Luke 15:11-32
The Parable of the Lost Son
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.’”
Matthew 18:21-22
Forgive Others Over and Over Again
21 Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times?”
22 Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.
Christianity is about a relationship with our Father in heaven and His Son...And when we study Jesus' Parable of the Lost Son we can see that religion is about a relationship with His Father...The prodigal son was among pigs feeding them and would come to his senses...He had lost half of his Father's estate...The son says, "Father, I have sinned against heaven and against You...I am no longer worthy to be called your son."...The Father forgives the lost son, without ever hearing his story of what he had done or how he spent His money...Half of His money was gone...But that did not matter at all to the Father..His son was back...The son did not have to fear going home, because of this LOVE from his Father...And the Father welcomes the lost one back home...The money does not matter to our Father, but His son does...
Because we sin, we need forgiven and get lost...And sometimes we do get lost, but our Father is waiting for us with LOVE...The prodigal son lost dignity when he first asks for his half of his Father's estate, and then he squanders all of it...We can get lost many times but Jesus reminds us to forgive over and over...Jesus tells us to forgive our neighbors seventy times seven...The Prodigal Son's Father certainly is forgiving...God's LOVE is a saving LOVE, and that is why He sent His Son to us, as a Savior...
And this relationship works as God LOVES us, and as we love our Father in heaven...This relationship is about God's LOVE, God's Forgiving us, and about His Grace...And since this about relationships, we must love our Father, and have faith in Him...
The older son refused to go to the banquet...But let us join our Father's banquet with the lost son and realize that when we are tempted to not include others, that we may be missing Something Special...When a banquet is happening and God is there, let us be there with Him...