Sunday of the Prodigal Son

Little children, these are the end times, and as you heard that the Antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have arisen. By this we know that it is the final hour. ¹⁹They went out from us, but they didn’t belong to us; for if they had belonged to us, they would have continued with us. But they left, that they might be revealed that none of them belong to us. ²⁰You have an anointing from the Holy One, and you all have knowledge. ²¹I have not written to you because you don’t know the truth, but because you know it, and because no lie is of the truth. ²²Who is the liar but he who denies that Jesus is the Christ? This is the Antichrist, he who denies the Father and the Son. ²³Whoever denies the Son doesn’t have the Father. He who confesses the Son has the Father also.

²⁴Therefore, as for you, let that remain in you which you heard from the beginning. If that which you heard from the beginning remains in you, you also will remain in the Son, and in the Father. ²⁵This is the promise which he promised us, the eternal life.

²⁶These things I have written to you concerning those who would lead you astray. ²⁷As for you, the anointing which you received from him remains in you, and you don’t need for anyone to teach you. But as his anointing teaches you concerning all things, and is true, and is no lie, and even as it taught you, you will remain in him.

²⁸Now, little children, remain in him, that when he appears, we may have boldness and not be ashamed before him at his coming. ²⁹If you know that he is righteous, you know that everyone who practices righteousness has been born of him.

¹See how great a love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God! For this cause the world doesn’t know us, because it didn’t know him. ²Beloved, now we are children of God. It is not yet revealed what we will be; but we know that when he is revealed, we will be like him, for we will see him just as he is. ³Everyone who has this hope set on him purifies himself, even as he is pure.

⁴Everyone who sins also commits lawlessness. Sin is lawlessness. ⁵You know that he was revealed to take away our sins, and no sin is in him. ⁶Whoever remains in him doesn’t sin. Whoever sins hasn’t seen him and doesn’t know him.

⁷Little children, let no one lead you astray. He who does righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous. ⁸He who sins is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. To this end the Son of God was revealed: that he might destroy the works of the devil. ⁹Whoever is born of God doesn’t commit sin, because his seed remains in him, and he can’t sin, because he is born of God. ¹⁰In this the children of God are revealed, and the children of the devil. Whoever doesn’t do righteousness is not of God, neither is he who doesn’t love his brother.

He said, “A certain man had two sons. ¹²The younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me my share of your property.’ So he divided his livelihood between them. ¹³Not many days after, the younger son gathered all of this together and traveled into a far country. There he wasted his property with riotous living. ¹⁴When he had spent all of it, there arose a severe famine in that country, and he began to be in need. ¹⁵He went and joined himself to one of the citizens of that country, and he sent him into his fields to feed pigs. ¹⁶He wanted to fill his belly with the pods that the pigs ate, but no one gave him any. ¹⁷But when he came to himself, he said, ‘How many hired servants of my father’s have bread enough to spare, and I’m dying with hunger! ¹⁸I will get up and go to my father, and will tell him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight. ¹⁹I am no more worthy to be called your son. Make me as one of your hired servants.”’

²⁰“He arose and came to his father. But while he was still far off, his father saw him and was moved with compassion, and ran, fell on his neck, and kissed him. ²¹The son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’

²²“But the father said to his servants, ‘Bring out the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet. ²³Bring the fattened calf, kill it, and let’s eat and celebrate; ²⁴for this, my son, was dead and is alive again. He was lost and is found.’ Then they began to celebrate.

²⁵“Now his elder son was in the field. As he came near to the house, he heard music and dancing. ²⁶He called one of the servants to him and asked what was going on. ²⁷He said to him, ‘Your brother has come, and your father has killed the fattened calf, because he has received him back safe and healthy.’ ²⁸But he was angry and would not go in. Therefore his father came out and begged him. ²⁹But he answered his father, ‘Behold, these many years I have served you, and I never disobeyed a commandment of yours, but you never gave me a goat, that I might celebrate with my friends. ³⁰But when this your son came, who has devoured your living with prostitutes, you killed the fattened calf for him.’

³¹“He said to him, ‘Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours. ³²But it was appropriate to celebrate and be glad, for this, your brother, was dead, and is alive again. He was lost, and is found.’”