1. Many tax collectors and “sinners” came to listen to Jesus.
2. The Pharisees and the teachers of the law began to complain: “Look! This man welcomes sinners and even eats with them!”
3. Then Jesus told them this story:
4. “Suppose one of you has 100 sheep, but he loses 1 of them. Then he will leave the other 99 sheep alone and go out and look for the lost sheep. The man will keep on searching for the lost sheep until he finds it.
5. And when he finds it, the man is very happy. He puts it on his shoulders
6. and goes home. He calls to his friends and neighbors and says, ‘Be happy with me because I found my lost sheep!’
7. In the same way, I tell you there is much joy in heaven when 1 sinner changes his heart. There is more joy for that 1 sinner than there is for 99 good people who don’t need to change.
8. “Suppose a woman has ten silver coins, but she loses one of them. She will light a lamp and clean the house. She will look carefully for the coin until she finds it.
9. And when she finds it, she will call her friends and neighbors and say, ‘Be happy with me because I have found the coin that I lost!’
10. In the same way, there is joy before the angels of God when 1 sinner changes his heart.”