Luke Chapter 15

Story About a Lost Sheep

            ¹ Tax collectors and sinners were coming to listen to him. ² The Pharisees and scribes started grumbling, “This fellow welcomes sinners and eats with them.”

³ He told them this story.

⁴ “What man that has a 100 sheep and loses one, doesn’t leave the 99 in the open country and go looking for the one that’s lost? ⁵

When he finds it, he puts it on his shoulders happy. ⁶ When he gets home, he calls his friends and neighbors, ‘Let’s celebrate; I’ve found the sheep I lost.’ ⁷ There’ll be more celebration in heaven over one sinner that repents than over 99 good people that don’t need to repent.”                                                                                           

Lk 15:1-7

Story About a Lost Coin

⁸ “What woman that has 10 coins and loses one, doesn’t light a lamp, sweep the house, and keep looking till she finds it? ⁹ When she does, she calls her friends and neighbors, ‘Let’s celebrate; I found the coin I lost.’ ¹⁰ In the same way, God’s angels celebrate over one sinner that repents.

Lk 15:8-10

Story About a Prodigal Son

¹¹ “A man had two sons. ¹² The younger one said to his father, ‘Give me my share of the assets.’ He divided his assets between the two sons.

¹³ “A few days later the younger son got everything together and left home for a distant country, and wasted his assets there, living immorally. ¹⁴ When he’d spent everything, a severe famine arose in that country, and he was out of money. ¹⁵ He went to work for a citizen in that country, who sent him into his fields to feed pigs. ¹⁶ He was so hungry he wanted to eat the carob pods the pigs were eating, but nobody would give him anything.

¹⁷ “He came to himself, ‘How many of my father’s hired hands have more than enough to eat, and I’m starving here. ¹⁸ I’ll go to my father and say, “I’ve sinned against Heaven and you. ¹⁹ I don’t deserve to be your son anymore. Make me one of your hired hands.”

²⁰ “He went to his father. While he was still a long way off, his father saw him, felt sorry for him, and he ran and hugged him and kissed him. ²¹ The son said, ‘Dad, I’ve sinned against Heaven and you. I don’t deserve to be your son anymore.’

²² “But his dad told the servants, ‘Quick, bring a robe—the best one—and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. ²³ Get the grain-fed calf and butcher it; let’s eat and celebrate. ²⁴ This son of mine was dead and has come back to life; he was lost and is found.’ They started celebrating.

²⁵ “His older son was out in the field. When he got close to the house, he heard music and dancing. ²⁶ He called one of the servants over and asked him what was going on.

²⁷ “‘Your brother came back, and your father has butchered the grain-fed calf because he received him back in good health.’

²⁸ “He was mad and wouldn’t go in. His dad came out and urged him.

²⁹ “But he answered, ‘I’ve slaved^p for you all these years and never neglected a thing you told me to do, and you’ve never given me a kid to celebrate with my friends. ³⁰ But when that son of yours comes who wasted your living with prostitutes, you butcher the grain-fed calf!’

³¹ “He said, ‘Son, you’re always here, and everything I have is yours. ³² But we needed to be happy and celebrate because this brother of yours was dead and is alive; he was lost and is found.’”      

Lk 15:11-32