Beginning
A Dinner Conversation on Shabbat
14 Now when Yeshua went into the home of one of the leaders of the Pharisees to eat a meal on Shabbat, they were watching Him closely. 2 And there before Him was a man swollen with fluid. 3 So Yeshua said to the Torah lawyers and the Pharisees, “Is it permitted to heal on Shabbat, or not?”
4 But they kept silent. So Yeshua took hold of him and healed him, and He sent him away. 5 Then He said to them, “Which of you, with a son or an ox falling into a well on Yom Shabbat, will not immediately pull him out?” [a] 6 And they could not reply to these things.
7 Yeshua began telling a parable to those who had been invited, when He noticed how they were choosing the seats of honor. He said to them, 8 “When you are invited by someone to a wedding, don’t take the seat of honor, for someone more highly esteemed than you may have been invited by him. 9 Then the one who invited both of you will come to you and say, ‘Give up this seat.’ And with shame, you would proceed to take the lowest seat. 10 But when you are invited, go and recline in the lowest seat so that when the one who invited you comes, he may say to you, ‘Friend, move up higher.’ Then you shall be honored in the presence of all those who are dining with you. 11 For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and the one who humbles himself will be exalted.”[b]
12 Then Yeshua was also saying to the one who invited Him, “When you host a luncheon or dinner, don’t invite your friends or your brothers or your relatives or rich neighbors. Otherwise they might invite you in return as your payback. 13 But when you host a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind; 14 and you will be blessed, since they cannot repay you. You will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.”
15 Now hearing this, one of those dining with Yeshua said to Him, “Blessed is he who eats bread in the kingdom of God.”
16 But Yeshua said to him, “A certain man was hosting a large banquet, and he invited many. 17 At the time for the banquet, he sent his slave to tell those who had been invited, ‘Come, everything is already prepared.’
18 “But every one of them began to beg off. The first said to him, ‘I bought a farm, and I’m obligated to go out to see it. I’m asking you to have me excused.’ 19 Then another one said, ‘I’ve purchased five teams of oxen, and I’m going to check them out. I’m asking you to have me excused.’ 20 Still another said, ‘I’ve married a wife, so I cannot come.’[c]
21 “The slave came and reported these things to his master. Then the master of the house got angry and said to his slave, ‘Quickly go out into the squares and alleys of the city and bring here the poor, the maimed, the blind, and the lame.’
22 “And the slave said, ‘Master, I have done as you instructed, and still there is room.’
23 “So the master said to the slave, ‘Go out into the thoroughfares and fenced areas, and press them to come in so my home may be filled. 24 For I tell you, none of those men who were invited will taste my banquet.’”
Telling Parables Along the Road
25 Now great crowds were traveling with Yeshua; and He turned and said to them, 26 “If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his own father, mother, wife, children, brothers, and sisters—and yes, even his own life—he cannot be My disciple. 27 Whoever does not carry his own cross and follow Me cannot be My disciple.
28 “For which of you, wanting to build a tower, doesn’t first sit down and figure out the cost, to see if he has enough to finish it? 29 Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and isn’t able to finish everything, all who see it begin to mock him, 30 saying, ‘This man began to build and wasn’t able to finish!’
31 “Or what king, going to make war against another king, won’t first sit down to consider whether he is able with ten thousand to confront the one coming against him with twenty thousand? [d] 32 If not, while the other is still far away, he sends an ambassador and asks for peace. 33 So in the same way, whoever does not renounce all that he has, cannot be My disciple.
34 “Therefore, salt is good; but if the salt should lose its flavor, how shall it be made salty again? 35 It is not suitable for the soil or for a manure heap—it is thrown out. The one who has ears to hear, let him hear.”
15 Now all the tax collectors and sinners were drawing near to hear Yeshua. 2 The Pharisees and the Torah scholars began to complain, saying, ‘This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.” 3 So He told this parable to them, saying, 4 “Which man among you, if he has a hundred sheep and loses one of them, will not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness and go after the lost one until he finds it? 5 When he has found it, he puts it on his shoulders, rejoicing. 6 And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and neighbors and says, ‘Rejoice with me, for I’ve found my sheep that was lost!’ 7 I tell you, in the same way there will be more joy in heaven over one repenting sinner than over the ninety-nine righteous people who have no need of repentance.”
8 “Or which woman, if she has ten silver coins and loses one coin,[e] does not light a lamp, sweep the house, and search thoroughly until she finds it? 9 When she has found it, she calls together her friends and neighbors, saying, ‘Rejoice with me, for I’ve found the coin I had lost!’ 10 In the same way, I tell you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”
11 Then Yeshua said, “A certain man had two sons, 12 and the younger of them said to the father, ‘Father, give me the share of the property that comes to me.’ So he divided his wealth between them.
13 “Not many days later, the younger son gathered everything and traveled to a far country, and there he squandered his inheritance on wild living. 14 Now when he had spent everything, a severe famine came against that country, and he began to be in need. 15 So he went and joined himself to one of the citizens of that country, who sent him into his fields to feed pigs. 16 And he was longing to fill up on the carob pods the pigs were eating, but no one was giving him any.
17 “But when he came to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired workers have food overflowing, but here I am dying of hunger! 18 I’ll get up and go to my father, and I’ll say to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your presence. 19 I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Make me like one of your hired workers.
20 “And he got up and went to his own father. But while he was still far away, his father saw him and felt compassion. He ran and fell on his neck and kissed him. 21 Then the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your presence. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’
22 “But the father said to his slaves, ‘Quick! Bring out the best robe and put it on him! Put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet. 23 Bring the fattened calf and kill it! Let’s celebrate with a feast! 24 For this son of mine was dead and has come back to life—he was lost and is found!’ Then they began to celebrate.
25 “Now his older son was out in the field. And as he came near the house, he heard music and dancing. 26 And he called out to one of the servants and began to ask what these things could be.
27 “The servant said to him, ‘Your brother has come, and your father has killed the fattened calf because he got him back safe and sound.’
28 “But the older son was angry and didn’t want to go in. So his father came outside and pleaded with him. 29 But he answered and said to his father, ‘Look, so many years I’ve slaved away for you—not once did I ignore your order. Yet you’ve never given me a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends. 30 But when this son of yours came—the one who has squandered your wealth with prostitutes—for him you killed the fattened calf!”
31 “Then the father said to him, ‘Son, you are always with me, and everything that is mine is yours. 32 But it was right to celebrate and rejoice, because this brother of yours was dead but has come back to life! He was lost, but is found.’”
A Lesson for the Disciples
16 Now Yeshua was also saying to the disciples, “There was a rich man who had a household manager, and this manager was accused of squandering his belongings. 2 So he called the manager and said to him, ‘What’s this I hear about you? Give an accounting of your management, because you cannot be manager any longer.’
3 “Then the manager said to himself, ‘What shall I do, since my master is taking the management away from me? I’m not strong enough to dig; I’m ashamed to beg. 4 I know what I’ll do, so that when I’m put out of management others will welcome me into their homes.’ 5 So he called in each one of his master’s debtors, and he said to the first, ‘How much do you owe my master?’
6 “He said, ‘One hundred units of olive oil.’
“The manager said to him, ‘Take your bill, sit down quickly, and write fifty.’ 7 Then he said to another, ‘Now how much do you owe?’
“He said, ‘A hundred units of wheat.’
“The manager said to him, ‘Take your bill and write eighty.’
8 “Now the master praised the crooked manager because he had acted shrewdly, for the sons of this age are smarter when dealing with their own generation than the sons of light. 9 I say to you, make friends for yourselves from the wealth of the world, so when it runs out, they will welcome you into the eternal shelters.
10 “One who is faithful in the smallest matters is also faithful in much, and the one unjust in the smallest matters will likewise be unjust in much. 11 So then, if you cannot be trusted with unjust wealth, who will trust you with true wealth? 12 Now if you have not been trustworthy with what belongs to another, who will give you anything of your own? 13 No servant can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will stick by one and look down on the other. You cannot serve God and money.”[f]
The Pharisees Listen In
14 Now the Pharisees, who were lovers of money, were listening to all these things and sneering at Yeshua. 15 But He said to them, “You are the ones who justify yourselves before the people, but God knows your hearts.[g] For what is prized among men is detestable in God’s sight.”
16 “The Torah and the Prophets were proclaimed until John. Since then, the Good News of the kingdom of God is being proclaimed, and everyone tries forcing his way in. 17 But it is easier for heaven and earth to pass away than for a single serif[h] of the Torah to fail. 18 Everyone who divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery. And he who marries one who is divorced from a husband commits adultery.
19 “Now there was a rich man dressed in purple and fine linen, living it up in luxury every day. 20 But a poor man named Lazarus had been laid at his gate, covered with sores 21 and longing to be fed with what fell from the rich man’s table. Besides, even the dogs were coming to lick his sores.
22 “It happened that the poor man died and was carried by the angels to Abraham’s side. Then the rich man also died and was buried. 23 And from Sheol, as he was in torment, he raised his eyes. And he sees Abraham far off, and Lazarus at his side. [i] 24 So he cried out and said, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me! And send Lazarus so he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool off my tongue, because I am suffering torment in this flame.’[j]
25 “But Abraham said, ‘Son, remember that in your life you received your good things, even as Lazarus received the bad things. But now he is comforted here, and you are tormented. 26 Besides all this, between us and you a great chasm is firmly set, so that those who want to cross over to you cannot, nor can those from there cross over to us.
27 “Then the rich man said, ‘I beg you then, Father Abraham, send Lazarus to my father’s house! 28 For I have five brothers to warn, so that they will not also come to this place of torment.’
29 “But Abraham says, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets. Let them listen to them.’
30 “But he said, ‘No, Father Abraham, but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.’
31 “But Abraham said, ‘If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, neither will they be convinced even if someone rises from the dead!’”
Tree of Life (TLV) Translation of the Bible. Copyright © 2015 by The Messianic Jewish Family Bible Society.