Study Desk

So He was saying, "What is the kingdom of God like, and to what shall I compare it?

"But whenever you are invited, go and take the last place, so that when the one who has invited you comes, he will say to you, 'Friend, move up higher'; then you will have honor in the sight of all who are dining at the table with you.

"And the master said to the slave, 'Go out into the roads and the hedges and press upon them to come in, so that my house will be filled.

"So then, none of you can be My disciple who does not give up all his own possessions.

"It is useless either for the soil or the manure pile, so it is thrown out. The one who has ears to hear, let him hear."

And so He told them this parable, saying,

"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.

"So he went and hired himself out to one of the citizens of that country, and he sent him into his fields to feed pigs.

"So he set out and came to his father. But when he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion for him, and ran and embraced him and kissed him.

"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;

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

"And I say to you, make friends for yourselves by means of the wealth of unrighteousness, so that when it is all gone, they will receive you into the eternal dwellings.

"And he cried out and said, 'Father Abraham, have mercy on me and send Lazarus, so that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool off my tongue, for I am in agony in this flame.'

'And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been set, so that those who want to go over from here to you will not be able, nor will any people cross over from there to us.'

for I have five brothers—in order that he may warn them, so that they will not come to this place of torment as well.'

"So you too, when you do all the things which were commanded you, say, 'We are unworthy slaves; we have done only that which we ought to have done.'"

"For just like the lightning, when it flashes out of one part of the sky, shines to the other part of the sky, so will the Son of Man be in His day.

"And just as it happened in the days of Noah, so will it also be in the days of the Son of Man:

Now they were bringing even their babies to Him so that He would touch them; but when the disciples saw it, they began rebuking them.

Those who heard Him said, "And so who can be saved?"