11 Then 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 falls to me.’ So he divided to them his livelihood. 13 And not many days after, the younger son gathered all together, journeyed to a far country, and there wasted his possessions with prodigal living. 14 But when he had spent all, there arose a severe famine in that land, and he began to be in want. 15 Then 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 gladly have filled his stomach with the pods that the swine ate, and no one gave him anything.17 “But when he came to himself, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger! 18 I will arise and go to my father, and will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you, 19 and I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Make me like one of your hired servants.”’20 “And he arose and came to his father. But when he was still 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 to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight, and am no longer worthy to be called your son.’22 “But the father said to his servants, ‘Bring out the best robe and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet. 23 And bring the fatted calf here 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.25 “Now his older son was in the field. And as he came and drew near to the house, he heard music and dancing. 26 So he called one of the servants and asked what these things meant. 27 And he said to him, ‘Your brother has come, and because he has received him safe and sound, your father has killed the fatted calf.’28 “But he was angry and would not go in. Therefore his father came out and pleaded with him. 29 So he answered and said to his father, ‘Lo, these many years I have been serving you; I never transgressed your commandment at any time; and yet you never gave me a young goat, that I might make merry with my friends. 30 But as soon as this son of yours came, who has devoured your livelihood with harlots, you killed the fatted calf for him.’31 “And he said to him, ‘Son, you are always with me, and all that I have is yours. 32 It was right that we should make merry and be glad, for your brother was dead and is alive again, and was lost and is found.’”
Luke 15:11-32
Q & A：
- Explain what grace as unmerited favor means to you by referring to the story of the prodigal son and the loving father. Discuss if you see our God through a veil as in the Old Testament who is sovereign, unapproachable, judgmental; or through Jesus who shows the love, grace, compassion and mercy of our God as the Son and the Father are One. (Heb 1:1-3; John 1:14; John 1:18; John 5:19; John 12:49-50)
- Take into consideration the disrespectful request of inheritance made from the prodigal son, discuss whether or how you honor or show respect to your parents. Discuss how the father reacts to the return of the prodigal son and how you can relate to our heavenly Father’s extended grace by sending Jesus to take the shame of sin on behalf of us despite of our rebelliousness. (Exo 20:12; Luke 15:12, 20; Rom 5:8; 2 Cor 5:21)
- Discuss how we might be likened to the dissatisfied brother who stayed home, trying to earn his father’s love and approval through his service but totally misunderstood the father with self-righteous attitude. Explain how you can extend grace to the people whom God has placed in your path, including your loves ones and those not so easy to love, especially those who need it when they least deserve it. (1 John 3:16; Luke 15:12, 28-32; Eph 1:11, 13-14; Gal 6:1)