Study Desk

But the one who did not know his master's will and did things worthy of punishment will receive a light beating. From everyone who has been given much, much will be required, and from the one who has been entrusted with much, even more will be asked.

Then Jesus told this parable: "A man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard, and he came looking for fruit on it and found none.

Then he placed his hands on her, and immediately she straightened up and praised God.

Then the Lord answered him, "You hypocrites! Does not each of you on the Sabbath untie his ox or his donkey from its stall, and lead it to water?

When he said this all his adversaries were humiliated, but the entire crowd was rejoicing at all the wonderful things he was doing.

It is like a mustard seed that a man took and sowed in his garden. It grew and became a tree, and the wild birds nested in its branches."

Then Jesus traveled throughout towns and villages, teaching and making his way toward Jerusalem.

At the time for the banquet he sent his slave to tell those who had been invited, ‘Come, because everything is now ready.'

So the slave came back and reported this to his master. Then the master of the household was furious and said to his slave, ‘Go out quickly to the streets and alleys of the city, and bring in the poor, the crippled, the blind, and the lame.'

So the master said to his slave, ‘Go out to the highways and country roads and urge people to come in, so that my house will be filled.

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

Whoever does not carry his own cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.

In the same way therefore not one of you can be my disciple if he does not renounce all his own possessions.

Then when he has found it, he places it on his shoulders, rejoicing.

Returning home, he calls together his friends and neighbors, telling them, ‘Rejoice with me, because I have found my sheep that was lost.'

The younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the share of the estate that will belong to me.' So he divided his assets between them.

After a few days, the younger son gathered together all he had and left on a journey to a distant country, and there he squandered his wealth with a wild lifestyle.

So he went and worked for one of the citizens of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs.

But when he came to his senses he said, ‘How many of my father's hired workers have food enough to spare, but here I am dying from hunger!

So he got up and went to his father. But while he was still a long way from home his father saw him, and his heart went out to him; he ran and hugged his son and kissed him.