Luke 15:11-21
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’”.
Related Text:
2 Chronicles 7:13-14
Proverbs 17:6
Proverbs 21
Hosea 6:1-3
Acts 3:19-20
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In Other Words
So the son goes out on his own, blows everything that he was given by his father, and then returns to his father’s home hoping that his dad will have enough pity on him to give him a job as a hired hand so he can at least have money to eat on. But the story throws an amazing curve. His father accepts him back – not at an employee, but as a beloved son!
This parable is an incredible image of God love for us. God will be waiting to welcome you back if you’ve been gone far away from Him out on your own. When you return to God, He won’t treat you as you might think you deserve. He won’t treat you as an unwanted traitor. He won’t treat you as an unforgiveable sinner. He will forgive you and bring you back as His son or daughter. Now that’s an awesome God!
Write down a verse from the Bible, any verse, that will help you remember how much God loves us.
