Madeleine Bugbee
March 10
Luke 15: 1-3 & 11-32
Summary of the Content of Luke: My Bible passage today (The Prodigal Son) comes from the
Gospel according to Luke, which is the third book in the New Testament. According to enterthebible.org, the Gospel according to Luke offers an account of the life, death, and resurrection
of Jesus of Nazareth in sum. Luke presents the story of Jesus as the fulfillment of God's promises; Jesus is Christ, the Lord, the Redeemer sent by God to the people of Israel, the one who
declares God's salvation to all people. Jesus proclaims God's reign, heals the sick, raises the
dead, casts out oppressive spirits, restores people to full participation in society, and teaches his
followers through many vivid parables, including “The Prodigal Son.” Because Jesus speaks
many parables in Luke, this Gospel becomes a source for deep reflection about the nature of
God's reign and the ways of living faithfully in this world, as well as mainly a focus of the nature
of the salvation that Jesus Christ provides.
Who Wrote it? The Gospel according to Luke is anonymous, yet the author reveals in the opening verses that he was not an eyewitness of the events he describes. Christian writings from the
latter half of the second century identify Luke, an associate of the Apostle Paul, as the Gospel's
author, but nothing in the Gospel itself can confirm this claim.
The Passage: Part of its meaning comes from its position in Luke (which is the only Gospel that
includes it). It is the third of three parables (see also Luke 15:1-10) that describe the recovery of
something that was lost and conclude in celebration. Jesus tells these parables immediately
after certain Pharisees and scribes complain about his practice of sharing meals with notorious
people, with "tax collectors and sinners." One of the points of the parable, then, is that generous
celebration is the appropriate response when a "lost" person becomes "found."
What Does this Mean? This parable expresses that it is cause for rejoice any time something is
lost and then found; particularly when a person loses themselves in the throes of sin and then
finds themselves again when they seek retribution for those sins and become pure again. It is
always wonderful when someone’s righteousness is restored and they can once again join those
who were never lost.
What does it say about God and or Jesus—who is He and how he interacts with His people? In
verse 7 of this passage, Jesus clarifies this cause for celebration, and says “Just so, I tell you,
there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous
persons who need no repentance.” This shows that Jesus, and likewise God, always receive
and celebrate anyone who wishes to correct for their sin, for their wrongs. It shows just how unconditionally forgiving the Lord is.
What does it say about human beings and our relationship to God and others?
The passage shows that when people open their hearts to God, He will manifest Himself in
those people who seek forgiveness and those who forgive. God manifests himself in forgiveness
between people.
What is the “lesson” or “message” for us? The lesson the parable teaches is that when someone sincerely wishes to be born again before the Lord, they will be answered.
What is the Good News for us? The Good News for us is that we will be always be forgiven, and
celebrated when we renew ourselves.
Why does this matter to YOU personally? “The Prodigal Son” sheds new light on what it means
to be renewed as a person, to find yourself or be found, and to be forgiven for mistakes. The
story shows that we can learn to celebrate when something lost has been found, and that when
it is ourselves or another who has strayed from God’s will, God’s grace will always forgive and
rejoice in the homecoming. We should open our hearts to this grace so that we may forgive easily and rejoice more in finding what is lost.
How does what you’ve learned encourage, inspire, challenge, comfort, and or influence you?
It’s comforting to know that no matter how many times we do wrong, we will always be forgiven.
It’s inspiring that starting over, or beginning again, is a cause for celebration.