April 2, 2006
"The Power of God"
"People Matter to God"—Part 3
Luke 15:11-32
The story of two brothers
1. The younger brother
- Rebellious
"There was a man who had two sons. The younger one said to his father, 'Father, give me my share of the estate... '"
—Luke 15:11-12
All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature and following its desires and thoughts.
—Ephesians 2:3
Action of the father: Giving
- Wasteful
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.
—Luke 15:13
Action of the father: Patient
- Repentant
When he came to his senses, he said, 'How many of my father's hired men 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 men.' So he got up and went to his father...
—Luke 15:17-20
Action of the father: forgiving
...do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, tolerance and patience, not realizing that God's kindness leads you toward repentance?
—Romans 2:4
Rejoicing
"...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.
—Luke 15:22-24
Action of the father: Keeps no record of wrongs
2. The older brother
- Uncaring and Angry
Meanwhile, the older son was in the field. When he came near the house, he heard music and dancing. So he called one of the servants and asked him what was going on. 'Your brother has come,' he replied, 'and your father has killed the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound.' The older brother became angry and refused to go in...
—Luke 15:25-28
- Prideful
'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.
—Luke 15:29
- Self-righteousness
But when this son of yours who has squandered your property with prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him!'
—Luke 15:29-30
... So his father went out and pleaded with 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."
—Luke 15:28,31-32
Action of the father: Love pleads
We are therefore Christ's ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ's behalf: Be reconciled to God. God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
—2 Corinthians 5:20-21
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.
—Luke 15:7
The Power of Love!
Personal and Small Group Study
Getting Started
- How many brothers and sisters did you have? Where were you in the pecking order? Who was the "obedient" one and who was the "wild one"?
- Did you ever feel like running away from home? What was the circumstance that brought you to this point?
Digging Deeper: Read Luke 15:11-32
- As you think about the prodigal son, for what reasons might he have run away? What attitude does he have toward his father? How did he use the resources the father had given him?
- What brings the prodigal son to his senses? What did he attempt before he came to his senses? What are his options once he comes to his senses? With what type of attitude does he return home?
- Why did the father give the prodigal his part of the inheritance? If the father had a good idea where the prodigal son had gone, do you think he should have gone after him? What were his feelings toward his son? What do you sense the father did while his son was away? How does the father receive the prodigal son?
- What do you learn about the older brother in this parable? What are the older brother's good qualities? How does the older brother feel about his younger brother? How was the older brother in danger of now becoming the prodigal?
- What point is Jesus seeking to make in this parable? What accusation was made against Jesus? How do you think the Pharisees and scribes reacted to the father's response to the prodigal son? How do you think they responded to the response of the older son?
- Why does Jesus leave the story open-ended?
Applying It To My Life
- How have you been the prodigal son? How have you been the older brother? What is the lesson you learn from each brother?
- When has God been like the father in this parable to you?
- Have you ever been in the prison of un-forgiveness? What truth is necessary for a person to get out of that prison? How does anger keep us locked in that prison?