Luke 15

15 ¹Now the tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to hear him. ^a a v1 Tax collectors were widely despised as traitors — Jews who collected money for Rome, often overcharging and pocketing the difference. ²And the Pharisees and the scribes grumbled, saying, "This man welcomes sinners and eats with them."

³So he told them this parable:

⁴"What man among you, owning one hundred sheep, if he loses one of them, won't leave the ninety-nine out in the open and go after the lost one till he finds it? ⁵And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing." ⁶When he gets home, he calls his friends and neighbors together and tells them, "Celebrate with me—I've found my lost sheep." ⁷"I tell you, likewise, heaven holds more joy over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous people who don't need to repent."

The Father Searches for the Lost Coin

⁸"Or what woman with ten silver coins, each a day's wage, who loses one, doesn't light a lamp, sweep the house, and search carefully until she finds it?" ⁹When she finds it, she calls together her friends and neighbors: "Rejoice with me, for I found the coin I had lost." ¹⁰"So, I tell you, there is joy before the angels of our Father over one sinner who repents."

The Father Runs to Welcome His Son Home

¹¹And he said, "There was a man who had two sons."

¹²"The younger son told his father, 'Father, give me my share of the estate.' So he divided his property between them. ¹³Soon after, the younger son gathered all he owned, left for a distant country, and there burned through his wealth living recklessly. ¹⁴After he spent everything, a severe famine hit that country, and he began to go without. ¹⁵So he went and took work with a citizen of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs. ¹⁶And he longed to fill his stomach with the pods the pigs ate, but no one gave him any."

¹⁷Coming to his senses, he said, "How many of my father's hired hands have bread to spare, while I'm here starving?" ¹⁸"'I will get up and go to my father, and say to him, "Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you."' ¹⁹'I'm no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired workers.'"

²⁰"He got up and went to his father. While he was still far off, his father saw him, and his heart broke with compassion—he ran, threw his arms around him, and kissed him." ^b b v20 In Jesus' culture, a man of status never ran in public — the father's sprint was a shocking, deliberate act of love and self-humbling.

²¹And the son said, "Father, I've sinned against heaven and before you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son."

²²But the father told his servants, "Quickly bring the best robe and dress him, put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet."

²³"'And bring the fattened calf and kill it, and let us eat and celebrate.' ²⁴'For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.' And they started celebrating."

²⁵"His older son was in the field; nearing the house on his return, he heard music and dancing. ²⁶And he called one of the servants and asked what was going on. ²⁷He said to him, 'Your brother has come, and your father has killed the fattened calf, because he received him back safe and sound.' ²⁸But he was angry and refused to enter. His father came out and pleaded with him, ²⁹but he answered his father, 'Look, I've served you all these years, never disobeying a command—yet you never gave me even a young goat to celebrate with my friends.' ³⁰'But when this son of yours came, who devoured your wealth with prostitutes, you killed the fattened calf for him!'"

³¹He said to him, "Son, you're always with me, and everything I have is yours."

³²"'It was fitting to rejoice and celebrate: this brother of yours was dead and is alive, was lost and is found.'"