Luke 14; Luke 15; Luke 16

1 One Sabbath, when Jesus went to share a meal in the home of one of the leaders of the Pharisees, they were watching him closely.

2 A man suffering from an abnormal swelling of the body was there.

3 Jesus asked the lawyers and Pharisees, "Does the Law allow healing on the Sabbath or not?"

4 But they said nothing. Jesus took hold of the sick man, cured him, and then let him go.

5 He said to them, "Suppose your child or ox fell into a ditch on the Sabbath day. Wouldn't you immediately pull it out?"

6 But they had no response.

7 When Jesus noticed how the guests sought out the best seats at the table, he told them a parable.

8 "When someone invites you to a wedding celebration, don't take your seat in the place of honor. Someone more highly regarded than you could have been invited by your host.

9 The host who invited both of you will come and say to you, ‘Give your seat to this other person.' Embarrassed, you will take your seat in the least important place.

10 Instead, when you receive an invitation, go and sit in the least important place. When your host approaches you, he will say, ‘Friend, move up here to a better seat.' Then you will be honored in the presence of all your fellow guests.

11 All who lift themselves up will be brought low, and those who make themselves low will be lifted up."

12 Then Jesus said to the person who had invited him, "When you host a lunch or dinner, don't invite your friends, your brothers and sisters, your relatives, or rich neighbors. If you do, they will invite you in return and that will be your reward.

13 Instead, when you give a banquet, invite the poor, crippled, lame, and blind.

14 And you will be blessed because they can't repay you. Instead, you will be repaid when the just are resurrected."

15 When one of the dinner guests heard Jesus' remarks, he said to Jesus, "Happy are those who will feast in God's kingdom."

16 Jesus replied, "A certain man hosted a large dinner and invited many people.

17 When it was time for the dinner to begin, he sent his servant to tell the invited guests, ‘Come! The dinner is now ready.'

18 One by one, they all began to make excuses. The first one told him, ‘I bought a farm and must go and see it. Please excuse me.'

19 Another said, ‘I bought five teams of oxen, and I'm going to check on them. Please excuse me.'

20 Another said, ‘I just got married, so I can't come.'

21 When he returned, the servant reported these excuses to his master. The master of the house became angry and said to his servant, ‘Go quickly to the city's streets, the busy ones and the side streets, and bring the poor, crippled, blind, and lame.'

22 The servant said, ‘Master, your instructions have been followed and there is still room.'

23 The master said to the servant, ‘Go to the highways and back alleys and urge people to come in so that my house will be filled.

24 I tell you, not one of those who were invited will taste my dinner.'"

25 Large crowds were traveling with Jesus. Turning to them, he said,

26 “Whoever comes to me and doesn't hate father and mother, spouse and children, and brothers and sisters—yes, even one's own life—cannot be my disciple.

27 Whoever doesn't carry their own cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.

28 “If one of you wanted to build a tower, wouldn't you first sit down and calculate the cost, to determine whether you have enough money to complete it?

29 Otherwise, when you have laid the foundation but couldn't finish the tower, all who see it will begin to belittle you.

30 They will say, ‘Here's the person who began construction and couldn't complete it!'

31 Or what king would go to war against another king without first sitting down to consider whether his ten thousand soldiers could go up against the twenty thousand coming against him?

32 And if he didn't think he could win, he would send a representative to discuss terms of peace while his enemy was still a long way off.

33 In the same way, none of you who are unwilling to give up all of your possessions can be my disciple.

34 "Salt is good. But if salt loses its flavor, how will it become salty again?

35 It has no value, neither for the soil nor for the manure pile. People throw it away. Whoever has ears to hear should pay attention."

1 All the tax collectors and sinners were gathering around Jesus to listen to him.

2 The Pharisees and legal experts were grumbling, saying, "This man welcomes sinners and eats with them."

3 Jesus told them this parable:

4 “Suppose someone among you had one hundred sheep and lost one of them. Wouldn't he leave the other ninety-nine in the pasture and search for the lost one until he finds it?

5 And when he finds it, he is thrilled and places it on his shoulders.

6 When he arrives home, he calls together his friends and neighbors, saying to them, ‘Celebrate with me because I've found my lost sheep.'

7 In the same way, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who changes both heart and life than over ninety-nine righteous people who have no need to change their hearts and lives.

8 "Or what woman, if she owns ten silver coins and loses one of them, won't light a lamp and sweep the house, searching her home carefully until she finds it?

9 When she finds it, she calls together her friends and neighbors, saying, ‘Celebrate with me because I've found my lost coin.'

10 In the same way, I tell you, joy breaks out in the presence of God's angels over one sinner who changes both heart and life."

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

12 The younger son said to his father, ‘Father, give me my share of the inheritance.' Then the father divided his estate between them.

13 Soon afterward, the younger son gathered everything together and took a trip to a land far away. There, he wasted his wealth through extravagant living.

14 “When he had used up his resources, a severe food shortage arose in that country and he began to be in need.

15 He hired himself out to one of the citizens of that country, who sent him into his fields to feed pigs.

16 He longed to eat his fill from what the pigs ate, but no one gave him anything.

17 When he came to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father's hired hands have more than enough food, but I'm starving to death!

18 I will get up and go to my father, and say to him, "Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you.

19 I no longer deserve to be called your son. Take me on as one of your hired hands." '

20 So he got up and went to his father. “While he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was moved with compassion. His father ran to him, hugged him, and kissed him.

21 Then his son said, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I no longer deserve to be called your son.'

22 But the father said to his servants, ‘Quickly, bring out the best robe and put it on him! Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet!

23 Fetch the fattened calf and slaughter it. We must celebrate with feasting

24 because this son of mine was dead and has come back to life! He was lost and is found!' And they began to celebrate.

25 "Now his older son was in the field. Coming in from the field, he approached the house and heard music and dancing.

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

27 The servant replied, ‘Your brother has arrived, and your father has slaughtered the fattened calf because he received his son back safe and sound.'

28 Then the older son was furious and didn't want to enter in, but his father came out and begged him.

29 He answered his father, ‘Look, I've served you all these years, and I never disobeyed your instruction. Yet you've never given me as much as a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends.

30 But when this son of yours returned, after gobbling up your estate on prostitutes, you slaughtered the fattened calf for him.'

31 Then his father said, ‘Son, you are always with me, and everything I have is yours.

32 But we had to celebrate and be glad because this brother of yours was dead and is alive. He was lost and is found.'"

1 Jesus also said to the disciples, “A certain rich man heard that his household manager was wasting his estate.

2 He called the manager in and said to him, ‘What is this I hear about you? Give me a report of your administration because you can no longer serve as my manager.'

3 “The household manager said to himself, What will I do now that my master is firing me as his manager? I'm not strong enough to dig and too proud to beg.

4 I know what I'll do so that, when I am removed from my management position, people will welcome me into their houses.

5 “One by one, the manager sent for each person who owed his master money. He said to the first, ‘How much do you owe my master?'

6 He said, ‘Nine hundred gallons of olive oil.' The manager said to him, ‘Take your contract, sit down quickly, and write four hundred fifty gallons.'

7 Then the manager said to another, ‘How much do you owe?' He said, ‘One thousand bushels of wheat.' He said, ‘Take your contract and write eight hundred.'

8 “The master commended the dishonest manager because he acted cleverly. People who belong to this world are more clever in dealing with their peers than are people who belong to the light.

9 I tell you, use worldly wealth to make friends for yourselves so that when it's gone, you will be welcomed into the eternal homes.

10 "Whoever is faithful with little is also faithful with much, and the one who is dishonest with little is also dishonest with much.

11 If you haven't been faithful with worldly wealth, who will trust you with true riches?

12 If you haven't been faithful with someone else's property, who will give you your own?

13 No household servant can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be loyal to the one and have contempt for the other. You cannot serve God and wealth."

14 The Pharisees, who were money-lovers, heard all this and sneered at Jesus.

15 He said to them, “You are the ones who justify yourselves before other people, but God knows your hearts. What is highly valued by people is deeply offensive to God.

16 Until John, there was only the Law and the Prophets. Since then, the good news of God's kingdom is preached, and everyone is urged to enter it.

17 It's easier for heaven and earth to pass away than for the smallest stroke of a pen in the Law to drop out.

18 Any man who divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery, and a man who marries a woman divorced from her husband commits adultery.

19 “There was a certain rich man who clothed himself in purple and fine linen, and who feasted luxuriously every day.

20 At his gate lay a certain poor man named Lazarus who was covered with sores.

21 Lazarus longed to eat the crumbs that fell from the rich man's table. Instead, dogs would come and lick his sores.

22 “The poor man died and was carried by angels to Abraham's side. The rich man also died and was buried.

23 While being tormented in the place of the dead, he looked up and saw Abraham at a distance with Lazarus at his side.

24 He shouted, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me. Send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I'm suffering in this flame.'

25 But Abraham said, ‘Child, remember that during your lifetime you received good things, whereas Lazarus received terrible things. Now Lazarus is being comforted and you are in great pain.

26 Moreover, a great crevasse has been fixed between us and you. Those who wish to cross over from here to you cannot. Neither can anyone cross from there to us.'

27 "The rich man said, ‘Then I beg you, Father, send Lazarus to my father's house.

28 I have five brothers. He needs to warn them so that they don't come to this place of agony.'

29 Abraham replied, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets. They must listen to them.'

30 The rich man said, ‘No, Father Abraham! But if someone from the dead goes to them, they will change their hearts and lives.'

31 Abraham said, ‘If they don't listen to Moses and the Prophets, then neither will they be persuaded if someone rises from the dead.'"