The Book of Jesus - Friends of the Sabbath Australia

The Book of Jesus Chapter Twelve: The life of Jesus from the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, John in easy-to-read, chronological format.
The Prodigal Son
JESUS.
There was once a man who had two sons. The youngest son said to his father: 'Father, let me have the portion of the estate that I
would inherit some day.' So the Father divided the property between the two sons. Not many days later, the youngest son gathered
everything he had and traveled to a distant land. When he got there, he proceeded to waste all that he owned in a life of unrestrained
excess. When he had expended all his resources, there arose a severe famine in that land and he began to be in need. He then hired
himself out to one of the local people and was put to work on the man's farm slopping the hogs. He would have willingly filled his
belly with the husks the pigs were eating, but no one offered him anything. When he finally came to his senses he said, 'How many of
my father's hired servants have enough food and even food to spare and here I am, starving to death. I'm going to get out of here and
go to my father and say to him, 'Father, I've sinned against Heaven and against you. I'm not worthy to be called you son anymore.
Treat me as one of your hired servants.'
So he got up and went to his father. While he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was moved with compassion. Running
to him, he hugged him and tenderly kissed him. The son then said to him, 'Father, I've sinned against Heaven and against you. I'm no
longer worthy to be called your son.' But the father said to his servants; 'Bring out the best robe and put it on him, put a ring on his
finger and sandals on his feet. Bring the fatted calf here and slaughter it. Let's have a feast and a celebration, because this my son who
was dead, has come back to life again. He was lost, but has now been found.'
Now the older son was in the field. As he was on his way back home and got closer to the house, he could hear music and dancing.
Calling one of the servants he asked him what was going on. The servant replied, 'Your brother has come back. Your father has killed
the fatted calf because he got his son back safe and sound.' The oldest son was angry and wouldn't go in. So his father went out and
tried to persuade him to come in, but the older son said to his father, 'Look, I've worked for you all these years and I never once
disobeyed what you wanted me to do and you never gave me even a baby goat so that I could have a little party with my friends. But
as soon as he come home, this son who had wasted his entire inheritance living with whores, for him, you killed the fatted calf.'
The father replied, 'Son, you are always with me, everything I have is yours. However, it was only right that we should celebrate and
be happy, because your younger brother who was dead, has come back to life. He was lost, but has now been found.
Luke 15:11-32
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The Crafty Manager
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NARRATOR.
He also said to his disciples:
JESUS.
There was a wealthy man who hired a man to oversee and manage his holdings. It was related to the wealthy man that his manager
had been wasteful with his property. Calling the man to him he said, 'What is this I'm hearing about you? I want a complete
accounting of your activities, your services are no longer needed. The manager said to himself, 'What am I going to do now, I've just
been fired by my employer? I can't do construction work and I'm too ashamed to beg. I know what I'll do to make sure that when I'm
dismissed from my position, there will be some to welcome me into their homes.' He then proceeded to contact, one by one, all the
people who owed money to his master. To the first creditor he said, 'How much do you owe my master?' 'One hundred measures of
oil' was the reply. The manager said, 'Here, take your original note; sit right down and write another one for fifty". To another creditor
he said, 'And how much do you owe?' 'One hundred measures of wheat' was the reply. The manager said, 'Here, take your original
note and write one for eighty.' The master praised the dishonest steward for his astuteness. For the children of this world are more
astute in dealing with their own kind than are the children of light.
Is it your intent to make friends for yourselves with money acquired through dishonest practices, so that when you die, they will
welcome you into the tents of eternity? The man who is honest in the small matters, is also honest in the large ones; and the man who
is dishonest in the little things, is also dishonest in the major ones. If you haven't even been able to handle unrighteous money
properly, who will commit to your trust the genuine riches? If you haven't been honest in handling that which belongs to another
person, who will give you what is your very own. No servant can be the slave of two masters: for he will either hate the one and love
other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.
NARRATOR.
The Pharisees, who loved money, heard all these things and ridiculed [laughed at] him.
JESUS.
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