October 7, 2024 • 19 mins
In this Bible Story, we explore the story of the Prodigal Son. Jesus uses his story to demonstrate the steadfast forgiveness of God. No matter how far gone someone may seem, the Lord is actively waiting to restore and forgive. This story is inspired by Luke 15:1-32 & Matthew 18:12-14. Go to BibleinaYear.com and learn the Bible in a Year.
Today's Bible verse is Luke 15:32 from the King James Version.
Episode 202: As Jesus was reclining enjoying a meal with His friends, the Pharisees mocked Him for eating with known sinners. When Jesus heard this, He got up and told them a story about a man and his two sons. In this story, the younger son went to his father and demanded his inheritance. The young man used up all his wealth on wild living. After coming to the end of himself, he realized he had sinned against his father. He also realized that his father's hired servants were better off than he was. So he went back home with the intention for asking his dad’s forgiveness and asking to be taken on as a servant. But when he got close enough to home to be seen, his father ran to him, embraced him, and made a celebration for his safe return. In telling us this, Jesus gives us a glimpse of God’s great love for His prodigal children.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Let us pray it was meet that we should make
merry and be glad for this. My brother was dead
and is alive again, and was lost and is found
Luke fifteen thirty two. Lord, your grace and your forgiveness
never ceases to amaze me. Then no other story displays
(00:23):
this more than the one that you shared about the
prodigal son in Matthew eighteen twelve through fourteen. Through the
reading of this text, I mesmerized by how even with
the foolish decisions that were made, the father never left
his position of searching. May this bring comfort to my
(00:45):
soul in knowing that no matter what mistakes I make,
that you are always there searching for me. When I
feel like I have blown and squandered my inheritance, I
praise you because you have more in store for me.
As I come to you with a humble and broken heart,
(01:08):
when others seek to keep me in the pig pen
of life, I praise you that you will clothe me
with honor. You'll restore power back to me through your
ring of authority, and you will seat me at the
table of greatness again. All that you have is mine.
So I will make sure not to be jealous when
(01:30):
I see others get restored back to their place of
opulence and abundance. Because what is yours, Father is also mine,
because I too am a child of God. I was lost,
but through your love, Jesus, But through your love Jesus,
I am found in Jesus name. Amen. Thank you for
(01:56):
praying with us today. Continue your time with God by
listening to today's Bible story, brought to you by Bible
in a Year dot com.
Speaker 2 (02:13):
The Prodigal Son. In our last story, we learned about
the true meaning of kindness from the story of the
Good Samaritan. Jesus used this story to teach that goodness
does not always come from the perfect people, rather those
that we may least expect. Now, Jesus is questioned by
the Pharisees for eating with tax collectors, prostitutes, and sinners.
(02:35):
Jesus confronts them with another story, a story that reveals
the true heart of God, inspired.
Speaker 3 (02:42):
By the Gospels. Hello, this is Jack Graham with today's
episode of the Bible in a Year. Thanks for joining us.
In our last episode, we heard the parable the story
of the Good Samaritan, which Jesus used to teach a
very important lesson about how how we are to love people,
what a neighbor looks like, and that our neighbor is
(03:05):
anyone who has a need. It was a great challenge
for us to share the love of Christ with every
person that we meet. Today, we'll hear another powerful story
from Jesus that shows the merciful heart of God and
his willingness and desire to forgive and share his love
with all who seek him. It's the story of a
(03:27):
loving father and two sons who are both lost, but
in very different ways. Let's listen now to this powerful
story from Jesus.
Speaker 2 (03:38):
Jesus was sitting at a table enjoying a meal with
many of his new friends. They went out, the type
of people one would expect a religious man to dine with.
Tax collectors, dirty fishermen, and prostitutes sat at the table
sharing bread with the son of God. It was a
sight that disgusted the Pharisees. They reviled him and scoffed
at his willingness to fraternize with the under desirables of
(04:00):
the city. Look, they pointed and spat, this man eats
with sinners. What type of man of God is this?
A small crowd was watching as the Pharisees mocked Jesus openly.
They were waiting for Jesus' response. Jesus wiped the crumbs
off his hands, took a sip of water, and stood
to his feet. He walked closer to the Pharisees, showing
(04:22):
them that their religious elitism had no effect on him.
Jesus paced the courtyard, projecting his voice for all to
hear as he told another story. There was once a
wealthy man who had two sons. The older son worked
the fields silently and with diligence. However, the younger son
was unruly and independent. One morning, before the rooster crowed
(04:46):
and the sun rose, the younger brother stumbled into his
father's house after a night of parties. He was a
shameful sight and held no sense of respect for his father.
He slept in until midday and rolled out of his
bed while his brother tilled the fields. Grumpy and entitled,
the younger brother went to his father with his chest
(05:07):
puffed up in his nose high in the air. He
demanded his father give him his inheritance. I do not
want to wait until you die, the son complained, give
me my half of the inheritance. Now, so that I
might do what I wish. The father did as the
younger son requested and divided his wealth with a broken heart.
He gave his son property in gold and watched him
(05:30):
walk away without so much as a thank you. The
younger son gathered everything and took his wealth into the
far country. He slithered around the cities, drowning himself in wine, women,
and reckless substances. What he did not spend on prostitutes
and revelry, he gamboled. Weeks had passed, and his unearned
(05:50):
wealth was eventually dried up. He owed a great deal
of money to bad people and had contracted sickness from
his promiscuous habits. Soon, a great famine fell across the
land and everyone was in great need. The friends he
had made and his wealth were nowhere to be seen,
and the young son descended into total poverty. The younger
(06:11):
son scoured the countryside looking for any work that would
fill his belly and his new addictions. The only job
he could find was tending to a farmer's pigs. Days
had passed and the sun still had very little money
to pay for food. What little money he made he
gave to pay off his gambling debts. His stomach rumbled
as he watched the pigs feast on slop and garbage.
(06:33):
The smell of rotten onions and fermented figs filled the air. Dung,
dirty rain water, and pigs eliva dripped into the feeding troth,
but the sun could not take his eyes off it.
He was starving, desperate, and ashamed. The young man walked
beside the pigs, fell to his knees, and began to
eat the brown slop with the pigs. The rancid smell
(06:56):
was almost unbearable. His mouth was filled with dung, rotten vegetables,
and spoiled meat. As the young man brought his face
to his hand filled with garbage, he considered the state
of his life. Even my father's hired servants get fresh bread,
yet I am here and hunger. He thought to himself.
If I go to him and beg for his forgiveness,
(07:18):
maybe he will make me a slave. At least then
I will have a warm bed and fresh bread. So
the younger son traveled through the countryside back to his father.
His head was held low and his feet dragged in
the dust. A few tears streamed down the son's eyes.
He could picture the angry look of his father. Surely
he would be too ashamed of me to take me back,
(07:40):
the son thought to himself. Yet the younger son kept walking.
His options were limited, and his belly was empty. It
was late afternoon and the sun had turned to the
father's fields a bright gold. He sat above his terrace,
admiring the way the breeze made the grain dance. He
watched his elder son tending to the works. Then a
(08:01):
small speck appeared in the distance. The father peered closely
towards the hills to see a figure hobbling towards the property.
As the figure drew closer, the father could see that
it was his younger son. He had returned. The father
tied up his robes and ran out of his home.
He ran with fire and vigor. The son could see
his father in the distance, running towards him. Afraid that
(08:24):
his father would attack him, the young son braced himself,
but instead of a strike to the jaw, he received
a warm embrace. The father cried on his son's shoulders.
Laughs came from his belly, his tears streamed down his
bearded face. You have come home, the father shouted with glee.
My son, you have returned to me. The son fell
(08:44):
to his knees. He was so ashamed he could not
stand to look at his father. My father, please forgive me,
the younger son said, I am not worthy to be
called your son. His face fell into the dust as
he wept. The father knelt down into the dust with
him and picked him up by the shoulders. He called
for his servants and said, get me my best robe
(09:06):
and put it on my son. Put a ring on
his hand and shoes on his feet. Then kill the
fattest calf we have for to night we will hold
a feast in his honor. The servants left immediately. The
son was stunned and confused. The father smiled from cheek
to cheek and said, my son, you were once lost,
but now you are found. This is why we celebrate.
(09:30):
So the younger son was washed and given fine clothes.
There was a great feast and party held in his honor.
The younger son was humbled and laughed silently as he
watched his family dance and sing. Although not everyone was
happy to see him return. The older brother came in
from the field to see his father dancing and rejoicing.
He saw that the fattest calf had been cooked and
(09:52):
the finest robe placed on his brother's shoulders. The older
son stewed in anger. He felt underappreciated and angry. He
stormed off to be alone in the fields. The sun
was setting and the older brother could hear the music
in the distance. He hated his brother. He hated that
he stole half his father's wealth while he toiled in
(10:13):
the fields. Yet his brother received the celebration. The wind
blew gently, and a few tears fell down the older
brother's face. His father could see him sitting and sat
beside him. What upsets you, my son, he asked. The
older son shook his head and gave a sorrowful laugh.
He did his best to hold back tears as he spoke.
(10:34):
For years, I have served you and worked hard for
your favor. I never disobeyed you, and you have never
given me so much as a goat for me and
my friends to celebrate. Yet when your son comes home,
after squandering your wealth with prostitutes, you kill the fattest
calf and adorn him with rings and robes. The father
was silent for a moment. In sighe he put his
(10:57):
arm around his oldest son, son, You are always with me.
Everything I have is yours. You may take of whatever
is mine and enjoy it. But your brother was once dead,
but now is alive. He was lost and now he
is found. This is worth celebrating. After saying these things,
(11:18):
Jesus sat back down with his friends, and the Pharisees
left in a fury. Jesus revealed a special part of
God's heart that day, that no child is too far
gone to experience his love and favor. No matter how
far one goes. The father will run to embrace his
lost child, as a shepherd will leave ninety nine of
(11:38):
his sheep to go after one lost one, So Jesus
will go to any length to find the ones he loves.
Speaker 3 (11:52):
As we begin today's reading, let's give a little background
once again. The Pharisees are grumbling and complaining about the
kind of peace people that Jesus is hanging out with.
They expected him to shun all the undesirables, tax collectors, sinners,
outcast fringe people, just as they did Consorting with sinners.
(12:12):
They believe was beneath the man of God. So if
Jesus was really a righteous man, they concluded, he would
not associate with bad people. As always, Jesus knew their thoughts,
and so he told them more stories parables to illustrate
what it means to be lost and found. He spoke
of a shepherd who left his flock to find one
(12:34):
lung sheep that had gone astray, and the joy of
finding a lost coin, even when it was just one
of many. He was setting up the grand finale, a
story about a father and his two sons. It's a
story that many have heard. It's the story of the
prodigal son. We call it the story of the prodigal son,
but if you pay close attention, it's really not about
(12:56):
the son so much as it is about the loving
father who never gives up in waiting for longing for
his children to come home. We hear that this father
had two sons, one who was obedient to all the
rules and expectations, but another who wanted to live for himself.
The older son, the elder brother, worked hard waiting for
(13:20):
one day to receive an inheritance that he felt was
out to him. But the younger son, he did not
have patience. He wanted it all now. He in effect said, Dad,
I don't care if you live or die. Give me
what's coming to me now, and he asked for his cut,
and then he left town. Imagine the heartbreak of his father,
(13:42):
totally rejected and abandoned by his son. Buddy would not
force him to stay, and as the son demanded, he
gave him his share of the estate. Of course, this
was a terrible decision for this young man. It looked
like a lot of fun at first to go and
live up in a place called the far Country. But
(14:03):
his way of life, all the partying, all the drinking,
all the womanizing, it finally caught up with him and
he went to the bottom. You know, sin is like that.
It can seem pleasurable at first. In fact, the Bible
says there is pleasure in sin for a season. But
you know sin will take you farther than you want
(14:23):
to go, and keep you longer than you want to stay,
and cost you far more than you want to pay.
We think, if there are no rules, then we can
really live it up. But when there are no rules,
when we throw our lives away, there is such loss.
And that's what this young man experienced. He found out
for himself what an uncontrolled life is really like. It
(14:44):
was truly prodigal. But though he turned away from his father,
in his heart of hearts, when he came to the
end of himself, he knew that there was one hope,
and only one hope, and that was to return to
the father, to go back home to humble himself. He
came to himself and he owned his own sin, and
(15:05):
he's repentant in heart, and he wants to go home.
When I read this story, I'm reminded of the grace
and the heart of God to receive us when we
truly confess our sins and seek God's love, grace, mercy,
and forgiveness. Did you notice in this story, as the
son began his way back home to his father, that
(15:27):
his father wasn't surprised He had not given up or
shut out his son permanently. No, Apparently this man was
looking for his child for it says in Luke fifteen
and verse twenty. But while he was still a long
way off, his father saw him and felt compassion and
ran and embraced him and kissed him. What a beautiful
(15:48):
story while he was still a long way off. It
reminds me of the scripture that says that while we
were yet sinners, Christ died for us. You see, God
loves you very much, and he's waiting for you to
come to him. Is so inspirational to see that the
father didn't wait and watch for his son to come
to him. He ran to his son. In this culture,
(16:11):
this was not the action of a dignified man. But
this loving father could care less about appearances. He was
rushing to restore his son. He was running to show forgiveness.
The young man confessed his sin, his unworthiness, but he
didn't have to say anything more. The father clothed him
with his robe and made him part of the family again.
(16:34):
This story could have ended with a very happy reunion
for everyone, But as we noted, there were two sons
in this household, and with all the rejoicing and feasting
for the prodigal son who came back, the older son
is now bitter. He had no interest in welcoming his
brother back into the family. Instead, he was pouting and
(16:57):
pitying himself, complaining all he'd done for his father. How
could he receive this young son back? Where was his reward?
As the Pharisees listened to this story, I'm sure they
were nodding their heads in agreement with the son's anger.
They too had done everything right. Why should they welcome
terrible sinners into the family of God. The sad reality
(17:21):
is this son, the elder brother, just like the Pharisees,
was just as lost as the younger son. The younger
son was lost way far away from the house, but
this young man was lost inside the house. Both had
the father all along, Both had an opportunity for a relationship,
but they both missed the joy and the abundance that
(17:43):
the Father could give them. In telling this story, Jesus
was demonstrating how much God is always loving us as
a caring, compassionate father. He rejoices with those who return
to him and repent of their sins and receive his grace.
And he's reminding all of us that is never too
late for a new beginning. It's not too late for
(18:06):
a new beginning for you today. And if you find
yourself far from God, this is the time to come
home to him. Jesus loves you. He died for you,
he rose again, and he will give you a home
and a hope in heaven if you will trust in him.
Let's pray, Dear God, We thank you for your love
(18:26):
and grace. We know that you are a father who
cares for your children, and so we come to you.
We trust in you, and we believe that when we
return from our sins, that you will welcome us into
your family through our faith in Jesus Christ. And then,
no matter how far we have walked away, that it
is never too late to start over in Jesus' name. Amen,
(18:52):
Thank you for listening to today's Bible in a Year podcast.
I'm Jack Graham from Dallas, Texas. You can download the
Pray dot com at and make prayer a priority in
your life, just like over twenty million people have done
to this date. If you enjoy this podcast, share it
with someone you know and love, because by sharing this
(19:12):
message of the Word of God, you can make an
eternal difference in someone's life. And I want to encourage
you to go to Jack Graham dot org. That's me
At Jack Graham dot org. We have resources available to you.
God bless you, and we look forward to joining you
again the next time.
Let us pray it was meet that we should make
merry and be glad for this. My brother was dead
and is alive again, and was lost and is found
Luke fifteen thirty two. Lord, your grace and your forgiveness
never ceases to amaze me. Then no other story displays
(00:23):
this more than the one that you shared about the
prodigal son in Matthew eighteen twelve through fourteen. Through the
reading of this text, I mesmerized by how even with
the foolish decisions that were made, the father never left
his position of searching. May this bring comfort to my
(00:45):
soul in knowing that no matter what mistakes I make,
that you are always there searching for me. When I
feel like I have blown and squandered my inheritance, I
praise you because you have more in store for me.
As I come to you with a humble and broken heart,
(01:08):
when others seek to keep me in the pig pen
of life, I praise you that you will clothe me
with honor. You'll restore power back to me through your
ring of authority, and you will seat me at the
table of greatness again. All that you have is mine.
So I will make sure not to be jealous when
(01:30):
I see others get restored back to their place of
opulence and abundance. Because what is yours, Father is also mine,
because I too am a child of God. I was lost,
but through your love, Jesus, But through your love Jesus,
I am found in Jesus name. Amen. Thank you for
(01:56):
praying with us today. Continue your time with God by
listening to today's Bible story, brought to you by Bible
in a Year dot com.
Speaker 2 (02:13):
The Prodigal Son. In our last story, we learned about
the true meaning of kindness from the story of the
Good Samaritan. Jesus used this story to teach that goodness
does not always come from the perfect people, rather those
that we may least expect. Now, Jesus is questioned by
the Pharisees for eating with tax collectors, prostitutes, and sinners.
(02:35):
Jesus confronts them with another story, a story that reveals
the true heart of God, inspired.
Speaker 3 (02:42):
By the Gospels. Hello, this is Jack Graham with today's
episode of the Bible in a Year. Thanks for joining us.
In our last episode, we heard the parable the story
of the Good Samaritan, which Jesus used to teach a
very important lesson about how how we are to love people,
what a neighbor looks like, and that our neighbor is
(03:05):
anyone who has a need. It was a great challenge
for us to share the love of Christ with every
person that we meet. Today, we'll hear another powerful story
from Jesus that shows the merciful heart of God and
his willingness and desire to forgive and share his love
with all who seek him. It's the story of a
(03:27):
loving father and two sons who are both lost, but
in very different ways. Let's listen now to this powerful
story from Jesus.
Speaker 2 (03:38):
Jesus was sitting at a table enjoying a meal with
many of his new friends. They went out, the type
of people one would expect a religious man to dine with.
Tax collectors, dirty fishermen, and prostitutes sat at the table
sharing bread with the son of God. It was a
sight that disgusted the Pharisees. They reviled him and scoffed
at his willingness to fraternize with the under desirables of
(04:00):
the city. Look, they pointed and spat, this man eats
with sinners. What type of man of God is this?
A small crowd was watching as the Pharisees mocked Jesus openly.
They were waiting for Jesus' response. Jesus wiped the crumbs
off his hands, took a sip of water, and stood
to his feet. He walked closer to the Pharisees, showing
(04:22):
them that their religious elitism had no effect on him.
Jesus paced the courtyard, projecting his voice for all to
hear as he told another story. There was once a
wealthy man who had two sons. The older son worked
the fields silently and with diligence. However, the younger son
was unruly and independent. One morning, before the rooster crowed
(04:46):
and the sun rose, the younger brother stumbled into his
father's house after a night of parties. He was a
shameful sight and held no sense of respect for his father.
He slept in until midday and rolled out of his
bed while his brother tilled the fields. Grumpy and entitled,
the younger brother went to his father with his chest
(05:07):
puffed up in his nose high in the air. He
demanded his father give him his inheritance. I do not
want to wait until you die, the son complained, give
me my half of the inheritance. Now, so that I
might do what I wish. The father did as the
younger son requested and divided his wealth with a broken heart.
He gave his son property in gold and watched him
(05:30):
walk away without so much as a thank you. The
younger son gathered everything and took his wealth into the
far country. He slithered around the cities, drowning himself in wine, women,
and reckless substances. What he did not spend on prostitutes
and revelry, he gamboled. Weeks had passed, and his unearned
(05:50):
wealth was eventually dried up. He owed a great deal
of money to bad people and had contracted sickness from
his promiscuous habits. Soon, a great famine fell across the
land and everyone was in great need. The friends he
had made and his wealth were nowhere to be seen,
and the young son descended into total poverty. The younger
(06:11):
son scoured the countryside looking for any work that would
fill his belly and his new addictions. The only job
he could find was tending to a farmer's pigs. Days
had passed and the sun still had very little money
to pay for food. What little money he made he
gave to pay off his gambling debts. His stomach rumbled
as he watched the pigs feast on slop and garbage.
(06:33):
The smell of rotten onions and fermented figs filled the air. Dung,
dirty rain water, and pigs eliva dripped into the feeding troth,
but the sun could not take his eyes off it.
He was starving, desperate, and ashamed. The young man walked
beside the pigs, fell to his knees, and began to
eat the brown slop with the pigs. The rancid smell
(06:56):
was almost unbearable. His mouth was filled with dung, rotten vegetables,
and spoiled meat. As the young man brought his face
to his hand filled with garbage, he considered the state
of his life. Even my father's hired servants get fresh bread,
yet I am here and hunger. He thought to himself.
If I go to him and beg for his forgiveness,
(07:18):
maybe he will make me a slave. At least then
I will have a warm bed and fresh bread. So
the younger son traveled through the countryside back to his father.
His head was held low and his feet dragged in
the dust. A few tears streamed down the son's eyes.
He could picture the angry look of his father. Surely
he would be too ashamed of me to take me back,
(07:40):
the son thought to himself. Yet the younger son kept walking.
His options were limited, and his belly was empty. It
was late afternoon and the sun had turned to the
father's fields a bright gold. He sat above his terrace,
admiring the way the breeze made the grain dance. He
watched his elder son tending to the works. Then a
(08:01):
small speck appeared in the distance. The father peered closely
towards the hills to see a figure hobbling towards the property.
As the figure drew closer, the father could see that
it was his younger son. He had returned. The father
tied up his robes and ran out of his home.
He ran with fire and vigor. The son could see
his father in the distance, running towards him. Afraid that
(08:24):
his father would attack him, the young son braced himself,
but instead of a strike to the jaw, he received
a warm embrace. The father cried on his son's shoulders.
Laughs came from his belly, his tears streamed down his
bearded face. You have come home, the father shouted with glee.
My son, you have returned to me. The son fell
(08:44):
to his knees. He was so ashamed he could not
stand to look at his father. My father, please forgive me,
the younger son said, I am not worthy to be
called your son. His face fell into the dust as
he wept. The father knelt down into the dust with
him and picked him up by the shoulders. He called
for his servants and said, get me my best robe
(09:06):
and put it on my son. Put a ring on
his hand and shoes on his feet. Then kill the
fattest calf we have for to night we will hold
a feast in his honor. The servants left immediately. The
son was stunned and confused. The father smiled from cheek
to cheek and said, my son, you were once lost,
but now you are found. This is why we celebrate.
(09:30):
So the younger son was washed and given fine clothes.
There was a great feast and party held in his honor.
The younger son was humbled and laughed silently as he
watched his family dance and sing. Although not everyone was
happy to see him return. The older brother came in
from the field to see his father dancing and rejoicing.
He saw that the fattest calf had been cooked and
(09:52):
the finest robe placed on his brother's shoulders. The older
son stewed in anger. He felt underappreciated and angry. He
stormed off to be alone in the fields. The sun
was setting and the older brother could hear the music
in the distance. He hated his brother. He hated that
he stole half his father's wealth while he toiled in
(10:13):
the fields. Yet his brother received the celebration. The wind
blew gently, and a few tears fell down the older
brother's face. His father could see him sitting and sat
beside him. What upsets you, my son, he asked. The
older son shook his head and gave a sorrowful laugh.
He did his best to hold back tears as he spoke.
(10:34):
For years, I have served you and worked hard for
your favor. I never disobeyed you, and you have never
given me so much as a goat for me and
my friends to celebrate. Yet when your son comes home,
after squandering your wealth with prostitutes, you kill the fattest
calf and adorn him with rings and robes. The father
was silent for a moment. In sighe he put his
(10:57):
arm around his oldest son, son, You are always with me.
Everything I have is yours. You may take of whatever
is mine and enjoy it. But your brother was once dead,
but now is alive. He was lost and now he
is found. This is worth celebrating. After saying these things,
(11:18):
Jesus sat back down with his friends, and the Pharisees
left in a fury. Jesus revealed a special part of
God's heart that day, that no child is too far
gone to experience his love and favor. No matter how
far one goes. The father will run to embrace his
lost child, as a shepherd will leave ninety nine of
(11:38):
his sheep to go after one lost one, So Jesus
will go to any length to find the ones he loves.
Speaker 3 (11:52):
As we begin today's reading, let's give a little background
once again. The Pharisees are grumbling and complaining about the
kind of peace people that Jesus is hanging out with.
They expected him to shun all the undesirables, tax collectors, sinners,
outcast fringe people, just as they did Consorting with sinners.
(12:12):
They believe was beneath the man of God. So if
Jesus was really a righteous man, they concluded, he would
not associate with bad people. As always, Jesus knew their thoughts,
and so he told them more stories parables to illustrate
what it means to be lost and found. He spoke
of a shepherd who left his flock to find one
(12:34):
lung sheep that had gone astray, and the joy of
finding a lost coin, even when it was just one
of many. He was setting up the grand finale, a
story about a father and his two sons. It's a
story that many have heard. It's the story of the
prodigal son. We call it the story of the prodigal son,
but if you pay close attention, it's really not about
(12:56):
the son so much as it is about the loving
father who never gives up in waiting for longing for
his children to come home. We hear that this father
had two sons, one who was obedient to all the
rules and expectations, but another who wanted to live for himself.
The older son, the elder brother, worked hard waiting for
(13:20):
one day to receive an inheritance that he felt was
out to him. But the younger son, he did not
have patience. He wanted it all now. He in effect said, Dad,
I don't care if you live or die. Give me
what's coming to me now, and he asked for his cut,
and then he left town. Imagine the heartbreak of his father,
(13:42):
totally rejected and abandoned by his son. Buddy would not
force him to stay, and as the son demanded, he
gave him his share of the estate. Of course, this
was a terrible decision for this young man. It looked
like a lot of fun at first to go and
live up in a place called the far Country. But
(14:03):
his way of life, all the partying, all the drinking,
all the womanizing, it finally caught up with him and
he went to the bottom. You know, sin is like that.
It can seem pleasurable at first. In fact, the Bible
says there is pleasure in sin for a season. But
you know sin will take you farther than you want
(14:23):
to go, and keep you longer than you want to stay,
and cost you far more than you want to pay.
We think, if there are no rules, then we can
really live it up. But when there are no rules,
when we throw our lives away, there is such loss.
And that's what this young man experienced. He found out
for himself what an uncontrolled life is really like. It
(14:44):
was truly prodigal. But though he turned away from his father,
in his heart of hearts, when he came to the
end of himself, he knew that there was one hope,
and only one hope, and that was to return to
the father, to go back home to humble himself. He
came to himself and he owned his own sin, and
(15:05):
he's repentant in heart, and he wants to go home.
When I read this story, I'm reminded of the grace
and the heart of God to receive us when we
truly confess our sins and seek God's love, grace, mercy,
and forgiveness. Did you notice in this story, as the
son began his way back home to his father, that
(15:27):
his father wasn't surprised He had not given up or
shut out his son permanently. No, Apparently this man was
looking for his child for it says in Luke fifteen
and verse twenty. But while he was still a long
way off, his father saw him and felt compassion and
ran and embraced him and kissed him. What a beautiful
(15:48):
story while he was still a long way off. It
reminds me of the scripture that says that while we
were yet sinners, Christ died for us. You see, God
loves you very much, and he's waiting for you to
come to him. Is so inspirational to see that the
father didn't wait and watch for his son to come
to him. He ran to his son. In this culture,
(16:11):
this was not the action of a dignified man. But
this loving father could care less about appearances. He was
rushing to restore his son. He was running to show forgiveness.
The young man confessed his sin, his unworthiness, but he
didn't have to say anything more. The father clothed him
with his robe and made him part of the family again.
(16:34):
This story could have ended with a very happy reunion
for everyone, But as we noted, there were two sons
in this household, and with all the rejoicing and feasting
for the prodigal son who came back, the older son
is now bitter. He had no interest in welcoming his
brother back into the family. Instead, he was pouting and
(16:57):
pitying himself, complaining all he'd done for his father. How
could he receive this young son back? Where was his reward?
As the Pharisees listened to this story, I'm sure they
were nodding their heads in agreement with the son's anger.
They too had done everything right. Why should they welcome
terrible sinners into the family of God. The sad reality
(17:21):
is this son, the elder brother, just like the Pharisees,
was just as lost as the younger son. The younger
son was lost way far away from the house, but
this young man was lost inside the house. Both had
the father all along, Both had an opportunity for a relationship,
but they both missed the joy and the abundance that
(17:43):
the Father could give them. In telling this story, Jesus
was demonstrating how much God is always loving us as
a caring, compassionate father. He rejoices with those who return
to him and repent of their sins and receive his grace.
And he's reminding all of us that is never too
late for a new beginning. It's not too late for
(18:06):
a new beginning for you today. And if you find
yourself far from God, this is the time to come
home to him. Jesus loves you. He died for you,
he rose again, and he will give you a home
and a hope in heaven if you will trust in him.
Let's pray, Dear God, We thank you for your love
(18:26):
and grace. We know that you are a father who
cares for your children, and so we come to you.
We trust in you, and we believe that when we
return from our sins, that you will welcome us into
your family through our faith in Jesus Christ. And then,
no matter how far we have walked away, that it
is never too late to start over in Jesus' name. Amen,
(18:52):
Thank you for listening to today's Bible in a Year podcast.
I'm Jack Graham from Dallas, Texas. You can download the
Pray dot com at and make prayer a priority in
your life, just like over twenty million people have done
to this date. If you enjoy this podcast, share it
with someone you know and love, because by sharing this
(19:12):
message of the Word of God, you can make an
eternal difference in someone's life. And I want to encourage
you to go to Jack Graham dot org. That's me
At Jack Graham dot org. We have resources available to you.
God bless you, and we look forward to joining you
again the next time.
Host
Jack Graham
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