"What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he loses one of them, does not
leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness, and go after the one which is lost until
he finds it?
"And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing.
"And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and neighbors, saying
to them, 'Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost!'
"I say to you that likewise there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner
who repents than over ninety-nine just persons who need no repentance.
"Or what woman, having ten silver coins, if she loses one coin, does not light
a lamp, sweep the house, and search carefully until she finds it?
"And when she has found it, she calls her friends and neighbors together,
saying, 'Rejoice with me, for I have found the piece which I lost!'
"Likewise, I say to you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God
over one sinner who repents."
Then He said: "A certain man had two sons.
"And the younger of them said to his father, 'Father, give me the portion of
goods that falls to me.' So he divided to them his livelihood.
"And not many days after, the younger son gathered all together, journeyed to
a far country, and there wasted his possessions with prodigal living.
"But when he had spent all, there arose a severe famine in that land, and he
began to be in want.
"Then he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country, and he sent him
into his fields to feed swine.
"And he would gladly have filled his stomach with the pods that the swine ate,
and no one gave him anything.
"But when he came to himself, he said, 'How many of my father's hired servants
have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger!
'I will arise and go to my father, and will say to him, "Father, I have sinned
against heaven and before you,
and I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Make me like one of your
hired servants."'
"And he arose and came to his father. But when he was still a great way off,
his father saw him and had compassion, and ran and fell on his neck and kissed
him.
"And the son said to him, 'Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your
sight, and am no longer worthy to be called your son.'
"But the father said to his servants, 'Bring out the best robe and put it on
him, and put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet.
'And bring the fatted calf here and kill it, and let us eat and be merry;
'for this my son was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.' And
they began to be merry.
"Now his older son was in the field. And as he came and drew near to the
house, he heard music and dancing.
"So he called one of the servants and asked what these things meant.
"And he said to him, 'Your brother has come, and because he has received him
safe and sound, your father has killed the fatted calf.'
"But he was angry and would not go in. Therefore his father came out and
pleaded with him.
"So he answered and said to his father, 'Lo, these many years I have been
serving you; I never transgressed your commandment at any time; and yet you never
gave me a young goat, that I might make merry with my friends.
'But as soon as this son of yours came, who has devoured your livelihood with
harlots, you killed the fatted calf for him.'
"And he said to him, 'Son, you are always with me, and all that I have is
yours.
'It was right that we should make merry and be glad, for your brother was dead
and is alive again, and was lost and is found.'"
Luke 16:1-13
He also said to His disciples: "There was a certain rich man who had a steward, and an accusation was brought to him that this man was wasting his goods.
"So he called him and said to him, 'What is this I hear about you? Give an account of your stewardship, for you can no longer be steward.'
"Then the steward said within himself, 'What shall I do? For my master is
taking the stewardship away from me. I cannot dig; I am ashamed to beg.
'I have resolved what to do, that when I am put out of the stewardship, they
may receive me into their houses.'
"So he called every one of his master's debtors to him, and said to the first,
'How much do you owe my master?'
"And he said, 'A hundred measures of oil.' So he said to him, 'Take your bill,
and sit down quickly and write fifty.'
"Then he said to another, 'And how much do you owe?' So he said, 'A hundred
measures of wheat.' And he said to him, 'Take your bill, and write eighty.'
"So the master commended the unjust steward because he had dealt shrewdly. For
the sons of this world are more shrewd in their generation than the sons of
light.
"And I say to you, make friends for yourselves by unrighteous mammon, that when you fail, they may receive you into an everlasting home.
"He who is faithful in what is least is faithful also in much; and he who is
unjust in what is least is unjust also in much.
"Therefore if you have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will
commit to your trust the true riches?
"And if you have not been faithful in what is another man's, who will give you
what is your own?
"No servant can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love
the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot
serve God and mammon."