The Lost Son (Luke 15:11–24)

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In this parable, Jesus teaches us about the Father's love for us through the parable of the lost son.

 

Notice the Father's Heart and Action:

  1. The Father Loved the Son When He Was Home (Ps 100)
  2. The Father Loved the Son When He Left Home (2 Cor 5:14)
  3. The Father Loved the Son When He Came Home   (2 Pet 3:9)  — God desires that all people come to repentance.

 

Speaking in Parables

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  • Jesus spoke about seeds, farming, pearls, and other “figures of speech” to teach lessons to us about God and himself (John 16:25–33).
  • When Jesus “tells it like it is,” we don't always want to listen.  That's why he spoke in parables: to help us see  deeper things.
  • When the time comes for us to speak plainly, we must do so, and allow God to take care of the rest.

The Lost Sheep (Pt. 2)

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  1. There was one lost sheep — we don't know how or why they are lost or whose fault it is. They just need to be found. God desires all people to be saved (2 Pet 3:9)
  2.  The shepherd left the 99 to find one  — he is scared and worried, but hope overcomes all these fears. The shepherd understood the value of one. Who will go? We will and we need to have compassion for the lost. Are we willing to be uncomfortable to teach the lost? When will we feel what we need to feel to reach out to our loved ones who are lost?
  3. Oh the joy in heaven and in earth when one lost person is found!   — they joy of the shepherd when he finds his sheep. It's like the joy of Mary and Joseph when they found Jesus in the temple (Luke 2:41–52). Think on their desperation as they sought out their son. Where is our desperation? We come and go in the world without a thought of the lost people in it.