Close
■ Pray together: Give thanks for your experiences, ask God for help where you need it.
■ Pray together to learn new things about God and that your relationship with God deepens and gets stronger.
Luke 15:11-32
11 Jesus continued: “There was a man who had two sons. 12 The younger one said to his father, ‘Father, give me my share of the estate.’ So he divided his property between them.
13“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.14After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he began to be in need.15So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs. 16 He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything.
17“When he came to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have food to spare, and here I am starving to death!18I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you.19I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired servants.’ 20 So he got up and went to his father.
“But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.
21“The son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’
22“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.23Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate. 24 For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ So they began to celebrate.
25“Meanwhile, the older son was in the field. When he came near the house, he heard music and dancing. 26 So he called one of the servants and asked him what was going on. 27 ‘Your brother has come,’ he replied, ‘and your father has killed the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound.’
28“The older brother became angry and refused to go in. So his father went out and pleaded with him. 29 But he answered his father, ‘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. 30 But when this son of yours who has squandered your property with prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him!’
31“‘My son,’ the father said, ‘you are always with me, and everything I have is yours.32But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’”
■ Do you believe that your Heavenly Father truly wants you to have what you desire with all your heart ( Psalm 37:3-4 )? Are there areas in your life where you doubt that? Tell Him in a prayer what you are longing for (pray silently).
■ Pray according to Ephesians 3:16-19 in groups of two or three. Pray that our Heavenly Father fills you more with His love and and gives you a deeper understanding of this love.
■ Take some time to worship in your group. Sing songs that express God’s love to you and let yourselves be touched by God’s grace! (e.g: “ Good Good Father ” by Chris Tomlin)
Jesus told this parable to unveil something about the heart of our Heavenly Father:
The younger son was convinced that he was no longer worthy to be considered a son by his father. From the son’s perspective, his father had every right to say to him: “Yes, your situation is your own fault. Now learn to serve and work first”.
The older son, in contrast to his brother, never did anything wrong. But he also saw himself as a servant of his father. He was silently waiting for a sign of recognition for doing his work obediently. This is the “normal” worldly perspective. We are quick to think: If you fail, you need to redeem yourself. Whether consciously or subconsciously, we often think that to receive God’s favour, to be accepted and loved by Him, we need to do something.
But the father corrected both his sons in their thinking. Jesus wants to show us that the Heavenly Kingdom has different principles! Unexpectedly, the father said: “Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet”. His youngest son probably stank severely and was not wearing the nicest of clothes and his father did not want him to feel ashamed walking into the house like that.
The fatherly heart of God is just the same: He does not want us to be exposed in our shame. He goes even further: We are unconditionally loved, accepted, chosen. As His sons and daughters, we have permanent access to His heavenly treasures: “everything I have is yours” ( Luke 15:31 ; Ephesians 1:3 ), be that wisdom, love, strength, forgiveness, healing, joy, comfort, hope, faith or courage. Remember another heavenly principle: If we ask, God will give us good gifts! ( Matthew 7:7-11 )
God even gives us the spiritual authority of Jesus in the moment we accept Him as his Lord and Saviour. The symbol for that is the ring. This is an important principle in the Heavenly Kingdom: If you know deeply in your heart that you are a son/daughter of God, you will be at peace. From this, God’s life, love and strength will start to flow. But if you are insecure about God’s love for you, then confusion, doubt, fear, frustration and sorrows will find their way into your life. Do you see yourself as a son/daughter of God or as a servant?
 |
 |
 |
 |
