The Gospel of Luke

Luke was not one of the 12 disciples. Years after Jesus was crucified, Luke traveled with the apostle Paul.  Luke had been a doctor before he started traveling with Paul. Luke wrote this book of the Bible based on what Paul and others told him.

Luke also wrote the Book of Acts.

The Gospel of Luke was probably written in 85 - 90 AD.
 
 

Luke 16


The parable of the manager and his boss


Jesus told His disciples another parable.  He said:  there once was a rich man. He had a manager who worked for him.  The manager was accused of wasting his boss' things. The rich man called the manager. He asked him why he was hearing bad things about him and the way he worked. He told him to explain what he had done or he might get fired.
[1] And he said also unto his disciples, There was a certain rich man, which had a steward; and the same was accused unto him that he had wasted his goods.
[2] And he called him, and said unto him, How is it that I hear this of thee? give an account of thy stewardship; for thou mayest be no longer steward.

The manager thought to himself, "What will I do? If I lose my job, what can I do? I can't dig. I am too ashamed to beg. I'm going to do something so that when I have to leave my boss' house, people will invite me into their homes."
[3] Then the steward said within himself, What shall I do? for my lord taketh away from me the stewardship: I cannot dig; to beg I am ashamed.
[4] I am resolved what to do, that, when I am put out of the stewardship, they may receive me into their houses.
 

So, the manager called everyone who owed money to his boss. He asked the first one, "How much do you owe my boss?"  The man said, "I owe 100 measures of oil." The manager said, "Sit down quickly and write a check for half - 50 measures."
[5] So he called every one of his lord's debtors unto him, and said unto the first,  "How much owest thou unto my lord?
[6] And he said, An hundred measures of oil. And he said unto him, Take thy bill, and sit down quickly, and write fifty.


Then the manager said to another one, "How much do you owe my boss?" The man said, "I owe 100 measures of wheat." The manager said, "Take your bill. Write a check for 80 instead of 100."
[7] Then said he to another, And how much owest thou? And he said, An hundred measures of wheat. And he said unto him, Take thy bill, and write fourscore.

 

The boss said the manager was smart. He praised him for what he did.  Jesus said that the worldly, sinful people are more devious than children who worship God.
[8] And the lord commended the unjust steward, because he had done wisely: for the children of this world are in their generation wiser than the children of light.


I say to you, "If you value money too much, you will learn that it fails. Then, you will know what is really important and what leads to life forever.
[9] And I say unto you, Make to yourselves friends of the mammon of unrighteousness; that, when ye fail, they may receive you into everlasting habitations.


The person who is faithful in little things is faithful in a lot. The person who does not do right in little things does wrong in a lot.
[10] He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much: and he that is unjust in the least is unjust also in much.


If you have not been faithful with the things the world values, who will trust you with the riches of  God?
[11] If therefore ye have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches?


If you are not faithful in things that belong to someone else, who will give you things of your own?
[12] And if ye have not been faithful in that which is another man's, who shall give you that which is your own?


No servant can serve two masters. He will either hate one master and love the other master. Or he will hold one and hate the other. You cannot serve God and money."
[13] No servant can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.


The Pharisees heard Him. They were greedy people. They criticized Him. 
[14] And the Pharisees also, who were covetous, heard all these things: and they derided him.


Jesus said to the Pharisees, "You try to make yourselves look good to other people, but God knows your hearts. God hates people who the world thinks are great.  
[15] And he said unto them, Ye are they which justify yourselves before men; but God knoweth your hearts: for that which is highly esteemed among men is abomination in the sight of God.


The law and the prophets were in place until John the Baptist. From then on, God's kingdom has been preached. It is for everyone.
[16] The law and the prophets were until John: since that time the kingdom of God is preached, and every man presseth into it.


The law is still there. It is easier for heaven and earth to pass than for one little part of the law to fail.
[17] And it is easier for heaven and earth to pass, than one tittle of the law to fail.


This is one of the laws. A man who divorces his wife and then marries another woman commits adultery.  A man who marries the first woman commits adultery.
[18] Whosoever putteth away his wife, and marrieth another, committeth adultery: and whosoever marrieth her that is put away from her husband committeth adultery.

 

Jesus tells a parable about a rich man and a poor man who die at the same time.


There was a rich man. He wore fancy purple clothes that were made with linen. He ate fancy food every day.
[19] There was a certain rich man, which was clothed in purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day:


There was a poor man named Lazarus. He laid by the rich man's gate and begged for money.  Lazarus had sores all over his body.  The dogs came and licked his sores. Lazarus wanted to eat the crumbs that fell off the rich man's table.
[20] And there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, which was laid at his gate, full of sores,
[21] And desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man's table: moreover the dogs came and licked his sores.


One day, Lazarus, the poor man, died. The angels carried him to Abraham's chest in heaven. The rich man also died. He was buried. He went to hell. He was being tortured. He looked up and could see Abraham up in heaven. He could see Lazarus with Abraham.
[22] And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham's bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried;
[23] And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.


The rich man cried, "Father Abraham, have mercy on me.  Send Lazarus to me so that he can dip his finger in water and cool off my tongue. I am being tortured with his fire."
[24] And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.


But Abraham said, "Son,  don't you remember that during your life, you received many good things? But Lazarus received evil things. But now, Lazarus is comfortable, and you are being tormented. Besides, there is a big valley between us. No one from here can pass over there. And no one from there can pass over here."
[25] But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented.
[26] And beside all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed: so that they which would pass from hence to you cannot; neither can they pass to us, that would come from thence.

Then, the rich man said, "I am praying to you, father, that you would send Lazarus to my family's house. I have 5 brothers. Lazarus can tell them about this so they won't have to come here to this place to be tormented."
[27] Then he said, I pray thee therefore, father, that thou wouldest send him to my father's house:
[28] For I have five brethren; that he may testify unto them, lest they also come into this place of torment.


Abraham said to the rich man, "Your family has Moses and the prophets. They can listen to them."
[29] Abraham saith unto him, They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them.
 

The rich man said, "No they won't, Father Abraham. But if someone who was dead went to see them, they would repent."
[30] And he said, Nay, father Abraham: but if one went unto them from the dead, they will repent.


Abraham said, "If they won't listen to  Moses and the prophets, they won't listen to someone who rose from the dead."
[31] And he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead.
 

Luke 17


Warning for someone who hurts a child.


Jesus said to the disciples, "It is impossible for bad things not to happen. But the person who causes them will have trouble. If someone causes trouble for a child, he would be better off to have a big rock tied around his necks and be thrown into the sea."
[1] Then said he unto the disciples, It is impossible but that offences will come: but woe unto him, through whom they come!
[2] It were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and he cast into the sea, than that he should offend one of these little ones.

 

Forgiving someone who sins against you.


This is a warning. If someone else sins against you, tell him he did something wrong.  If he says he is sorry, forgive him.  If he sins against you 7 times in one day and then says he is sorry 7 times in one day, you should also forgive him.
[3] Take heed to yourselves: If thy brother trespass against thee, rebuke him; and if he repent, forgive him.
[4] And if he trespass against thee seven times in a day, and seven times in a day turn again to thee, saying, I repent; thou shalt forgive him.

 

Faith as small as a mustard seed.

The apostles said to Jesus, "Make our faith stronger." Jesus said, "If you have just a tiny amount of faith, tiny like a mustard seed, you can tell this tree to pull up and be thrown into the ocean. The tree will do what you tell it to do."
[5] And the apostles said unto the Lord, Increase our faith.
[6] And the Lord said, If ye had faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye might say unto this sycamine tree, Be thou plucked up by the root, and be thou planted in the sea; and it should obey you.


You might have a servant that plows your fields or feeds your cattle. When he gets done working and comes back to the house, do you tell him to come and eat with you? No, you tell him to get your supper ready. Then, after you have finished eating and drinking, he can eat and drink.
[7] But which of you, having a servant plowing or feeding cattle, will say unto him by and by, when he is come from the field, Go and sit down to meat?
[8] And will not rather say unto him, Make ready wherewith I may sup, and gird thyself, and serve me, till I have eaten and drunken; and afterward thou shalt eat and drink?
 

Does the master thank the servant because the servant did the things he was ordered to do? I don't think so.
[9] Doth he thank that servant because he did the things that were commanded him? I trow not.


So, when you do what you have been commanded to do, you should say, "We are just servants. We have done what we are supposed to do."
[10] So likewise ye, when ye shall have done all those things which are commanded you, say, We are unprofitable servants: we have done that which was our duty to do.

 

The Healing of Ten Lepers  By James Tissot - Online Collection of Brooklyn Museum; Photo: Brooklyn Museum, 2008, 00.159.161_PS2.jpg, Public Domain, Link

Jesus heals 10 men who have leprosy.


Later, Jesus traveled to Jerusalem.  He passed through Samaria and Galilee.
[11] And it came to pass, as he went to Jerusalem, that he passed through the midst of Samaria and Galilee.


When He entered one of the villages, 10 men who had leprosy were there. They stood off at a distance. They called out to Jesus, "Master, please pity us."
[12] And as he entered into a certain village, there met him ten men that were lepers, which stood afar off:
[13] And they lifted up their voices, and said, Jesus, Master, have mercy on us.

When Jesus saw them, He said to them, "Go and see the priests." When they did that, they were clean.
[14] And when he saw them, he said unto them, Go shew yourselves unto the priests. And it came to pass, that, as they went, they were cleansed.
 

One of the men who was healed turned to Jesus. He praised God. He fell down on his face and thanked Him.  This man was a Samaritan. He was from the area of Samaria.
[15] And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, and with a loud voice glorified God,
[16] And fell down on his face at his feet, giving him thanks: and he was a Samaritan.


Jesus asked, "Weren't there 10 men who were healed? Where are the other 9?  Is this stranger the only one to give glory to God?" Jesus told the man to get up and go. Jesus told him that his faith had made him whole and healed
[17] And Jesus answering said, Were there not ten cleansed? but where are the nine?
[18] There are not found that returned to give glory to God, save this stranger.
[19] And he said unto him, Arise, go thy way: thy faith hath made thee whole.

Jesus tells about when the Son of man is revealed.


The Pharisees asked Him when the kingdom of God will come. He answered, "You can't see the kingdom of God. You can't say, 'Here it is' or 'There it is'. The kingdom of God is inside you."
[20] And when he was demanded of the Pharisees, when the kingdom of God should come, he answered them and said, The kingdom of God cometh not with observation:
[21] Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you.


He said to His disciples, "The days will come when you will want to see one of the days of the Son of man. But you won't see it. They will tell you to look in one place or another.  But don't follow them. The same as lightning in one part of the sky lights up the other part of the sky,  the Son of man will be in His day.
[22] And he said unto the disciples, The days will come, when ye shall desire to see one of the days of the Son of man, and ye shall not see it.
[23] And they shall say to you, See here; or, see there: go not after them, nor follow them.
[24] For as the lightning, that lighteneth out of the one part under heaven, shineth unto the other part under heaven; so shall also the Son of man be in his day.


But first He must suffer many things. He must be rejected by this generation. Like it was in Noah's days, it will be the same in the Son of man's days. They ate, drank, and got married until the day that Noah went into the ark.  Then the flood came and destroyed them all.
[25] But first must he suffer many things, and be rejected of this generation.
[26] And as it was in the days of Noe, so shall it be also in the days of the Son of man.
[27] They did eat, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, and the flood came, and destroyed them all.
 

It was the same in Lot's days. They ate, drank, bought, sold, planted, and built things.   But the day that Lot left Sodom, it rained fire and brimstone from heaven. It destroyed them all.
[28] Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot; they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they builded;
[29] But the same day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed them all.


It will be like that on the day when the Son of man is revealed.  On that day, a man will be on top of his house and his things will be down inside the house.  But he will leave and not get his things.  A man will be out in the field, and he won't go back to his house.
[30] Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed.
[31] In that day, he which shall be upon the housetop, and his stuff in the house, let him not come down to take it away: and he that is in the field, let him likewise not return back.


Do you remember Lot's wife? Anyone who tries to save his life will lose it. Anyone who loses his life will save it.
[32] Remember Lot's wife.
[33] Whosoever shall seek to save his life shall lose it; and whosoever shall lose his life shall preserve it.


I tell you this. In that night, there will be 2 people sleeping in a bed. One will be taken. The other one will be left.
[34] I tell you, in that night there shall be two men in one bed; the one shall be taken, and the other shall be left.


Two women will be grinding corn. One will be taken. The other one will be left.
[35] Two women shall be grinding together; the one shall be taken, and the other left.


Two men will be in a field. One will be taken, and the other one will be left."
[36] Two men shall be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left.


They said to Him, "Where, Lord?" He said to them, "Where the body is, that's where the eagles will gather together."
[37] And they answered and said unto him, Where, Lord? And he said unto them, Wheresoever the body is, thither will the eagles be gathered together.

 

Luke 18


Parable about a widow who kept praying.


Jesus told this parable to them. It was to teach them that people should always pray and not get tired of praying.
[1] And he spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint;
 

He said, "There was a judge in a city. He did not respect God, and he did not respect man.  There was a widow in the city. She came to him. She asked him to help her with someone who was causing her trouble.
[2] Saying, There was in a city a judge, which feared not God, neither regarded man:
[3] And there was a widow in that city; and she came unto him, saying, Avenge me of mine adversary.


The judge would not help her for a while. But, later, he said to himself, "Even though I do not respect God or man, I will help her because she keeps asking me, and she is making me tired."
[4] And he would not for a while: but afterward he said within himself, Though I fear not God, nor regard man;
[5] Yet because this widow troubleth me, I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me.


Jesus said, "Pay attention to what the unfair judge said. Won't God help His own chosen people who cry to him day and night for a long time?
[6] And the Lord said, Hear what the unjust judge saith.
[7] And shall not God avenge his own elect, which cry day and night unto him, though he bear long with them?


I tell you that He will help them in a hurry. Even so, when the Son of man comes, will He find faith on earth?"
[8] I tell you that he will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?

 

Parable about people who think they are better than other people.


Jesus told this parable to some people who thought they were better than other people.
[9] And he spake this parable unto certain which trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others:


He said, "Two men went up to the temple to pray. One of the men was a Pharisee. The other man was a tax collector.
[10] Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican.


The Pharisee stood up and prayed like this, 'God, I thank you that I am better than other people. I am better than people who are unfair, who are adulterers, who lie to get money, and even this tax collector. I fast twice a week. I give tithes from everything I have.'
[11] The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican.
[12] I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess.


The tax collector was standing far away. He would not even look up to heaven. He hit himself on the chest and said, 'God be merciful to me. I am a sinner.'"
[13] And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner.


Jesus said, "I am telling you that this man was justified instead of the Pharisee. Everyone who thinks he's high will be brought done. The person who will be humble will be raised up and cheered."
[14] I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.


 

The kingdom of heaven is for people who are like little children.


They brought babies to Jesus so that He would touch them. When His disciples saw this, they told the parents not to do that.
[15] And they brought unto him also infants, that he would touch them: but when his disciples saw it, they rebuked them.


Jesus told them to bring the little children to Him. They shouldn't tell them no. The kingdom of heaven is for people who are like little children.
[16] But Jesus called them unto him, and said, Suffer little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God.

Jesus said, "Truly I tell you that if someone does not believe in the kingdom of God like a little child, he will not be able to enter."
[17] Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child shall in no wise enter therein.


 

Christ and the Rich Young Ruler by Heinrich Hofmann From Wikipedia