	and how I wish it were already kindled!
READER 1	But I have a baptism to undergo,
READER 2	My destiny
READER 3	My cross
READER 1	But I have a baptism to undergo,
READER 2	and how distressed I am until it is completed!
READER 1	Do you think I came to bring peace on earth?
READER 2	No, I tell you, but division.
READER 3	Not peace
READER 2	Not yet
READER 3	But division
READER 2	Dissension
READER 1	From now on there will be five in one family divided against each other,
READER 2	three against two
READER 3	and two against three.
READER 1	They will be divided, father against son and son against father,
READER 2	mother against daughter
READER 3	and daughter against mother,
READER 2	mother-in-law against daughter-in-law
READER 3	and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law."
READER 1	He said to the crowd: "When you see a cloud rising in the west, immediately you say, 'It's going to rain,'
READER 3	and it does rain.
READER 1	And when the south wind blows, you say, 'It's going to be hot,'
READER 2	and it is hot.
READER 3	Hypocrites!
READER 2	Hypocrites!
READER 1	You know how to interpret the appearance of the earth and the sky.
READER 2	How is it that you don't know how to interpret this present time?
READER 1	Can't you read the signs of the times?
READER 2	The signs of the end of time?
READER 3	The signs of judgment upon the earth?
READER 1	"Why don't you judge for yourselves what is right?
READER 2	As you are going with your adversary to the courthouse,
READER 3	try hard to be reconciled to him on the way,
READER 1	Make an out-of-court settlement.
READER 2	Don't walk in that courtroom you wrongdoer!
READER 3	or he may drag you off to the judge,
READER 2	and the judge turn you over to the bailiff,
READER 3	and the bailiff throw you into prison.
READER 1	I tell you, you will not get out until you have paid the last penny of what you owe.
READER 3	The very last penny.
READER 1	Some in the crowd told Jesus about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mixed with their sacrifices.
READER 2	Pilate had killed them
READER 3	While they were offering sacrifices in the temple.
READER 1	Jesus answered, "Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans because they suffered this way?
READER 2	I tell you, no!
READER 3	But unless you repent, you too will all perish.
READER 1	Or those eighteen who died when the tower in Siloam fell on them
READER 2	When the tower fell
READER 3	and the bricks instantly killed 18 men
READER 2	who died a tragic death.
READER 1	Do you think they were more guilty than all the others living in Jerusalem?
READER 2	I tell you, no!
READER 3	But unless you repent,
READER 2	you too will all perish."
READER 3	Unless we repent
READER 2	We too will all perish.
READER 1	Then he told this parable: "A man had a fig tree, planted in his vineyard,
READER 2	and he went to look for fruit on it, but did not find any.
READER 3	No fruit
READER 2	No figs
READER 1	So he said to gardener, 'For three years now I've been coming to look for fruit on this fig tree and haven't found any.
READER 2	Cut it down!
READER 3	Why should it use up the soil?'
READER 1	" 'Sir,' the man replied, 'leave it alone for one more year,
READER 2	and I'll dig around it
READER 3	and fertilize it.
READER 2	Fertilize it
READER 3	And cultivate
READER 1	If it bears fruit next year, fine! If not, then cut it down.' "
READER 2	Unless it bears fruit
READER 3	It must be cut down
READER 1	Unless we bear fruit
READER 2	The fruit of the Spirit
READER 3	The fruit of righteous living
READER 1	Unless we bear fruit
READER 2	we are worthy to be cut down
READER 1	I have come to bring fire on the earth,
READER 2	Fire
READER 3	Judgment
READER 1	I have come to bring fire on the earth,
READER 2	and how I wish it were already kindled!