CHAPTER 17

Because the Jewish religious leaders were planning to arrest Jesus, he left Jerusalem with his disciples and walked east across the Jordan River to Bethany, the place where John had been baptizing people in the early days. There Jesus taught through the towns and villages of Perea, and many people believed in him. They said, “Although John never did a miracle, everything he said about Jesus was true.”

All of a sudden, a man spoke up and asked Jesus, “Lord, are only a few people going to be saved and enter the kingdom of God?” Jesus said to him, “Make every effort to enter through the narrow door. For I tell you the truth, many people will try to enter and will not be able to. Once the owner of the house gets up and closes the door, you will stand outside knocking and begging, ‘Sir, open the door for us.’ But the owner will declare, ‘I don’t know you or where you come from!’ Then you will tell him, ‘We ate and drank with you, and you taught in our streets.’ But the owner will declare, ‘I don’t know you or where you come from! Go away from me, all you workers of evil!’

Then Jesus said, “There will be weeping and grinding of teeth there when you see Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and all the Old Testament prophets in the kingdom of God, but you have been thrown out. People will come from east and west and north and south, and will take their places at the banquet feast in the kingdom of God. For there are some people who are last who will be first, and there are some people who are first who will be last.”

At that time some religious leaders rushed forward and said to Jesus, “Hurry, leave Perea because Herod Antipas wants to kill you.” Jesus said to the them, “Go tell that fox, ‘Today and tomorrow I will continue to cast out demons, heal the sick, and on the third day I will reach my goal. Believe me, I will keep walking today and tomorrow and the next day—for surely no prophet can die outside of Jerusalem!

Jesus was speaking about his crucifixion and resurrection from the dead.

During that time Jesus went to eat in the house of a prominent religious leader on the Sabbath day, which also served as a synagogue. He was being carefully watched to see what he would do. There was a man there in front of Jesus who was suffering from a swollen body. Jesus asked the religious leaders, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?” But they did not say anything to him. So Jesus took hold of the man, healed him, and sent him away. Then Jesus said to the religious leaders, “If one of you had a child or an ox that fell into a well on the Sabbath, you would immediately pull them out.”

Again, they did not say anything to Jesus.

As they were about to eat, Jesus saw how the guests chose the places of honor at the table. The places of honor were to sit on the right and left side of the host. So he told them this story: “When someone invites you to a wedding feast, do not take the place of honor, for a more important person than you may have been invited. And then the wed- ding host who had invited both of you will tell you, ‘Give this person your seat of honor.’ Then you will be put to shame, and you will have to sit in a less honorable seat. Instead, when you are invited, take the least important place, so that when your host comes, he will tell you, ‘Friend, move to a more honored place at the table.’ Then you will be honored in the presence of all the other guests. For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.”

Then Jesus turned and said to the religious leader, “When you give a luncheon or dinner, do not invite your friends, family, relatives, or your rich neighbors; if you do, they might invite you back to repay you. Instead, when you give a banquet, invite the poor, crippled, lame, and blind. If you do, you will be blessed. Although they cannot repay you, you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.” When someone at the table heard this, he said to Jesus, “Blessed is the one who will eat at the feast in the kingdom of God.”

Then Jesus told the story of a great banquet. He said, “A man was preparing a great banquet and invited many guests. At the time of the banquet he sent his servant to tell everyone who had been invited, ‘Come, for everything is now ready!’ But all of those invited made ex- cuses. The first person said, ‘I have just bought some land, and I must go and see it. Please excuse me.’ Another person said, ‘I have bought five teams of oxen, and I’m on my way to try them out. Please excuse me.’ Still another person said, ‘I just got married, so I can’t come.’ The servant returned and told his master about all the excuses that those who were invited had made. Then the owner of the house became angry and ordered his servant, ‘Go out quickly into the streets and al- leys of the town and bring in the poor, the crippled, the blind, and the lame.’ The servant said, ‘Sir, what you asked us to do, we have already done, but there is still space in the banquet room.’ Then the master told his servant, ‘Go out to the roads and country paths and persuade people to come in, so that my house will be full. For I tell you the truth: Not one of those people who were invited will ever eat at my banquet.’”

Large crowds of people were walking with Jesus through Perea, and he turned to them and said, “Whoever comes to me and loves his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters—yes, and even his own life—more than me cannot be my disciple. Whoever does not carry his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. He cannot be my disciple. Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. For those of you who do not give up ev- erything cannot be my disciples.”

Then Jesus said to those who were following him, “Listen to me. Whoever can be trusted with little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much. So if you have not been faithful in handling worldly wealth, who will trust you with true riches? And if you have not been faithful with someone else’s property, who will give you property of your own?”

Jesus turned to the crowd of people around him and said, “No servant can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.” When the religious leaders heard this, they made fun of Jesus because they were lovers of money. Jesus said to them, “You are those who justify yourselves in the eyes of other people, but God knows your hearts. The money people value in this world is detestable in God’s sight.

Jesus was disturbed with the religious leaders and said, “The law of Moses and the Old Testament prophets were proclaimed until the coming of John the Baptist. Since the coming of John the Baptist, the good news of the kingdom of God is being preached, and whoever has strong faith is entering it. For it is easier for heaven and earth to disappear than for the smallest stroke of a pen to be left out of the law of Moses.”

Then Jesus told the religious leaders the story of the rich man and Lazarus. “There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and lived in luxury every day. A poor beggar named Lazarus—whose body was covered with sores—was laid at the rich man’s gate, hoping to eat what fell from the rich man’s table. Even the dogs came and licked Lazarus’ sores. The time came when Lazarus died and the angels carried him to Abraham’s side. Then the rich man also died and was buried. As the rich man was being tormented in the realm of the dead, he looked up and saw Abraham far away and Lazarus at his side. The man called out, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me and send Lazarus to dip his finger in water and cool off my tongue, for I am suffering in this fire.’

But Abraham said to the rich man, ‘You received all your luxurious things during your life on earth, while Lazarus only received bad things, but now he is comforted here and you are suffering. And besides, a great canyon has been placed between us, so no one is able to cross to either side.’

The rich man said, ‘Then I beg you, Father Abraham, send Lazarus to my family, for I have five brothers. Have Lazarus warn them, so they will not come to this place of torment.’ Abraham said, ‘They can believe Moses and the Old Testament prophets; let them listen to them.’ But the rich man said, ‘No, Father Abraham, for if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent and turn to God.’ Abraham said to him, ‘If they will not listen to Moses and the Old Testament prophets during their life on earth, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.’”

At that time many tax collectors and sinners were all crowding around to hear Jesus. But the religious leaders complained, “Jesus welcomes sinners and eats with them.”

So Jesus told them these stories:

“Suppose someone has 100 sheep and loses one of them. Wouldn’t he leave the 99 sheep in the field and search for the one lost sheep until he finds it? And when he finds the lost sheep, he puts it on his shoulders rejoicing and goes home. Then he calls together his friends and neighbors and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep!’ Jesus said, “I tell you the truth: In the same way, there is more rejoic- ing in heaven over one sinner who repents and turns to God than over 99 righteous people who do not need to repent.

“Suppose a woman has 10 silver coins and loses one of them. Wouldn’t she light a lamp, sweep the house, and look everywhere until she finds it? And when she finds the lost coin, she calls together her friends and neighbors and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost coin!’ Jesus said, “I tell you the truth: In the same way, there is rejoicing in the presence of God’s angels over one sinner who repents and turns to God.

“There was a man who had two sons. The younger son said to his father, ‘Father, give me my share of the estate.’ So the father divided his property between his two sons. Not long after that, the younger son took all that he owned, and went on a journey to a faraway, non-Jewish country where he wasted his wealth in sinful living. After he spent all his money there was a severe famine in that country, and he began to be in desperate need. So he went and was hired to feed the pigs in the field. He became so hungry that he even wanted to eat the pigs’ food, but no one gave him anything. When the son realized that his life had hit bottom, he said to himself, ‘My father’s servants have plenty of food to eat, but here I am starving to death! I will go back to my father and tell him, “Father, I have sinned against God and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son, so just make me one of your servants. So the son left that country and walked back to his father.

“His father saw his son in the distance walking toward him, and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to meet his son, threw his arms around him, and kissed him. The son said to his father, ‘I have sinned against God and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ But the father told his servants, ‘Go! Bring the best robe and put it on my son. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Bring the well-fed calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate the return of my son. For my son was dead, but he is alive again; he was lost, but now he is found.’ So they began to celebrate.

“Meanwhile, the father’s older son was working in the field. When he came near to the house, he heard music and dancing. So he called one of the servants and asked him why everyone was celebrating. The servant said, ‘Your younger brother has come home, and your father has killed the well-fed calf because he is back home safe and sound.’ The older brother became very angry and refused to go into the house and join the celebration. So his father went outside and pleaded with him. But the older son told his father, ‘Look! For many years I’ve worked like a slave for you, and I have done everything you have told me to do. But you never gave me even a young goat so that I could celebrate with my friends. But when this son of yours who wasted your property with prostitutes comes home, you kill a well-fed calf for him!’

“The father said to him, ‘My son, you are always with me, and everything I own is yours. But we had to celebrate and rejoice, because your brother was dead and is alive again; he was lost, but now he is found.’”

At that time, Mary and Martha—Lazarus’ sisters—sent this message to Jesus saying, “Lord, our brother Lazarus, the one you love is very sick.” Jesus was sad because he loved Mary, Martha, and Lazarus. He turned to his disciples and said, “Lazarus’ sickness will not lead to his death. No, his sickness is for God’s glory, so that the Son of God will be praised through it.”

Jesus stayed east of the Jordan River in the region of Perea for two more days.

Then he said to his disciples, “Let us go back to Jerusalem.” His disciples said, “But Teacher, a short while ago the religious leaders in Jerusalem were trying to kill you. Why are you going back there?” Jesus said, “There are 12 hours of light in a day. Whoever walks during the day will not stumble, because they see by this world’s light. But it’s when a person walks in the darkness of night that they stumble, for they have no light to see. Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but I am going there to wake him up.”

His disciples were puzzled and said, “Lord, if he is asleep, he will wake up on his own.” Jesus was telling them of Lazarus’ death, but his disciples thought he was saying that Lazarus was just sleeping. Then Jesus told them directly, “Lazarus is dead. Get ready we are going to Jerusalem.” Then Thomas said to the other disciples, “Let’s go and die with him.”

When Jesus arrived at Bethany on the Mount of Olives, Lazarus had already been in a rock tomb for four days, and many Jews had come to comfort Mary and Martha because of their brother’s death. When Martha heard that Jesus was coming to Bethany, she ran to meet him, but Mary stayed home.

Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother Lazarus would not have died. But I know that God will do whatever you ask him.” Jesus said to her, “Your brother will be raised from the dead.” Martha said, “I know he will rise from the dead in the resurrection at the last day.” Jesus said to her, “I am the res- urrection and the life! Whoever believes in me will live, even though he dies. Whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you be- lieve what I tell you is true?” Martha said, “Yes, Lord! I believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, who has come into this world.”

After saying this, Martha hurried back to Bethany and called her sister Mary aside and said, “The Teacher is here and he is asking to see you.” When Mary heard this, she left quickly and ran to meet him. When the Jews, who were with Mary in the house, saw how quickly she got up and left, they followed her. When Mary came to Jesus, she fell at his feet and said, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother Lazarus would not have died.”

When Jesus saw Mary and the others weeping, he was deeply moved in his spirit and was greatly troubled. Then Jesus asked them, “Where did you put Lazarus’ body?” They said, “Lord, come and we will show you.” Jesus wept. Then the Jews said to one another, “See how much he loved Lazarus.” But some of the Jews said, “He healed the man who was born blind, why couldn’t he have stopped Lazarus from dying?”

Jesus arrived at Lazarus’ tomb, and he was deeply moved in his spirit. Now it was a cave tomb, and a large stone had been rolled across its entrance.

Jesus yelled, “Roll away the stone.” Martha was confused and said, “But Lord, he has been dead four days and by this time his body will stink.” Then Jesus said to her, “Didn’t I tell you that if you believe you will see the glory of God?” So finally they rolled the stone away from the tomb’s entrance. Then Jesus looked up to heaven and prayed, “Father, I thank you that you hear me. I know that you always hear me.”

After Jesus had prayed, he shouted, “Lazarus, come out of the tomb!” Lazarus walked out of the tomb, his hands and feet wrapped with linen strips, and his face wrapped with a cloth. Jesus told the people, “Take off his grave clothes and set Lazarus free!”

At that time, many of the Jews who had come to visit Mary believed in Jesus after they saw him raise Lazarus from the dead.

But some other Jews went and told the religious leaders what Jesus had done. So they called a meeting of the Jewish religious council. They asked, “What are we going to do? For this man Jesus is doing many miracles. If we do not stop him, everyone will believe in him, and then the Romans will come and destroy our temple and our nation.”

Then the high priest Caiaphas said, “You know nothing at all! Jesus must die to protect the Jewish nation.

So from that day on the religious leaders made plans to kill Jesus.