Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)

¹⁶ So then we no longer know people by what we see on the outside. There was a time when we knew Christ that way, but now we do not know him that way any longer.

¹⁷ So, if any man belongs to Christ, he is a new person. His old life has gone. You see, he has begun a new life.

¹⁸ But it is God who has done all this. He sent Christ to make peace with us and to bring us back to himself. Now he has given us the work of bringing other people back to God.

¹⁹ We are not looking at things that can be seen, but at things that cannot be seen. The things which can be seen last only a little while. But the things which cannot be seen last for ever.

²⁰ So we are messengers for Christ. God is using us to call people. So we are standing here for Christ and begging people, `Come back to God!'

²¹ Christ did no wrong thing. But for our sake God put the blame for our wrong ways on Christ. So now God sees us as good, because we are in Christ.

15 The tax collectors and bad people all came close to Jesus to hear him.

² The Pharisees and scribes did not like it. And they said to each other, `This man is glad to have bad people come. He eats with them.'

³ So Jesus told them this story.

¹¹ Jesus also said, `A man had two sons.

¹² The younger son said to his father, "Father, give me my part of what will belong to me." So his father divided all he had between the two sons.

¹³ After a few days, the younger son packed up his things. He left home and went to a country far away. There he spent his money in foolish and wrong ways.

¹⁴ He spent everything he had. `There was no food in that country for a long time. He began to be in trouble.

¹⁵ So he went to stay with a man in the country who had a farm. The man sent him out to his farm to feed the pigs.

¹⁶ He would have been glad to eat the food the pigs ate. But no one gave him anything.

¹⁷ `Then he started to get sense. He said, "My father has many men who work for him. They have plenty of food. But here I am dying because I have nothing to eat!

¹⁸ I will get up and go to my father. I will say to him, "Father I have been a bad son. I have done wrong to God in heaven and to you.

¹⁹ I am not good enough now to be called your son. Let me be like one of these men who work for you."

²⁰ `So he got up and went to his father. While he was still far away, his father saw him. He loved him and wanted to share in his troubles. He ran and put his arms around him and kissed him.

²¹ The son said to him, "Father, I have been a bad son. I have done wrong to God in heaven and to you. I am not good enough now to be called your son. Let me be like one of these men who work for you."

²² `But his father said to his servants, "Go quickly and bring the best clothes. Dress him. Put a ring on his hand. Put shoes on his feet.

²³ Bring the fat calf and kill it. Let us have a feast and a good time.

²⁴ This is my son. He was dead and now he is alive again. He was lost and is found." And they began to have a good time.

²⁵ `The older son was out on the farm. When he came home and was near the house, he heard music and dancing.

²⁶ He called one of the servants and said, "What is going on?"

²⁷ The servant said, "Your brother has come home. Your father has killed the fat young cow because your brother is home and he is well."

²⁸ `But the older son was angry. He would not go into the house. His father came out and begged him to come in.

²⁹ But the son said to his father, "Look. I have worked hard for you for many years. I have always done everything you told me to do. And yet you never even gave me a young goat to make a feast with my friends.

³⁰ But now this son of yours has come back. He has spent all your money and was with bad women. And yet you kill the fat calf for him!"

³¹ `The father said, "Son you have always been with me. And all that I have is yours.

³² But now we should have a good time and be happy. Your brother was dead and now he is alive again. He was lost and is found." '