Luke 15

Parable of the Lost Sheep

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