24For I tell you, not one of those men who were invited will taste my banquet.’”

The Cost of Discipleship

25Large crowds were now traveling with Jesus, and He turned and said to them,26“If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters—yes, even his own life—he cannot be My disciple.27And whoever does not carry his cross and follow Me cannot be My disciple.28Which of you, wishing to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost to see if he has the resources to complete it?29Otherwise, if he lays the foundation and is unable to finish the work, everyone who sees it will ridicule him,30saying, ‘This man could not finish what he started to build.’31Or what king on his way to war with another king will not first sit down and consider whether he can engage with ten thousand men the one coming against him with twenty thousand?32And if he is unable, he will send a delegation while the other king is still far off, to ask for terms of peace.33In the same way, any one of you who does not give up everything he has cannot be My disciple.

Good Salt

34Salt is good, but if the salt loses its savor, with what will it be seasoned?35It is fit neither for the soil nor for the manure pile, and it is thrown out. He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”

The Parable of the Lost Sheep

1Now all the tax collectors and sinners were gathering around to listen to Jesus.2So the Pharisees and scribes began to grumble: “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.”

3Then Jesus told them this parable:4“What man among you, if he has a hundred sheep and loses one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the pasture and go after the one that is lost, until he finds it?5And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders,6comes home, and calls together his friends and neighbors to tell them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my lost sheep!’7In the same way, I tell you that there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous ones who do not need to repent.

The Parable of the Lost Coin

8Or what woman who has ten silver coins and loses one of them does not light a lamp, sweep her house, and search carefully until she finds it?9And when she finds it, she calls together her friends and neighbors to say, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my lost coin.’10In the same way, I tell you, there is joy in the presence of God’s angels over one sinner who repents.”

The Parable of the Prodigal Son

11Then Jesus said, “There was a man who had two sons.12The younger son said to him, ‘Father, give me my share of the estate.’ So he divided his property between them.13After a few days, the younger son got everything together and journeyed to a distant country, where he squandered his wealth in wild living.14After he had spent all he had, a severe famine swept through that country, and he began to be in need.15So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him into his fields to feed the pigs.16He longed to fill his belly with the pods the pigs were eating, but no one would give him a thing.17Finally he came to his senses and said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have plenty of food? But here I am, starving to death!18I will get up and go back to my father and say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you.19I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Make me like one of your hired servants.”’

20So he got up and went to his father. But while he was still in the distance, his father saw him and was filled with compassion. He ran to his son, embraced him, and kissed him.21The son declared, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’

22But the father said to his servants, ‘Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet.23Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let us feast and celebrate.24For this son of mine was dead and is alive again! He was lost and is found!’ So they began to celebrate.

25Meanwhile the older son was in the field, and as he approached the house, he heard music and dancing.26So he called one of the servants and asked what was going on.27‘Your brother has returned,’ he said, ‘and your father has killed the fattened calf, because he has him back safe and sound.’28The older son became angry and refused to go in. So his father came out and pleaded with him.29But he answered his father, ‘Look, all these years I have served you and never disobeyed a commandment of yours. Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends.30But when this son of yours returns from squandering your wealth with prostitutes, you kill the fattened calf for him!’

31‘Son, you are always with me,’ the father said, ‘and all that is mine is yours.32But it was fitting to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’”

The Parable of the Shrewd Manager

1Jesus also said to His disciples, “There was a rich man whose manager was accused of wasting his possessions.2So he called him in to ask, ‘What is this I hear about you? Turn in an account of your management, for you cannot be manager any longer.’

3The manager said to himself, ‘What shall I do, now that my master is taking away my position? I am too weak to dig and too ashamed to beg.4I know what I will do, so that after my removal from management, people will welcome me into their homes.’5And he called in each one of his master’s debtors. ‘How much do you owe my master?’ he asked the first.6‘A hundred measures of olive oil,’ he answered. ‘Take your bill,’ said the manager. ‘Sit down quickly, and write fifty.’7Then he asked another, ‘And how much do you owe?’ ‘A hundred measures of wheat,’ he replied. ‘Take your bill and write eighty,’ he told him.

8The master commended the dishonest manager because he had acted shrewdly. For the sons of this age are more shrewd in dealing with their own kind than are the sons of light.9I tell you, use worldly wealth to make friends for yourselves, so that when it is gone, they will welcome you into eternal dwellings.10Whoever is faithful with very little will also be faithful with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much.11So if you have not been faithful with worldly wealth, who will entrust you with true riches?12And if you have not been faithful with the belongings of another, who will give you belongings of your own?13No servant can serve two masters. 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 both God and money.”

The Law and the Prophets

14The Pharisees, who were lovers of money, heard all of this and were scoffing at Jesus.15So He said to them, “You are the ones who justify yourselves before men, but God knows your hearts. For what is prized among men is detestable before God.

16The Law and the Prophets were proclaimed until John. Since that time, the gospel of the kingdom of God is being preached, and everyone is forcing his way into it.17But it is easier for heaven and earth to pass away than for a single stroke of a pen to drop out of the Law.

18Anyone who divorces his wife and marries another woman commits adultery, and he who marries a divorced woman commits adultery.

The Rich Man and Lazarus

19Now there was a rich man dressed in purple and fine linen, who lived each day in joyous splendor.20And a beggar named Lazarus lay at his gate, covered with sores21and longing to be fed with the crumbs that fell from the rich man’s table. Even the dogs came and licked his sores.22One day the beggar died and was carried by the angels to Abraham’s side. And the rich man also died and was buried.23In Hades, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham from afar, with Lazarus by his side.24So he cried out, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue. For I am in agony in this fire.’

25But Abraham answered, ‘Child, remember that during your lifetime you received your good things, while Lazarus received bad things. But now he is comforted here, while you are in agony.26And besides all this, a great chasm has been fixed between us and you, so that even those who wish cannot cross from here to you, nor can anyone cross from there to us.’

27‘Then I beg you, father,’ he said, ‘send Lazarus to my father’s house,28for I have five brothers. Let him warn them, so that they will not also end up in this place of torment.’

29But Abraham replied, ‘They have Moses and the prophets; let your brothers listen to them.’

30‘No, father Abraham,’ he said, ‘but if someone is sent to them from the dead, they will repent.’

31Then Abraham said to him, ‘If they do not listen to Moses and the prophets, they will not be persuaded even if someone rises from the dead.’”

Temptations and Trespasses

1Jesus said to His disciples, “It is inevitable that stumbling blocks will come, but woe to the one through whom they come!