The Gospels in Four Part Harmony Part 15

1 Then he left there and went to the region of Judea and beyond the Jordan.

LK 9:51-55

51 When the time drew near for him to be received up, he set his face to go to Jerusalem. 52 And he sent messengers on ahead, who went and entered a village of the Samaritans, to make ready for him; 53 but the people did not receive him, because his face was set for Jerusalem.

54 And when his disciples James and John saw this, they said, "Lord, do you want us to command fire to come down from heaven and consume them?"

55 But he turned and rebuked them, 56 and they went on to another village.

64.20 Crowds Follow Jesus

MT 19:2

2 And large crowds followed him, and he healed them there.

MK 10:1b

1 And crowds gathered to him again; and again, as his custom was, he taught them.

LK 9:56-62

56 and they went on to another village.

57 As they were going along the road, a man said to him, "I will follow you wherever you go." 58 And Jesus said to him, "Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head." 59 To another he said, "Follow me." But he said, "Lord, let me first go and bury my father." 60 Jesus said to him, "Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and proclaim the kingdom of G.o.d." 61 Still another said, "I will follow you, Lord; but first let me go back and say farewell to those at my home." 62 Jesus said to him, "No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of G.o.d."

Part 9 - PARABLES AND HEALINGS

64.20 Discourse on who shall be Saved

LK 13:22-33

22 He went on his way through towns and villages, teaching, and journeying toward Jerusalem. 23 Then one said to him, "Lord, will those who are saved be few?" And he said to them, 24 "Strive to enter through the narrow door, for many, I tell you, will seek to enter and will not be able. 25 When once the owner of the house has risen up and shut the door, you will begin to stand outside and to knock at the door, saying, 'Lord, open for us.' He will answer you, 'I do not know where you come from.' 26 Then you will begin to say, 'We ate and drank in your presence, and you taught in our streets.' 27 But he will say, 'I tell you, I do not know where you come from. Depart from me, all you workers of iniquity!'28 There will be weeping and gnas.h.i.+ng of teeth, when you see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of G.o.d, and you yourselves thrust out. 29 And men will come from east and west, and from north and south, and sit at table in the kingdom of G.o.d.

30 And behold, some are last who will be first, and some are first who will be last."

31 At that very time some Pharisees came, and said to him, "Get away from here, for Herod wants to kill you." 32 And he said to them, "Go and tell that fox, 'Behold, I cast out demons and perform cures today and tomorrow, and the third day I finish my course.' 33 Nevertheless I must journey today and tomorrow, and the day following; for it cannot be that a prophet should perish outside of Jerusalem.

65.10 Jesus Heals a Man of Dropsy on the Sabbath

LK 14:1-6

1 One Sabbath, when he went to dine at the house of a ruler who belonged to the Pharisees, they watched him. 2 And behold, there was a man before him who had dropsy. 3 And Jesus spoke to the lawyers and Pharisees, saying, "Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath, or not?" 4 But they kept silent. And he took him and healed him, and let him go. 5 Then he said to them, "Which of you, having a son or an ox that has fallen into a well, will not immediately pull him out on the Sabbath day?" 6 And they could not reply to this.

65.20 Parable of the Great Supper

LK 14:7-24

7 So he told a parable to those who were invited, when he noted how they chose the places of honor, saying to them: 8 "When you are invited by anyone to a wedding feast, do not sit down in a place of honor, lest one more distinguished than you be invited by him; 9 and he who invited you both will come and say to you, 'Give place to this man,' and then you will begin with shame to take the lowest place. 10 But when you are invited, go and sit in the lowest place, so that when your host comes he may say to you, 'Friend, go up higher.' Then you will be honored in the presence of all who sit at table with you. 11 For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted." 12 Then he also said to the one who invited him, "When you give a luncheon or a dinner, do not invite your friends or your brothers, your relatives or rich neighbors, lest they also invite you back, and you be repaid. 13 But when you give a feast, invite the poor, the maimed, the lame, the blind, 14 and you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you. You will be repaid at the resurrection of the just."

15 When one of those who sat at table with him heard this, he said to him, "Blessed is he who shall eat bread in the kingdom of G.o.d!"

16 Then he said to him, "A certain man gave a great banquet and invited many. 17 And at the time of the banquet he sent his servant to say to those who had been invited, 'Come, for all is now ready.' 18 But they all alike began to make excuses. The first said to him, 'I have bought a field, and I must go out and see it. I ask you to have me excused.'

19 And another said, 'I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I am going to test them. I ask you to have me excused.' 20 Still another said, 'I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come.' 21 So the servant came back and reported this to his master. Then the owner of the house became angry and said to his servant, 'Go out quickly into the streets and lanes of the city and bring in the poor and the maimed, the blind and the lame.' 22 And the servant said, 'Sir, what you commanded has been done, and still there is room.' 23 Then the master said to the servant, 'Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled. 24 For I tell you, none of those men who were invited shall taste my banquet.'"

66.10 The Price of Disciples.h.i.+p

LK 14:25-35

25 Now great mult.i.tudes went with him; and he turned and said to them, 26 "If any one 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 And whoever does not bear his cross and come after me cannot be my disciple. 28 For which of you, intending to build a tower, does not sit down first and count the cost, whether he has enough to complete it? 29 Otherwise, when he has laid the foundation, and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him, 30 saying, 'This man began to build, and was not able to finish.'

31 Or what king, going to make war against another king, will not sit down first and consider whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him who comes against him with twenty thousand? 32 And if not, while the other is still a great way off, he sends a delegation and asks terms of peace. 33 So likewise, whoever of you does not give up all that he has cannot be my disciple.

34 Salt is good; but if the salt has lost its taste, how shall it be seasoned? 35 It is neither fit for the land nor for the dunghill; men throw it out. He who has ears to hear, let him hear!"

67.10 The Lost Sheep Parable

LK 15:1-7

1 Now the tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to hear him. 2 And the Pharisees and the scribes murmured, saying, "This man receives sinners and eats with them." 3 So he told them this parable: 4 "What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he loses one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness, and go after the one which is lost until he finds it? 5 And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. 6 And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and neighbors, saying to them, 'Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost.' 7 I tell you that in the same way there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance.

67.20 The Parable of the Lost Silver

LK 15:8-10

8 "Or what woman, having ten silver coins, if she loses one coin, does not light a lamp and sweep the house and search carefully until she finds it? 9 And when she has found it, she calls together her friends and neighbors, saying, 'Rejoice with me, for I have found the coin which I had lost.' 10 In the same way, I tell you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of G.o.d over one sinner who repents."

67.30 The Parable of the Prodigal Son

LK 15:11-32

11 Then he said: "There was a man who had two sons. 12 And the younger of them said to his father, 'Father, give me the share of property that falls to me.' So he divided his living between them. 13 Not many days after, the younger son gathered together all he had and took his journey into a far country, and there he squandered his property in loose living. 14 And when he had spent everything, there arose a severe famine in that country, and he began to be in want. 15 So he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country, who sent him into his fields to feed swine. 16 And he would gladly have filled his stomach with the pods that the swine ate, and no one gave him anything. 17 But when he came to himself, he said, 'How many of my father's hired servants have bread enough and to spare, and here I perish with hunger! 18 I will arise and go to my father and will say to him, "Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. 19 I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired servants."' 20 And he arose and came to his father. But while he was still a great way off, his father saw him and had compa.s.sion for him, and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him. 21 And the son said to him, 'Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you; 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, and put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet. 23 And bring the fatted calf and kill it, and let us eat and be merry; 24 for this my son was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.' And they began to be merry.

25 "Now his older son was in the field. And as he came and drew near to the house, he heard music and dancing. 26 So he called one of the servants and asked what these things meant. 27 And he said to him, 'Your brother has come, and your father has killed the fatted calf, because he has received him safe and sound.' 28 But he was angry and refused to go in. So his father came out and pleaded with him. 29 But he answered his father, 'Behold, these many years I have been serving you, and I never disobeyed your command; yet you never gave me a young goat, that I might make merry with my friends. 30 But when this son of yours came, who has devoured your living with harlots, you killed for him the fatted calf!' 31 And he said to him, 'Son, you are always with me, and all that I have is yours. 32 It was right that we should make merry and be glad, for this your brother was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found.'"

68.10 The Parable of the Unjust Steward

LK 16:1-18

1 He also said to his disciples: "There was a certain rich man who had a steward, and an accusation was brought to him that this man was wasting his goods. 2 So he called him and said to him, 'What is this I hear about you? Give an account of your stewards.h.i.+p, for you can no longer be steward.' 3 The steward said to himself, 'What shall I do, since my master is taking the stewards.h.i.+p away from me? I am not strong enough to dig, and I am ashamed to beg. 4 I have decided what to do, so that people may receive me into their houses when I am put out of the stewards.h.i.+p.' 5 So he called in each one of his master's debtors, and he said to the first, 'How much do you owe my master?' 6 And he said, 'A hundred measures of oil.' So he said to him, 'Take your bill, and sit down quickly and write fifty.' 7 Then he said to another, 'And how much do you owe?' And he said, 'A hundred measures of wheat.' He said to him, 'Take your bill, and write eighty.' 8 So the master commended the dishonest steward because he had dealt shrewdly. For the sons of this world are more shrewd in dealing with their own generation than the sons of light. 9 And I tell you, make friends for yourselves by means of unrighteous mammon, so that when it fails, they may receive you into the eternal dwellings. 10 He who is faithful in a very little is faithful also in much; and he who is dishonest in a very little is dishonest also in much. 11 If then you have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will trust you with the true riches? 12 And if you have not been faithful in what is another's, who will give you what is your own? 13 No servant can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve G.o.d and mammon."

14 The Pharisees, who were lovers of money, heard all this, and they scoffed at him. 15 He said to them, "You are those who justify yourselves before men, but G.o.d knows your hearts. For what is highly esteemed among men is an abomination in the sight of G.o.d. 16 The law and the prophets were until John. Since that time the good news of the kingdom of G.o.d is preached, and everyone is forcing his way into it. 17 But it is easier for heaven and earth to pa.s.s away, than for one dot of the law to fail. 18 Everyone who divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery, and he who marries a woman divorced from her husband commits adultery.

68:20 The Parable of Lazarus After Death

LK 16:19-31

19 "There was a certain rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen and feasted sumptuously every day. 20 And a certain beggar named Lazarus was laid at his gate, full of sores, 21 longing to be fed with what fell from the rich man's table. Moreover the dogs came and licked his sores. 22 So the beggar died, and was carried by the angels to Abraham's bosom. The rich man also died and was buried. 23 And in Hades, being in torment, he lifted up his eyes, and saw Abraham far off and Lazarus in his bosom. 24 And he called out, 'Father Abraham, have mercy upon me, and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue; for I am in agony in this flame.' 25 But Abraham said, 'Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, and Lazarus received evil things; but now he is comforted here and you are in agony. 26 And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been fixed, so that those who want to pa.s.s from here to you cannot, nor can anyone cross over from there to us.' 27 And he said, ' Then I beg you, father, to send him to my father's house, 28 for I have five brothers, so that he may warn them, lest they also come to this place of torment.' 29 Abraham said to him, 'They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them.' 30 And he said, 'No, father Abraham; but if someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent.' 31 He said to him, 'If they do not hear Moses and the prophets, neither will they be convinced if some one should rise from the dead.'"

69.10 Discourse on Forgiveness, Faith and Humility

LK 17:1-10

1 Then he said to his disciples, "Things that cause people to sin are bound to come, but woe to him through whom they do come! 2 It would be better for him if a millstone were hung round his neck and he were thrown into the sea, than that he should cause one of these little ones to sin. 3 Take heed to yourselves; if your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him. 4 And if he sins against you seven times in a day, and turns to you seven times, and says, 'I repent,' you must forgive him."

5 The apostles said to the Lord, "Increase our faith!" 6 So the Lord said, "If you have faith as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, 'Be uprooted and be planted in the sea,' and it would obey you.

7 "Will any one of you, who has a servant plowing or keeping sheep, say to him when he has come in from the field, 'Come at once and sit down to eat'? 8 Will he not rather say to him, 'Prepare my supper, and gird yourself and serve me, till I eat and drink; and afterward you shall eat and drink'? 9 Does he thank the servant because he did what he was commanded? 10 So you also, when you have done all that is commanded you, say, 'We are unworthy servants; we have only done what was our duty.'"

70.10 The Cleansing of the Ten Lepers