Luke 15
Translations of Luke 15(Literal in normal text, SKV in italics)
And all the tax gathers and sinners are to him drawn near to listen to him. And both the Pharisees and the scribes complained, saying, "This one welcomes sinners and eats with them."
All the homosexuals and the homeless and the drug dealers and sex workers and meth addicts and convicted child pornographers came to Jesus to listen to him. And the conservative evangelicals and the Bible scholars denounced him, “He is opening the door of the church to the wicked.”
But he said to the this parable, saying, "Which man of you who has a hundred sheep and has lost one of them, wouldn't you leave behind the ninety-nine behind and go to the lost until it is found? And when he has found, he places it upon his shoulders, rejoicing. And coming home, he calls together his friends and his neighbors, saying to them, 'Rejoice with me, because I found my sheep which was lost.' I say to you that in the same way, at the repentance of one sinner, there is more rejoicing than over ninety nine righteous ones who have no need of repentance.
But Jesus told them this story, “Look, if you had a hundred cars and one of them was stolen, wouldn’t you forget about all the other ninety nine and just focus on the one until it was found? You’d call the police, call your neighbors and be generally freaked out—not about the ninety nine, but for the one that was lost. Then, when it is found, you would drive it home proudly and happily. And you’d call your neighbors and the police and say, ‘Praise God! My stolen car was found!” It is this very joy that God has when a single sinner repents and comes back to God, away from his sins. He loves that more than ninety nine church-goers who only ever say the right things.
"Or what woman having ten, even if she lost one drachma, does not light a lamp and sweep the house and seek carefully until it is found? And finding it, she calls together her friends and neighbors, saying, "Rejoice with me, because I have found the drachma I had lost! In the same way, I say to you, there is joy in the midst of the angels of God over one sinner who repents."
“Suppose there was a woman with ten coins, worth a thousand dollars each and one of them came up missing. Wouldn’t she take out her flashlight and turn all the furniture upside down until it was found? Then, once it’s found then she calls up her neighbors and say, ‘Yeah, I had lost this expensive coin, but praise God, now I’ve found it.’ Even so does God rejoice over one sinner who turns back to God away from his sin.”
And he said, "A certain man had two sons. And the younger said to his father, 'Father, give to me the share of wealth that falls to me.' So he divided the wealth to them. And after not many days the younger son gathered everything together to leave on a journey to a distant country and there he wasted his wealth, living thoughtlessly. And spending all he had, a severe famine came to that country and he began to be in need. And going to be hired by one of the citizens of that country, and he sent him to his fields to tend pigs. And he coveted to be filled from the pods the pigs ate, and no one gave to him. But when he came to himself, he said, 'My father's hired men has more than enough bread, but I am dying of hunger! Getting up, I will go to my father and I will say to him, "Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight, I am not worthy to be called your son. Make me one of your hired men." '
Jesus told them this story: “There was a father with two sons. The younger son said to his father, ‘Dad, I can’t wait for you to die to get my inheritance, so give it to me now.’ So the father divided all of his wealth and gave the two sons their own share. A few days later, the younger son collected his belongings and traveled to a godless nation and wasted the money, living by his impulses. After all his money was gone, an economic depression came upon the nation and he was in desperate need. After begging for a job, someone hired him to clean up rooms in a brothel, picking up needles and cleaning soiled sheets. No one actually ever paid him, so he began to starve, finding the crumbs left in the rooms to be appetizing. Finally, he came to his senses and said to himself, ‘Even the laziest of my fathers farmhands eat to their fill, and here I am starving to death? I know what I’ll do, I’ll go back to my father and tell him how evil I have been and then ask him to hire me. After all, I’m not worthy to be his son.’
And getting up, he came to his father. And when he was far away, his father saw him and had compassion for him and running, he fell on his neck, and kissed him. And the son said to him, "Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight. I am not worthy to be called your son." But the father said to his slaves, "Quickly carry out the best robe and put it on him and give a ring upon his hand and sandals on the feet. Also bring the fatted calf, kill it and let us eat and celebrate. Because my son, this very one, was dead and is resurrected, he was lot and now is found."
“So he left that place, traveled back home and came to his father. His father saw him from a distance and felt his heart leap within him and he ran to his son, grabbing him and hugging him desperately. Once he could catch his breath, he said to his father, ‘Father, I have done evil before God and yourself. Don’t take me as a son—I don’t deserve it.’ His father, though, called his workers and said, ‘You—go into my room and get out my best clothes and shoes and give them to my son. You—get the necklace with the family crest on it and bring it here, and put it on him. You—get into the kitchen and prepare a feast with steak for everyone. Because this is my son the one who died. Now his come back to us from the dead—he was lost, but now he is returned.’
And they began to celebrate. Now his older son was in the field and coming, he drew near to the house, he heard music and dancing. And he called to himself one of the slaves and he asked, "What are these things?" And he said to him, "Your brother has come and your father killed the fattened calf because he received him in good health." But he was angry and did not want to come in. So his father came out and begged him. But he answered and said to his father, "Behold! These years I slave for you and I never broke a command of yours, and you never gave me a goat that I might celebrate with my friends! But when this son of yours, who ate up the wealth with prostitutes, came, you slaughtered the fatted calf for him!" And he said to him, "Son you are always with me and all that is mine is yours. But it was necessary to celebrate and rejoice, for your brother, this very one, was dead and is alive and was lost and is found.' "
“All the house was celebrating the return of the lost son. But the oldest son was at work, and as he was driving up to the house, he heard the blasting music and asked one of his father’s workers, standing outside, ‘What’s going on here?’ And the worker said, ‘Your brother has arrived today and so your father is feeding everyone steak because he is safe and sound.’ The older brother fumed at this and drove away. After a while his father called him and invited him to come and join the party. He yelled back at his father, “What kind of hypocrisy is this? I’ve worked for you for years and have always been a faithful son, always doing as you asked. But did you ever allow me to have a party with my friends? No, never! But this so-called “son” of yours shows up after just disappearing and using up all of your money on sex and drugs and everyone gets steak!’ His father spoke gently to him, ‘My son, I know how faithful you have been. You’ve always been there, and if you had asked I would have given you anything. But it is time for us all to have a party, because your brother who was dead has been resurrected. He was long lost, but he has returned.’ “
posted by Steve Kimes @ 9:50 PM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home