The Book of Luke Following Jesus in Everyday Life

Lesson #10 for June 6, 2015

Scriptures: [Luke 8:4-15; 11:37-54; 12:4-21,35-53; 22:24-27; Amos 6:1][i].

1.    In lesson number eight of this series, we discussed in some detail the mission of Jesus. Did He also “pay the penalty for sin” so that human beings, despite their fallen nature, could be redeemed? Isn’t that what we have been taught for generations? What is the penalty for sin? Who paid it? To whom was it paid? How does that payment impact us individually? Would it be more nearly correct to say that Jesus died to demonstrate the results of sin?

2.    By living and dying as He did, Jesus intended to create a new family of faith. This Christian community will be filled with individuals who choose to live Christ-like lives. Jesus Christ calls us not to a show of our goodness or doctrinal perfection but to a life totally dedicated to Him. Through the work of the Holy Spirit, Christ plans to transform us to become truly Christ-like in our daily lives. Is our church reaching a place where it could split? Or, are we becoming more like Jesus?

All true obedience comes from the heart. It was heart work with Christ. And if we consent, He will so identify Himself with our thoughts and aims, so blend our hearts and minds into conformity to His will, that when obeying Him we shall be but carrying out our own impulses. The will, refined and sanctified, will find its highest delight in doing His service. When we know God as it is our privilege to know Him, our life will be a life of continual obedience. Through an appreciation of the character of Christ, through communion with God, sin will become hateful to us.—Ellen G. White, The Desire of Age, p. 668.3. [Bold type is added.]

3.    Clearly, when we have that kind of relationship with Jesus, all other matters become secondary.

4.    As we know, the Pharisees were opposed to the teachings of Jesus almost from day one. The Pharisees were a very conservative religious group of Jews who were extreme legalists. While professing to believe in God’s goodness and grace, they lived as if their salvation depended entirely upon keeping the law. What about the prophets Jonah or Balaam? Or, even Elijah?

5.    Read Luke 11:37-54ii. Was Jesus being rude by condemning the host who had invited Him home for a meal? Look at the accusations He made against the Pharisees and the teachers of the law:

1)    You look good from the outside, but you are full of violence and evil inside. (Luke 11:39)

2)    You tithe even the seasoning herbs such as mint and rue, but you neglect justice and love for God. [But, I am not suggesting that you should ignore tithing.] (Luke 11:42)

3)    You love to sit in the reserved seats in the synagogues to be seen by other people, but you are like unmarked graves which people walk on without knowing it. (Luke 11:43-44)

4)    You put heavy loads on people’s backs, but you are not willing to lift a finger to help them.

5)    You build fine tombs for the prophets that your ancestors murdered, but you choose to ignore their teachings. By doing that, you make yourselves responsible for the deaths of all the righteous people from Abel to Zechariah. (Luke 11:47-51)

6)    You have the key to the door of knowledge; but, you refuse to go in, and you refuse to let others in who want to enter. [Obeying their rules was for the purpose of show.] (v. 52)

6.    Do any of these woes apply to us? Do we love to be praised by men and women and to put on an appearance of righteousness while inside we are as selfish as ever? Do we sometimes think that going to church on Sabbath is all that is required for entering the kingdom of God?

7.    Read Revelation 14:7iii. What does it mean to “fear, honor, or reverence” God? Is there a relationship between fearing God and having faith in Him?

8.    Based on all of Scripture, a biblical definition of faith stated so well so many times by one of God’s best modern friends, Dr. A. Graham Maxwell, is as follows:

Faith is just a word we use to describe a relationship with God as with a Person well known. The better we know Him, the better the relationship may be.

Faith implies an attitude toward God of love, trust, and deepest admiration. It means having enough confidence in God based on the more-than-adequate evidence revealed to be willing to believe what He says as soon as we are sure He is the One saying it, to accept what He offers as soon as we are sure He is the One offering it, and to do what He wishes as soon as we are sure He is the One wishing it without reservation for the rest of eternity. Anyone who has such faith would be perfectly safe to save. This is why faith is the only requirement for heaven.

Faith also means that, like Abraham, Job, and Moses, God’s friends, we know God well enough to reverently ask Him, “Why?”

9.    As used in the Bible, what does the word fear mean? Read [Job 28:28; Proverbs 1:7; 3:7; 9:10; Psalm 111:10; and Luke 12:4-12]iv. Could you read, understand, and explain the third angel’s message as recorded in Revelation 14:9-12 without producing fear in anyone? One can do so only after clearly understanding the meanings of each term in that passage-the meanings as used in the Bible.

10.    Read Luke 12:4-12[v]. These verses can be read in a very wrong way. Jesus was not talking about an ever-burning hell. He was talking about reverence, respect, and love for the God who can reward us with eternal life. God cares so much about us that He has even numbered the hairs on our heads. (Luke 12:7) If we want to know how we should respond to His care for us, think of the changes that took place in Peter from his statements at the trial of Jesus (See Mark 14:66-72.) and then his speech before the Sanhedrin as recorded in Acts 4.

11.    Read Luke 12:13-21vi. How much time do we spend preparing for and dealing with matters of this life rather than matters that involve the future life? Those of us who choose to live self-centered lives here, would never fit into heaven. Life is not made up of earthly possessions. (Luke 12:15)

12. Why does God make some people wealthy and other people poor? Or, is God involved?

13. Material things are given to us to use for the benefit of others as well as ourselves. Do we live lives that show that? Is there any way to compare a short time of “happiness” or “pleasure” here on this earth with the eternal bliss in heaven and the earth made new? What should be our response to all of this?

Vigilance and fidelity have been required of Christ’s followers in every age; but now that we are standing upon the very verge of the eternal world, holding the truths we do, having so great light, so important a work, we must double our diligence.—Ellen G. White, Testimonies for the Church, vol. 5, pp. 460.3-461.0.

14.    Are we always keeping our eyes focused on the kingdom of God? Are we making sure that no earthly attraction will ever take our eyes off Jesus? We must not allow our Christianity to become lax or lethargic. We have been warned repeatedly that He will show up like a thief in the night. The only safety is to be constantly ready. But, there is a greater motive that should affect all of us.

The shortness of time is urged as an incentive for us to seek righteousness and to make Christ our friend. This is not the great motive. It savors of selfishness. Is it necessary that the terrors of the day of God be held before us to compel us through fear to right action? This ought not to be. Jesus is attractive. He is full of love, mercy, and compassion.—Ellen G. White, Review and Herald, August 2, 1881 par. 6; TMK 320.3.

15.    Could we work and live here and now as if we were already in the kingdom of God? Are we reaching out to and caring for others in ways that ensure that we are developing Christ-like love in our everyday actions? (Matthew 25:31-46)vii

16.    We are the most privileged generation and church in this world’s history. The wealth of inspired material that we have available to us is almost beyond belief. Are we taking advantage of all that? Are we living as if we recognize that we are in the midst of an all-out spiritual warfare? (Ephesians 6:12) Remember that God holds us responsible for all that He has given us. (Luke 12:48)

17.    Read [Matthew 28:19-20 and Acts 1:8]viii. The final words of Jesus to His disciples also challenge us in the 21st century to be true witnesses for Him.

18.    Read Luke 8:4-15ix. It is never our responsibility to judge who might respond or who might not respond to God’s message given through us. We must scatter the seed even though we do not know which part of it will be successful.

19.    Read Luke 18:24-30[x]. Are there any questions about how we will be rewarded in the future life? What about in this life? In what ways will we be rewarded in this life?

20.    Read Luke 19:11-27xi. Don’t you suppose it will be true that when we get to heaven our reward will be in proportion to the number of people we have helped to get there? Try to imagine the pleasure of meeting someone you have helped personally?

21.    In the kingdom of heaven, all will be loving. Each one of us will be looking for opportunities to serve others. We must begin practicing that kind of love here and now. Selfish people would be totally unhappy in heaven! So, what are the pleasures of sin? Trying to escape God?

Satan sees that his voluntary rebellion has unfitted him for heaven. He has trained his powers to war against God; the purity, peace, and harmony of heaven would be to him supreme torture. His accusations against the mercy and justice of God are now silenced. The reproach which he has endeavored to cast upon Jehovah rests wholly upon himself. And now Satan bows down and confesses the justice of his sentence.—Ellen G. White, Great Controversy, p. 670.2; DD 58.1; FLB 356.5; Hvn 127.2; Mar 345.6; 4SP 486.1; SR 427.2. [Bold type is added.]

22.    By contrast, Jesus said that true leadership involves servanthood. If we want to be great in His kingdom, we must serve others. (Luke 22:26) What a contrast that is with the attitudes of other famous individuals from the past such as Pharaoh, Nebuchadnezzar, Alexander the Great, Julius Caesar, Napoleon, and Genghis Khan. By defining leadership in a Christian sense as servanthood and self-denial, Jesus was suggesting a total change in the way we relate to other human beings. Our greatest happiness and fulfillment should come from service to others.

23.    Why was it so difficult for Jesus to teach this principle to His disciples? What was it that they were constantly arguing about? (Luke 9:46-48; 22:24-27)xii Even as they were entering the upper room for their final supper with Jesus before His crucifixion, they were arguing about who was going to be prime minister in the earthly kingdom of Jesus. So, how will it be with us? Are we living lives according to Satan’s principle of selfishness? Or, according to God’s principle of love? Could we survive in a totally selfish world living by Christ-like principles?

24.    Can we be certain whether we are on Christ’s side or on Satan’s side?

Who has the heart? With whom are our thoughts? Of whom do we love to converse? Who has our warmest affections and our best energies? If we are Christ’s, our thoughts are with Him, and our sweetest thoughts are of Him. All we have and are is consecrated to Him. We long to bear His image, breathe His spirit, do His will, and please Him in all things.—Ellen G. White, Steps to Christ, p. 58.2.

In our life here, earthly, sin-restricted though it is, the greatest joy and the highest education are in service. And in the future state, untrammeled by the limitations of sinful humanity, it is in service that our greatest joy and our highest education will be found-witnessing, and ever as we witness learning anew “the riches of the glory of this mystery;” “which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.” Colossians 1:27.—Ellen G. White, Education, p. 309.1.

25.    How do we treat the other members of our church group? Are there different classes of people there? Do the professionals, business executives, community leaders, etc. keep themselves separate from others whom they consider to be beneath them or their notice?

26.    Have we come to fully comprehend what it means to really follow Jesus? Read Luke 17:5xiii. What was it that the disciples expected Jesus to do for them? No doubt, Jesus had suggested to them on many occasions that His actions and even His miracles came as a result of His faith. Did they want more of His power? Look at the examples of some of the disciples. Peter needed the courage of his convictions. Thomas needed to accept the testimony of his fellow disciples. Judas could not get over his selfishness. They all claimed to be followers of Jesus. Which one of these disciples most closely represents each of us?

27.    Is there a difference between having faith in Jesus and just believing in Him? Does your faith in Jesus affect your business, your ethics, even the way you live in your family? How does a true faith relationship with Jesus affect your life-spiritually, socially, physically, even mentally?

28.    Is it true that being a Christian involves total commitment to Jesus Christ? Are His requirements optional? Would it be true to say that we either belong to Him completely, “24/7,” or we do not belong to Him?

29.    Read Luke 12:16-21xiv. What should we learn from the story of that rich fool? Do we truly accept the idea that however great our possessions, they are given to us in trust to be used for God’s kingdom? How would you compare this rich man with the one in Luke 18:18-23? Why did Jesus suggest it would be so hard for rich people to enter the kingdom of heaven?

30.    Read Luke 9:23xv. What does it really mean to deny self and take up the cross and follow Jesus? What are we supposed to give up? We need to give up self. We need to give up our Pharisaical attitudes. (Luke 11:37-54) Paul believed that he needed to “die daily.” (1 Corinthians 15:31) Could we come close to that level of commitment? How close do we come to having the attitudes of the Pharisees? Is our Christian life full of minutiae? Do we overlook the real issues of faith, love, and living Christ-like lives?

31.    Is your life full of worry? Read Luke 12:22-34xvi. Worry is sin’s gift to humanity! Don’t we believe that God is capable of taking care of us? So much of our thinking is limited to the minute details of this life. God’s thinking considers all of eternity. Would it be true to say that having a reverent and trusting relationship with God means we can forget all of our fears?

32.    When Jesus entrusted the spread of the gospel to a small group of human beings, what were the risks? Have we forgotten how to witness for Jesus?

33.    We are so accustomed to trying to keep up with the Joneses. Human beings always seem to be enamored with the biggest, the best, the greatest, and the highest. How does that fit with our living the Christian life? What would happen if everyone in your church lived a truly Christian life?

34.    In our day and age, one of Satan’s most successful plans is to get us to just delay our preparation. He does not have to get us to deny God or God’s existence or to believe in hell. All he has to do is to get us to delay our preparation so that when our time comes, we are not ready. How successful has he been with us?

i-Luke 8:4 People kept coming to Jesus from one town after another; and when a great crowd gathered, Jesus told this parable: 5 "Once there was a man who went out to sow grain. As he scattered the seed in the field, some of it fell along the path, where it was stepped on, and the birds ate it up. 6 Some of it fell on rocky ground, and when the plants sprouted, they dried up because the soil had no moisture. 7 Some of the seed fell among thorn bushes, which grew up with the plants and choked them. 8 And some seeds fell in good soil; the plants grew and bore grain, one hundred grains each." And Jesus concluded, "Listen, then, if you have ears!" 9 His disciples asked Jesus what this parable meant, 10 and he answered, "The knowledge of the secrets of the Kingdom of God has been given to you, but to the rest it comes by means of parables, so that they may look but not see, and listen but not understand. 11 "This is what the parable means: the seed is the word of God. 12 The seeds that fell along the path stand for those who hear; but the Devil comes and takes the message away from their hearts in order to keep them from believing and being saved. 13 The seeds that fell on rocky ground stand for those who hear the message and receive it gladly. But it does not sink deep into them; they believe only for a while but when the time of testing comes, they fall away. 14 The seeds that fell among thorn bushes stand for those who hear; but the worries and riches and pleasures of this life crowd in and choke them, and their fruit never ripens. 15 The seeds that fell in good soil stand for those who hear the message and retain it in a good and obedient heart, and they persist until they bear fruit.

11:37 When Jesus finished speaking, a Pharisee invited him to eat with him; so he went in and sat down to eat. 38 The Pharisee was surprised when he noticed that Jesus had not washed before eating. 39 So the Lord said to him, "Now then, you Pharisees clean the outside of your cup and plate, but inside you are full of violence and evil. 40 Fools! Did not God, who made the outside, also make the inside? 41 But give what is in your cups and plates to the poor, and everything will be ritually clean for you. 42 "How terrible for you Pharisees! You give to God one tenth of the seasoning herbs, such as mint and rue and all the other herbs, but you neglect justice and love for God. These you should practice, without neglecting the others. 43 "How terrible for you Pharisees! You love the reserved seats in the synagogues and to be greeted with respect in the marketplaces. 44 How terrible for you! You are like unmarked graves which people walk on without knowing it." 45 One of the teachers of the Law said to him, "Teacher, when you say this, you insult us too!" 46 Jesus answered, "How terrible also for you teachers of the Law! You put onto people's backs loads which are hard to carry, but you yourselves will not stretch out a finger to help them carry those loads. 47 How terrible for you! You make fine tombs for the prophets - the very prophets your ancestors murdered. 48 You yourselves admit, then, that you approve of what your ancestors did; they murdered the prophets, and you build their tombs. 49 For this reason the Wisdom of God said, "I will send them prophets and messengers; they will kill some of them and persecute others.' 50 So the people of this time will be punished for the murder of all the prophets killed since the creation of the world, 51 from the murder of Abel to the murder of Zechariah, who was killed between the altar and the Holy Place. Yes, I tell you, the people of this time will be punished for them all! 52 "How terrible for you teachers of the Law! You have kept the key that opens the door to the house of knowledge; you yourselves will not go in, and you stop those who are trying to go in!" 53 When Jesus left that place, the teachers of the Law and the Pharisees began to criticize him bitterly and ask him questions about many things, 54 trying to lay traps for him and catch him saying something wrong.

12:4 "I tell you, my friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot afterward do anything worse. 5 I will show you whom to fear: fear God, who, after killing, has the authority to throw into hell. Believe me, he is the one you must fear! 6 "Aren't five sparrows sold for two pennies? Yet not one sparrow is forgotten by God. 7 Even the hairs of your head have all been counted. So do not be afraid; you are worth much more than many sparrows! 8 "I assure you that those who declare publicly that they belong to me, the Son of Man will do the same for them before the angels of God. 9 But those who reject me publicly, the Son of Man will also reject them before the angels of God. 10 "Whoever says a word against the Son of Man can be forgiven; but whoever says evil things against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven. 11 "When they bring you to be tried in the synagogues or before governors or rulers, do not be worried about how you will defend yourself or what you will say. 12 For the Holy Spirit will teach you at that time what you should say." 13 A man in the crowd said to Jesus, "Teacher, tell my brother to divide with me the property our father left us." 14 Jesus answered him, "Friend, who gave me the right to judge or to divide the property between you two?" 15 And he went on to say to them all, "Watch out and guard yourselves from every kind of greed; because your true life is not made up of the things you own, no matter how rich you may be." 16 Then Jesus told them this parable: "There was once a rich man who had land which bore good crops. 17 He began to think to himself, "I don't have a place to keep all my crops. What can I do? 18 This is what I will do,' he told himself; "I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, where I will store the grain and all my other goods. 19 Then I will say to myself, Lucky man! You have all the good things you need for many years. Take life easy, eat, drink, and enjoy yourself!' 20 But God said to him, "You fool! This very night you will have to give up your life; then who will get all these things you have kept for yourself?' " 21 And Jesus concluded, "This is how it is with those who pile up riches for themselves but are not rich in God's sight."

35 "Be ready for whatever comes, dressed for action and with your lamps lit, 36 like servants who are waiting for their master to come back from a wedding feast. When he comes and knocks, they will open the door for him at once. 37 How happy are those servants whose master finds them awake and ready when he returns! I tell you, he will take off his coat, have them sit down, and will wait on them. 38 How happy they are if he finds them ready, even if he should come at midnight or even later! 39 And you can be sure that if the owner of a house knew the time when the thief would come, he would not let the thief break into his house. 40 And you, too, must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you are not expecting him." 41 Peter said, "Lord, does this parable apply to us, or do you mean it for everyone?" 42 The Lord answered, "Who, then, is the faithful and wise servant? He is the one that his master will put in charge, to run the household and give the other servants their share of the food at the proper time. 43 How happy that servant is if his master finds him doing this when he comes home! 44 Indeed, I tell you, the master will put that servant in charge of all his property. 45 But if that servant says to himself that his master is taking a long time to come back and if he begins to beat the other servants, both the men and the women, and eats and drinks and gets drunk, 46 then the master will come back one day when the servant does not expect him and at a time he does not know. The master will cut him in pieces and make him share the fate of the disobedient. 47 "The servant who knows what his master wants him to do, but does not get himself ready and do it, will be punished with a heavy whipping. 48 But the servant who does not know what his master wants, and yet does something for which he deserves a whipping, will be punished with a light whipping. Much is required from the person to whom much is given; much more is required from the person to whom much more is given. 49 "I came to set the earth on fire, and how I wish it were already kindled! 50 I have a baptism to receive, and how distressed I am until it is over! 51 Do you suppose that I came to bring peace to the world? No, not peace, but division. 52 From now on a family of five will be divided, three against two and two against three. 53 Fathers will be against their sons, and sons against their fathers; mothers will be against their daughters, and daughters against their mothers; mothers-in-law will be against their daughters-in-law, and daughters-in-law against their mothers-in-law."

22:24 An argument broke out among the disciples as to which one of them should be thought of as the greatest. 25 Jesus said to them, "The kings of the pagans have power over their people, and the rulers claim the title "Friends of the People.' 26 But this is not the way it is with you; rather, the greatest one among you must be like the youngest, and the leader must be like the servant. 27 Who is greater, the one who sits down to eat or the one who serves? The one who sits down, of course. But I am among you as one who serves.

Amos 6:1 How terrible it will be for you that have such an easy life in Zion and for you that feel safe in Samaria - you great leaders of this great nation Israel, you to whom the people go for help!

ii-Luke 11:37 When Jesus finished speaking, a Pharisee invited him to eat with him; so he went in and sat down to eat. 38 The Pharisee was surprised when he noticed that Jesus had not washed before eating. 39 So the Lord said to him, “Now then, you Pharisees clean the outside of your cup and plate, but inside you are full of violence and evil. 40 Fools! Did not God, who made the outside, also make the inside? 41 But give what is in your cups and plates to the poor, and everything will be ritually clean for you.

42 “How terrible for you Pharisees! You give to God one tenth of the seasoning herbs, such as mint and rue and all the other herbs, but you neglect justice and love for God. These you should practice, without neglecting the others.

43 “How terrible for you Pharisees! You love the reserved seats in the synagogues and to be greeted with respect in the marketplaces. 44 How terrible for you! You are like unmarked graves which people walk on without knowing it.”

45 One of the teachers of the Law said to him, “Teacher, when you say this, you insult us too!”

46 Jesus answered, “How terrible also for you teachers of the Law! You put onto people's backs loads which are hard to carry, but you yourselves will not stretch out a finger to help them carry those loads. 47 How terrible for you! You make fine tombs for the prophets—the very prophets your ancestors murdered. 48 You yourselves admit, then, that you approve of what your ancestors did; they murdered the prophets, and you build their tombs. 49 For this reason the Wisdom of God said, ‘I will send them prophets and messengers; they will kill some of them and persecute others.’ 50 So the people of this time will be punished for the murder of all the prophets killed since the creation of the world, 51 from the murder of Abel to the murder of Zechariah, who was killed between the altar and the Holy Place. Yes, I tell you, the people of this time will be punished for them all!

52 “How terrible for you teachers of the Law! You have kept the key that opens the door to the house of knowledge; you yourselves will not go in, and you stop those who are trying to go in!”

53 When Jesus left that place, the teachers of the Law and the Pharisees began to criticize him bitterly and ask him questions about many things, 54 trying to lay traps for him and catch him saying something wrong.

iii-Revelation 14:7 He said in a loud voice, “Honor God and praise his greatness! For the time has come for him to judge all people. Worship him who made heaven, earth, sea, and the springs of water!”

iv-Job 28:28 God said to us humans, “To be wise, you must have reverence for the Lord.

To understand, you must turn from evil.”

Proverbs 1:7 To have knowledge, you must first have reverence for the LORD.[a] Stupid people have no respect for wisdom and refuse to learn.

3:7 Never let yourself think that you are wiser than you are; simply obey the LORD and refuse to do wrong.

9:10 To be wise you must first have reverence for the LORD. If you know the Holy One, you have understanding.

Psalm 111:10 The way to become wise is to honor the LORD;[a]

he gives sound judgment to all who obey his commands.

He is to be praised forever.

Luke 12:4 “I tell you, my friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot afterward do anything worse. 5 I will show you whom to fear: fear God, who, after killing, has the authority to throw into hell. Believe me, he is the one you must fear!

6 “Aren't five sparrows sold for two pennies? Yet not one sparrow is forgotten by God. 7 Even the hairs of your head have all been counted. So do not be afraid; you are worth much more than many sparrows!

8 “I assure you that those who declare publicly that they belong to me, the Son of Man will do the same for them before the angels of God. 9 But those who reject me publicly, the Son of Man will also reject them before the angels of God.

10 “Whoever says a word against the Son of Man can be forgiven; but whoever says evil things against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven.

11 “When they bring you to be tried in the synagogues or before governors or rulers, do not be worried about how you will defend yourself or what you will say. 12 For the Holy Spirit will teach you at that time what you should say.”

v-Luke 12:4 “I tell you, my friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot afterward do anything worse. 5 I will show you whom to fear: fear God, who, after killing, has the authority to throw into hell. Believe me, he is the one you must fear!

6 “Aren't five sparrows sold for two pennies? Yet not one sparrow is forgotten by God. 7 Even the hairs of your head have all been counted. So do not be afraid; you are worth much more than many sparrows!

8 “I assure you that those who declare publicly that they belong to me, the Son of Man will do the same for them before the angels of God. 9 But those who reject me publicly, the Son of Man will also reject them before the angels of God.

10 “Whoever says a word against the Son of Man can be forgiven; but whoever says evil things against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven.

11 “When they bring you to be tried in the synagogues or before governors or rulers, do not be worried about how you will defend yourself or what you will say. 12 For the Holy Spirit will teach you at that time what you should say.”

vi-Luke 12:13 A man in the crowd said to Jesus, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide with me the property our father left us.”

14 Jesus answered him, “Friend, who gave me the right to judge or to divide the property between you two?” 15 And he went on to say to them all, “Watch out and guard yourselves from every kind of greed; because your true life is not made up of the things you own, no matter how rich you may be.”

16 Then Jesus told them this parable: “There was once a rich man who had land which bore good crops. 17 He began to think to himself, ‘I don't have a place to keep all my crops. What can I do? 18 This is what I will do,’ he told himself; ‘I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, where I will store the grain and all my other goods. 19 Then I will say to myself, Lucky man! You have all the good things you need for many years. Take life easy, eat, drink, and enjoy yourself!’ 20 But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night you will have to give up your life; then who will get all these things you have kept for yourself?’”

21 And Jesus concluded, “This is how it is with those who pile up riches for themselves but are not rich in God's sight.”

vii-Matthew 25:31 “When the Son of Man comes as King and all the angels with him, he will sit on his royal throne, 32 and the people of all the nations will be gathered before him. Then he will divide them into two groups, just as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33 He will put the righteous people at his right and the others at his left. 34 Then the King will say to the people on his right, ‘Come, you that are blessed by my Father! Come and possess the kingdom which has been prepared for you ever since the creation of the world. 35 I was hungry and you fed me, thirsty and you gave me a drink; I was a stranger and you received me in your homes, 36 naked and you clothed me; I was sick and you took care of me, in prison and you visited me.’ 37 The righteous will then answer him, ‘When, Lord, did we ever see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you a drink? 38 When did we ever see you a stranger and welcome you in our homes, or naked and clothe you? 39 When did we ever see you sick or in prison, and visit you?’ 40 The King will reply, ‘I tell you, whenever you did this for one of the least important of these followers of mine, you did it for me!’

41 “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Away from me, you that are under God's curse! Away to the eternal fire which has been prepared for the Devil and his angels! 42 I was hungry but you would not feed me, thirsty but you would not give me a drink; 43 I was a stranger but you would not welcome me in your homes, naked but you would not clothe me; I was sick and in prison but you would not take care of me.’ 44 Then they will answer him, ‘When, Lord, did we ever see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and we would not help you?’ 45 The King will reply, ‘I tell you, whenever you refused to help one of these least important ones, you refused to help me.’ 46 These, then, will be sent off to eternal punishment, but the righteous will go to eternal life.”

viii-Matthew 28:19 Go, then, to all peoples everywhere and make them my disciples: baptize them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, 20 and teach them to obey everything I have commanded you. And I will be with you always, to the end of the age.”

Acts 1:8 But when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, you will be filled with power, and you will be witnesses for me in Jerusalem, in all of Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

ix-Luke 8:4 People kept coming to Jesus from one town after another; and when a great crowd gathered, Jesus told this parable:

5 “Once there was a man who went out to sow grain. As he scattered the seed in the field, some of it fell along the path, where it was stepped on, and the birds ate it up. 6 Some of it fell on rocky ground, and when the plants sprouted, they dried up because the soil had no moisture. 7 Some of the seed fell among thorn bushes, which grew up with the plants and choked them. 8 And some seeds fell in good soil; the plants grew and bore grain, one hundred grains each.”

And Jesus concluded, “Listen, then, if you have ears!”

The Purpose of the Parables

9 His disciples asked Jesus what this parable meant, 10 and he answered, “The knowledge of the secrets of the Kingdom of God has been given to you, but to the rest it comes by means of parables, so that they may look but not see, and listen but not understand.

Jesus Explains the Parable of the Sower

11 “This is what the parable means: the seed is the word of God. 12 The seeds that fell along the path stand for those who hear; but the Devil comes and takes the message away from their hearts in order to keep them from believing and being saved. 13 The seeds that fell on rocky ground stand for those who hear the message and receive it gladly. But it does not sink deep into them; they believe only for a while but when the time of testing comes, they fall away. 14 The seeds that fell among thorn bushes stand for those who hear; but the worries and riches and pleasures of this life crowd in and choke them, and their fruit never ripens. 15 The seeds that fell in good soil stand for those who hear the message and retain it in a good and obedient heart, and they persist until they bear fruit.

x-Luke 18:24 Jesus saw that he was sad and said, “How hard it is for rich people to enter the Kingdom of God! 25 It is much harder for a rich person to enter the Kingdom of God than for a camel to go through the eye of a needle.”

26 The people who heard him asked, “Who, then, can be saved?”

27 Jesus answered, “What is humanly impossible is possible for God.”

28 Then Peter said, “Look! We have left our homes to follow you.”

29 “Yes,” Jesus said to them, “and I assure you that anyone who leaves home or wife or brothers or parents or children for the sake of the Kingdom of God 30 will receive much more in this present age and eternal life in the age to come.”

xi-Luke 19:11 While the people were listening to this, Jesus continued and told them a parable. He was now almost at Jerusalem, and they supposed that the Kingdom of God was just about to appear. 12 So he said, “There was once a man of high rank who was going to a country far away to be made king, after which he planned to come back home. 13 Before he left, he called his ten servants and gave them each a gold coin and told them, ‘See what you can earn with this while I am gone.’ 14 Now, his own people hated him, and so they sent messengers after him to say, ‘We don't want this man to be our king.’

15 “The man was made king and came back. At once he ordered his servants to appear before him, in order to find out how much they had earned. 16 The first one came and said, ‘Sir, I have earned ten gold coins with the one you gave me.’ 17 ‘Well done,’ he said; ‘you are a good servant! Since you were faithful in small matters, I will put you in charge of ten cities.’ 18 The second servant came and said, ‘Sir, I have earned five gold coins with the one you gave me.’ 19 To this one he said, ‘You will be in charge of five cities.’ 20 Another servant came and said, ‘Sir, here is your gold coin; I kept it hidden in a handkerchief. 21 I was afraid of you, because you are a hard man. You take what is not yours and reap what you did not plant.’ 22 He said to him, ‘You bad servant! I will use your own words to condemn you! You know that I am a hard man, taking what is not mine and reaping what I have not planted. 23 Well, then, why didn't you put my money in the bank? Then I would have received it back with interest when I returned.’ 24 Then he said to those who were standing there, ‘Take the gold coin away from him and give it to the servant who has ten coins.’ 25 But they said to him, ‘Sir, he already has ten coins!’ 26 ‘I tell you,’ he replied, ‘that to those who have something, even more will be given; but those who have nothing, even the little that they have will be taken away from them. 27 Now, as for those enemies of mine who did not want me to be their king, bring them here and kill them in my presence!’”

xii-Luke 9:46 An argument broke out among the disciples as to which one of them was the greatest. 47 Jesus knew what they were thinking, so he took a child, stood him by his side, 48 and said to them, “Whoever welcomes this child in my name, welcomes me; and whoever welcomes me, also welcomes the one who sent me. For the one who is least among you all is the greatest.”

22:24 An argument broke out among the disciples as to which one of them should be thought of as the greatest. 25 Jesus said to them, “The kings of the pagans have power over their people, and the rulers claim the title ‘Friends of the People.’ 26 But this is not the way it is with you; rather, the greatest one among you must be like the youngest, and the leader must be like the servant. 27 Who is greater, the one who sits down to eat or the one who serves? The one who sits down, of course. But I am among you as one who serves.

xiii-Luke 17:5 The apostles said to the Lord, “Make our faith greater.”

xiv-Luke 12:16 Then Jesus told them this parable: “There was once a rich man who had land which bore good crops. 17 He began to think to himself, ‘I don't have a place to keep all my crops. What can I do? 18 This is what I will do,’ he told himself; ‘I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, where I will store the grain and all my other goods. 19 Then I will say to myself, Lucky man! You have all the good things you need for many years. Take life easy, eat, drink, and enjoy yourself!’ 20 But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night you will have to give up your life; then who will get all these things you have kept for yourself?’”

21 And Jesus concluded, “This is how it is with those who pile up riches for themselves but are not rich in God's sight.”

xv-Luke 9:23 And he said to them all, “If you want to come with me, you must forget yourself, take up your cross every day, and follow me.

xvi-Luke 12:22 Then Jesus said to the disciples, “And so I tell you not to worry about the food you need to stay alive or about the clothes you need for your body. 23 Life is much more important than food, and the body much more important than clothes. 24 Look at the crows: they don't plant seeds or gather a harvest; they don't have storage rooms or barns; God feeds them! You are worth so much more than birds! 25 Can any of you live a bit longer[a] by worrying about it? 26 If you can't manage even such a small thing, why worry about the other things? 27 Look how the wild flowers grow: they don't work or make clothes for themselves. But I tell you that not even King Solomon with all his wealth had clothes as beautiful as one of these flowers. 28 It is God who clothes the wild grass—grass that is here today and gone tomorrow, burned up in the oven. Won't he be all the more sure to clothe you? What little faith you have!

29 “So don't be all upset, always concerned about what you will eat and drink. 30 (For the pagans of this world are always concerned about all these things.) Your Father knows that you need these things. 31 Instead, be concerned with his Kingdom, and he will provide you with these things.

32 “Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father is pleased to give you the Kingdom. 33 Sell all your belongings and give the money to the poor. Provide for yourselves purses that don't wear out, and save your riches in heaven, where they will never decrease, because no thief can get to them, and no moth can destroy them. 34 For your heart will always be where your riches are.

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