The Gospel of Luke for Readers Part 5

When one of them that sat at the table with Jesus heard these things, he said, Blessed is he that shall eat bread in the kingdom of G.o.d.

Then Jesus told another parable.

He said, A man made a great supper and invited many people. When it was supper time he sent his servant to say to those who were invited, Come. All things are now ready. One after another, each one made an excuse. The first said, I have bought some land and I must go to see it. Please have me excused. Another said, I just purchased five yoke of oxen and I must go to claim them. Please have me excused. Another said, I have just married and cannot come.

The servant returned and reported these things to his lord. Then the master of the house became angry and said, Go out into the streets and lanes of the city. Gather the poor, the maimed, the halt, and the blind and bring them here.

The servant returned and said, Lord, it is done as you commanded, and there is still room. The lord said, Go out, then, into all the highways and compel them to come in so my house may be filled. For I say to you, None of those who were invited shall taste of my supper.

Now there were great mult.i.tudes that followed along with Jesus. He turned around and said to them, If any man comes to me, and does not forsake his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yes, and his own life, he cannot be my disciple. Whoever does not bear his cross and come after me, cannot be my disciple.

Which of you, intending to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost, to see whether you have what is needed to finish it?

Lest, after you have laid the foundation, and are not able to finish it, all that behold it begin to mock you and say, This man began to build but was not able to finish.

Or what king, contemplating war against another king, does not first sit and consult whether he is able, with ten thousand, to meet him that comes against him with twenty thousand? If not, while the other is yet a great way off, he sends his amba.s.sadors to discuss conditions of peace.

So likewise, any of you that does not forsake all he has, cannot be my disciple. Salt is good: but if the salt has lost its savour, with what can it be seasoned? It is not fit for the land, yet not ready for the dunghill; so men cast it aside. He that has ears to hear, let him hear.

15 Seeing how Jesus was often surrounded by publicans and sinners who listened closely to his sayings, the Pharisees and scribes murmured, This man receives sinners and even eats with them. Thus, Jesus spoke another parable.

He said, What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he loses one of them, does not leave the ninety and nine in the wilderness, and search for the one that is lost until he finds it? And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. When he comes home, he calls his friends and neighbors together, saying, Rejoice with me. I have found my sheep which was lost. I say to you, there is more joy in heaven over one sinner that repents, than over ninety and nine just persons who need no repentance.

What woman, having ten pieces of silver, if she loses one piece, does not light a candle, sweep the house, and seek diligently until she finds it? And when she has found it, she calls her friends and her neighbors together, saying, Rejoice with me. I have found the piece that was lost. I say to you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of G.o.d over one sinner that repents.

And He said, A man had two sons. The younger of them said to his father, Father, give me the portion of my inheritance. The father gave him his portion and the younger son journeyed into a far country.

After he spent everything on riotous living and had nothing left, there arose a mighty famine in that land. He began to be in want and the only work he could get was feeding swine in a countryman's field.

And he would fain have filled his belly with the husks that the swine ate because he had nothing to eat.

When he came to his senses, he said, How many of my father's hired servants have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger! I will arise and go to my father, and will say to him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before thee. I am no longer worthy to be called thy son; but make me one of thy hired servants.

He arose and went to his father. But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him and had compa.s.sion. He ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him. The son said to him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in thy sight, and am not worthy to be called thy son.

But the father said to his servants, Bring out the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his hand and shoes on his feet. Butcher the fatted calf. Let us eat and be merry for my son was dead and is alive again; he was lost, and is found. And they began to celebrate.

The elder son was in the field. As he drew near the house, he heard music and dancing. He called one of the servants and asked what these things meant. The servant said, Thy brother is home and thy father has killed the fatted calf because he has received him safe and sound.

The elder son was angry and would not go inside. His father came out and entreated him; but he said to his father, Lo, these many years I have served thee. I have never once disobeyed you. Yet, you never gave me a fatted calf that I might make merry with my friends. But, as soon as he came home, who wasted all you gave him on harlots, you kill a fatted calf for him.

The father said to him, Son, you are always with me, and all that I have is yours. It was fitting for us to celebrate and be glad for this, thy brother, was dead, and is alive again. He was lost and now is found.

16 Jesus said, There was a rich man who had a steward who was accused of wasting the rich man's goods. The master called him and said, How is it that I hear this of thee? Give me an account of your stewardship; for you may no longer be the steward.

The steward thought about his situation, then said to himself, I know what to do so when I am put out of this stewardship, I will find favor in other houses. He called on each of his lord's debtors. He said to the first, How much do you owe to my lord? The first said, A hundred measures of oil. He said, Take your bill and quickly write fifty. He said to another, How much do you owe? The other said, A hundred measures of wheat. He said, Take your bill and quickly write eighty.

And so, likewise, the steward did with all his master's debtors. When he gave his accont, the rich man had to commend the unjust steward for his cleverness.

The children of this world are better at dealing with their own generation than the children of light. But, I tell you, use what you have wisely and do good with it and you shall find favor in heavenly houses.

The one who is faithful in that which is least, is faithful also in much. The one that is unjust in the least, is unjust also in much. If you are not trustworthy with worldly goods, who will commit to your trust the true riches? If you have not been faithful in that which belongs to another, who will give you what is your own? No servant can serve two masters: either he will hate the one, and love the other; or he will cleave to the one, and despise the other. You cannot serve G.o.d and mammon.

The Pharisees, who were covetous, heard all these things and derided Him. Jesus said to them, Ye are they who justify yourselves before men but G.o.d knows your hearts. That which is highly esteemed among men is abomination in the sight of G.o.d.

The law and the prophets lasted up until John. From that time the kingdom of G.o.d is proclaimed and every man presses into it. Far easier it is for heaven and earth to pa.s.s away than for one letter of the law to fail.

Whoever puts away his wife and marries another, commits adultery.

Whoever marries a woman that has been put away from her husband commits adultery.

There was a rich man who wore clothes of purple and fine linen, and who dined sumptuously each day. Lying at his gate, was a poor man named Lazarus. He was covered with sores, and often the dogs came and licked them. He would gladly accept the crumbs which fell from the rich man's table.

When the poor man died, he was carried by the angels into Abraham's bosom. The rich man also died and, from h.e.l.l, he lifted his eyes, in torment, and saw Abraham far off with Lazarus at his bosom. He cried out, Father Abraham, have mercy on me. Send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue. I am tormented in this flame.

But Abraham said, Son, remember that you received your good things during your lifetime and Lazarus got the evil things. Now he is comforted, and you are tormented. And, beside all this, there is a great gulf between us that cannot be crossed from either side.

Then the rich man said, Then I beg you, father, send him to my father's house. I have five brothers. Let him testify to them so they do not also come into this place of torment.

Abraham answered, They have Moses and the prophets. Let them hear them. The rich man said, No, father Abraham. Only if one went to them from the dead will they repent. Then Abraham said to him, If they do not hear Moses and the prophets, they will not be persuaded by one who rose from the dead.

17 Then He said to the disciples, It is certain that offences must come: but woe to him, through whom they come! It would be better for him that a millstone were hung around his neck and he be cast into the sea, than to have offended one of these little ones.

Take heed: If thy brother trespa.s.ses against thee, rebuke him. If he repents, forgive him. If he trespa.s.ses against you seven times in a day, and seven times in a day, repents; forgive him. Then the apostles said to the Lord, Increase our faith.

The Lord said, If you have faith even as small as a grain of mustard seed, you can say to this tree, Be thou plucked up by the root and planted in the sea; and it will obey you.

Who among you, when your servant comes in from plowing or feeding cattle, will say, Go and sit down to eat? Instead, you say to him, Wash yourself and change your clothes; prepare and serve me my supper; and then you shall eat and drink. Does the servant deserve thanks because he did what he was obliged to do? Likewise, when you have done all the things which are required of you, say, I am an unprofitable servant. I have done that which was my duty to do.

It came to pa.s.s, as Jesus continued toward Jerusalem, He pa.s.sed through the middle of Samaria and Galilee. As He went into a village, ten lepers met Him. Standing at a distance, they lifted their voices and said, Jesus, Master, have mercy on us. When He saw them, Jesus said, Go show yourselves to the priests. And, it happened that, as they went, they were cleansed.

When one of them, a Samaritan, saw that he was healed, he turned back, and with a loud voice, glorified G.o.d. He fell down at Jesus' feet and thanked Him. Jesus said, Were there not ten cleansed? Where are the other nine? Of the ten, the only one to return thanks to G.o.d is the foreigner. Jesus said to him, Arise and go thy way. Thy faith has made thee whole.

When the Pharisees demanded to know when the kingdom of G.o.d should come, He answered, The kingdom of G.o.d does not come by observation. No one will say, Look here! or, look there! for, behold, the kingdom of G.o.d is within you.

Then He said to the disciples, The days will come, when you will long to see one of the days of the Son of man, but you will not see it.

They will say to you, See here; or, see there. Do not go after them or follow them. For just as lightning flashes and lights the heavens from one part to another; so also shall the Son of man be in His day.

But first you must suffer many things, and be rejected by this generation. As it was in the days of Noah, so shall it be in the days of the Son of man. People ate and drank, they married and were given in marriage up until the day that Noah entered the ark when the flood came and destroyed them all.

It was the same in the days of Lot. They ate and drank, bought and sold, planted and built. But the same day that Lot left Sodom, it rained fire and brimstone from heaven and destroyed them all.

This is how it shall be on the day when the Son of man is revealed. On that day, he who is up on the housetop, and his belongings downstairs in the house should not go down for them. He who is in the field should not turn back. Remember Lot's wife.

Whoever seeks to save his life will lose it; and whoever loses his life will save it. In that night there will be two sleeping in a bed; one will be taken, the other will be left. Two women will be grinding meal together; one will be taken, and the other left. Two men will be in the field; one will be taken, and the other left. Then they asked Him, Where, Lord? He said to them, Wherever the body is, there will also the vultures be gathered.

18 Jesus told another parable. In a certain city, there was a judge who feared neither G.o.d nor man. A widow in that city came to him and said, Avenge me of my adversary. At first, the judge gave her no attention. But afterward he said to himself, Though I do not fear G.o.d nor man; I will avenge her because she bothers me and her continual coming to me will wear me out.

The Lord said, Hear what the unjust judge said. Shall G.o.d not avenge His own elect, who cry day and night to Him, though He has great patience with them? I tell you, He will avenge them speedily.

Nevertheless, when the Son of man comes, shall He find faith on the earth?

He spoke this parable to those who trusted in their own righteousness, and despised others: Two men went into the temple to pray. One was a Pharisee, and the other a publican. The Pharisee stood and prayed, G.o.d, I thank thee that I am not like other men who are extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even publicans. I fast twice a week and I give t.i.thes of all that I possess.

The publican, standing far off, would not so much as lift his eyes to heaven, but struck his breast, said, G.o.d be merciful to me a sinner. I tell you, this second man went home justified, but not the first man, for every one that exalts himself shall be abased; and he that humbles himself shall be exalted.