Bible-Reading.comLuke 13
1At that time some of those present told Jesus about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mixed with their sacrifices.
2To this He replied, “Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans, because they suffered this fate?
3No, I tell you. But unless you repent, you too will all perish.
4Or those eighteen who were killed when the tower of Siloam collapsed on them: Do you think that they were more sinful than all the others living in Jerusalem?
5No, I tell you. But unless you repent, you too will all perish.”
6Then Jesus told this parable: “A man had a fig tree that was planted in his vineyard. He went to look for fruit on it, but did not find any.
7So he said to the keeper of the vineyard, ‘Look, for the past three years I have come to search for fruit on this fig tree and haven’t found any. Therefore cut it down! Why should it use up the soil?’
8‘Sir,’ the man replied, ‘leave it alone again this year, until I dig around it and fertilize it.
9If it bears fruit next year, fine. But if not, you can cut it down.’”
10One Sabbath Jesus was teaching in one of the synagogues,
11and a woman there had been disabled by a spirit for eighteen years. She was hunched over and could not stand up straight.
12When Jesus saw her, He called her over and said, “Woman, you are set free from your disability.”
13Then He placed His hands on her, and immediately she straightened up and began to glorify God.
14But the synagogue leader was indignant that Jesus had healed on the Sabbath. “There are six days for work,” he told the crowd. “So come and be healed on those days and not on the Sabbath.”
15“You hypocrites!” the Lord replied. “Does not each of you on the Sabbath untie his ox or donkey from the stall and lead it to water?
16Then should not this daughter of Abraham, whom Satan has kept bound for eighteen long years, be released from her bondage on the Sabbath day?”
17When Jesus said this, all His adversaries were humiliated. And the whole crowd rejoiced at all the glorious things He was doing.
18Then Jesus asked, “What is the kingdom of God like? To what can I compare it?
19It is like a mustard seed that a man tossed into his garden. It grew and became a tree, and the birds of the air nested in its branches.”
20Again He asked, “To what can I compare the kingdom of God?
21It is like leaven that a woman took and mixed into three measures of flour, until all of it was leavened.”
22Then Jesus traveled throughout the towns and villages, teaching as He made His way toward Jerusalem.
23“Lord,” someone asked Him, “will only a few people be saved?” Jesus answered,
24“Make every effort to enter through the narrow door. For many, I tell you, will try to enter and will not be able.
25After the master of the house gets up and shuts the door, you will stand outside knocking and saying, ‘Lord, open the door for us.’ But he will reply, ‘I do not know where you are from.’
26Then you will say, ‘We ate and drank with you, and you taught in our streets.’
27And he will answer, ‘I tell you, I do not know where you are from. Depart from me, all you evildoers.’
28There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth when you see Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, but you yourselves are thrown out.
29People will come from east and west and north and south, and will recline at the table in the kingdom of God.
30And indeed, some who are last will be first, and some who are first will be last.”
31At that very hour, some Pharisees came to Jesus and told Him, “Leave this place and get away, because Herod wants to kill You.”
32But Jesus replied, “Go tell that fox, ‘Look, I will keep driving out demons and healing people today and tomorrow, and on the third day I will reach My goal.’
33Nevertheless, I must keep going today and tomorrow and the next day, for it is not admissible for a prophet to perish outside of Jerusalem.
34O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills the prophets and stones those sent to her, how often I have longed to gather your children together as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were unwilling!
35Look, your house is left to you desolate. And I tell you that you will not see Me again until you say, ‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord.’”
Luke 14
1One Sabbath, Jesus went to eat in the home of a leading Pharisee, and those in attendance were watching Him closely.
2Right there before Him was a man with dropsy.
3So Jesus asked the experts in the law and the Pharisees, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath or not?”
4But they remained silent. Then Jesus took hold of the man, healed him, and sent him on his way.
5And He asked them, “Which of you whose son or ox falls into a pit on the Sabbath day will not immediately pull him out?”
6And they were unable to answer these questions.
7When Jesus noticed how the guests chose the places of honor, He told them a parable:
8“When you are invited to a wedding banquet, do not sit in the place of honor, in case someone more distinguished than you has been invited.
9Then the host who invited both of you will come and tell you, ‘Give this man your seat.’ And in humiliation, you will have to take the last place.
10But when you are invited, go and sit in the last place, so that your host will come and tell you, ‘Friend, move up to a better place.’ Then you will be honored in front of everyone at the table with you.
11For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and the one who humbles himself will be exalted.”
12Then Jesus said to the man who had invited Him, “When you host a dinner or a banquet, do not invite your friends or brothers or relatives or rich neighbors. Otherwise, they may invite you in return, and you will be repaid.
13But when you host a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind,
14and you will be blessed. Since they cannot repay you, you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.”
15When one of those reclining with Him heard this, he said to Jesus, “Blessed is everyone who will eat at the feast in the kingdom of God.”
16But Jesus replied, “A certain man prepared a great banquet and invited many guests.
17When it was time for the banquet, he sent his servant to tell those who had been invited, ‘Come, for everything is now ready.’
18But one after another they all began to make excuses. The first one said, ‘I have bought a field, and I need to go see it. Please excuse me.’
19Another said, ‘I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I am going to try them out. Please excuse me.’
20Still another said, ‘I have married a wife, so I cannot come.’
21The servant returned and reported all this to his master. Then the owner of the house became angry and said to his servant, ‘Go out quickly into the streets and alleys of the city, and bring in the poor, the crippled, the blind, and the lame.’
22‘Sir,’ the servant replied, ‘what you ordered has been done, and there is still room.’
23So the master told his servant, ‘Go out to the highways and hedges and compel them to come in, so that my house will be full.
24For I tell you, not one of those men who were invited will taste my banquet.’”
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.
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.”