NORTH BUFFALO PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
  • Home
    • About >
      • Sunday Services
      • Sunday Sermons
      • Church History
      • Online Giving
    • Life of the Church >
      • Ways to Join Us
      • Missions
      • Lenten Devotionals
  • Calendar
  • Contact Us

Sunday School: The Prodigal Son

3/4/2023

0 Comments

 
Good morning!
We're so glad you decided to join us today!

When we meet in person, we take some time to share our joys and concerns together. If you have any prayer requests to share, please include them in the comments on this post, or let someone at the church know. When you are ready, please use the prayer below (source) to get started. 
Father God, we gather here today under your care and protection. Thank you for your lovingkindness that never fails us. We thank you for those with us, that you would guide our thoughts and actions to bring you glory. Strengthen us and fill us with your peace. May we love and serve each other as Jesus has shown us. Fill us with the Holy Spirit to do your good work on earth. Amen.

Today's lesson is on Luke 15:11-24. 
What is the meaning of this parable?  The character of the forgiving father is a picture of God.  In the story, Jesus identifies with God in His loving attitude toward the lost, symbolized by the younger son.  The older brother represents the self-righteous. The major theme of this parable is restoration of a believer into fellowship with the Father.  The father waits and watches eagerly for his son’s return.  In this story we see the graciousness of the father overshadowing the sinfulness of the son.  It is the memory of the father’s goodness that brings the prodigal son to repentance.
 
Although asking for his share was perfectly within his rights it is not a loving thing to do. It implied that he wished his father dead. His inheritance would have been ½ of the older brothers, which is roughly ⅓ of the entire estate. Like the younger son, we all possess a foolish ambition to be independent.  This son learned the hard way that covetousness leads to a life of dissatisfaction and disappointment. He also learned that the most valuable things in life are things we cannot buy or replace.  In the foreign land, the son squanders al his inheritance on selfish, shallow fulfillment, losing everything. he finds himself in the detestable job of feeding pigs.  Even these unclean animals were better off than he was.  The results of sin are never pretty.  He begins to see his father in a new light and Hope begins to dawn in his heart.  He longs to return to his father.  His plan is genuine repentance.  “I am not worthy to be your son.”
 
When the father sees him, he runs to him, embraces him and kisses him.  The father does not question or lecture him. He joyfully forgives him and receives him back into fellowship.  God’s heart if full of compassion for His children:  He stands ready to welcome returning dimmers back with joyous celebration.  The son is transformed into the guest of honor in a rich man’s home.  The actions of the father show us that “the Lord does not treat us as our sins deserve of repay us according to our sins.  Instead of condemnation there is rejoicing for a son who “was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.”
 
The tragic character in the parable is the older son.  He becomes angry and refuses to go into the house. His words and actins reveal hid relationship with his father was based on works and merit. He despises his younger brother as deserving.  He does not understand grace and has no room for forgiveness.  Grace toward his brother makes him angry. He thinks the brother does not deserve a party and disowned him as a brother.  Grace and acceptance is beyond his understanding. His focus was on himself and his own service; as a result, he had no joy in hid brother’s return.  He had allowed bitterness to take root in his heart to the point that he was unable to show compassion toward his brother.   The older brother - and the religious leaders of Jesus’ day - failed to realize that “anyone who claims to be in the light but hates his brother is still in the darkness. Whoever hates his brother is in the darkness; he does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded him” (1 John 2:9-11). This story is one of the most beautiful pictures of God’s grace.  God is ready to forgive.  He will save the contrite, not by works but by His grace, through faith. ​
Picture
Prayer
​
Heavenly Father, you are loving, merciful and kind.  We rejoice that you accept us into your family and love us.  Help us reveal your kindness and generosity to others.  In Jesus’ name.  Amen.
Benediction
​This week's benediction is from the New International Version.
Picture
Next week's lesson will be on Matthew 18:1-9. 
0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Picture

    Author

    We are a small, rural Presbyterian church in southwestern Pennsylvania.

    Archives

    May 2023
    April 2023
    March 2023
    February 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020

    Categories

    All
    1 Corinthians
    1 John
    1 Kings
    1 Peter
    1 Samuel
    1 Thessalonians
    2 Chronicles
    2 Corinthians
    2 Kings
    2 Peter
    2 Samuel
    2 Thessalonians
    2 Timothy
    Acts
    Advent
    Bible Study
    Call In The New Testament
    Celebrating God
    Christmas
    Christmas Eve
    Colossians
    Confident Hope
    Deuteronomy
    Easter
    Ecclesiastes
    Ephesians
    Esther
    Exodus
    Ezekiel
    Ezra
    Faithful Prophets
    From Darkness To Light
    Galatians
    Genesis
    God Frees And Redeems
    God's Exceptional Choice
    Good Friday
    Hebrews
    Holy Week
    Hosea
    Isaiah
    James
    Jeremiah
    Jesus Calls Us
    Job
    Joel
    John
    Jonah
    Joshua
    Judges
    Justice Law History
    Lament
    Lamentations
    Lent
    Leviticus
    Love
    Luke
    Malachi
    Mark
    Matthew
    Maundy Thursday
    Micah
    Nahum
    Nehemiah
    Numbers
    OT Prophets
    Palm Sunday
    Partners In A New Creation
    Pentecost
    Philemon
    Philippians
    Proverbs
    Psalms
    Revelation
    Romans
    Sunday School
    Thank Offering
    Thanksgiving Eve
    Wisdom
    Worship
    Zechariah
    Zephaniah

    RSS Feed

Home

Calendar

Contact Us

Copyright © 2017 | All Rights Reserved | Washington, PA
  • Home
    • About >
      • Sunday Services
      • Sunday Sermons
      • Church History
      • Online Giving
    • Life of the Church >
      • Ways to Join Us
      • Missions
      • Lenten Devotionals
  • Calendar
  • Contact Us