Scripture Reading Sunday, March 6, 2016 Monica DePoy

Our Hebrew Lesson comes from Joshua 5:9-12

The LORD said to Joshua, “Today I have rolled away from you the disgrace of

Egypt.” And so that place is called Gilgal to this day.

While the Israelites were camped in Gilgal they kept the passover in the evening

on the fourteenth day of the month in the plains of Jericho. On the day after the

passover, on that very day, they ate the produce of the land, unleavened cakes

and parched grain. The manna ceased on the day they ate the produce of the

land, and the Israelites no longer had manna; they ate the crops of the land of

Canaan that year.

Our Gospel Lesson comes from Luke 15:11b-32

Then Jesus said, “There was a man who had two sons. The younger of them said

to his father, ‘Father, give me the share of the property that will belong to me.’

So he divided his property between them. A few days later the younger son

gathered all he had and traveled to a distant country, and there he squandered his

property in dissolute living. When he had spent everything, a severe famine took

place throughout that country, and he began to be in need. So he went and hired

himself out to one of the citizens of that country, who sent him to his fields to

feed the pigs. He would gladly have filled himself with the pods that the pigs

were eating; and no one gave him anything. But when he came to himself he

said, ‘How many of my father’s hired hands have bread enough and to spare, but

here I am dying of hunger! I will get up and go to my father, and I will say to

him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you; I am no longer

worthy to be called your son; treat me like one of your hired hands.”’ So he set

off and went to his father. But while he was still far off, his father saw him and

was filled with compassion; he ran and put his arms around him and kissed him.

Then the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you; I

am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ But the father said to his slaves,

‘Quickly, bring out a robe—the best one—and put it on him; put a ring on his

finger and sandals on his feet. And get the fatted calf and kill it, and let us eat

and celebrate; for this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and

is found!’ And they began to celebrate.

“Now his elder son was in the field; and when he came and approached the

house, he heard music and dancing. He called one of the slaves and asked what

was going on. He replied, ‘Your brother has come, and your father has killed the

fatted calf, because he has got him back safe and sound.’ Then he became angry

and refused to go in. His father came out and began to plead with him. But he

answered his father, ‘Listen! For all these years I have been working like a slave

for you, and I have never disobeyed your command; yet you have never given

me even a young goat so that I might celebrate with my friends. But when this

son of yours came back, who has devoured your property with prostitutes, you

killed the fatted calf for him!’ Then the father said to him, ‘Son, you are always

with me, and all that is mine is yours. But we had to celebrate and rejoice,

because this brother of yours was dead and has come to life; he was lost and has

been found.’”

THE WORD OF GOD FOR THE PEOPLE OF GOD!