Study Desk

and from inside he answers and says, 'Do not bother me; the door has already been shut and my children and I are in bed; I cannot get up and give you anything.'

"The one who is not with Me is against Me; and the one who does not gather with Me scatters.

"Now I say to you, everyone who confesses Me before people, the Son of Man will also confess him before the angels of God;

but the one who denies Me before people will be denied before the angels of God.

Now someone in the crowd said to Him, "Teacher, tell my brother to divide the family inheritance with me."

But He said to him, "You there—who appointed Me a judge or arbitrator over the two of you?"

And yet He will say, 'I do not know where you are from; LEAVE ME, ALL YOU EVILDOERS.'

"Behold, your house is left to you desolate; and I say to you, you will not see Me until you say, 'BLESSED IS THE ONE WHO COMES IN THE NAME OF THE LORD!'"

"And yet they all alike began to make excuses. The first one said to him, 'I purchased a field and I need to go out to look at it; please consider me excused.'

"And another one said, 'I bought five yoke of oxen, and I am going to try them out; please consider me excused.'

"If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his own father, mother, wife, children, brothers, sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be My disciple.

"Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple.

"And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and his neighbors, saying to them, 'Rejoice with me, because I have found my sheep that was lost!'

"And when she has found it, she calls together her friends and neighbors, saying, 'Rejoice with me, because I have found the coin which I had lost!'

"The younger of them said to his father, 'Father, give me the share of the estate that is coming to me.' And so he divided his wealth between them.

I am no longer worthy to be called your son; treat me as one of your hired laborers."'

"But he answered and said to his father, 'Look! For so many years I have been serving you and I have never neglected a command of yours; and yet you never gave me a young goat, so that I might celebrate with my friends;

"And he said to him, 'Son, you have always been with me, and all that is mine is yours.

"And the manager said to himself, 'What am I to do, since my master is taking the management away from me? I am not strong enough to dig; I am ashamed to beg.

'I know what I will do, so that when I am removed from the management people will welcome me into their homes.'