Luke 15:11-32
The Parable of the Lost Son
11Jesus continued: "There was a man who had two sons. 12The 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. 14After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he began to be in need. 15So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs. 16He 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 men have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! 18I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. 19I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired men.' 20So 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. 23Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let's have a feast and celebrate.24For 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. 26So 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. 29But 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. 30But 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. 32But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.' "
A father had two sons...The youngest son, wanted half of his father's money and then left...He left to find those things you think you cannot find at home or in your own hometown...He was young and was lost and needed to find himself...The older brother stayed and helped his father with the remainder of the estate, and worked with the father to maintain things on the farm...
The lost son was a little angry, a little, bitter, a little resentful, a little jealousy, a little selfishness for his brother...He felt little forgiveness for his brother...
Jesus teaches us that we should be on guard in our minds about anger, bitterness, resentment, jealousy, and selfishness...He teaches us much about forgiveness and we need to learn how to forgive...He teaches us to forgive often, and to forgive in all situations...He teaches for us to love, we need this ability to forgive others...The father in the story is completely free from the anger, the bitterness, the resentment, the jealousy, and the unselfishness...The father is completely unfettered in his ability to forgive his son...The father loved both his sons, and (still) loved the young one who had left and squandered his and his family's money...
In the parable, the young son, left, got lost, and was now found...The father was so glad to see the young son, under any conditions...The father was not angry, but was happy....The father was not jealous, but was completely forgiving...The young son that was dead is now alive...The father and the young son began to celebrate...The young son had repented, and his father was willing to forgive him...The father had always loved both sons, even the one who left...
You see the father in Jesus' parable is His Father...He has the ability to completely gracious, and gives a complete and unfettered forgiveness to all of us...Our Father loves all of us, and has this great, innate ability to forgive us for all we did and do...The young son was lost and now is found...
The lost son, now is the older son...He is lost in his anger, his bitterness, his resentment, his jealousy, his selfishness, and his inability to forgive...We can become lost at different times in our lives...We do not have to be young, with youthful indiscretions to get lost or be lost...We can be lost late in our lives...But what a gracious Father we have...The lost son, any lost son, and every lost son is able to repent and be forgiven by our Father...You see, God is LOVE...