The Son Who Came Home

“This son of mine was dead and is alive again! He was lost and is found!” — Luke 15:24

Jesus told one more story about something lost.

“There was a man who had two sons. The younger son said to his father, ‘Father, give me my share of everything you own now.’ So the father divided his property between his two sons.

“A few days later, the younger son packed up everything he had and went off to a faraway country. And there he wasted all his money on wild living.

“When he had spent everything, a terrible famine came over the whole country, and he had nothing to eat. So he got a job looking after pigs. He was so hungry that he wished he could eat the pig food. But nobody gave him anything.

“At last he came to his senses. He thought, ‘All my father’s servants have more than enough food, and here I am starving to death! I’ll go back to my father and say, “Father, I have sinned against God and against you. I’m not good enough to be called your son any more. Please take me on as one of your servants.”’

“So he got up and set off for home.

“But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him. His heart was filled with love, and he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.

“The son began, ‘Father, I have sinned against God and against you. I’m not good enough to be called your son any more...’

“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. Get the best calf and cook 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!’ And they began to celebrate.

“Meanwhile, the older son was out in the field. As he came near the house, he heard music and dancing. When he found out what was happening, he was so angry that he wouldn’t go in.

“So his father came out and begged him to come in. ‘Look!’ said the older son. ‘All these years I’ve worked hard for you and never disobeyed you. But you never gave me even a young goat to have a party with my friends. And now this son of yours comes home after wasting your money, and you kill the best calf for him!’

“‘My son,’ the father said, ‘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 dead and is alive again. He was lost and is found.’”

The father in the story is like God. When we run away from Him and make a mess of things, He doesn’t stop loving us. He watches for us to come home. And when we turn back, He doesn’t wait for us to finish saying sorry. He runs to us, and hugs us, and welcomes us back into His family with a party.

But the story also has an older brother, who thought he was good and didn’t need forgiving. He was angry that his father was so kind. The story ends without telling us whether he went in to the party. Jesus was asking the Pharisees, “Will you come in and celebrate?”

Read it in your Bible: Luke 15:11–32

Dear Father in heaven, thank you that you run to welcome us when we come home to you. Thank you for forgiving me. Help me to be glad when other people are forgiven too. Amen.