Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
Paul as an example of God’s saving grace
12 I thank Messiah Jesus our Lord, who gave me strength. He regarded me as trustworthy by appointing me to his service— 13 even though I used to say blasphemous things against him, and persecuted his people violently! But I received mercy, because in my unbelief I didn’t know what I was doing. 14 And the grace of our Lord was more than enough for me, with the faith and love that are in Messiah Jesus. 15 Here is a word you can trust, which deserves total approval: “Messiah Jesus came into the world to save sinners”—and I’m the worst of them! 16 But this was why I received mercy: so that in me, precisely as the worst, Messiah Jesus could demonstrate the full scale of his patience, and make me a pattern for those who were going to believe in him and so attain the life of the age to come. 17 To the King of the ages, the one and only God, immortal and invisible, be honor and glory to the ages of ages, Amen!
The parables of the lost sheep and the lost coin
15 All the tax-collectors and sinners were coming close to listen to Jesus. 2 The Pharisees and the legal experts were grumbling. “This fellow welcomes sinners!” they said. “He even eats with them!”
3 So Jesus told them this parable. 4 “Supposing one of you has a hundred sheep,” he said, “and you lose one of them. What will you do? Why, you’ll leave the ninety-nine out in the countryside, and you’ll go off looking for the lost one until you find it! 5 And when you find it, you’ll be so happy—you’ll put it on your shoulders 6 and come home, and you’ll call your friends and neighbors in. ‘Come and have a party!’ you’ll say. ‘Celebrate with me! I’ve found my lost sheep!’
7 “Well, let me tell you: that’s how glad they will be in heaven over one sinner who repents—more than over ninety-nine righteous people who don’t need repentance.
8 “Or supposing a woman has ten drachmas and loses one of them. What will she do? Why, she’ll light a lamp, and sweep the house, and hunt carefully until she finds it! 9 And when she finds it she’ll call her friends and neighbors in. ‘Come and have a party!’ she’ll say. ‘Celebrate with me! I’ve found my lost coin!’
10 “Well, let me tell you: that’s how glad God’s angels feel when a single sinner repents.”
Scripture quotations from The New Testament for Everyone are copyright © Nicholas Thomas Wright 2011, 2018, 2019.