Luke 16:1-13

 

In this parable Jesus teaches his disciples how to view money properly and how to have a healthy relationship with it, so that believers may be found faithful on that day.

Luke 15:11-24

 

Better known as the parable of The Prodigal Son, this story actually features two sons and a father. As shocking as the younger son's actions are and as sensible as the older son's reaction appears, it is the father's gracious response to both of them that is the most astonishing element of all. Charles Dickens is said to have called this the "greatest short story ever told." That certainly is high praise when you consider the source, but it utterly fails in comparison to the rejoicing in heaven when a sinner is rescued by God and granted eternal life.

Luke 14:25-35

 

Jesus loves sinners too much to allow false disciples to continue to operate in the gray area of a low-cost, low-commitment, and low-demand type of discipleship. By offering a version of Christianity that costs virtually nothing in terms of self-denial, the church has accepted multitudes of people who feel comfortable hanging around Jesus, but come short of actually become a true disciple. In this passage Jesus reveals three conditions necessary for genuine discipleship.