Study Desk

All who make themselves great will be made humble, but those who make themselves humble will be made great."

Then you will be blessed, because they have nothing and cannot pay you back. But you will be repaid when the good people rise from the dead."

"But all the guests made excuses. The first one said, ‘I have just bought a field, and I must go look at it. Please excuse me.'

Later the servant said to him, ‘Master, I did what you commanded, but we still have room.'

"If anyone comes to me but loves his father, mother, wife, children, brothers, or sisters—or even life—more than me, he cannot be my follower.

If you don't, you might lay the foundation, but you would not be able to finish. Then all who would see it would make fun of you,

saying, ‘This person began to build but was not able to finish.'

"Salt is good, but if it loses its salty taste, you cannot make it salty again.

But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law began to complain: "Look, this man welcomes sinners and even eats with them."

"Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep but loses one of them. Then he will leave the other ninety-nine sheep in the open field and go out and look for the lost sheep until he finds it.

"Suppose a woman has ten silver coins, but loses one. She will light a lamp, sweep the house, and look carefully for the coin until she finds it.

The son was so hungry that he wanted to eat the pods the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything.

When he realized what he was doing, he thought, ‘All of my father's servants have plenty of food. But I am here, almost dying with hunger.

I am no longer worthy to be called your son, but let me be like one of your servants."'

But the father said to his servants, ‘Hurry! Bring the best clothes and put them on him. Also, put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet.

My son was dead, but now he is alive again! He was lost, but now he is found!' So they began to celebrate.

But the older son said to his father, ‘I have served you like a slave for many years and have always obeyed your commands. But you never gave me even a young goat to have at a feast with my friends.

But your other son, who wasted all your money on prostitutes, comes home, and you kill the fat calf for him!'

We had to celebrate and be happy because your brother was dead, but now he is alive. He was lost, but now he is found.'"

He said to them, "You make yourselves look good in front of people, but God knows what is really in your hearts. What is important to people is hateful in God's sight.