March – 17 – Called to Return

Sunday School Lesson

March 17

Lesson 3 (KJV)

Called to Return

 

Devotional Reading: Ezekiel 34:11–16

Background Scripture: Luke 15

 

Luke 15:11–24

11. And he said, A certain man had two sons:

 

12. 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.

 

13. 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.

 

14. And when he had spent all, there arose a mighty famine in that land; and he began to be in want.

 

15. And he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country; and he sent him into his fields to feed swine.

 

16. And he would fain have filled his belly with the husks that the swine did eat: and no man gave unto him.

 

17. 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!

 

18. I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before thee,

 

19. And am no more worthy to be called thy son: make me as one of thy hired servants.

 

20. 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.

 

21. 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.
22. 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:

 

23. And bring hither the fatted calf, and kill it; and let us eat, and be merry:

 

24. For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found. And they began to be merry.

 

Key Verses

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.… For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found. And they began to be merry.—Luke 15:22, 24

 

Lesson Aims

After participating in this lesson, each learner will be able to:

 

1. Recall the details of the parable of the prodigal son.

 

2. Interpret the parable as illustrating God’s response to the repentant sinner.

 

3. Reflect on ways to have the outlook of Jesus toward those who seek redemption.

 

HOW TO SAY IT

Gentiles	Jen-tiles.
Pharisees	Fair-ih-seez.
prodigal	praw-dih-gul.

Introduction

1. The Scandal of Forgiveness

“That is just unforgiveable.”

Have you ever said something like that, or heard someone say it? We all believe in the importance and necessity of forgiveness. We all rely on forgiveness, from other people and from Almighty God.

But some wrongs seem impossible to forgive. They are too heinous, too painful. We can hardly imagine forgiving those who committed history’s great crimes against humanity. But more practically, we struggle to forgive those whose deeds have deeply hurt us personally.

Likewise, we may struggle to believe we can be forgiven. Our wrongs go with us every moment. We cannot escape the deep regret we have for the harm we have done to others. Forgiveness is as hard to receive as it is to give.

Forgiveness is a scandal. We question those who offer it, question whether we can receive it, doubt whether it can really happen, doubt whether it should happen. The opponents of Jesus questioned both His ability to forgive sin (Luke 5:20, 21) and His association with those most in need of it (15:2). How Jesus responded is highly instructive yet today.

 

1. Lesson Context

Today’s text, one of the most beloved (and misapplied) of Jesus’ parables, is one of a series that He spoke in response to His opponents. Jesus was surrounded by publicans (tax collectors), hated in His time as collaborators with the oppressive Roman Empire. Sinners of various stripes flocked to Him. None of this sat well with religious leaders opposed to Jesus. They grumbled about His associating with such people, and especially about His eating with them.

With Luke 15:1, 2 noting the above, Luke 15:3 marks the beginning of Jesus’ response. That response consists of three parables, each about the recovery of something: a lost sheep (15:4–7), a lost coin (15:8–10), and an errant son (15:11–32).

When Jesus used parables to address Jewish leaders, the stories were often meant to be “in your face” tweaks aimed at their hypocrisy. In the parable told at his house, Simon the Pharisee was to understand that he was the debtor who “loveth little” (Luke 7:47). “The chief priests, and the scribes, and the elders” were to know that the parable of the tenants was directed at them (Mark 11:27; 12:1–12). The three parables in Luke 15 are similar: they were meant to be rebukes of pious leaders who disdained Jesus because He “receiveth sinners” (Luke 15:2).

 

What Do You Think? What guardrails can you adopt to avoid misapplying parables to today’s situations?   Digging Deeper Consider Jesus’ original intent for using parables (Matthew 13:10–17), the original audience of a given parable, and the general difficult in interpreting figurative language (Matthew 15:15, 16; 16:5–12).

1. Desire

(Luke 15:11, 12)

1. Description (v. 11)
2. And he said, A certain man had two sons.

 

Parables begin with images from common experience. This family depicted is no different in that regard—so far.

 

1. Request (v. 12a)

12a. And the younger of them said to his father, Father, give me the portion of goods that falleth to me.

 

Jesus’ audience knows that the oldest son in a family has privileges and responsibilities that other sons do not (Genesis 25:31). One privilege is to receive a double share of the estate (Deuteronomy 21:15–17). This is computed by adding up the number of sons, adding one, then dividing the estate equally by the result. Each son except the oldest then receives a single share; the oldest son receives two shares as his birthright.

Since the father in the story has only two sons, this means that the younger of them is requesting one-third of the father’s estate right now‌—this son wants to “cash out.” Of course, such distribution is always made at the father’s death. To ask for one’s inheritance before that is to say to one’s father, “I want you to treat me as if you were dead.”

 

1. Response (v. 12b)

12b. And he divided unto them his living.

 

An angry response would be understandable. But the father in the story accedes to the request! Is he being simply naïve in doing so? (See Proverbs 20:21.)

Our sanctified imaginations can see this as not only generous but also devastating. We may wonder how the family can thrive as a third of the assets suddenly vanish. This grant is bound to bring consequences on the father that may never be undone. But financial ruin of the father and the rest of the family is not part of the illustration, so we should not get sidetracked by it.

 

What Do You Think? Without giving advice, how would you counsel someone who is about to use this verse as a basis for granting a similar request to a restless offspring?   Digging Deeper Consider what the story as originally told was designed to illustrate.

1. Consequences

(Luke 15:13–16)

1. Abandoning Covenant (v. 13)
2. 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.

The younger son seems to take as little time as possible to turn his share of the estate into cash. As he does, he puts his plan into action. For the audience of Jesus’ day, this is much more than a long-distance move in a modern sense. The son is abandoning not only his family, but also the promised land and God’s covenant. Having been born into an Israelite family, he now abandons that identity in favor of—something else.

As he lives wildly in the far country, the man has no concern for moral boundaries or prudence. As a result, he wastes the father’s legacy. The accumulated wealth that could have given the son a start on an independent life later is now dissipated even while his father lives.

 

What Do You Think? What guardrails can a church put in place to help members who are in danger of becoming spiritual prodigals and rejecting Christianity? What will be your part in this?   Digging Deeper What are some warning signs that a rejection of Christianity is about to happen?

This verse also gives the story its familiar name: the parable of the prodigal son. While the word prodigal is often associated with the son’s decision to rebel against parental oversight and leave home prematurely, the word actually means “recklessly wasteful of one’s property or means.” This definition therefore points to the son’s poor stewardship more than his desire to cut ties with his family, although the two concepts are related here.

 

1. Experiencing Hunger (vv. 14–16)
2. And when he had spent all, there arose a mighty famine in that land; and he began to be in want.

 

Food shortages brought on by drought, pests, or social upheaval are common in the ancient world. Because a majority of people make a subsistence living in the best of times, death by starvation always looms. The younger brother has grown up in a prosperous household. Now he is estranged from family and far from his homeland by his own foolhardy actions. He is hungry and without anyone to call on for help.

 

The Lure of Wealth

It’s a common fantasy: If only I could win the lottery. Then my life would be perfect! The evidence demonstrates otherwise, however.

After winning $16.2 million in the Pennsylvania lottery in 1988, the winner had the worst year of his life. His own brother hired a hit man to kill him, hoping to inherit a share of the winnings. The winner invested his gain in business ventures that failed and put him $1 million in debt.

Another man thought it the best Christmas gift ever when he won a $315 million Powerball jackpot in December 2002. But his marriage disintegrated as he spent money on alcohol and adultery.

A woman who won a $5 million lottery in 1991 gave $2 million of it to an illegitimate child her husband knew nothing about. When he discovered his wife’s deception, he poisoned her.

Those fascinated with wealth do well to heed Solomon’s warning: “The abundance of the rich will not suffer him to sleep” (Ecclesiastes 5:12).

—J. E.

 

15. And he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country; and he sent him into his fields to feed swine.

 

To underscore the prodigal’s plight, Jesus introduces an element that is particularly troubling to Jewish people: the destitute man is hired to feed swine‌—‌unclean animals (Leviticus 11:7; Deuteronomy 14:8). This indicates that the citizen of that country who hires the prodigal is Gentile. It is virtually impossible to honor the Law of Moses in such a context. Though the prodigal has forsaken family and country, the pigs remind the readers how far he has fallen (or jumped).

 

16. And he would fain have filled his belly with the husks that the swine did eat: and no man gave unto him.

 

Pigs are valued as livestock because of their ability to eat nearly anything and produce meat. But there is no indication that the prodigal is allowed to eat any such meat; the fact that no man gave unto himwould seem to indicate the opposite. Instead, he must rely on the husks that the swine did eat—probably seed pods from carob plants.

We sometimes speak of those who experience consequences of bad decisions as “hitting rock bottom.” That’s where the prodigal is.

 

III. Reflection

(Luke 15:17–19)

1. Reckoning with Reality (v. 17)
2. 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!

 

At the bottom, the prodigal is forced to reevaluate his situation and the solution. His previous abundance had clouded his judgment. His destitute situation makes things crystal clear. Gone is the self-deception that created chaos for him and others.

 

1. Planning to Repent (vv. 18, 19)
2. I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before thee.

 

Reality prompts the man to a new course of action. Having acted with high-handed selfishness, he now recognizes that sin for what it was. So he plans to take responsibility for his actions by openly affirming that he has done wrong.

To sin against heaven is to sin against God, to violate God’s law and will. God is Father to His people, a generous, loving, forgiving Father who commands His people to show honor to their parents on earth (Exodus 20:12). The young man’s actions were terribly dishonoring.

Likewise, abandonment of the covenant people to live as a pagan among idolaters is an affront. Jesus’ Jewish audience is undoubtedly recognizing that the prodigal’s spiritual poverty is more serious than his physical one. Does that audience think the man’s sins to be beyond forgiveness?

 

19. And am no more worthy to be called thy son: make me as one of thy hired servants.

 

The man continues to rehearse his repentance speech as he assesses his responsibility for his situation. A legal reality is in view: because he has already spent his share of the inheritance, his father’s obligation to recognize him as his son no longer exists. This fact is underlined by the son’s callous disrespect for his father. The son has treated the father as if dead. Further, the son cannot return the inheritance because it is gone. The only hope is that repentance can result in being hired as a servant.

We may pause to ask ourselves what life would be like for an estranged but repentant son to be brought back into the household as a servant. Would the father make extra demands of him? Would the son sense a constant obligation to seek his father’s approval? Some Christians today may sense they have the relationship of a hired servant with God more than that of a beloved son or daughter. If we see ourselves as such, we have much to consider in this story.

 

1. Restoration

(Luke 15:20–24)

1. Father’s Welcome (v. 20)
2. 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.

 

Having reached the point of repentance, the son returns to face his father. The son’s repentance and return are necessary to be restored to his family, but will not be sufficient. It will be the father’s action that accomplishes the restoration. In the preceding parables of the lost sheep and the lost coin, everything else is put on hold until what is missing is recovered through active searching. But that is not the case in the parable at hand. No searching for the errant son is said to be done. There is no indication that the family business is put on hold until the son is recovered.

When he sees the son, the father does not wait for him to arrive at the front door. The father did not run after the son when he left, but he runs toward him now! The driving force to do so is the father’s compassion, deep feelings of love and mercy, for his estranged son, and so he runs despite the indignity.

When the two draw near each other, the father does not halt abruptly to wait to hear what the son has to say. Rather, the father’s reaction indicates that the son’s repentant presence is more than acceptable. Without having spoken, the prodigal son has already received more than he hoped for, and certainly more than he deserved.

 

What Do You Think? How can the parallels between this account and that of Esau meeting Jacob (Genesis 33) inform how we deal with those who repent after having wronged us?   Digging Deeper What false parallels do you see between the two accounts? How does their identification caution us in answering the question above.

1. Son’s Confession (v. 21)
2. 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.

 

The son begins his prepared speech of repentance. But the son seems to be interrupted (next verse) before he can get to the part where he plans to say “make me as one of thy hired servants” (Luke 15:19).

 

1. Relationship’s Renewal (vv. 22–24)
2. 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.

 

The father interrupts with the instructions we see here. The best robe, likely very costly, is a sign of sonship. Such clothing is very costly in the ancient world. The ring is not just ornamental jewelry, but likely bears a seal for identifying legal documents in the family’s affairs. Servants commonly do not wear shoes, but family members do.

 

23. And bring hither the fatted calf, and kill it; and let us eat, and be merry.

 

In each of the two preceding parables, the finding of the lost object prompted owners to gather friends and relatives for a celebration (Luke 15:6, 9). The same happens in this story.

In biblical times, the slaughter of an animal is always a special occasion. Ordinary, everyday family meals often do not feature meat. The reason is that the lack of refrigeration means that all meat of a slaughtered animal must be cooked and eaten immediately. That won’t happen unless a lot of people are present.

A calf is an especially extravagant animal for slaughter, as the owner is foregoing the growth that the animal might attain and the offspring it might bear. This is provision for the most festive of celebrations. The father is holding back nothing to welcome his lost son back to the family.

We might have expected the father to make some provision for the son to repay what he had taken. But he offers not a word in that direction. Instead, the father gives generously. His forgiveness for the repentant son is graciously full and complete.

 

24a. For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found.

 

The father’s final statement to the younger son summarizes the story. The son’s original desire effectively treated his father as dead to the son. But in fact it was the son who ended up effectively dead to the father! The father had had no realistic expectation of ever seeing his son again, let alone of enjoying a loving relationship with him. But the son’s restoration is as if he has been raised from the dead. Like the sheep and the coin in the preceding stories, what was lost no longer is.

 

24b. And they began to be merry.

 

And so the celebration begins. Friends and family gather to share the joy. Their presence honors and affirms the grace the father is showing to his son. How unlike the religious leaders who criticize Jesus for His eating with sinners!

 

A Famous Prodigal?

He was given a job as an apprentice in the family print shop. All he needed to do was learn the trade, and he would be guaranteed a rewarding career. But things did not work out that way.

Soon conflicts arose with his boss, who happened to be his stepbrother James. Not content with merely setting type, the apprentice wanted to write and have his words read by everyone in Boston. James was not impressed with his writing and refused to publish it.

But the apprentice began to submit essays under a pen name. These were accepted by James for publication, and soon readers in Boston eagerly awaited the next letter from “Mrs. Silence Dogood.”

The deception angered James when it was discovered. So the rebellious 17-year-old apprentice left without his brother’s permission.

He went to Philadelphia for a new start. Work in several printer shops there was unsatisfying, so he headed to London. Lured by an empty promise of help in starting a newspaper, he ended up working again as a typesetter.

Returning to Philadelphia, he found work as a store clerk and bookkeeper. That return was fateful because that young man was Benjamin Franklin, who went on to become one of America’s founding fathers!

A popular but loose, extended definition would describe him as an American prodigal. We can let that stand as long as we don’t lose sight of Jesus’ original intent in our text. See below.

—J. E.

 

Conclusion

1. The Essence of Repentance

We must stress what should be obvious: Jesus was not using a heartwarming story to illustrate how a family reconciliation should occur. Rather, Jesus was telling the story of every person who has ever turned away from God and squandered the blessings of His love and grace. This observation explains the father’s startling behavior at the outset: God might not stop a person from turning to a sinful lifestyle.

Even so, He is ready to take back the repentant. He may watch in silence as we depart, but He leaves the door open for our return. The older brother’s complaint (Luke 15:25–32) is not considered in this lesson so this point is not overshadowed.

 

What Do You Think? What should churches do, if anything, regarding unrepentant backsliders whose sins are separating them from the heavenly Father?   Digging Deeper How should those actions differ, if at all, regarding the nature of the sin?

Jesus celebrated repentant sinners whom He had restored to fellowship with God. For the publicans and sinners, that meant admitting that what others said about them was true: they had ostracized themselves from God’s people. That meant they needed God’s mercy. They found that mercy in Jesus. The religious leaders of the day saw no relevance for Jesus in obtaining that mercy. But in fact, He was (and is) the only relevance in that regard. The fact that Jesus spoke this parable to stress the available mercy of the Father has another teaching point: we dare not think of anyone as “too far gone” to be eligible for God’s mercy.

 

While the parable can be viewed on a personal level in illustrating God’s acceptance of repentant individuals, many students see a larger theme here: the prodigal son as representing the Gentiles. Surely the religious experts of Jesus’ day had read Isaiah 49:6, where God promised that His servant would not only “raise up the tribes of Jacob” and “restore the preserved of Israel,” but also was to be “a light to the Gentiles, that thou mayest be my salvation unto the end of the earth” (quoted in Acts 13:47). This speaks to how we are to view people-groups today (Matthew 28:19, 20).

 

1. Prayer

Father, we thank You for Your mercy! May we join in Your joyous celebration as others become reconciled to You. Teach us to express that joy as we treat others with the grace and mercy You granted to us. We pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.

 

1. Thought to Remember

God’s banquet celebrates the forgiveness of self-aware failures.

 

 

 

KID’S CORNER

God Will Find His Lost Children

Luke 15:11-24

Sunday, March 17, 2019

 

Luke 15:11-24

(Luke 15:11) And He said, “A man had two sons.

In Jesus’ first two parables in Luke 15, the owner of a lost sheep and the owner of a lost coin search until they find what was lost, and then they rejoice with their neighbors. These parables reveal that God searches for those who belong to Him, and God always finds His lost ones. The first two parables in Luke 15 form a necessary background to the Parable of the Prodigal (or Lost) Son (or sons). The focus of this International Bible Lesson and Commentary is on the first lost son in the parable.

(Luke 15:12)  “The younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the share of the estate that falls to me.’ So he divided his wealth between them.

The perfect father in this parable represents our perfect heavenly Father. In his heart and mind, the younger son had left his father before he asked for his inheritance and left home. By law, at his father’s death, his older brother would have received twice as much as him (if there were only two sons in the family). Rather than wait for his father to die, the son asked his father for his inheritance early and planned to leave home and never see his father again. Separation from his father began well before he ever physically left home and went to a far country. Even though he knew how his son felt about him, this loving father gave his son what he wanted and blessed him with an early inheritance.

(Luke 15:13)  “And not many days later, the younger son gathered everything together and went on a journey into a distant country, and there he squandered his estate with loose living.

As true children of God the Father, some turn their back on God and misuse their gifts from God – spiritual, mental and physical – to live apart from God, even though they might not change their physical location. They squander or waste their lives and their gifts in doing what they want rather than living within the circle of God’s love and developing their spiritual gifts from God in obedience to God. When they turn their back on God, they become lost and susceptible to falling into many temptations from the world, the flesh, and the devil.

(Luke 15:14)  “Now when he had spent everything, a severe famine occurred in that country, and he began to be impoverished.

There eventually comes a time when some who have walked away from God find themselves in need and far away from God and God’s help. Rather than go back to God immediately, they try to make do and save themselves in their situation by relying on themselves or others like themselves. Having lost many of their mental and physical advantages and gifts, they are less able to think clearly and help themselves, and others are less attracted to helping them.

(Luke 15:15)  “So he went and hired himself out to one of the citizens of that country, and he sent him into his fields to feed swine.

Many lost children of God seek the world’s help (or the devil’s help) before they will return to God the Father. They will do the lowest and dirtiest jobs or try the most despicable and dishonorable solutions to solve their problems before returning to God their Father. All during this time, God the Father has been watching what they have been doing, but God helps in His own way and time and for reasons often known only to God. He sometimes waits until His children go from bad to worse before intervening, and because they are His children in many ways God keeps them from going from worse to worse. For a child of God, this seeming abandonment by God and suffering without God is part of the discipline of God for His children in order to bring them back to Him.

(Luke 15:16)  “And he would have gladly filled his stomach with the pods that the swine were eating, and no one was giving anything to him.

After God’s children leave Him, they sometimes think that what the world has to offer will satisfy them, and they keep looking to the world for happiness and satisfaction. What they would never have done or wanted to do before, they suddenly feel the need to do and want to do and eventually find themselves doing. Many have fallen so low in the eyes of the world and their former worldly friends that they will not receive help from anyone – even the devil will abandon them rather than waste his time. As long as they stay away from God, the devil will let them slide lower and lower without interference.

(Luke 15:17)  “But when he came to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired men have more than enough bread, but I am dying here with hunger!

Sometimes the children of God have fallen so far into a dark pit morally, mentally, and spiritually that all they can do is look up and hope to see light again: that is the beginning their coming to themselves. Just as the man possessed by demons in the land of the Gerasenes could not come into his right mind until Jesus cast out his demons, only by the grace of God, the truth of God, and the work of Jesus through the Holy Spirit will a disobedient and rebellious child of God “come to his senses.” He may remember the Word of God he has been taught, or he may read or hear truths from the Bible and understand them for the first time as the Holy Spirit shines the light.

(Luke 15:18)  ‘I will get up and go to my father, and will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in your sight;

The lost son had a loving father to go back to, just as the true child of God has a loving Father to return to; One who will receive them because He has brought them to their senses. A returning child of God will usually struggle as he goes back to God, and the devil will try to restrain him. He must acknowledge his sins against God, others he has harmed, and himself. He must trust that his heavenly Father will forgive him and meet his real needs, even as the world and the devil try to convince him otherwise.

(Luke 15:19)  I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me as one of your hired men.”’

Those children of God who have walked away from God have squandered a part of their lives. They know they are no longer worthy to be called a child of God, because they have not behaved as a child of God and they have dishonored their heavenly Father. But they remember enough about God their Father, or learn enough from the Bible about God their Father, that they would love to be like one of God’s servants, if they only could. They know it would be so much better to be a servant of God than live in the world apart from God and in the devil’s domain.

(Luke 15:20)  “So he got up and came to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion for him, and ran and embraced him and kissed him.

As the child of God begins trudging back to God, the road is painful and shameful (imagine this lost son with bloody, bare sore feet, rags for clothing, an empty stomach, and knowing the great distance back to his father’s home). In returning, the child of God usually has a consciousness of painful struggle. But the repentant child of God makes the journey no matter the doubts and suffering involved, because he has a measure of faith in his heavenly Father. But that painful struggle is surprisingly cut short! From His heavenly throne, God sees His child turn around and begin coming back to Him. And while His child is still a long way off, the Spirit of God comes to His child and fills him with the love, joy, and peace of His presence. The Father assures him that everything is now alright between them. God receives His returning children before His children expect Him to, and God does so in loving unexpected ways that leads to rejoicing.

(Luke 15:21)  “And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight; I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’

God’s loving embrace of His returning children fills them with such love and knowledge of acceptance by Him that they express their thoughts in prayerful words of repentance and faith to Him. The true faith in the God they once knew (or learned of in the Bible for the first time) moves them to go to God and repent of their sins, and God’s gracious acceptance of them increases their faith and they know they are safe in God’s family.

(Luke 15:22)  “But the father said to his slaves, ‘Quickly bring out the best robe and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet;

As with the other parables in Luke 15, after the lost is found there is a great celebration by the owner or father (God). God always gives His children the best, and in faith they receive God’s gifts. Not mentioned here, but God washes His child to cleanse him. He clothes His child. He makes His child look like His child again. God goes beyond meeting the needs that His child thinks he has, for God knows the real needs of every child in His family. God gives His children more than they think they need; such as, a special ring for their finger (a visible sign and seal that they are a child of God). God gives His children what they need to stay close to him; such as, special sandals for their feet to follow Him more easily and be with Him always.

(Luke 15:23)  and bring the fattened calf, kill it, and let us eat and celebrate;

Whereas God’s rebellious children were once empty and starving, God fills them with the loving presence of His Holy Spirit – the best gift God has to give His children, and His Spirit gives them joy and peace and begins the healing of their minds, bodies, and spirits. In this life, all the physical and mental consequences of committing sins may not be reversed, but someday all of God’s children will receive resurrected and glorified human bodies and minds.

(Luke 15:24)  for this son of mine was dead and has come to life again; he was lost and has been found.’ And they began to celebrate.”

The definition of “dead” includes separation: at death the spiritual part of a person separates from their physical part and each part goes where God sends it. If a child of God separates himself from God, he chooses spiritual death and he suffers the consequences of spiritual death in the world. He may be physically alive, but “dead” spiritually in the sense of living separated from his heavenly Father. In the world, he now becomes a slave or a pawn of the world’s system, his out-of-control emotions, and the spiritual forces of darkness. A spiritually “dead” child of God comes to life again when by God’s gracious Spirit he turns back to God in faith: he comes “alive again.” The sequence is this: the child of God was alive with God in faith; when he departed from God he died spiritually (he was dead, separated from God), after he came back to God in faith he is “alive again” (with God again). Whenever a lost child returns to God, God the Father embraces him as His very own and declares for all to hear “this child of mine”: the two are united once again. When God’s lost child returns, there is a great celebration. Jesus said, “In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents” (Luke 15:10). God rejoices in the presence of the angels of God every time “one” sinner repents.

 

God Will Find His Lost Children

Luke 15:11-24

Sunday, March 17, 2019

 “So the lost son 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” (Luke 15:20).

Jesus revealed in parables what the Father does if one of His children strays, gets lost, or rebels and runs away (see Luke 15). In the Parable of the Lost Sheep, the shepherd searches until he finds his sheep; then he carries it home and celebrates. In the Parable of the Lost Coin, the woman finds her coin; then she tells her neighbors and celebrates. In the Parable of the Lost Son, the son comes to his senses and returns home; then his father welcomes him with compassion and celebrates. In no case will the Father lose one of His children! No matter what, the Father will find His lost children and all heaven will celebrate! Jesus’ parables show that the Father will find His lost children using different methods. In the first two parables, the seekers search diligently until they succeed. In the third parable, the father prays patiently until he succeeds. Jesus said the lost son “came to his senses,” which means he had “senses” to come to. He got his “senses” from his father and home life. His true and loving memories drew him home. He came to his senses, turned from his disgraceful ways, and began the long walk back to his father. From far away, his father saw him and rushed to him with loving hugs and kisses. In one breath, the father told his servants to prepare a celebration. Likewise, God will receive every lost child who returns to Him.

 

Thinking Further

God Will Find His Lost Children

Luke 15:11-24

Sunday, March 17, 2019

Name ____________________________

1. When do you think the lost son really left his father?

 

2. How does God the Father treat some of His lost children compared to the parables of the lost sheep and the lost coin in Luke 15?

 

3. In what ways do the three parables in Luke 15 give you assurance as a child of God?

 

4. In what ways do you think the father disciplined his son?

 

5. From your study of this parable, how important can a Christian home and regular Sunday school attendance be in the life of a child of God?

 

Questions for Discussion and Thinking Further

 

1. When do you think the lost son really left his father?

He left him mentally and spiritually before he asked his father for his inheritance. He left his father physically when he walked away from his father to a distant country.

 

2. How does God the Father treat some of His lost children compared to the

parables of the lost sheep and the lost coin in Luke 15?

In the parables of the lost sheep and the lost coin, the shepherd and the woman search until they find the sheep and the coin. In the parable of the lost son, the father lets his son go and do what he wants and waits with compassion for him to return.

 

3. In what ways do the three parables in Luke 15 give you assurance as a

child of God?

God will search for some of His children until He finds them, and He will send the Spirit of Jesus to others to bring them to their senses so they will return to Him. In either way, God will find any child of His that is lost and God will rejoice when He finds them or is reunited with them. Remembering this can give assurance to a child of God, which does not mean that a child of God should take God’s redeeming love for granted.

 

4. In what ways do you think the father disciplined his son?

The father let his son experience the consequences of his choices. The father did not run to him and plead with him to return home but waited prayerfully at home.

 

5. From your study of this parable, how important can a Christian home

and regular Sunday school attendance be in the life of a child of God?

Very important, because then a lost child of God will have Biblical truths to remember, which makes it is easier for them to come to their senses and return to their Father.

 

Word Search

God Will Find His Lost Children

Luke 15:11-24

Sunday, March 17, 2019

Name ___________________________

 

C V N V S Y F P X P N L F I G

D P N E H J I G R W H J T Q C

K O A T Z N X O Y F E R O S L

S C R R T I D G H R D A W X M

S O E S A I T C L E Z I L A B

W U O L G B A I V G T K J T S

B L S A E M L Q C N N G P O H

M D L E O B S E M U A E H C D

E E N T J Q R G K O T W R A X

S D S E N I M A F Y S M Z S D

T I W C L H U J T L I X G V W

A V E V W J L E R E D I O X H

T I P O E H U Y K I P U K T S

E D X N A C O M P A S S I O N

I U E J S Q U A N D E R E D R

 

Younger

Parable

Son

Jesus

Prodigal

Lost

Estate

Divided

Celebrate

Distant

Squandered

Wealth

Compassion

Famine

Citizen

Stomach

Pigs

Worthy

 

 

True and False Test

God Will Find His Lost Children

Luke 15:11-24

Sunday, March 17, 2019

Name ________________________________

 

Circle the true or false answers. Correct the false statements by restating them.

1. After the oldest son left home for a better life, the younger son wanted his inheritance too. True or False

 

2. When he asked for his inheritance, the father told his younger son that he had to work seven more years first. True or False

 

3. After the father gave his younger son his inheritance, the son left home and went far away. True or False

 

4. After the younger son carefully invested his inheritance, a stock market crash almost impoverished him. True or False

 

5. Fortunately, the younger son had a flourishing pig farm and all of his neighbors loved his cured bacon and ham. True or False

 

6. When the younger son came to his senses, he remembered his father’s servants. True or False

 

7. After the younger son resolved to go back to his father, he remembered that he needed to feed his pigs, so he changed his mind. True or False

 

8. The younger son came to feel that he was no longer worthy to be called a son of his father. True or False

 

9. The father saw his lost son from far away and ran to him, embraced him, and kissed him. True or False

 

10. The father had a feast to celebrate that his son who was dead was alive again; his lost son was found. True or False

 

Answers to the True and False Test

 

1. False
2. False
3. True
4. False
5. False
6. True
7. False
8. True
9. True

10.True

 

1. Prayer

Father, we thank You for Your mercy! May we join in Your joyous celebration as others become reconciled to You. Teach us to express that joy as we treat others with the grace and mercy You granted to us. We pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.