Book Title: Comman English Bible Luke
Author(s): 
Publisher: ZZZ Unknown

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Page 24
________________ 81 'Come! The dinner is now ready.' 18One by one, they all began to make excuses. The first one told him, 'I bought a farm and must go and see it. Please excuse me.' 19 Another said, 'I bought five teams of oxen, and I'm going to check on them. Please excuse me.' 20 Another said, 'I just got married, so I can't come.' 21When he returned, the servant reported these excuses to his master. The master of the house became angry and said to his servant, 'Go quickly to the city's streets, the busy ones and the side streets, and bring the poor, crippled, blind, and lame.' 22The servant said, 'Master, your instructions have been followed and there is still room.' 23 The master said to the servant, 'Go to the highways and back alleys and urge people to come in so that my house will be filled. 24I tell you, not one of those who were invited will taste my dinner.'" Discipleship's demands 25 Large crowds were traveling with Jesus. Turning to them, he said, 26"Whoever comes to me and doesn't hate father and mother, spouse and children, and brothers and sisters-yes, even one's own lifecannot be my disciple. 27Whoever doesn't carry their own cross and follow me cannot be my disciple. 28 "If one of you wanted to build a tower, wouldn't you first sit down and calculate the cost, to determine whether you have enough money to complete it? 29 Otherwise, when you have laid the foundation but couldn't finish the tower, all who see it will begin to belittle you. 30 They will say, 'Here's the person who began construction and couldn't complete it!' 3'Or what king would go to war against another king without first sitting down to consider whether his ten thousand soldiers could go up against the twenty thousand coming against him? 32 And if he didn't think he could win, he would send a representative to discuss terms of peace while his enemy was still a long way off. 33 In the same way, none of you who are unwilling to give up all of your possessions can be my disciple. 34"Salt is good. But if salt loses its flavor, how will it become salty again? 35 It has no Luke 15:17 value, neither for the soil nor for the manure pile. People throw it away. Whoever has ears to hear should pay attention.” Occasions for celebration 15 All the tax collectors and sinners were gathering around Jesus to listen to him. The Pharisees and legal experts were grumbling, saying, "This man welcomes sinners and eats with them." 3 Jesus told them this parable: ""Suppose someone among you had one hundred sheep and lost one of them. Wouldn't he leave the other ninety-nine in the pasture and search for the lost one until he finds it? 5And when he finds it, he is thrilled and places it on his shoulders. "When he arrives home, he calls together his friends and neighbors, saying to them, 'Celebrate with me because I've found my lost sheep.' 'In the same way, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who changes both heart and life than over ninety-nine righteous people who have no need to change their hearts and lives. 8"Or what woman, if she owns ten silver coins and loses one of them, won't light a lamp and sweep the house, searching her home carefully until she finds it? 'When she finds it, she calls together her friends and neighbors, saying, 'Celebrate with me because I've found my lost coin.' 10 In the same way, I tell you, joy breaks out in the presence of God's angels over one sinner who changes both heart and life." 11 Jesus said, "A certain man had two sons. 12The younger son said to his father, 'Father, give me my share of the inheritance.' Then the father divided his estate between them. 13Soon afterward, the younger son gathered everything together and took a trip to a land far away. There, he wasted his wealth through extravagant living. 14"When he had used up his resources, a severe food shortage arose in that country and he began to be in need. 15 He hired himself out to one of the citizens of that country, who sent him into his fields to feed pigs. 16 He longed to eat his fill from what the pigs ate, but no one gave him anything. "When he came to his senses, he said, 'How many ......

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