_The Christines at Tiberius. Jesus speaks on the inner life.
Relates the parable of the prodigal son. The resentment of
the elder brother._
When they had journeyed through the towns and cities of the land of
Galilee, the Lord with his disciples came to Tiberius, and here they
met a few who loved the name of Christ.
2 And Jesus told them many things about the inner life; but when the
multitudes came up, he spoke a parable; he said,
3 A certain man with great possessions had two sons. The youngest son
grew tired of life at home and said,
4 My father, pray divide your wealth and give the portion that is mine
to me, and I will seek my fortune in another land.
5 The father did as he desired, and with his wealth the young man went
into a foreign land.
6 He was a profligate and soon had squandered all his wealth in ways
of sin.
7 When nothing else remained for him to do he found employment in the
fields to care for swine.
8 And he was hungry and no one gave him aught to eat, and so he ate
the carob pods that he was feeding to the swine.
9 And after many days he found himself and said unto himself, My
father is a man of wealth; he has a score of servants who are
bountifully fed while I, his son, am starving in the fields among the
swine.
10 I do not hope to be received again as son, but I will rise and
go straight to my father’s house, and I will make confession of my
waywardness;
11 And I will say, My father, I am come again; I am a profligate, and
I have lost my wealth in ways of sin; I am not worthy to be called
your son.
12 I do not ask to be received again as son, but let me have a place
among your servants, where I may have a shelter from the storms and
have enough to eat.
13 And he arose and sought his father’s house, and as he came his
mother saw him while yet a great way off.
14 (A mother’s heart can feel the first faint yearning of a wandering
child.)
15 The father came, and hand in hand they walked a-down the way to
meet the boy, and there was joy, great joy.
16 The boy tried hard to plead for mercy and a servant’s place; but
love was all too great to listen to the plea.
17 The door was opened wide; he found a welcome in the mother’s heart,
and in the father’s heart.
18 The father called the servants in, and bade them bring the finest
robe for him; the choicest sandals for his feet; a ring of purest gold
for him to wear.
19 And then the father said, My servants, go and kill the fatted calf;
prepare a feast, for we are glad;
20 Our son we thought was dead is here alive; a treasure that we
thought was lost is found.
21 The feast was soon prepared and all were merry, when the eldest son
who had been serving in a distant field and knew not that his brother
had returned, came home.
22 And when he learned the cause of all the merriment he was offended,
and would not go into the house.
23 His father and his mother both besought him tearfully to disregard
the waywardness and folly of their son; but he would not; he said,
24 Lo, all these years I have remained at home, have served you every
day, have never yet transgressed your most severe commands;
25 And yet you never killed for me a kid, nor made for me a simple
feast that I might make merry with my friends;
26 But when your son, this profligate, who has gone forth and
squandered half your wealth in ways of sin, comes home, because he
could do nothing else, you kill for him the fatted calf and make a
wondrous feast.
27 His father said, My son, all that I have is yours and you are ever
with us in our joys;
28 And it is well to show our gladness when your brother, who is near
and dear to us, and who we thought was dead, returns to us alive.
29 He may have been a profligate; may have consorted with gay
courtesans and thieves, yet he is still your brother and our son.
30 Then Jesus said so all might hear: He who has ears to hear, and
hearts to understand will comprehend the meaning of this parable.
31 Then Jesus and the twelve came to Capernaum.