Settling Accounts
57
“Why don't you judge for yourselves what is right?
58
As you are going with your adversary to the ruler, make an effort to settle with him on the way. Then he won't drag you before the judge, the judge hand you over to the bailiff, and the bailiff throw you into prison.
59
I tell you, you will never get out of there until you have paid the last cent.”
Luke
Repent or Perish
13
At that time, some people came and reported to Him about the Galileans whose blood
•Pilate
had mixed with their sacrifices.
2
And He responded to them,
“Do you think that these Galileans were more sinful than all Galileans because they suffered these things?
3
No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all perish as well!
4
Or those 18 that the tower in Siloam fell on and killed — do you think they were more sinful than all the people who live in Jerusalem?
5
No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all perish as well! ”
The Parable of the Barren Fig Tree
6
And He told this parable:
“A man had a fig tree that was planted in his vineyard. He came looking for fruit on it and found none.
7
He told the vineyard worker, ‘Listen, for three years I have come looking for fruit on this fig tree and haven't found any. Cut it down! Why should it even waste the soil? '
8
“But he replied to him, ‘Sir,
leave it this year also, until I dig around it and fertilize it.
9
Perhaps it will bear fruit next year, but if not, you can cut it down.' ”
Healing a Daughter of Abraham
10
As He was teaching in one of the
•synagogues
on the Sabbath,
11
a woman was there who had been disabled by a spirit for over 18 years. She was bent over and could not straighten up at all.
12
When Jesus saw her, He called out to her,
“
•Woman
, you are free of your disability.”
13
Then He laid His hands on her, and instantly she was restored and began to glorify God.
14
But the leader of the synagogue, indignant because Jesus had healed on the Sabbath, responded by telling the crowd, “There are six days when work should be done; therefore come on those days and be healed and not on the Sabbath day.”
15
But the Lord answered him and said,
“Hypocrites! Doesn't each one of you untie his ox or donkey from the feeding trough on the Sabbath and lead it to water?
16
Satan has bound this woman, a daughter of Abraham, for 18 years — shouldn't she be untied from this bondage on the Sabbath day? ”
17
When He had said these things, all His adversaries were humiliated, but the whole crowd was rejoicing over all the glorious things He was doing.
The Parables of the Mustard Seed and of the Yeast
18
He said, therefore,
“What is the kingdom of God like, and what can I compare it to?
19
It's like a mustard seed that a man took and sowed in his garden. It grew and became a tree, and the birds of the sky nested in its branches.”
20
Again He said,
“What can I compare the kingdom of God to?
21
It's like yeast that a woman took and mixed into 50 pounds
of flour until it spread through the entire mixture.”
The Narrow Way
22
He went through one town and village after another, teaching and making His way to Jerusalem.
23
“Lord,” someone asked Him, “are there few being saved? ”
He said to them,
24
“Make every effort to enter through the narrow door, because I tell you, many will try to enter and won't be able
25
once the homeowner gets up and shuts the door. Then you will stand
outside and knock on the door, saying, ‘Lord, open up for us! ' He will answer you, ‘I don't know you or where you're from.'
26
Then you will say,
‘We ate and drank in Your presence, and You taught in our streets! '
27
But He will say, ‘I tell you, I don't know you or where you're from. Get away from Me, all you workers of unrighteousness! '
28
There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth in that place, when you see Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and all the prophets in the kingdom of God but yourselves thrown out.
29
They will come from east and west, from north and south, and recline at the table in the kingdom of God.
30
Note this: Some are last who will be first, and some are first who will be last.”
Jesus and Herod Antipas
31
At that time some
•Pharisees
came and told Him, “Go, get out of here!
•Herod
wants to kill You! ”
32
He said to them,
“Go tell that fox, ‘Look! I'm driving out demons and performing healings today and tomorrow, and on the third day
I will complete My work.'
33
Yet I must travel today, tomorrow, and the next day, because it is not possible for a prophet to perish outside of Jerusalem!
Jesus' Lamentation over Jerusalem
34
“Jerusalem, Jerusalem! She who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her. How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing!
35
See, your house
is abandoned to you. And I tell you, you will not see Me until the time comes when you say,
‘He who comes in the name of the Lord is the blessed One'
!”
Luke
A Sabbath Controversy
14
One Sabbath, when He went to eat at the house of one of the leading
•Pharisees
, they were watching Him closely.
2
There in front of Him was a man whose body was swollen with fluid.
3
In response, Jesus asked the law experts and the Pharisees,
“Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath or not? ”
4
But they kept silent. He took the man, healed him, and sent him away.
5
And to them, He said,
“Which of you whose son or ox falls into a well, will not immediately pull him out on the Sabbath day? ”
6
To this they could find no answer.
Teachings on Humility
7
He told a parable to those who were invited, when He noticed how they would choose the best places for themselves:
8
“When you are invited by someone to a wedding banquet, don't recline at the best place, because a more distinguished person than you may have been invited by your host.
9
The one who invited both of you may come and say to you, ‘Give your place to this man,' and then in humiliation, you will proceed to take the lowest place.
10
“But when you are invited, go and recline in the lowest place, so that when the one who invited you comes, he will say to you, ‘Friend, move up higher.' You will then be honored in the presence of all the other guests.
11
For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and the one who humbles himself will be exalted.”
12
He also said to the one who had invited Him,
“When you give a lunch or a dinner, don't invite your friends, your brothers, your relatives, or your rich neighbors, because they might invite you back, and you would be repaid.
13
On the contrary, when you host a banquet, invite those who are poor, maimed, lame, or blind.
14
And you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you; for you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.”
The Parable of the Large Banquet
15
When one of those who reclined at the table with Him heard these things, he said to Him, “The one who will eat bread in the kingdom of God is blessed! ”
16
Then He told him:
“A man was giving a large banquet and invited many.
17
At the time of the banquet, he sent his
•slave
to tell those who were invited, ‘Come, because everything is now ready.'
18
“But without exception
they all began to make excuses. The first one said to him, ‘I have bought a field, and I must go out and see it. I ask you to excuse me.'
19
“Another said, ‘I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I'm going to try them out. I ask you to excuse me.'
20
“And another said, ‘I just got married,
and therefore I'm unable to come.'
21
“So the slave came back and reported these things to his master. Then in anger, the master of the house told his slave, ‘Go out quickly into the streets and alleys of the city, and bring in here the poor, maimed, blind, and lame! '
22
“ ‘Master,' the slave said, ‘what you ordered has been done, and there's still room.'
23
“Then the master told the slave, ‘Go out into the highways and lanes and make them come in, so that my house may be filled.
24
For I tell you, not one of those men who were invited will enjoy my banquet! ' ”
The Cost of Following Jesus
25
Now great crowds were traveling with Him. So He turned and said to them:
26
“If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his own father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters — yes, and even his own life — he cannot be My disciple.
27
Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple.
28
“For which of you, wanting to build a tower, doesn't first sit down and calculate the cost to see if he has enough to complete it?
29
Otherwise, after he has laid the foundation and cannot finish it, all the onlookers will begin to make fun of him,
30
saying, ‘This man started to build and wasn't able to finish.'
31
“Or what king, going to war against another king, will not first sit down and decide if he is able with 10,000 to oppose the one who comes against him with 20,000?
32
If not, while the other is still far off, he sends a delegation and asks for terms of peace.
33
In the same way, therefore, every one of you who does not say good-bye to
all his possessions cannot be My disciple.
34
“Now, salt is good, but if salt should lose its taste, how will it be made salty?
35
It isn't fit for the soil or for the manure pile; they throw it out. Anyone who has ears to hear should listen! ”
Luke
The Parable of the Lost Sheep
15
All the tax collectors and sinners were approaching to listen to Him.
2
And the
•Pharisees
and
•scribes
were complaining, “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them! ”
3
So He told them this parable:
4
“What man among you, who has 100 sheep and loses one of them, does not leave the 99 in the open field
and go after the lost one until he finds it?
5
When he has found it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders,
6
and coming home, he calls his friends and neighbors together, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, because I have found my lost sheep! '
7
I tell you, in the same way, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over 99 righteous people who don't need repentance.
The Parable of the Lost Coin
8
“Or what woman who has 10 silver coins,
if she loses one coin, does not light a lamp, sweep the house, and search carefully until she finds it?
9
When she finds it, she calls her women friends and neighbors together, saying, ‘Rejoice with me, because I have found the silver coin I lost! '
10
I tell you, in the same way, there is joy in the presence of God's angels over one sinner who repents.”
The Parable of the Lost Son
11
He also said:
“A man had two sons.
12
The younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the share of the estate I have coming to me.' So he distributed the assets
to them.
13
Not many days later, the younger son gathered together all he had and traveled to a distant country, where he squandered his estate in foolish living.
14
After he had spent everything, a severe famine struck that country, and he had nothing.
15
Then he went to work for
one of the citizens of that country, who sent him into his fields to feed pigs.
16
He longed to eat his fill from
the carob pods
the pigs were eating, but no one would give him any.
17
When he came to his senses,
he said, ‘How many of my father's hired hands have more than enough food, and here I am dying of hunger!
18
I'll get up, go to my father, and say to him, Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight.
19
I'm no longer worthy to be called your son. Make me like one of your hired hands.'
20
So he got up and went to his father. But while the son was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion. He ran, threw his arms around his neck,
and kissed him.
21
The son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight. I'm no longer worthy to be called your son.'