Strength For Today – Day 9

₂₀Jesus rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant, and sat down. All the people in the synagogue had their eyes fixed on him, ₂₁as he said to them, “This passage of scripture has come true today, as you heard it being read.”

₂₂They were all well impressed with him and marvelled at the eloquent words that he spoke. They said, “Isn't he the son of Joseph?”

₃So Jesus told them this parable:

₄“Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them — what do you do? You leave the other 99 sheep in the pasture and go looking for the one that got lost until you find it. ₅When you find it, you are so happy that you put it on your shoulders ₆and carry it back home. Then you call your friends and neighbours together and say to them, ‘I am so happy I found my lost sheep. Let us celebrate!’ ₇In the same way, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over 99 respectable people who do not need to repent.

₁₂He was going into a village when he was met by ten men suffering from a dreaded skin disease. They stood at a distance ₁₃and shouted, “Jesus! Master! Take pity on us!”

₁₄Jesus saw them and said to them, “Go and let the priests examine you.”

On the way they were made clean. ₁₅When one of them saw that he was healed, he came back, praising God in a loud voice. ₁₆He threw himself to the ground at Jesus' feet and thanked him. The man was a Samaritan. ₁₇Jesus said, “There were ten men who were healed; where are the other nine? ₁₈Why is this foreigner the only one who came back to give thanks to God?” ₁₉And Jesus said to him, “Get up and go; your faith has made you well.”