Sermons - Saint John of Damascus Orthodox Church

Luke 15:11-32   (Gospel)

11    Then He said: “A certain man had two sons.
12    And the younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give
        me the portion of goods that falls to me.’ So he divided
        to them his livelihood.

13    And not many days after, the younger son gathered all            together, journeyed to a far country, and there wasted            his possessions with prodigal living.
14
But when he had spent all, there arose a severe famine in that land, and he began to be in want.

15    Then he went and joined himself to a citizen of that             country, and he sent him into his fields to feed swine.

16    And he would gladly have filled his stomach with the                pods that the swine ate, and no one gave him anything.

17    But when he came to himself, he said, ‘How many of my            father’s hired servants have bread enough and to spare,          and I perish with hunger!

18    ’I will arise and go to my father, and will say to him,                “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you,

19     and I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Make            me like one of your hired servants. ‘

20    And he arose and came to his father. But when he was            still a great way off, his father saw him and had                          compassion, and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him.

21     And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against             heaven and in your sight, and 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, and put a ring on his hand                     and  sandals on his feet.

23    ’And bring the fatted calf here and kill it, and let us eat             and be merry;

24    ’for this my son was dead and is alive again; he was lost          and is found.’ And they began to be merry.

25    Now his older son was in the field. And as he came and            drew near to the house, he heard music and dancing.

26    So he called one of the servants and asked what these            things meant.

27    And he said to him, ‘Your brother has come, and because         he has received him safe and sound, your father has                killed the fatted calf.’

28    But he was angry and would not go in. Therefore his                father came out and pleaded with him.

29    So he answered and said to his father, ‘Lo, these many            years I have been serving you; I never transgressed your         commandment at any time; and yet you never gave me a         young goat, that I might make merry with my friends.

30    ’But as soon as this son of yours came, who has                      devoured your livelihood with harlots, you killed the                fatted calf for him.’

31    And he said to him, ‘Son, you are always with me, and all         that I have is yours.

32    ’It was right that we should make merry and be glad, for             your brother was dead and is alive again, and was lost             and is found.’ “

   Matthew 25:31-46 (Gospel)
   31 When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the holy        angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory.

   32 All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will            separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides his            sheep from the goats.

   33 And He will set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats        on the left.

   34 Then the King will say to those on His right hand, ‘Come,        you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for            you from the foundation of the world:

   35 ’for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and        you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in;

   36 ’I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you                visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me.’

   37 Then the righteous will answer Him, saying, ‘Lord, when did    we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You drink?

   38 ’When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked    and clothe You?

   39 ’Or when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to            You?’

   40 And the King will answer and say to them, ‘Assuredly, I            say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these        My brethren, you did it to Me.’

   41 Then He will also say to those on the left hand, ‘Depart from       Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil       and his angels:

   42 ’for I was hungry and you gave Me no food; I was thirsty and       you gave Me no drink;

   43 ’I was a stranger and you did not take Me in, naked and you       did not clothe Me, sick and in prison and you did not visit Me.’

   44 Then they also will answer Him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we       see You hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in        prison, and did not minister to You?’

   45 Then He will answer them, saying, ‘Assuredly, I say to you,        inasmuch as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you        did not do it to Me.’

   46 And these will go away into everlasting punishment, but the    righteous into eternal life.