Page 492 - Bible History

CHRIST, THE SAVIOR OF MANKIND 465
thy son is come, who hast wasted his substance on sin­ l companions, thou hast lled for him the fatted calf.'
"But his father sai to him, 'Son, thou art always th me, and all I have is thine. But it was t that we should make mer and be glad, for this thy brother was dead, and is come to life again; he was lost, and is found.' ''
That sinners might know that God is always ready T to welcome them when they repent and that it is never ! too late to return to Him, our Savior spoke the follow- viney ing parable: ''The Kingdom of Heaven is like to a householder who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard. And having agreed with
the laborers for a penny a day, he sent them into his vineyard.
"Going out about the third hour, he saw others standing in the market place idle and he said to them, 'Go you also into my vineyard and I will give you what shall be just.' They went into the vineyard. Again he went out about the sixth and the ninth hour and did in like manner. But about the eleventh hour he went out and found others standing, and he said to em, 'Why stand you here all the day idle?' They said to
him, 'Because no man hath hired us.' He saith to them, 'Go you also into my vineyard.'
''When evening was come, the lord of the vineyard saith to his steward, 'Call the laborers and pay them their hire, beginning from the last even to the rst.'
"When, therefore, they were come that came about the eleventh hour, they received every man a penny.