15Tax collectors and other notorious sinners often came to listen to Jesus teach.G1161G2258G1448G846G3956G5057G2532G268G191G8462This made the Pharisees and teachers of religious law complain that he was associating with such sinful people—even eating with them!G2532G5330G2532G1122G1234G3004G3754G3778G4327G268G2532G4906G8463So Jesus told them this story.G1161G2036G5026G3850G4314G846G30044"If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them gets lost, what will he do? Won't he leave the ninety-nine others in the wilderness and go to search for the one that is lost until he finds it?G5101G444G1537G5216G2192G1540G4263G2532G622G1520G1537G846G2641G3756G2641G1768G1722G2048G2532G4198G1909G622G2193G2147G8465And when he has found it, he will joyfully carry it home on his shoulders.G2532G2147G2007G1909G1438G5606G54636When he arrives, he will call together his friends and neighbors, saying, `Rejoice with me because I have found my lost sheep.'G2532G2064G1519G3624G4779G5384G2532G1069G3004G846G4796G3427G3754G2147G3450G4263G3588G6227In the same way, there is more joy in heaven over one lost sinner who repents and returns to God than over ninety-nine others who are righteous and haven't strayed away!G3004G5213G3754G3779G5479G2071G1722G3772G1909G1520G268G3340G2228G1909G1768G1342G3748G2192G5532G3756G3341
Parable of the Lost Coin
8"Or suppose a woman has ten silver coins and loses one. Won't she light a lamp and sweep the entire house and search carefully until she finds it?G2228G5101G1135G2192G1176G1406G1437G622G3391G1406G3780G681G3088G2532G4563G3614G2532G2212G1960G2193G3755G21479And when she finds it, she will call in her friends and neighbors and say, `Rejoice with me because I have found my lost coin.'G2532G2147G4779G5384G2532G1069G4779G3004G4796G3427G3754G2147G1406G3739G62210In the same way, there is joy in the presence of God's angels when even one sinner repents."G3779G3004G5213G1096G5479G1799G32G2316G1909G1520G268G3340
Parable of the Lost Son
11To illustrate the point further, Jesus told them this story: "A man had two sons.G1161G2036G5100G444G2192G1417G520712The younger son told his father, `I want my share of your estate now before you die.' So his father agreed to divide his wealth between his sons.G2532G3501G846G2036G3962G3962G1325G3427G3313G3776G1911G2532G1244G846G97913"A few days later this younger son packed all his belongings and moved to a distant land, and there he wasted all his money in wild living.G2532G3756G4183G2250G3326G3501G5207G4863G537G4863G589G1519G3117G5561G2532G1563G1287G846G3776G811G219814About the time his money ran out, a great famine swept over the land, and he began to starve.G1161G846G1159G3956G1096G2478G3042G2596G1565G5561G2532G846G756G530215He persuaded a local farmer to hire him, and the man sent him into his fields to feed the pigs.G2532G4198G2853G1520G4177G1565G5561G2532G3992G846G1519G846G68G1006G551916The young man became so hungry that even the pods he was feeding the pigs looked good to him. But no one gave him anything.G2532G1937G1072G846G2836G575G2769G3739G5519G2068G2532G3762G1325G84617"When he finally came to his senses, he said to himself, `At home even the hired servants have food enough to spare, and here I am dying of hunger!G1161G2064G1519G1438G2036G4214G3407G3450G3962G740G4052G1161G1473G622G304218I will go home to my father and say, "Father, I have sinned against both heaven and you,G450G4198G4314G3450G3962G2532G2046G846G3962G264G1519G3772G2532G1799G467519and I am no longer worthy of being called your son. Please take me on as a hired servant."'G2532G1510G3765G514G2564G4675G5207G4160G3165G5613G1520G4675G340720"So he returned home to his father. And while he was still a long way off, his father saw him coming. Filled with love and compassion, he ran to his son, embraced him, and kissed him.G2532G450G2064G4314G1438G3962G1161G846G2089G3112G568G846G3962G1492G846G2532G4697G2532G5143G1968G1909G846G5137G2532G2705G84621His son said to him, `Father, I have sinned against both heaven and you, and I am no longer worthy of being called your son.'G1161G5207G2036G846G3962G264G1519G3772G2532G1799G4675G1799G2532G1510G3765G514G2564G4675G520722"But his father said to the servants, `Quick! Bring the finest robe in the house and put it on him. Get a ring for his finger and sandals for his feet.G1161G3962G2036G4314G846G1401G1627G4413G4749G2532G1746G846G2532G1325G1146G1519G846G5495G2532G5266G1519G422823And kill the calf we have been fattening. We must celebrate with a feast,G2532G5342G4618G3448G2380G2532G5315G216524for this son of mine was dead and has now returned to life. He was lost, but now he is found.' So the party began.G3754G3778G3450G5207G2258G3498G2532G326G2532G2258G622G2532G2147G2532G756G216525"Meanwhile, the older son was in the fields working. When he returned home, he heard music and dancing in the house,G1161G846G4245G5207G2258G1722G68G2532G5613G2064G1448G3614G191G4858G2532G552526and he asked one of the servants what was going on.G2532G4341G1520G3816G4441G5101G5023G149827`Your brother is back,' he was told, `and your father has killed the fattened calf. We are celebrating because of his safe return.'G1161G2036G846G3754G4675G80G2240G2532G4675G3962G2380G4618G3448G3754G618G846G519828"The older brother was angry and wouldn't go in. His father came out and begged him,G1161G3710G2532G2309G3756G1525G3767G1831G846G3962G1831G3870G84629but he replied, `All these years I've slaved for you and never once refused to do a single thing you told me to. And in all that time you never gave me even one young goat for a feast with my friends.G1161G611G2036G3962G2400G5118G2094G1398G4671G3763G3928G3763G4675G1785G2532G2532G1325G3763G1325G1698G2056G2443G2165G3326G3450G538430Yet when this son of yours comes back after squandering your money on prostitutes, you celebrate by killing the fattened calf!'G1161G3753G3778G4675G5207G2064G3588G2719G4675G979G3326G4204G2380G846G4618G344831"His father said to him, `Look, dear son, you have always stayed by me, and everything I have is yours.G1161G2036G846G5043G4771G1488G3842G3326G1700G2532G3956G1699G2076G467432We had to celebrate this happy day. For your brother was dead and has come back to life! He was lost, but now he is found!'"G1161G1163G2165G2532G5463G3754G3778G4675G80G2258G3498G2532G326G2532G2258G622G2532G2147