Read the Gospels in 40 Days
Salvation—Joy and Torment of God[a]
Chapter 15
This Man Receives Sinners.[b] 1 Now the tax collectors and sinners were all crowding around to listen to Jesus, 2 and the Pharisees and the scribes began to complain, saying, “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.”
The Parable of the Lost Sheep.[c] 3 Therefore, he told them this parable: 4 “Which one of you, if you have a hundred sheep and lose one of them, will not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness and go after the one that is lost until he finds it? 5 And when he does find it, he lays it on his shoulders joyfully. 6 Then, when he returns home, he calls together his friends and neighbors and says to them, ‘Rejoice with me, because I have found my sheep that was lost.’ 7 In the same way, I tell you, there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous people who have no need of repentance.
The Parable of the Lost Coin.[d] 8 “Or again, what woman who has ten silver coins[e] and loses one will not light a lamp and sweep the house, searching thoroughly until she finds it? 9 And when she has found it, she calls together her friends and neighbors and says to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found the coin that I lost.’ 10 In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing among the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”
11 The Parable of the Lost (or Prodigal) Son.[f] Then he said: “There was a man who had two sons. 12 The younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the share of your estate that I will inherit.’ And so the father divided the property between them.
13 “A few days later the younger son gathered together everything he had and traveled to a distant country, where he squandered his inheritance on a life of dissolute living. 14 When he had spent it all, a severe famine afflicted that country, and he began to be in need. 15 So he went and hired himself out to one of the local inhabitants who sent him to his farm to feed the pigs.[g] 16 He would have willingly filled his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything.
17 “Then he came to his senses and said, ‘How many of my father’s hired workers have more food than they can consume, while here I am, dying of hunger. 18 I will depart from this place and go to my father, and I will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. 19 I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Treat me like one of your hired workers.” ’
20 “So he set out for his father’s house. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion. He ran to him, threw his arms around him, and kissed him. 21 Then the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’
22 “But the father said to his servants, ‘Quickly bring out the finest robe we have and put it on him. Place a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. 23 Then bring the fatted calf and kill it, and let us celebrate with a feast. 24 For this son of mine was dead and has come back to life. He was lost, and now he has been found.’ And they began to celebrate.
25 “Now the elder son had been out in the fields, and as he returned and drew near the house, he could hear the sounds of music and dancing. 26 He summoned one of the servants and inquired what all this meant. 27 The servant replied, ‘Your brother has come home, and your father has killed the fatted calf because he has him back safe and sound.’ 28 The elder son then became angry and refused to go in. His father came out and began to plead with him, 29 but he said to his father in reply, ‘All these years I have worked like a slave for you, and I never once disobeyed your orders. Even so, you have never even given me a young goat so that I might celebrate with my friends. 30 But when this son of yours returns after wasting his inheritance from you on prostitutes, you kill the fatted calf for him.’
31 “Then the father said to him, ‘Son, you are with me always, and everything I have is yours. 32 But it was only right that we should celebrate and rejoice, because this brother of yours was dead and has come to life; he was lost and now he has been found.’ ”
Chapter 16
Riches and Poverty[h]
The Parable of the Crafty Steward.[i] 1 Jesus also said to his disciples: “There was a rich man who had a steward, and he was informed that this steward was squandering his property. 2 Therefore, he summoned him and said, ‘What are these reports that I hear about you? Give me an accounting of your stewardship, because you can no longer be my steward.’
3 “Then the steward said to himself, ‘What am I going to do, now that my master is dismissing me from being steward? I am not strong enough to dig, and I am too ashamed to beg. 4 What I must do is to make sure that people will welcome me into their homes once I am removed from being steward.’
5 “Then he summoned his master’s debtors one by one. He asked the first, ‘How much do you owe my master?’ 6 When he was told, ‘One hundred jars of olive oil,’ he said to the man, ‘Take your bill, sit down quickly, and change the number to fifty.’ 7 Then he asked another, ‘And you, how much do you owe?’ When he was told, ‘One hundred measures of wheat,’ he said to him, ‘Take your bill and make it eighty.’ 8 The master commended the crafty steward because he had acted shrewdly. For the children of this world are more shrewd in dealing with their own kind than are the children of light.[j]
Application of the Parable.[k] 9 “And I tell you: use your worldly wealth to make friends for yourselves so that, when it has been exhausted, they will welcome you into eternal dwellings.
10 “Whoever can be trusted in small matters can also be trusted in great ones, but whoever is dishonest in small matters will also be dishonest in great ones. 11 Therefore, if you have not been trustworthy in handling worldly wealth, who will entrust you with true riches? 12 And if you have not shown yourself to be trustworthy with what belongs to another, who will give you anything of your own?
13 “No servant can serve two masters. For you will either hate the one and love the other or be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.”
Teachings concerning Justice and the Judaic Law
14 A Saying against the Pharisees.[l] The Pharisees, who loved money, heard all this and they ridiculed him. 15 He said to them, “You people pretend to be upright when you wish to impress others, but God knows what is in your hearts. That which is highly esteemed in the eyes of men is detestable in the sight of God.
16 Sayings about the Law.“The Law and the Prophets were in effect until John. From that time the kingdom of God has been proclaimed, and everyone is trying to force his way in.[m] 17 It is easier for heaven and earth to pass away than for one letter of the Law to be discarded.[n]
18 Sayings about Divorce.[o]“Anyone who divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery, and anyone who marries a woman divorced from her husband commits adultery.
The Rich Man and Lazarus: A Warning
19 The Parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus.[p]“There was a rich man who used to dress in purple garments and the finest linen and who feasted sumptuously every day. 20 And at his gate lay a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores, 21 who would have been grateful to be fed with the scraps that fell from the rich man’s table. Even the dogs would come and lick his sores.
22 “Now the poor man died, and he was carried away by the angels to Abraham’s side. The rich man also died and was buried. 23 In the netherworld,[q] where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham, far off, and Lazarus by his side. 24 And he called out, ‘Father Abraham, have pity on me. Send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, for I am in agony in these flames.’
25 “But Abraham replied, ‘My child, remember that during your lifetime you received many good things, while Lazarus suffered greatly. Now he is being comforted while you are in agony. 26 Moreover, between us and you a great chasm has been established, so that no one who wishes to do so can pass from our side to yours, nor can anyone pass from your side to ours.’
27 “ ‘Then I beg you, father,’ he said, ‘to send him to my father’s house, 28 to warn my five brothers, lest they too end up in this place of torment.’ 29 But Abraham responded, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets. Let them listen to them.’
30 “He said, ‘No, father Abraham, but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.’ 31 Abraham answered, ‘If they will not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be persuaded even if someone should rise from the dead.’ ”
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