Jesus once, in teaching the people, told this story: “A man had two sons; the younger of them asked his father to give him the part of the property that would finally belong to him. So the father divided his wealth between them. A few days after that the younger son went a long journey, taking all his money with him; but he wasted it in wild and foolish living. When it was all gone there came a great famine to that country, and the foolish young man had nothing to live on. He went looking for work, and a man hired him to take care of swine. He was so hungry that he was willing to eat the husks that the swine had for food; and no one gave anything to him. Then he began to think of his home, and to remember how his father’s servants had plenty to eat, and here he was starving! Then he said, ‘I will arise and go to my father, and I will say to him, Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. I am not worthy to be called your son; let me be one of your hired servants.’ So he went on his journey home. When he was yet a great way from the house, his father saw him and ran out to meet him, and put his arms around him and kissed him. Then the son said, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you; I am not worthy to be called your son.’ But the father said, ‘bring the best clothes in the house for him to wear, and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet, and have the fatted calf killed, and make a feast, and let us eat and drink and be merry; for my son was the same to me as dead, and now he is alive again; he was lost, but now he is found.’ And they were merry.” |