Lesson 4407

 (Lesson 4407)(02-25-24) Luke 15:11-24 

“And he said, A certain man had two sons: And the younger of them said to his father, Father, give me the portion of goods that falleth to me. And he divided unto them his living. And not many days after the younger son gathered all together, and took his journey into a far country, and there wasted his substance with riotous living. And when he had spent all, there arose a mighty famine in that land; and he began to be in want. And he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country; and he sent him into his fields to feed swine. And he would fain have filled his belly with the husks that the swine did eat: and no man gave unto him. And when he came to himself, he said, How many hired servants of my father's have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger! I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before thee, And am no more worthy to be called thy son: make me as one of thy hired servants. And he arose, and came to his father. But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him. And the son said unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in thy sight, and am no more worthy to be called thy son. But the father said to his servants, Bring forth the best robe, and put it on him; and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet: And bring hither the fatted calf, and kill it; and let us eat, and be merry: For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found. And they began to be merry.” 

 

In today’s quote, Jesus related the Parable of the Prodigal Son, wherein a man had two sons; the younger, tired of working for his father requested his share of the inheritance, which he then squandered in wasteful and reckless living far from home. The errant son came to face all manner of problems, including hunger, after which he decided to return to his father, intending to ask for a job as a servant. However, when he returned, his father, as any loving father would, welcomed him with open arms, ordering that he be dressed in fine clothes and that a great feast be prepared in honor of his returning son. This great celebration was based on the father's declaration that his son had been lost and was finally found; he had been dead but had returned to live again. That parable illustrated God's readiness to forgive and rejoice over the repentance and homecoming of sinners, emphasizing the theme of redemption and the unconditional love of the Father.~