And when he came to himself, he said, How many of my father's hired men have bread in abundance, and I am dying of hunger. I will arise, and go to my father, and say to him, Father, forgive him! I have sinned against heaven and before thee, and am no longer worthy to be called thy son; Accept me as one of your hirelings.

And he got up and went to his father. And while he was still far away, his father saw him, and was moved with compassion; and running, he fell on his neck and kissed him. And the son said to him, "Father, forgive him! I have sinned against heaven and before Thee, and am no longer worthy to be called Thy Son.

And the father said to his servants, "Bring the best garments, and clothe him, and give a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet; and bring a fatted calf, and kill it; Let us eat and be merry! for this my son was dead, and is alive again; disappeared and was found. And they began to have fun.

And his eldest son was in the field; and on his return, when he approached the house, he heard singing and rejoicing. And he called one of the servants, and asked, What is this? He said to him, "Your brother has come; and thy father slaughtered the fatted calf, because he received it well.

He was angry and did not want to come in. And his father, having gone out, called him. But he answered his father, "Behold, I have served you so many years, and have never transgressed your commandment, but you have never given me a kid to make merry with my friends." And when this son of yours, who squandered your wealth with harlots, came, you killed a fatted calf for him.

And he said to him, My son! You are always with me, and all that is mine is yours. And for this it was necessary to rejoice and rejoice, that this brother was dead and is alive again; disappeared and was found.

135. The Parable of the Unrighteous Steward and Lessons from It

Lux. 16, 1–18

The Lord also said to His disciples: "A certain man was rich and had a steward, against whom it was reported to him that he was squandering his possessions." Calling him, he said to him, "What is this that I hear about you? give an account of thy stewardship, for thou canst no longer govern. Then the steward said to himself, What shall I do? my lord takes away from me the stewardship of the house; I can't dig, I'm ashamed to ask. I know what to do, so that I may be received into their homes, when I am left from the stewardship of the house. And having called his master's debtors, each one separately, he said to the first, How much do you owe my lord? He said, A hundred measures of oil. And he said to him, "Take your receipt, and sit down quickly, and write, 'Fifty.'" Then he said to another, "How much do you owe?" And he answered, A hundred measures of wheat. And he said to him, Take your receipt, and write, Eighty.

And the lord praised the infidel steward for having acted wisely; for the sons of this world are wiser than the sons of light in their kind.

And I say unto you, Make yourselves friends with the riches of unrighteousness, that when they become poor, they may receive you into eternal abodes.

He who is faithful in little is faithful in much, and he who is unfaithful in little is unfaithful in much.

So, if you have not been faithful in unrighteous riches, who will believe you in the true? And if you were not faithful in the things of others, who will give you yours?

No servant can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other; or he will be zealous for the one, and neglect the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.