The Gospel Part 17

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 stewards.h.i.+p; 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 stewards.h.i.+p, 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.

Many people brought infants to Jesus that He would touch them. But when the disciples saw the large crowd, they rebuked them. But Jesus called them to Him and said, Let the little children come to me. Do not forbid them for of such is the kingdom of G.o.d. Whoever shall not receive the kingdom of G.o.d as a little child shall in no way enter therein.

A certain ruler asked Him, Good Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life? Jesus said to him, Why do you call me good? No one is good, except one, that is, G.o.d. Know the commandments. Do not commit adultery. Do not kill. Do not steal. Do not bear false witness. Honor thy father and thy mother.

And he said, All these commandments I have kept from my youth up. Then Jesus said to him, Yet you lack one thing. Sell all you have and give to the poor. You will have treasure in heaven. Then come and follow me.

When he heard this, he was very sorrowful because he was very rich and had many possessions. And when Jesus saw that he was very sorrowful, He said, How difficult it is for those who have riches to enter the kingdom of G.o.d! It is easier for a camel to go through a needle's eye, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of G.o.d.

Those who heard this asked, Who then can be saved? Jesus answered, The things which are not possible for men are possible for G.o.d. And Peter said, Lo, we have left all, and followed thee. Jesus said to them, Verily I say to you, There is no one who has left house, or parents, or brethren, or wife, or children, for the kingdom of G.o.d's sake, who shall not receive a great reward in this present time and in life everlasting.

Then Jesus took the twelve aside and said to them, Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem where all things that are written by the prophets about the Son of man will be accomplished. He shall be delivered to the Gentiles, and shall be mocked, and spitefully treated, and spit on.

They will scourge Him and put Him to death. And, on the third day, He shall rise again.

And it came to pa.s.s, as He was near Jericho, a blind man sat begging by the wayside. When he was told that Jesus was pa.s.sing by, he cried, Jesus, thou son of David, have mercy on me. When some told him to hold his peace, he cried out again, Thou son of David, have mercy on me.

Jesus stopped and commanded that the blind man be brought to Him. Then Jesus said to the man, What do you want me to do for you? The man said, Lord, that I may receive my sight. Jesus said, Receive thy sight. Thy faith has saved thee. And immediately he received his sight and followed Him, glorifying G.o.d. The people, also, when they saw it, gave praise to G.o.d.

19 In Jericho there was a rich man named Zacchaeus, who was the head of the publicans. When Jesus pa.s.sed through the town, Zacchaeus wanted to see Him. Zacchaeus was short of stature and could not see Jesus through the press of the crowd. So he ran ahead and climbed a tree to see Jesus as He pa.s.sed by.

When Jesus came to the place, He looked up, saw him and said, Zacchaeus, make haste and come down. Today I must abide at your house.

He hurried down from the tree and received Jesus joyfully. When the people saw this, they all murmured and said that Jesus was gone to be the guest of a man who is a sinner.

Then Zacchaeus said, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor. If I have taken anything from any one by false accusation, I restore him fourfold. Jesus said to him, Today salvation comes to this house, for now you are also a son of Abraham. The Son of man is come to seek and to save those who were lost.

As the people listened to these things, Jesus added a parable, because He was now near Jerusalem and many thought that the kingdom of G.o.d should appear immediately.

He said therefore, A n.o.bleman went a great distance to receive for himself a kingdom, and to return. He called his ten servants together and delivered over to them ten talents. He said to them, Handle my business until I return. But the citizens hated this n.o.bleman, and sent a message after him, saying, We will not have this man reign over us.

After he received the kingdom, he returned and called the servants to him for an accounting of what they had done with the talents. The first servant said, Lord, thy talent has gained ten more. He said to him, Very good. Because you have been faithful in this little matter, you now have authority over ten cities. The second servant said, Lord, the talent has gained another five. He said likewise to him, You now have authority over five cities.

Then came another servant who said, Lord, here is your talent which I have kept tied up in a cloth for I feared thee because thou art a hard man. You take up what you have not laid down and reap what you have not sown.