Feast of Dedication and Perean Ministry

Jesus at the Feast of Dedication

(Jn 10:22-39)

²²The Festival of Dedication [Hanukkah] took place in Jerusalem during the winter, ²³and Jesus was walking in the temple in Solomon’s Portico. ²⁴The Jews surrounded him and said, “How long are you going to keep us in suspense? Are you the Messiah? Tell us plainly.”

²⁵Jesus answered,

“I’ve told you, and you didn’t believe me. The things I do in my Father’s name speak for me. ²⁶But you don’t believe me because you’re not my sheep. ²⁷My sheep hear my voice, and I know them. They follow me, ²⁸and I give them eternal life. Nobody will snatch them out of my hand. ²⁹My Father, who gave them to me, is more powerful than anybody. Nobody will snatch them out of the Father’s hand. ³⁰The Father and I are at one.”

³¹Again the Jews picked up stones to stone him. ³²Jesus replied to them, “I’ve shown you many good works from the Father. Which of them are you ready to stone me for?”

33“We’re not ready to stone you for a good deed, but for blasphemy. You’re a human being, and you’re making yourself deity.”

³⁴Jesus responded,

“Doesn’t your law say, ‘I SAID, YOU ARE GODS’? [Ps 82:6] 35If he called them gods that the word of God came to—and scripture can’t be broken—³⁶how do you say that the One the Father sanctified and sent into the world is blaspheming, because I said, ‘I’m God’s Son’? ³⁷If I’m not doing what my Father does, don’t believe me. ³⁸If that’s what I am doing, though you don’t believe me, believe what I do so you can know that the Father’s in me and I’m in the Father.”

³⁹Again they tried to grab him, but he got away.

Retirement from Jerusalem to Perea

(Jn 10:40-42)

⁴⁰He went away again to the other side of the Jordan—where John was baptizing at first—and stayed there. ⁴¹Many came to him. They said, “John didn’t do any sign, but everything he said about this man is true.” ⁴²Lots of people believed in him there.

Discussions in Perea

(Lk 13:22-35)

²²He was passing from one town and village to another, teaching and working his way toward Jerusalem. ²³Somebody said, “Lord, are few people saved?”

He said,

²⁴“Make every effort to go in through the narrow door. Many will try to go in, but won’t be able to. ²⁵Once the home owner gets up and shuts the door, you’ll stand outside and knock, ‘Sir, open it for us.’ He’ll answer, ‘I don’t know where you’re from.’ ²⁶You’ll say, ‘We ate with you, and you taught in our streets.’ ²⁷He’ll say, ‘I don’t know where you’re from. Go away, you evil people.’ ²⁸There’ll be bitter crying and gnashing of teeth when you see Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and the prophets in God’s kingdom and yourselves thrown out. ²⁹People will come from the east, west, north, and south and sit down in God’s kingdom. ³⁰The last will be first and the first last.”

³¹At that time some Pharisees came up to Jesus, “You need to get out of here! Herod wants to kill you!”

32“Go tell that old fox, ‘I heal and cast out demons today and tomorrow, and the third day I’ll finish my work.’ ³³But today, tomorrow, and the next day I do need to travel, because it’s not thinkable that a prophet would perish anywhere but in Jerusalem!

³⁴“Jerusalem! Jerusalem! that kills the prophets and stones the ones I’ve sent you! How many times I’ve wanted to gather your inhabitants like a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you didn’t want to. ³⁵I leave your house [desolate]ms. You won’t see me till you say, ‘BLESSED IS THE ONE THAT’S COMING IN THE LORD’S NAME’” [Ps 118:26].

Healing in a Pharisee’s Home on the Sabbath

(Lk 14:1-24)

^14:1On the Sabbath when he went in the house of a ruling Pharisee to eat, they were watching him closely. ²In front of him was a man with edema. ³Jesus said to the lawyers and Pharisees, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath or not?”

⁴They didn’t say anything. He took hold of him, and healed him and sent him away. ⁵He said, “Which of you, if a son or ox falls in a well, wouldn’t pull him out at once on the Sabbath day?” ⁶They couldn’t answer him.

⁷When he noticed how they were picking the prominent seats, he started telling the guests a parable.

⁸“When somebody invites you to a wedding feast, don’t recline at table in the place of honor. Someone more distinguished than you may have been invited. ⁹The one that invited you both will say to yousg, ‘Let this man have his place.’ Then you’ll head for the last place, embarrassed. ¹⁰But, when you’re invited, go recline in the last place so when the one that invited you comes, he’ll say, ‘Friend, move up higher.’ Then the ones reclining at table will respect you. ¹¹Everybody that exalts himself will be humbled, and the one that humbles himself will be exalted.”

¹²He went on to say to his host,

“When yousg make lunch or dinner, don’t call your friends, brothers, relatives, or rich neighbors. They can invite you in return and pay you back. ¹³Invite the poor, disabled, lame, and blind. You’ll be blessed; they can’t repay you. ¹⁴You’ll get repaid when the righteous resurrect.”

¹⁵When one of the people reclining at the table heard this, he said to Jesus, “Blessed is the one that eats bread in God’s kingdom.”

¹⁶Jesus said to him,

“A man prepared a banquet and invited lots of people. ¹⁷When it was time for the meal, he sent a servant to tell them, ‘Come, everything’s ready.’ ¹⁸But they started making excuses. The first said, ‘I’ve bought a field; I need to go see it. Please, excuse me.’

19“Another one said, ‘I’ve bought five yoke of oxen; I’m on my way to try them out. Please, excuse me.’

²⁰“Another one said, ‘I got married, so I can’t come.’

²¹“When the servant came back, he told his lord. The homeowner was mad, ‘Hurry out in the streets and alleys of town and bring in the poor, disabled, blind, and lame.’

²²“‘Sir, I did what you said, and there’s still room.’

²³“The lord said, ‘Go out into the country roads and pathways and pressure them to come in so my house will be full. ²⁴None of the people invited will taste my meal.”

The Cost of Discipleship

(Lk 14:25-35)

²⁵Large crowds were traveling along with him. He turned and said to them,

²⁶“Nobody that comes to me can be my disciple unless they love me more than their father, mother, wife, children, brothers, sisters, and even their own life. ²⁷Whoever doesn’t carry their own cross and follow me, can’t be my disciple. ²⁸Who wants to build a tower and doesn’t sit down first and figure out what it’ll cost, to see if he has enough money to finish it? ²⁹Otherwise, when he’s laid a foundation and can’t finish it, everybody that sees it will make fun of him, ³⁰‘This fellow began to build and couldn’t finish it.’

³¹“What king that goes against another king in war, doesn’t sit down first to figure out whether with 10,000 he can meet the one with 20,000? ³²If he can’t, while the other is a long way off, he’ll send ambassadors to ask for terms of peace. ³³In the same way, none of you can be my disciples unless you give up everything you own.

³⁴“Salt is good, but if it loses its saltiness, what’s going to make it salty? ³⁵It’s useless for the ground or the manure pile. People throw it out. Whoever has ears to hear, listen!”

Parable of the Lost Sheep

(Lk 15:1-7)

^15:1Tax collectors and sinners were coming to listen to him. ²The Pharisees and scribes started grumbling, “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.”

³He told them this parable.

⁴“Who that has a hundred sheep and loses one doesn’t leave the ninety-nine in open country and go looking for the lost one till he finds it? ⁵After he finds it, he puts it on his shoulders happy. ⁶When he gets home, he calls his friends and neighbors, ‘Let’s celebrate; I’ve found the sheep I lost.’ ⁷There’ll be more celebration in heaven over one sinner that repents than over ninety-nine good people that don’t need to repent.”

Parable of the Lost Coin

(Lk 15:8-10)

⁸“What woman that has ten coins and loses one doesn’t light a lamp, sweep the house, and keep looking till she finds it? ⁹When she does, she calls her friends and neighbors, ‘Let’s celebrate; I found the coin I lost.’ ¹⁰In the same way, God’s angels celebrate over one sinner that repents.

Parable of the Prodigal Son

(Lk 15:11-32)

¹¹“A man had two sons. ¹²The younger one said to his father, ‘Give me my share of the assets.’ He divided his livelihood between the two sons.

¹³“A few days later the younger son got everything together and left home for a distant country, and wasted his assets there, living immorally. ¹⁴When he’d spent everything, a severe famine arose in that country, and he was out of money. ¹⁵He went to work for a citizen in that country, who sent him into his fields to feed pigs. ¹⁶He was so hungry he wanted to eat the carob pods the pigs were eating, but nobody would give him anything.

¹⁷“He came to himself, ‘How many of my father’s hired hands have more than enough to eat, and I’m starving here. ¹⁸I’ll go to my father and say, “I’ve sinned against heaven and you. ¹⁹I don’t deserve to be your son anymore. Make me one of your hired hands.”

²⁰“He went to his father. While he was still a long way off, his father saw him, felt compassion for him, and ran and hugged him and kissed him. ²¹The son said, ‘Dad, I’ve sinned against heaven and you. I don’t deserve to be your son anymore.’

²²“But the father said to his servants, ‘Quickly, bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. ²³Bring the grain-fed calf and butcher it, and let’s eat and celebrate. ²⁴This son of mine was dead and has come back to life; he was lost and is found.’ They started celebrating.

²⁵“His older son was out in the field. When he got close to the house, he heard music and dancing. ²⁶He called one of the servants over and asked what was going on.

²⁷“‘Your brother came back, and your father has butchered the grain-fed calf because he received him back in good health.’

²⁸“He was mad and wouldn’t go in, and his father came out and urged him.

²⁹But he answered, ‘I slaved for you all these years and never neglected a thing you told me to do; and you never gave me a kid to celebrate with my friends. ³⁰But when this son of yours comes that wasted your living with prostitutes, you butchered the grain-fed calf.’

³¹“He said, ‘Son, you’re always here, and everything I have is yours. ³²But we needed to celebrate and be happy, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive, was lost and is found.’”

Parable of the Unjust Steward

(Lk 16:1-13)

^16:1He also said to his disciples,

“A rich man had a property manager who was reported to him for wasting the man’s holdings. ²He called him in, ‘What’s this I hear about you? Give me the records of your work; you can’t continue as manager.’ ³The man thought to himself, ‘What am I going to do? My boss is firing me. I’m not strong enough for hard work; I’m ashamed to beg. ⁴I know what I’ll do, so when I’ve been fired from being manager, people will welcome me into their homes.’

⁵“He called in each of his boss’s debtors, and said to the first, ‘How much do you owe my employer?’

⁶“‘Eight hundred gallons of olive oil.’

“‘Take your bill, sit down quickly and write, “Four hundred.”’

⁷“He said to the next one, ‘How much do you owe?’

“‘Nine hundred bushels of wheat.’

“‘Take your bill and write, “Seven hundred.”’

⁸“The employer complimented the conniving manager, because he was shrewd. The sons of this age are smarter among their own kind than the sons of light are. ⁹Make friends by wealth that has nothing to do with being good so when it runs out, people will welcome you into permanent shelters. A person that’s reliable in small things will be reliable in big ones. ¹⁰A person that’s unreliable in small things will be unreliable in big ones. ¹¹So if you prove to be unreliable in riches that have nothing to do with being good, who’ll trust you with true riches? ¹²If you prove to be unreliable with what belongs to somebody else, who’ll give you your own? ¹³No housekeeper can serve two employers. He’ll either disregard one and love the other, or pay attention to one and disregard the other. You can’t serve God and wealth.”

The Law and God’s Kingdom

(Lk 16:14-18)

¹⁴The Pharisees, who loved money, heard this and started making fun of him. ¹⁵He said to them,

“You justify yourselves to other people, but God knows your hearts. What people prize, God detests. ¹⁶The law and the prophets operated until John. Since then, God’s kingdom is being preached, and people keep trying to get in it by force. ¹⁷But it’s easier for earth and sky to pass away than for one serif of the law to fail.”

¹⁸“Everybody that divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery, and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery.”

Parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus

(Lk 16:19-31)

¹⁹“A rich man, dressed in purple and fine linen, celebrated every day in splendor. ²⁰A poor man named Lazarus was brought to his gate, covered with sores ²¹and hungry for the scraps that fell from the rich man’s table. Dogs even came and licked his sores.

²²“The poor man died, and the angels carried him away into Abraham’s arms. The rich man died and was buried. ²³In hell he looked up in torment and saw Abraham far away and Lazarus in his arms.

²⁴“He called out, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus to dip his fingertip in water and cool my tongue; I’m in agony in this flame.’

²⁵“Abraham said, ‘Son, remember, you received your good things in life, and Lazarus received bad things. Now he’s comforted here, and you’re in torment. ²⁶Besides, a large chasm lies between us and youpl, so people can’t cross over from one place to the other.

²⁷“‘Then send him to my father’s house—²⁸I have five brothers—to warn them so they won’t come to this place of torment.

²⁹“Abraham said, ‘They have Moses and the prophets. They can listen to them.’

³⁰“‘No, father Abraham, if somebody goes to them from the dead, they’ll repent.’

³¹“Abraham told him, ‘If they won’t listen to Moses and the prophets, they won’t be convinced even if somebody arises from the dead.’”

Parable of the Unprofitable Servant

(Lk 17:1-10)

17:1He said to his disciples,

“It’s inevitable that offenses will come, but woe to the one that brings them. ²It’d be better for him if a big millstone was put around his neck and he was thrown in the sea than that he should cause one of these little ones to sin. ³Be on guard. If your brother sins, rebuke him; if he repents, forgive him. ⁴If he sins against you seven times in a day, and comes back seven times and says, ‘I’m sorry,’ forgive him.”

⁵The apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith.”

⁶He said,

“If you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it will obey you.

⁷“Which of you that has a servant plowing or tending sheep will saysg to him when he comes in, ‘Come at once and sit down to eat’? ⁸Won’t yousg say, ‘Change clothes, make me something to eat, and wait on me till I eat; then you can eat’? ⁹Do you thank the servant for doing his job? ¹⁰So youpl too, when you’ve done what was commanded, say, ‘We’re unprofitable servants; we’ve done what we were supposed to do.”