Ephesians 2:8-9
Saved by Grace through Faith
8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9 not by works, so that no one can boast.
Romans 3:22-26
We Fall Short of the LORD
22 There is no difference between Jew and Gentile, 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. 25 God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement, through the shedding of his blood—to be received by faith. He did this to demonstrate his righteousness, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished— 26 he did it to demonstrate his righteousness at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus.
Luke 15:1-32
The Parable of the Lost Sheep
1 Now the tax collectors and sinners were all gathering around to hear Jesus. 2 But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law muttered, “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.”
3 Then Jesus told them this parable: 4 “Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Doesn’t he leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? 5 And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders 6 and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.’ 7 I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.
8 “Or suppose a woman has ten silver coins and loses one. Doesn’t she light a lamp, sweep the house and search carefully until she finds it? 9 And when she finds it, she calls her friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost coin.’ 10 In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”
11 Jesus continued: “There was a man who had two sons. 12 The younger one said to his father, ‘Father, give me my share of the estate.’ So he divided his property between them.
13 “Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living.14 After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he began to be in need. 15 So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs. 16 He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything.
17 “When he came to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! 18 I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. 19 I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired servants.’ 20 So he got up and went to his father.
“But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.
21 “The son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’
22 “But the father said to his servants, ‘Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. 23 Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate. 24 For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ So they began to celebrate.
25 “Meanwhile, the older son was in the field. When he came near the house, he heard music and dancing. 26 So he called one of the servants and asked him what was going on. 27 ‘Your brother has come,’ he replied, ‘and your father has killed the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound.’
28 “The older brother became angry and refused to go in. So his father went out and pleaded with him. 29 But he answered his father, ‘Look! All these years I’ve been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders. Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends. 30 But when this son of yours who has squandered your property with prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him!’
31 “‘My son,’ the father said, ‘you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. 32 But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’”
Prodigal means spending money or resources freely and recklessly; wastefully extravagant...
And it is by grace that we have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast...And the type of Grace that God offers is maybe a sort Prodigal Grace...A freely, reckless, and very much an extravagant grace that He gives to us, that is never wasteful...It is a type of grace that we do not deserve, but He gives us to us anyway out of His LOVE for us...Because we can see that the prodigal son was an abuser of His Father's Grace...And His older son felt more like he was worthy of his Father's Grace, since he was there working with Him...Yet, the Prodigal Son story when I first read it, I though it a simple story...Now as I read the Prodigal Son, and along with the other lost stories that Jesus presents us, I see the Prodigal Son is a deep story and involves both sons and is about both of their worthiness of grace...
Jesus starts out talking to tax collectors and sinners...It is written that the tax collectors and sinners were all gathering around to hear Jesus...But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law muttered, “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.”...And then Jesus starts telling them who is lost, and what being lost means...And He ends up with the lost stories, with the Parable of the Prodigal Son...
So as those around Jesus listened, some or many may have realized that we are the Prodigal Son and maybe too the elder son...We all are sinners, even the older son...Maybe as the Pharisees listened to these stories of those being lost they may have felt worthy of God's Grace, as it seems, the oldest son does...Yet, we know we all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God...So as we read the Parable of the Prodigal Son, we might wonder who is worthy of God's Grace...
The story ends with the Father trying to explain to His older son why the lost need to be found, and why when we are dead, we can become alive again through the Grace of a Father...Let us be grateful for God's extravagant Grace...