Study: The Parable of the Lost Son, In 5 Parts

[Ezmerelda]

The Parable of the Lost Son, part 1 of 5

If you have a Bible, or know where to get one (the public library, any hotel room, online…), this story can be read in its entirety in the Gospel of Luke, Chapter 15, starting at verse 11.

There was a man with two sons. One day, his youngest son came to him and asked him for his inheritance right now. So, the son gathered his stuff and set out to another country where he lived the high life for as long as his money lasted.

Right about the time he spent his last penny, a famine hit the country in which he was staying. The son began to be hungry, but he had no money, no food and no friends. He took the only job available - feeding the pigs on a farm.

He got so desperately hungry that he was tempted to eat the pig slop. Now, remember, this is a good Jewish boy, who’d been taught from birth that pigs were filthy, disgusting creatures. That shows just how desperate he was.  

[Ezmerelda]

The Lost Son, part 2 of 5

When he came to his senses, he scolded himself. “Even the field hands at my father’s house have food to spare, and here I am, trying to steal the slop from pigs! I will go back home and tell Dad, ‘I really screwed up. I’m so stupid I shouldn’t even be called your son anymore. Just hire me to work in the field and I’ll be happy.’”

Having planned his speech, the son set off for home.

But, while he was still a good ways off, his father saw him, and felt sympathy for him. The father ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him. Now, remember, the boy has been living among the pigs. Pigs sh** wherever they happen to be, in their bed, on their food, everywhere.

This kid was covered in stink, but his father didn’t care. He wrapped his arms around him and kissed him. The son tried to make his planned speech, but his father wasn’t even listening, he was too busy calling his servants, “Quick! Bring the best clothes and put them on him. Bring a ring for his finger and shoes for his feet! Butcher the best calf and let’s get this party started! This son of mine was dead but is alive again, he was lost, but is found!”  

[Ezmerelda]

The Lost Son, part 3 of 5

So the servants did what he said and they celebrated. Before we move on, let me point out something profound - nowhere in this passage thus far has the father said, “Draw him a bath and scrub the filth off of him.”

The father loved his son through all the filth, in spite of all the filth. His love for his son was so great that, in his eyes, the filth never even existed. He was just glad to have his son home. God is like this.

God loves us no matter what we do. God sees through the filth and sees the wonderful creature he has made. God throws his arms around us, clothes us in his righteousness, puts a ring on our finger, puts shoes on our feet, all without once even considering the filth with which we are covered.

God does NOT say, “Clean up your act and then come to me.” No, no, no, no, no! He says, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28. )

That first part of the study reminds us that God loves us, no matter how depraved we are, no matter how filthy we are (and we’re ALL filthy - Just look at Paul’s Book to the Romans, chapter 3, verse 10 - “There is no one righteous, not one.”)  

[Ezmerelda]

The Lost Son, part 4 of 5

These last two parts will be a little harder to swallow, but it’s very important.

So, the father, the youngest son, and the house servants are all partying, celebrating the return of the lost son. Then, big bro shows up. He hears the music coming from the house and the obvious sounds of celebration, and asks a servant what’s going on.

The servant said, “Your brother is home! Your father has butchered the best calf because he is back safe and sound.” Big Bro got mad and refused to go into the party, so his father came out to talk with him.

Big Bro said, “All these years I’ve been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders. Even then, you never even gave me a goat so I could party with my friends. But when this son of yours who threw away your money on hookers comes home, you butcher the best calf for him!”

“My son,” the father replied, “you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. But we HAD to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was as good as dead, but now he’s back with us, alive and well. He was lost and is found.”

That’s where Jesus ended the story. But consider this - the older brother was jealous of his younger brother. His attitude shows that he was only obeying his father out of obligation, rather than out of love, or he wouldn’t have been so bitter over this.  

[Ezmerelda]

The Lost Son, part 5 of 5

Sometimes, people who call themselves Christians can be like this. They go to church, follow the Ten Commandments, do everything they’re supposed to do, but they’re only going through the motions out of obligation or to avoid punishment, not because they really love God.

Then, when someone comes to church after throwing away a portion of their lives, and gets forgiven, the so-called Christian gets bent out of shape and throws a lot of rules down on them, rather than rejoicing with their heavenly father over the one who was lost and is found.

God says to us all, “We have to celebrate and be glad. This brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.”

God’s greatest desire is for each and every one of us on this Earth to come back home - to turn to him and let him throw his arms around us and clothe us with his righteousness. “God demonstrated his love to us this way - while we were still [filthy] sinners, he sent Christ to die for us” (Romans 5:8, paraphrased).

He made the way for us to return to him, and he’s waiting at the end of the driveway, waiting to welcome us home.

"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life." John 3:16