What did Jesus say about Work?

¹¹ “A certain man had two sons.

¹² The younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me my share of your property.’ So he divided his livelihood between them.

¹³ Not many days after, the younger son gathered all of this together and traveled into a far country. There he wasted his property with riotous living.

¹⁴ When he had spent all of it, there arose a severe famine in that country, and he began to be in need.

¹⁵ He went and joined himself to one of the citizens of that country, and he sent him into his fields to feed pigs.

¹⁶ He wanted to fill his belly with the pods that the pigs ate, but no one gave him any.

¹⁷ But when he came to himself, he said, ‘How many hired servants of my father’s have bread enough to spare, and I’m dying with hunger!

¹⁸ I will get up and go to my father, and will tell him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight.

¹⁹ I am no more worthy to be called your son. Make me as one of your hired servants.”’

²⁰ “He arose and came to his father. But while he was still far off, his father saw him and was moved with compassion, and ran, fell on his neck, and kissed him.

²¹ The son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’

²² “But the father said to his servants, ‘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, kill it, and let’s eat and celebrate;

²⁴ for this, my son, was dead and is alive again. He was lost and is found.’ Then they began to celebrate.

²⁵ “Now his elder son was in the field. As he came near to the house, he heard music and dancing.

²⁶ He called one of the servants to him and asked what was going on.

²⁷ He said to him, ‘Your brother has come, and your father has killed the fattened calf, because he has received him back safe and healthy.’

²⁸ But he was angry and would not go in. Therefore his father came out and begged him.

²⁹ But he answered his father, ‘Behold, these many years I have served you, and I never disobeyed a commandment of yours, but you never gave me a goat, that I might celebrate with my friends.

³⁰ But when this your son came, who has devoured your living with prostitutes, you killed the fattened calf for him.’

³¹ “He said to him, ‘Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours.

³² But it was appropriate to celebrate and be glad, for this, your brother, was dead, and is alive again. He was lost, and is found.’”

³² “But of that day or that hour no one knows—not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.

³³ Watch, keep alert, and pray; for you don’t know when the time is.

³⁴ “It is like a man traveling to another country, having left his house and given authority to his servants, and to each one his work, and also commanded the doorkeeper to keep watch.

³⁵ Watch therefore, for you don’t know when the lord of the house is coming—whether at evening, or at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or in the morning;

³⁶ lest, coming suddenly, he might find you sleeping.

³⁷ What I tell you, I tell all: Watch!”

² “The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses’ seat.

³ All things therefore whatever they tell you to observe, observe and do, but don’t do their works; for they say, and don’t do.

⁴ For they bind heavy burdens that are grievous to be borne, and lay them on men’s shoulders; but they themselves will not lift a finger to help them.

⁵ But they do all their works to be seen by men. They make their phylacteries broad and enlarge the fringes of their garments,

⁶ and love the place of honor at feasts, the best seats in the synagogues,

⁷ the salutations in the marketplaces, and to be called ‘Rabbi, Rabbi’ by men.

⁸ But you are not to be called ‘Rabbi’, for one is your teacher, the Christ, and all of you are brothers.

⁹ Call no man on the earth your father, for one is your Father, he who is in heaven.

¹⁰ Neither be called masters, for one is your master, the Christ.

¹¹ But he who is greatest among you will be your servant.

¹² Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.

¹ “A man planted a vineyard, put a hedge around it, dug a pit for the wine press, built a tower, rented it out to a farmer, and went into another country.

² When it was time, he sent a servant to the farmer to get from the farmer his share of the fruit of the vineyard.

³ They took him, beat him, and sent him away empty.

⁴ Again, he sent another servant to them; and they threw stones at him, wounded him in the head, and sent him away shamefully treated.

⁵ Again he sent another, and they killed him, and many others, beating some, and killing some.

⁶ Therefore still having one, his beloved son, he sent him last to them, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’

⁷ But those farmers said among themselves, ‘This is the heir. Come, let’s kill him, and the inheritance will be ours.’

⁸ They took him, killed him, and cast him out of the vineyard.

⁹ What therefore will the lord of the vineyard do? He will come and destroy the farmers, and will give the vineyard to others.

¹⁰ Haven’t you even read this Scripture: ‘The stone which the builders rejected was made the head of the corner.

¹¹ This was from the Lord. It is marvelous in our eyes’?”

²² “The days will come when you will desire to see one of the days of the Son of Man, and you will not see it.

²³ They will tell you, ‘Look, here!’ or ‘Look, there!’ Don’t go away or follow after them,

²⁴ for as the lightning, when it flashes out of one part under the sky, shines to another part under the sky, so will the Son of Man be in his day.

²⁵ But first, he must suffer many things and be rejected by this generation.

²⁶ As it was in the days of Noah, even so it will also be in the days of the Son of Man.

²⁷ They ate, they drank, they married, and they were given in marriage until the day that Noah entered into the ship, and the flood came and destroyed them all.

²⁸ Likewise, even as it was in the days of Lot: they ate, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they built;

²⁹ but in the day that Lot went out from Sodom, it rained fire and sulfur from the sky and destroyed them all.

³⁰ It will be the same way in the day that the Son of Man is revealed.

³¹ In that day, he who will be on the housetop and his goods in the house, let him not go down to take them away. Let him who is in the field likewise not turn back.

³² Remember Lot’s wife!

³³ Whoever seeks to save his life loses it, but whoever loses his life preserves it.

³⁴ I tell you, in that night there will be two people in one bed. One will be taken and the other will be left.

³⁵ There will be two grinding grain together. One will be taken and the other will be left.”

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Only selected verses are shown in this excerpt. Read in context for the full passage.

³⁷ “Where the body is, there the vultures will also be gathered together.”

³³ “Hear another parable. There was a man who was a master of a household who planted a vineyard, set a hedge about it, dug a wine press in it, built a tower, leased it out to farmers, and went into another country.

³⁴ When the season for the fruit came near, he sent his servants to the farmers to receive his fruit.

³⁵ The farmers took his servants, beat one, killed another, and stoned another.

³⁶ Again, he sent other servants more than the first; and they treated them the same way.

³⁷ But afterward he sent to them his son, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’

³⁸ But the farmers, when they saw the son, said among themselves, ‘This is the heir. Come, let’s kill him and seize his inheritance.’

³⁹ So they took him and threw him out of the vineyard, then killed him.

⁴⁰ When therefore the lord of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those farmers?”

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Narration or other speakers' words are omitted to show Jesus' words. Read in context for the full passage.

⁴² “Did you never read in the Scriptures, ‘The stone which the builders rejected was made the head of the corner. This was from the Lord. It is marvelous in our eyes’?

⁴³ “Therefore I tell you, God’s Kingdom will be taken away from you and will be given to a nation producing its fruit.

⁴⁴ He who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces, but on whomever it will fall, it will scatter him as dust.”

¹⁶ “A certain man made a great supper, and he invited many people.

¹⁷ He sent out his servant at supper time to tell those who were invited, ‘Come, for everything is ready now.’

¹⁸ They all as one began to make excuses. “The first said to him, ‘I have bought a field, and I must go and see it. Please have me excused.’

¹⁹ “Another said, ‘I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I must go try them out. Please have me excused.’

²⁰ “Another said, ‘I have married a wife, and therefore I can’t come.’

²¹ “That servant came, and told his lord these things. Then the master of the house, being angry, said to his servant, ‘Go out quickly into the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in the poor, maimed, blind, and lame.’

²² “The servant said, ‘Lord, it is done as you commanded, and there is still room.’

²³ “The lord said to the servant, ‘Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled.

²⁴ For I tell you that none of those men who were invited will taste of my supper. For many are called, but few are chosen.’”

⁵ “Don’t go among the Gentiles, and don’t enter into any city of the Samaritans.

⁶ Rather, go to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.

⁷ As you go, preach, saying, ‘The Kingdom of Heaven is at hand!’

⁸ Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, and cast out demons. Freely you received, so freely give.

⁹ Don’t take any gold, silver, or brass in your money belts.

¹⁰ Take no bag for your journey, neither two coats, nor sandals, nor staff: for the laborer is worthy of his food.

¹¹ Into whatever city or village you enter, find out who in it is worthy, and stay there until you go on.

¹² As you enter into the household, greet it.

¹³ If the household is worthy, let your peace come on it, but if it isn’t worthy, let your peace return to you.

¹⁴ Whoever doesn’t receive you or hear your words, as you go out of that house or that city, shake the dust off your feet.

¹⁵ Most certainly I tell you, it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment than for that city.

¹ “And to the angel of the assembly in Sardis write: “He who has the seven Spirits of God and the seven stars says these things: “I know your works, that you have a reputation of being alive, but you are dead.

² Wake up and strengthen the things that remain, which you were about to throw away, for I have found no works of yours perfected before my God.

³ Remember therefore how you have received and heard. Keep it and repent. If therefore you won’t watch, I will come as a thief, and you won’t know what hour I will come upon you.

⁴ Nevertheless you have a few names in Sardis that didn’t defile their garments. They will walk with me in white, for they are worthy.

⁵ He who overcomes will be arrayed in white garments, and I will in no way blot his name out of the book of life, and I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels.

⁶ He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the assemblies.