One Sheep
(Matthew 18.12-14)1 Tax collectors and sinners were all crowding around to listen to Jesus. 2 So the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law of Moses started grumbling, “This man is friendly with sinners. He even eats with them.”
3 Then Jesus told them this story:
4 If any of you has 100 sheep, and one of them gets lost, what will you do? Won't you leave the 99 in the field and go look for the lost sheep until you find it? 5 And when you find it, you will be so glad that you will put it on your shoulder 6 and carry it home. Then you will call in your friends and neighbors and say, “Let's celebrate! I've found my lost sheep.”
7 Jesus said, “In the same way there is more happiness in heaven because of one sinner who turns to God than over 99 good people who don't need to.”
One Coin
8 Jesus told the people another story:
What will a woman do if she has ten silver coins and loses one of them? Won't she light a lamp, sweep the floor, and look carefully until she finds it? 9 Then she will call in her friends and neighbors and say, “Let's celebrate! I've found the coin I lost.”
10 Jesus said, “In the same way God's angels are happy when even one person turns to him.”
Two Sons
11 Jesus told them yet another story:
Once a man had two sons. 12 The younger son said to his father, “Give me my share of the property.” So the father divided his property between his two sons.
13 Not long after that, the younger son packed up everything he owned and left for a foreign country, where he wasted all his money in wild living. 14 He had spent everything, when a bad famine spread through that whole land. Soon he had nothing to eat.
15 He went to work for a man in that country, and the man sent him out to take care of his pigs. 16 He would have been glad to eat what the pigs were eating, but no one gave him a thing.
17 Finally, he came to his senses and said, “My father's workers have plenty to eat, and here I am, starving to death! 18 I will go to my father and say to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against God in heaven and against you. 19 I am no longer good enough to be called your son. Treat me like one of your workers.’ ”
20 The younger son got up and started back to his father. But when he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt sorry for him. He ran to his son and hugged and kissed him.
21 The son said, “Father, I have sinned against God in heaven and against you. I am no longer good enough to be called your son.”
22 But his father said to the servants, “Hurry and bring the best clothes and put them on him. Give him a ring for his finger and sandals for his feet. 23 Get the best calf and prepare it, so we can eat and celebrate. 24 This son of mine was dead, but has now come back to life. He was lost and has now been found.” And they began to celebrate.
25 The older son had been out in the field. But when he came near the house, he heard the music and dancing. 26 So he called one of the servants over and asked, “What's going on here?”
27 The servant answered, “Your brother has come home safe and sound, and your father ordered us to kill the best calf.” 28 The older brother got so angry that he would not even go into the house.
His father came out and begged him to go in. 29 But he said to his father, “For years I have worked for you like a slave and have always obeyed you. But you have never even given me a little goat, so that I could give a dinner for my friends. 30 This other son of yours wasted your money on prostitutes. And now that he has come home, you ordered the best calf to be killed for a feast.”
31 His father replied, “My son, you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. 32 But we should be glad and celebrate! Your brother was dead, but he is now alive. He was lost and has now been found.”
1 Then resorted vnto him all the Publicanes and sinners, to heare him. 2 Therefore the Pharises and Scribes murmured, saying, Hee receiueth sinners, and eateth with them. 3 Then spake hee this parable to them, saying, 4 What man of you hauing an hundreth sheepe, if hee lose one of them, doeth not leaue ninetie and nine in the wildernesse, and goe after that which is lost, vntill he finde it? 5 And when he hath found it, he laieth it on his shoulders with ioye. 6 And when he commeth home, he calleth together his friendes and neighbours, saying vnto them, Reioyce with mee: for I haue founde my sheepe which was lost. 7 I say vnto you, that likewise ioy shall be in heauen for one sinner that conuerteth, more then for ninetie and nine iust men, which neede none amendment of life. 8 Either what woman hauing ten groates, if she lose one groate, doth not light a candle, and sweepe the house, and seeke diligently till shee finde it? 9 And when shee hath found it, shee calleth her friendes, and neighbours, saying, Reioyce with me: for I haue found the groate which I had lost. 10 Likewise I say vnto you, there is ioy in the presence of the Angels of God, for one sinner that conuerteth. 11 He sayde moreouer, A certaine man had two sonnes. 12 And the yonger of them sayde to his father, Father, giue mee the portion of the goods that falleth to mee. So he deuided vnto them his substance. 13 So not many daies after, when the yonger sonne had gathered all together, hee tooke his iourney into a farre countrey, and there hee wasted his goods with riotous liuing. 14 Nowe when hee had spent all, there arose a great dearth throughout that land, and he began to be in necessitie. 15 Then hee went and claue to a citizen of that conntrey, and hee sent him to his farme, to feede swine. 16 And hee would faine haue filled his bellie with the huskes, that the swine ate: but no man gaue them him. 17 Then he came to him selfe, and said, Howe many hired seruaunts at my fathers haue bread ynough, and I die for hunger? 18 I wil rise and goe to my father, and say vnto him, Father, I haue sinned against heaue, and before thee, 19 And am no more worthy to be called thy sonne: make me as one of thy hired seruants. 20 So hee arose and came to his father, and when hee was yet a great way off, his father sawe him, and had compassion, and ranne and fell on his necke, and kissed him. 21 And the sonne sayde vnto him, Father, I haue sinned against heauen, and before thee, and am no more worthie to be called thy sonne. 22 Then the father said to his seruaunts, Bring foorth the best robe, and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feete, 23 And bring the fat calfe, and kill him, and let vs eate, and be merie: 24 For this my sonne was dead, and is aliue againe: and he was lost, but he is found. And they began to be merie. 25 Nowe the elder brother was in the fielde, and when he came and drewe neere to the house, he heard melodie, and dauncing, 26 And called one of his seruaunts, and asked what those things meant. 27 And hee sayde vnto him, Thy brother is come, and thy father hath killed the fatte calfe, because he hath receiued him safe and sound. 28 Then he was angry, and would not goe in: therefore came his father out and entreated him. 29 But he answered and said to his father, Loe, these many yeeres haue I done thee seruice, neither brake I at any time thy commadement, and yet thou neuer gauest mee a kidde that I might make merie with my friends. 30 But when this thy sonne was come, which hath deuoured thy good with harlots, thou hast for his sake killed the fat calfe. 31 And he said vnto him, Sonne, thou art euer with me, and al that I haue, is thine. It was meete that we shoulde make merie, and be glad: for this thy brother was dead, and is aliue againe: and hee was lost, but he is found.