Read the Gospels in 40 Days
The Parable of the Lost Sheep and Coin
15 Now all the tax collectors[a] and sinners were coming[b] to hear him. 2 But[c] the Pharisees[d] and the experts in the law[e] were complaining,[f] “This man welcomes[g] sinners and eats with them.”
3 So[h] Jesus[i] told them[j] this parable:[k] 4 “Which one[l] of you, if he has a hundred[m] sheep and loses one of them, would not leave the ninety-nine in the open pasture[n] and go look for[o] the one that is lost until he finds it?[p] 5 Then[q] when he has found it, he places it on his shoulders, rejoicing. 6 Returning[r] home, he calls together[s] his[t] friends and neighbors, telling them, ‘Rejoice with me, because I have found my sheep that was lost.’ 7 I tell you, in the same way there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner[u] who repents than over ninety-nine righteous people[v] who have no need to repent.[w]
8 “Or what woman, if she has ten silver coins[x] and loses[y] one of them,[z] does not light a lamp, sweep[aa] the house, and search thoroughly until she finds it? 9 Then[ab] when she has found it, she calls together her[ac] friends and neighbors, saying, ‘Rejoice[ad] with me, for I have found the coin[ae] that I had lost.’ 10 In the same way, I tell you, there is joy in the presence of God’s angels[af] over one sinner who repents.”
The Parable of the Compassionate Father
11 Then[ag] Jesus[ah] said, “A man had two sons. 12 The[ai] younger of them said to his[aj] father, ‘Father, give me the share of the estate[ak] that will belong[al] to me.’ So[am] he divided his[an] assets between them.[ao] 13 After[ap] a few days,[aq] the younger son gathered together all he had and left on a journey to a distant country, and there he squandered[ar] his wealth[as] with a wild lifestyle. 14 Then[at] after he had spent everything, a severe famine took place in that country, and he began to be in need. 15 So he went and worked for[au] one of the citizens of that country, who[av] sent him to his fields to feed pigs.[aw] 16 He[ax] was longing to eat[ay] the carob pods[az] the pigs were eating, but[ba] no one gave him anything. 17 But when he came to his senses[bb] he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired workers have food[bc] enough to spare, but here I am dying from hunger! 18 I will get up and go to my father and say to him, “Father, I have sinned[bd] against heaven[be] and against[bf] you. 19 I am no longer worthy to be called your son; treat me[bg] like one of your hired workers.”’ 20 So[bh] he got up and went to his father. But while he was still a long way from home[bi] his father saw him, and his heart went out to him;[bj] he ran and hugged[bk] his son[bl] and kissed him. 21 Then[bm] his son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven[bn] and against you; I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’[bo] 22 But the father said to his slaves,[bp] ‘Hurry! Bring the best robe,[bq] and put it on him! Put a ring on his finger[br] and sandals[bs] on his feet! 23 Bring[bt] the fattened calf[bu] and kill it! Let us eat[bv] and celebrate, 24 because this son of mine was dead, and is alive again—he was lost and is found!’[bw] So[bx] they began to celebrate.
25 “Now his older son was in the field. As[by] he came and approached the house, he heard music[bz] and dancing. 26 So[ca] he called one of the slaves[cb] and asked what was happening. 27 The slave replied,[cc] ‘Your brother has returned, and your father has killed the fattened calf[cd] because he got his son[ce] back safe and sound.’ 28 But the older son[cf] became angry[cg] and refused[ch] to go in. His father came out and appealed to him, 29 but he answered[ci] his father, ‘Look! These many years I have worked like a slave[cj] for you, and I never disobeyed your commands. Yet[ck] you never gave me even a goat[cl] so that I could celebrate with my friends! 30 But when this son of yours[cm] came back, who has devoured[cn] your assets with prostitutes,[co] you killed the fattened calf[cp] for him!’ 31 Then[cq] the father[cr] said to him, ‘Son, you are always with me, and everything that belongs to me is yours. 32 It was appropriate[cs] to celebrate and be glad, for your brother[ct] was dead, and is alive; he was lost and is found.’”[cu]
The Parable of the Clever Steward
16 Jesus[cv] also said to the disciples, “There was a rich man who was informed of accusations[cw] that his manager[cx] was wasting[cy] his assets. 2 So[cz] he called the manager[da] in and said to him, ‘What is this I hear about you?[db] Turn in the account of your administration,[dc] because you can no longer be my manager.’ 3 Then[dd] the manager said to himself, ‘What should I do, since my master is taking my position[de] away from me? I’m not strong enough to dig,[df] and I’m too ashamed[dg] to beg. 4 I know[dh] what to do so that when I am put out of management, people will welcome me into their homes.’[di] 5 So[dj] he contacted[dk] his master’s debtors one by one. He asked the first, ‘How much do you owe my master?’ 6 The man[dl] replied, ‘100 measures[dm] of olive oil.’ The manager[dn] said to him, ‘Take your bill, sit down quickly, and write fifty.’[do] 7 Then he said to another, ‘And how much do you owe?’ The second man[dp] replied, ‘100 measures[dq] of wheat.’ The manager[dr] said to him, ‘Take your bill, and write 80.’[ds] 8 The[dt] master commended the dishonest[du] manager because he acted shrewdly.[dv] For the people[dw] of this world are more shrewd in dealing with their contemporaries[dx] than the people[dy] of light. 9 And I tell you, make friends for yourselves by how you use worldly wealth,[dz] so that when it runs out you will be welcomed[ea] into the eternal homes.[eb]
10 “The one who is faithful in a very little[ec] is also faithful in much, and the one who is dishonest in a very little is also dishonest in much. 11 If then you haven’t been trustworthy[ed] in handling worldly wealth,[ee] who will entrust you with the true riches?[ef] 12 And if you haven’t been trustworthy[eg] with someone else’s property,[eh] who will give you your own[ei] ? 13 No servant can serve two masters, for either he will hate[ej] the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise[ek] the other. You cannot serve God and money.”[el]
More Warnings about the Pharisees
14 The Pharisees[em] (who loved money) heard all this and ridiculed[en] him. 15 But[eo] Jesus[ep] said to them, “You are the ones who justify yourselves in men’s eyes,[eq] but God knows your hearts. For what is highly prized[er] among men is utterly detestable[es] in God’s sight.
16 “The law and the prophets were in force[et] until John;[eu] since then,[ev] the good news of the kingdom of God[ew] has been proclaimed, and everyone is urged to enter it.[ex] 17 But it is easier for heaven and earth to pass away than for one tiny stroke of a letter[ey] in the law to become void.[ez]
18 “Everyone who divorces his wife and marries[fa] someone else commits adultery, and the one who marries a woman divorced from her husband commits adultery.
The Rich Man and Lazarus
19 “There was a rich man who dressed in purple[fb] and fine linen and who feasted sumptuously[fc] every day. 20 But at his gate lay[fd] a poor man named Lazarus[fe] whose body was covered with sores,[ff] 21 who longed to eat[fg] what fell from the rich man’s table. In addition, the dogs[fh] came and licked[fi] his sores.
22 “Now[fj] the poor man died and was carried by the angels to Abraham’s side.[fk] The[fl] rich man also died and was buried.[fm] 23 And in Hades,[fn] as he was in torment,[fo] he looked up[fp] and saw Abraham far off with Lazarus at his side.[fq] 24 So[fr] he called out,[fs] ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus[ft] to dip the tip of his finger[fu] in water and cool my tongue, because I am in anguish[fv] in this fire.’[fw] 25 But Abraham said, ‘Child,[fx] remember that in your lifetime you received your good things and Lazarus likewise bad things, but now he is comforted here and you are in anguish.[fy] 26 Besides all this,[fz] a great chasm[ga] has been fixed between us,[gb] so that those who want to cross over from here to you cannot do so, and no one can cross from there to us.’ 27 So[gc] the rich man[gd] said, ‘Then I beg you, father—send Lazarus[ge] to my father’s house 28 (for I have five brothers) to warn[gf] them so that they don’t come[gg] into this place of torment.’ 29 But Abraham said,[gh] ‘They have Moses and the prophets; they must respond to[gi] them.’ 30 Then[gj] the rich man[gk] said, ‘No, father Abraham, but if someone from the dead[gl] goes to them, they will repent.’ 31 He[gm] replied to him, ‘If they do not respond to[gn] Moses and the prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.’”[go]
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