The Good News - A Journey of a Liftime - Volume 2, No. 24

God’s love is unconditional,

and His forgiveness is unending

Welcome to this week’s Bible Lesson in The Good News – A Journey of A lifetime Volume 2 No. 24,

In our Bible lesson this week, Jesus told a story about a man who lost something that was very precious to him.

Jesus told the story of a man who had two sons. The younger son asked his father to give him his share of the money that would be his when his father died. The father gave it to him, and the boy left home to go out and see the world and do whatever he wanted. The father was broken-hearted. He had lost one of his sons.

It wasn’t long before the boy wasted all his money on wild living. He had no money to buy anything to eat, so he got a job feeding pigs. It was a very smelly, gross job. But the boy was so hungry that even the rotten food he fed the pigs looked good to him.

The boy looked around at the mess he’d gotten into and said to himself, “My father’s servants live better than this! I will return home and beg for the forgiveness of my father and ask him to take me back as a hired servant.” As the boy approached his father’s house, his loving father, who had been watching and hoping for his son’s return, saw him coming and ran to meet him. He threw his arms around the boy and hugged him and kissed him.

The father was so happy his son had returned, that he gave him a robe and placed a ring on his finger. He ordered his servants to prepare a feast. “My son was dead and now he is alive. He was lost, but now he is found,” he said.

Jesus told this story to show the kind of love God has for His children. When one of God’s children strays away, He always welcomes him with open arms when he returns home. Aren’t you glad that you have a Heavenly Father who loves you, even when you may not deserve it? I am!

So this passage in the Bible is what this week’s lesson is based upon.

Scripture:

The Parable of the Lost Sheep

Luke 15: 1 Now the tax collectors and sinners were all gathering around to hear Jesus.

2 But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law muttered, “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.”

3 Then Jesus told them this parable:

4 “Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Doesn’t he leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it?

5 And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders

6 and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.’

7 I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.

The Parable of the Lost Son

Luke 15: 11 Jesus continued: “There was a man who had two sons.

12 The 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.

14 After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he began to be in need.

15 So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs.

16 He 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 servants have food to spare, and here I am starving to death!

18 I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you.

19 I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired servants.’

20 So 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.’

22 “But the father said to his servants, ‘Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet.

23 Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate.

24 For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ So they began to celebrate.

25 “Meanwhile, the older son was in the field. When he came near the house, he heard music and dancing.

26 So he called one of the servants and asked him what was going on.

27 ‘Your brother has come,’ he replied, ‘and your father has killed the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound.’

28 “The older brother became angry and refused to go in. So his father went out and pleaded with him.

29 But he answered his father, ‘Look! All these years I’ve been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders. Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends.

30 But when this son of yours who has squandered your property with prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him!’

31 “‘My son,’ the father said, ‘you are always with me, and everything I have is yours.

32 But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’”

Have you ever lost something that was very precious to you? Have you ever found something you lost? If so, how did you feel when you found it?

Prayer: Dear Father, we thank You for Your unconditional love and unending forgiveness. We are thankful that even when we stray away, You welcome us home with open arms. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.