Spiritual Growth
God Is Our Father
Quarter 1 Unit 1 Lesson 1
- Luke 15:11-24
CONNECTION
God is your Father, and He loves you.
REMEMBER
“For us there is but one God, the Father, from whom all things came and for whom we live; and there is but one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom all things came and through whom we live.”
1 Corinthians 8:6
God is often described in the Bible as “the Father, especially in the New Testament. It is a term that acknowledges His love, His concern for us, His authority, and His closeness to us.
This story of the lost (or prodigal) son is the third in a trilogy of stories of the lost. They each tell us something, not only about God’s purposes, but about God’s relationship with His people. The audience Jesus spoke to here was made up of Jews–those who were set apart long ago in the time of Abraham as the treasured people of God.
These stories about finding lost things are meant to paint a picture in people’s minds.
It’s familiar imagery God coming for them, finding them, rescuing them, and restoring them.
But there are some differences too. These stories are being told while Pharisees, Jewish religious leaders, look on in disapproval–noting that Jesus is willing to welcome sinners and even eat with them.
But Jesus goes on talking–welcoming anyone to hear what He says about the Father God who will not give up on them, who will search for them, and who rejoices when any sinner (not just a Jewish one) is restored to the kingdom.
This is the Father we want to meet and know and love.
There are a few things to remember when studying this Scripture passage:
1) this is a parable (a story that makes a point; and
2) examine the context. Teach yourself that the Bible is more than a collection of verses–it is a greater story of God’s relationship with His people that is still unfolding today.
Jesus told many parables when He taught. A parable is a story that helps listeners understand a deeper spiritual lesson.
Many teachers during Jesus’ time used parables to help their listeners understand specific points because listeners could connect to the more-relatable ideas.
One of Jesus’ most famous parables is about the prodigal son. As we read through it and discuss it today, let’s think about what kind of father this story talks about and how Jesus wanted it to influence the way we see God.
11-12 Jesus continued: “There was a man who had two sons. The younger one said to his father, ‘Father, give me my share of the estate.’ So he divided his property between them.”
In Bible times, sons received their inheritance (money and property) from their fathers when the fathers died. In this parable, the younger son asks for his inheritance while his father is still alive, which would have been a huge insult.
Hés basically saying that he doesn’t want to have anything to do with his father, and he wants his money now, even though his father would have still provided for him.
Read Luke 15:13-16 aloud.
“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.
After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he began to be in need. So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs.
He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything.”
The son took what his dad gave him and left his family home. During Jesus’ time, people often stayed in their father’s households their whole lives. They wouldn’t necessarily all live in the same house, but they would have a connected home where all the extended family would live and work together.
It was the father’s responsibility to care for his family and provide for them. The son in Jesus’ parable is breaking all the traditions by asking for his inheritance early and then moving far away from his family. He’s turning his back on his dad.
Why do you think the son acted the way he did?
Have you ever wanted to do something like that? Why or why not?
The son ends up in a tough situation. He wastes all his money and finds himself in a famine. He ends up having to take a job feeding pigs. Keep in mind that this man is Jewish, and pigs were considered unclean animals according to God’s law.
The only people who would have had pigs were Gentiles- non-Jews. So, this son has no money, ends up being a servant to a Gentile, and is defiling himself by being around pigs every day. His situation could not be much worse.
At this point in Jesus’ story, we don’t know much about the father, except that he gave his son what he asked for. All we know is that the son seemed to want to live life his own way, and it ended up not turning out as he expected.
Share a time you felt frustrated with how things were going at home.
How did you respond in that situation?
How did your parents respond?
Luke 15:17-20.
“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! I will set out and go back to my father and say to him:
Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired servants.’ 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.”
The son hopes to go back to his dad and, at best, be his servant. Again, keeping in mind the culture during this time, the son had rejected his father. It would have been unthinkable for his father to take him back and accept him as a son again.
It is likely that the father would have been seen as weak in the community if he did this.
Read verse 20
During Jesus’ time, older men didn’t run. It wouldn’t have been a respectable thing to do. But this dad sees his lost son coming home, and he runs to him, filled with compassion!
Why do you think the father responded the way he did?
Luke 15:21-24.
“The son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.
“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. Bring the fattened calf and kill it.
Let’s have a feast and celebrate. For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ So they began to celebrate.”
The dad not only allows his son to come home, but he throws him a huge party.
When everyone would have expected the father to reject the son, he instead welcomes him back into the family with joy. He restores him fully and shows him great mercy and love.
We all have different experiences with our dads. Some good, some bad. But in this parable, Jesus shows us what our heavenly Father is like.
Even when we turn away from Him, He’s always waiting to welcome us home. He throws a party and rejoices when we come back to Him! He is a Father who is loving and forgiving and full of compassion.