Luke 14:25–17:10; John 11:1–37

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Luke 14:25–17:10

The Cost of Discipleship

25 Now great crowds accompanied him, and he turned and said to them, 26 nIf anyone comes to me and odoes not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, pyes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple. 27 qWhoever does not rbear his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple. 28 For which of you, desiring to build a tower, does not sfirst sit down and count the cost, whether he has enough to complete it? 29 Otherwise, when he has laid a 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 out to encounter another king in war, will not tsit down first and deliberate 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 yet a great way off, he sends a delegation and asks for terms of peace. 33 uSo therefore, any one of you who vdoes not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple.

Salt Without Taste Is Worthless

34 wSalt is good, xbut if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? 35 It is of no use either for the soil or for the manure pile. It is thrown away. yHe who has ears to hear, let him hear.

The Parable of the Lost Sheep

Now zthe tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to hear him. And the Pharisees and the scribes agrumbled, saying, bThis man receives sinners and ceats with them.

So he told them this parable: dWhat man of you, having a hundred sheep, eif he has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine fin the open country, and ggo after the one that is lost, until he finds it? And when he has found it, hhe lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and his neighbors, saying to them, Rejoice with me, for iI have found my sheep that was lost. Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who jrepents than over ninety-nine krighteous persons who need no repentance.

The Parable of the Lost Coin

Or what woman, having ten silver coins,1 if she loses one coin, does not light a lamp and sweep the house and seek diligently until she finds it? And when she has found it, she calls together her friends and neighbors, saying, Rejoice with me, for I have found the coin that I had lost. 10 Just so, I tell you, there is joy before lthe angels of God over one sinner who repents.

The Parable of the Prodigal Son

11 And he said, There was a man who had two sons. 12 And the younger of them said to his father, Father, give me mthe share of property that is coming to me. And he divided nhis property between them. 13 Not many days later, the younger son gathered all he had and took a journey into a far country, and there he squandered his property in oreckless living. 14 And when he had spent everything, a severe famine arose in that country, and he began to be in need. 15 So he went and hired himself out to2 one of the citizens of that country, who sent him into his fields to feed pigs. 16 And he pwas longing to be fed with the pods that the pigs ate, and no one gave him anything.

17 But qwhen he rcame to himself, he said, How many of my father’s hired servants have more than enough bread, but I perish here with hunger! 18 I will arise and go to my father, and I will say to him, Father, sI have sinned against theaven and before you. 19 uI am no longer worthy to be called your son. Treat me as one of your hired servants. 20 And he arose and came to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion, and vran and wembraced him and xkissed him. 21 And the son said to him, Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. uI am no longer worthy to be called your son.3 22 But the father said to his servants,4 Bring quickly ythe best robe, and put it on him, and put za ring on his hand, and ashoes on his feet. 23 And bring bthe fattened calf and kill it, and clet us eat and celebrate. 24 For this my son dwas dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found. And they began to celebrate.

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 And 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 fattened calf, because he has received him back safe and sound. 28 But he was angry and refused to go in. His father came out and entreated him, 29 but he answered his father, Look, these many years I have served you, and I never disobeyed your command, yet you never gave me a young goat, that I might ecelebrate with my friends. 30 But when this son of yours came, fwho has devoured gyour property with prostitutes, you killed the fattened calf for him! 31 And he said to him, Son, hyou are always with me, and all that is mine is yours. 32 It was fitting eto celebrate and be glad, for this your brother iwas dead, and is alive; he was lost, and is found.

The Parable of the Dishonest Manager

He also said to the disciples, There was a rich man who had ja manager, and charges were brought to him that this man was wasting his possessions. And he called him and said to him, What is this that I hear about you? Turn in the account of your kmanagement, for you can no longer be manager. And the manager said to himself, What shall I do, since my master is taking the management away from me? I am not strong enough to dig, and I am ashamed to beg. I have decided what to do, so that when I am removed from management, people may receive me into their houses. So, summoning his master’s debtors one by one, he said to the first, How much do you owe my master? He said, A hundred measures5 of oil. He said to him, Take your bill, and sit down quickly and write fifty. Then he said to another, And how much do you owe? He said, A hundred measures6 of wheat. He said to him, Take your bill, and write eighty. The master commended the dishonest manager for his lshrewdness. For mthe sons of this world7 are lmore shrewd in dealing with their own generation than nthe sons of light. And I tell you, omake friends for yourselves by means of punrighteous wealth,8 so that when it fails they may receive you into the eternal dwellings.

10 qOne who is rfaithful in a very little is also faithful in much, and one who is dishonest in a very little is also dishonest in much. 11 If then you have not been faithful in the unrighteous wealth, who will entrust to you the true riches? 12 And if you have not been faithful in sthat which is another’s, who will give you that which is your own? 13 pNo servant can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.

The Law and the Kingdom of God

14 tThe Pharisees, who were ulovers of money, heard all these things, and they vridiculed him. 15 And he said to them, You are those who wjustify yourselves before men, but xGod knows your hearts. For what is exalted among men yis an abomination in the sight of God.

16 zThe Law and the Prophets were until John; since then athe good news of the kingdom of God is preached, and beveryone forces his way into it.9 17 But cit is easier for heaven and earth to pass away than for one dot of the Law to become void.

Divorce and Remarriage

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

The Rich Man and Lazarus

19 There was a rich man who was clothed in epurple and fine linen and fwho feasted sumptuously every day. 20 And at his gate gwas laid a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores, 21 who desired to be fed with hwhat fell from the rich man’s table. Moreover, even the dogs came and licked his sores. 22 The poor man died and was carried by ithe angels jto Abraham’s side.10 The rich man also died and was buried, 23 and in kHades, being in torment, he lifted up his eyes and lsaw Abraham far off and Lazarus jat his side. 24 And he called out, mFather Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus to dip the end of his finger in water and ncool my tongue, for oI am in anguish in this flame. 25 But Abraham said, Child, remember that pyou in your lifetime received your good things, and Lazarus in like manner bad things; but now he is comforted here, and you are in anguish. 26 And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been fixed, in order that those who would pass from here to you may not be able, and none may cross 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 brothersso that he may warn them, lest they also come into this place of torment. 29 But Abraham said, They have qMoses and the Prophets; rlet them hear them. 30 And he said, No, sfather Abraham, but if someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent. 31 He said to him, If they do not hear qMoses and the Prophets, tneither will they be convinced if someone should rise from the dead.

Temptations to Sin

And he said to his disciples, uTemptations to sin11 are vsure to come, but wwoe to the one through whom they come! xIt would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck and he were cast into the sea than that he should cause one of these little ones to sin.12 Pay attention to yourselves! yIf your brother sins, zrebuke him, and if he repents, aforgive him, and if he sins against you bseven times in the day, and turns to you seven times, saying, I repent, you must forgive him.

Increase Our Faith

cThe apostles said to the Lord, dIncrease our faith! And the Lord said, eIf you had faith like fa grain of mustard seed, you could say to this gmulberry tree, Be uprooted and planted in the sea, and it would obey you.

Unworthy Servants

Will any one of you who has a servant13 plowing or keeping sheep say to him when he has come in from the field, Come at once and recline at table? Will he not rather say to him, Prepare supper for me, and hdress properly,14 and serve me while I eat and drink, and afterward you will eat and drink? Does he thank the servant because he did what was commanded? 10 So you also, when you have done all that you were commanded, say, We are iunworthy servants;15 we have only done what was our duty.


John 11:1–37

The Death of Lazarus

Now a certain man was ill, Lazarus of Bethany, the village of lMary and her sister Martha. mIt was Mary who anointed the Lord with ointment and wiped his feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was ill. So the sisters sent to him, saying, Lord, nhe whom you love is ill. But when Jesus heard it he said, oThis illness does not lead to death. It is for pthe glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified through it.

Now qJesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. So, when he heard that Lazarus1 was ill, rhe stayed two days longer in the place where he was. Then after this he said to the disciples, sLet us go to Judea again. The disciples said to him, tRabbi, uthe Jews were just now seeking to stone you, and are you going there again? Jesus answered, vAre there not twelve hours in the day? wIf anyone walks in the day, he does not stumble, because he sees the light of this world. 10 But xif anyone walks in the night, he stumbles, because the light is not xin him. 11 After saying these things, he said to them, Our friend Lazarus yhas fallen asleep, but I go to awaken him. 12 The disciples said to him, Lord, if he has fallen asleep, he will recover. 13 Now Jesus had spoken of his death, but they thought that he meant taking rest in sleep. 14 Then Jesus told them plainly, Lazarus has died, 15 and for your sake I am glad that I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him. 16 zSo Thomas, called the Twin,2 said to his fellow disciples, Let us also go, athat we may die with him.

I Am the Resurrection and the Life

17 Now when Jesus came, he found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb bfour days. 18 Bethany was near Jerusalem, about two miles3 off, 19 and many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary cto console them concerning their brother. 20 dSo when Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went and met him, but Mary remained seated in the house. 21 Martha said to eJesus, Lord, fif you had been here, my brother would not have died. 22 But even now I know that whatever you ask from God, gGod will give you. 23 Jesus said to her, Your brother will rise again. 24 hMartha said to him, I know that he will rise again in ithe resurrection on the last day. 25 Jesus said to her, jI am the resurrection and kthe life.4 Whoever believes in me, lthough he die, myet shall he live, 26 and everyone who lives and believes in me nshall never die. Do you believe this? 27 She said to him, Yes, Lord; oI believe that pyou are the Christ, the Son of God, qwho is coming into the world.

Jesus Weeps

28 When she had said this, she went and called her sister Mary, saying in private, rThe Teacher is here and is calling for you. 29 And when she heard it, she rose quickly and went to him. 30 Now Jesus had not yet come into the village, but was still in the place where Martha had met him. 31 When the Jews swho were with her in the house, consoling her, saw Mary rise quickly and go out, they followed her, supposing that she was going to the tomb to weep there. 32 Now when Mary came to where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet, saying to him, tLord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. 33 When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come with her also weeping, he uwas deeply moved5 in his spirit and vgreatly troubled. 34 And he said, Where have you laid him? They said to him, Lord, come and see. 35 wJesus wept. 36 So the Jews said, See xhow he loved him! 37 But some of them said, Could not he ywho opened the eyes of the blind man zalso have kept this man from dying?