Luke 14–17

1When he went into the house of one of the rulers of the Pharisees on a Sabbath to eat bread, they were watching him.

2Behold, a certain man who had dropsy was in front of him.

3Jesus, answering, spoke to the lawyers and Pharisees, saying, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?”

4But they were silent. He took him, and healed him, and let him go.

5He answered them, “Which of you, if your son or an ox fell into a well, wouldn’t immediately pull him out on a Sabbath day?”

6They couldn’t answer him regarding these things.

7He spoke a parable to those who were invited, when he noticed how they chose the best seats, and said to them,

8“When you are invited by anyone to a wedding feast, don’t sit in the best seat, since perhaps someone more honorable than you might be invited by him,

9and he who invited both of you would come and tell you, ‘Make room for this person.’ Then you would begin, with shame, to take the lowest place.

10But when you are invited, go and sit in the lowest place, so that when he who invited you comes, he may tell you, ‘Friend, move up higher.’ Then you will be honored in the presence of all who sit at the table with you.

11For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.”

12He also said to the one who had invited him, “When you make a dinner or a supper, don’t call your friends, nor your brothers, nor your kinsmen, nor rich neighbors, or perhaps they might also return the favor, and pay you back.

13But when you make a feast, ask the poor, the maimed, the lame, or the blind;

14and you will be blessed, because they don’t have the resources to repay you. For you will be repaid in the resurrection of the righteous.”

15When one of those who sat at the table with him heard these things, he said to him, “Blessed is he who will feast in God’s Kingdom!”

16But he said to him, “A certain man made a great supper, and he invited many people.

17He sent out his servant at supper time to tell those who were invited, ‘Come, for everything is ready now.’

18They all as one began to make excuses. “The first said to him, ‘I have bought a field, and I must go and see it. Please have me excused.’

19“Another said, ‘I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I must go try them out. Please have me excused.’

20“Another said, ‘I have married a wife, and therefore I can’t come.’

21“That servant came, and told his lord these things. Then the master of the house, being angry, said to his servant, ‘Go out quickly into the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in the poor, maimed, blind, and lame.’

22“The servant said, ‘Lord, it is done as you commanded, and there is still room.’

23“The lord said to the servant, ‘Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled.

24For I tell you that none of those men who were invited will taste of my supper. For many are called, but few are chosen. ’”

25Now great multitudes were going with him. He turned and said to them,

26“If anyone comes to me, and doesn’t disregard his own father, mother, wife, children, brothers, and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he can’t be my disciple.

27Whoever doesn’t bear his own cross and come after me, can’t be my disciple.

28For which of you, desiring to build a tower, doesn’t first sit down and count the cost, to see if he has enough to complete it?

29Or perhaps, when he has laid a foundation and isn’t able to finish, everyone who sees begins to mock him,

30saying, ‘This man began to build and wasn’t able to finish.’

31Or what king, as he goes to encounter another king in war, will not sit down first and consider whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him who comes against him with twenty thousand?

32Or else, while the other is yet a great way off, he sends an envoy and asks for conditions of peace.

33So therefore, whoever of you who doesn’t renounce all that he has, he can’t be my disciple.

34“Salt is good, but if the salt becomes flat and tasteless, with what do you season it?

35It is fit neither for the soil nor for the manure pile. It is thrown out. He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”

1Now all the tax collectors and sinners were coming close to him to hear him.

2The Pharisees and the scribes murmured, saying, “This man welcomes sinners, and eats with them.”

3He told them this parable:

4“Which of you men, if you had one hundred sheep and lost one of them, wouldn’t leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness and go after the one that was lost, until he found it?

5When he has found it, he carries it on his shoulders, rejoicing.

6When he comes home, he calls together his friends and his neighbors, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost!’

7I tell you that even so there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents, than over ninety-nine righteous people who need no repentance.

8“Or what woman, if she had ten drachma coins, if she lost one drachma coin, wouldn’t light a lamp, sweep the house, and seek diligently until she found it?

9When she has found it, she calls together her friends and neighbors, saying, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found the drachma which I had lost!’

10Even so, I tell you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner repenting.”

11He said, “A certain man had two sons.

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

13Not 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.

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

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

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

17But 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!

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

19I 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.

21The 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.

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

24for 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.

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

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

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

29But 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.

30But 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.

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

1He also said to his disciples, “There was a certain rich man who had a manager. An accusation was made to him that this man was wasting his possessions.

2He called him, and said to him, ‘What is this that I hear about you? Give an accounting of your management, for you can no longer be manager.’

3“The manager said within himself, ‘What will I do, seeing that my lord is taking away the management position from me? I don’t have strength to dig. I am ashamed to beg.

4I know what I will do, so that when I am removed from management, they may receive me into their houses.’

5Calling each one of his lord’s debtors to him, he said to the first, ‘How much do you owe to my lord?’

6He said, ‘A hundred batos of oil.’ He said to him, ‘Take your bill, and sit down quickly and write fifty.’

7Then he said to another, ‘How much do you owe?’ He said, ‘A hundred cors of wheat.’ He said to him, ‘Take your bill, and write eighty.’

8“His lord commended the dishonest manager because he had done wisely, for the children of this world are, in their own generation, wiser than the children of the light.

9I tell you, make for yourselves friends by means of unrighteous mammon, so that when you fail, they may receive you into the eternal tents.

10He who is faithful in a very little is faithful also in much. He who is dishonest in a very little is also dishonest in much.

11If therefore you have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches?

12If you have not been faithful in that which is another’s, who will give you that which is your own?

13No servant can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other; or else he will hold to one and despise the other. You aren’t able to serve God and Mammon.”

14The Pharisees, who were lovers of money, also heard all these things, and they scoffed at him.

15He said to them, “You are those who justify yourselves in the sight of men, but God knows your hearts. For that which is exalted among men is an abomination in the sight of God.

16“The law and the prophets were until John. From that time the Good News of God’s Kingdom is preached, and everyone is forcing his way into it.

17But it is easier for heaven and earth to pass away than for one tiny stroke of a pen in the law to fall.

18“Everyone who divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery. He who marries one who is divorced from a husband commits adultery.

19“Now there was a certain rich man, and he was clothed in purple and fine linen, living in luxury every day.

20A certain beggar, named Lazarus, was taken to his gate, full of sores,

21and desiring to be fed with the crumbs that fell from the rich man’s table. Yes, even the dogs came and licked his sores.

22The beggar died, and he was carried away by the angels to Abraham’s bosom. The rich man also died and was buried.

23In Hades, he lifted up his eyes, being in torment, and saw Abraham far off, and Lazarus at his bosom.

24He cried and said, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue! For I am in anguish in this flame.’

25“But Abraham said, ‘Son, remember that you, in your lifetime, received your good things, and Lazarus, in the same way, bad things. But here he is now comforted and you are in anguish.

26Besides all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed, that those who want to pass from here to you are not able, and that no one may cross over from there to us.’

27“He said, ‘I ask you therefore, father, that you would send him to my father’s house—

28for I have five brothers—that he may testify to them, so they won’t also come into this place of torment.’

29“But Abraham said to him, ‘They have Moses and the prophets. Let them listen to them.’

30“He said, ‘No, father Abraham, but if one goes to them from the dead, they will repent.’

31“He said to him, ‘If they don’t listen to Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded if one rises from the dead.’”

1He said to the disciples, “It is impossible that no occasions of stumbling should come, but woe to him through whom they come!

2It would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were thrown into the sea, rather than that he should cause one of these little ones to stumble.

3Be careful. If your brother sins against you, rebuke him. If he repents, forgive him.

4If he sins against you seven times in the day, and seven times returns, saying, ‘I repent,’ you shall forgive him.”

5The apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith.”

6The Lord said, “If you had faith like a grain of mustard seed, you would tell this sycamore tree, ‘Be uprooted and be planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you.

7But who is there among you, having a servant plowing or keeping sheep, that will say when he comes in from the field, ‘Come immediately and sit down at the table’?

8Wouldn’t he rather tell him, ‘Prepare my supper, clothe yourself properly, and serve me while I eat and drink. Afterward you shall eat and drink’?

9Does he thank that servant because he did the things that were commanded? I think not.

10Even so you also, when you have done all the things that are commanded you, say, ‘We are unworthy servants. We have done our duty.’”

11As he was on his way to Jerusalem, he was passing along the borders of Samaria and Galilee.

12As he entered into a certain village, ten men who were lepers met him, who stood at a distance.

13They lifted up their voices, saying, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!”

14When he saw them, he said to them, “Go and show yourselves to the priests.” As they went, they were cleansed.

15One of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, glorifying God with a loud voice.

16He fell on his face at Jesus’ feet, giving him thanks; and he was a Samaritan.

17Jesus answered, “Weren’t the ten cleansed? But where are the nine?

18Were there none found who returned to give glory to God, except this foreigner?”

19Then he said to him, “Get up, and go your way. Your faith has healed you.”

20Being asked by the Pharisees when God’s Kingdom would come, he answered them, “God’s Kingdom doesn’t come with observation;

21neither will they say, ‘Look, here!’ or, ‘Look, there!’ for behold, God’s Kingdom is within you.”

22He said to the disciples, “The days will come when you will desire to see one of the days of the Son of Man, and you will not see it.

23They will tell you, ‘Look, here!’ or ‘Look, there!’ Don’t go away or follow after them,

24for as the lightning, when it flashes out of one part under the sky, shines to another part under the sky, so will the Son of Man be in his day.

25But first, he must suffer many things and be rejected by this generation.

26As it was in the days of Noah, even so it will also be in the days of the Son of Man.

27They ate, they drank, they married, and they were given in marriage until the day that Noah entered into the ship, and the flood came and destroyed them all.

28Likewise, even as it was in the days of Lot: they ate, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they built;

29but in the day that Lot went out from Sodom, it rained fire and sulfur from the sky and destroyed them all.

30It will be the same way in the day that the Son of Man is revealed.

31In that day, he who will be on the housetop and his goods in the house, let him not go down to take them away. Let him who is in the field likewise not turn back.

32Remember Lot’s wife!

33Whoever seeks to save his life loses it, but whoever loses his life preserves it.

34I tell you, in that night there will be two people in one bed. One will be taken and the other will be left.

35There will be two grinding grain together. One will be taken and the other will be left.”

36

37They, answering, asked him, “Where, Lord?” He said to them, “Where the body is, there the vultures will also be gathered together.”