Parable of Two Lost Sons

Ears to Hear, 2: Parable of Two Lost Sons

Good morning, Church. Today we will be studying in Luke 15 as we work through the second parable of Jesus in this new sermon series “Ears to Hear.”  It’s a familiar story popularly known as The Prodigal Son, but the parable is really about all three of the main characters in it and the ways they relate to one another in light of the grace of God.  It’s also the third parable in a series that Jesus tells about the lost being found.  You’ll hear the first two read as part of this morning’s scripture reading, and it’s in the introduction to those parables in Luke 15:1-2 that we find the context and reason for the parables in the first place.

You probably already know that Jesus’ primary opponents were the religious leaders of his day. They’re often referred to as scribes and Pharisees. Part of their problem was that even though they had knowledge of God’s law as recorded in the Torah, they too often didn’t know how to apply it with the same kind of love and mercy that is integral to God’s character.  They thought they were loving God with all their heart, mind, soul, and strength, but they weren’t paying close enough attention to how God’s compassion motivated God to be more like a shepherd than a sheriff.  Jesus, of course, was/is the Good Shepherd, so he loved people in ways the Pharisees couldn’t understand. 

It’s that love of God that permeates the parables we find in Luke 15, and that love is seen in the joy expressed when the lost are found and those that were dead come to life again.  That’s good news for all of us who need a Savior, and it’s an ongoing challenge for all of us trying to live like him.

— Patrick Barber, preaching minister

Ears to Hear, 2: Parable of Two Lost Sons

Digging Deeper:

1. Why did Jesus tell these three parables in Luke 15?  (see Luke 15:1-2)
2. In the parable of the Lost Sons, who does the father represent, and who does the older son represent?
3. Why doesn’t the older son want to share in his father’s joy and celebrate his brother’s return?
4. How should we respond to people who have sinned but repent and return to God?
5. What keeps us from being more like God instead of more like the scribes and Pharisees?