Your Guidance From The Prodigal Son Lesson In The Bible

When anyone regrets in life it is advisable to learn from past mistakes. According to Bible, the prodigal son lesson teaches about choosing what is worthy in life

The story of the compassionate father as told by Jesus in Luke 15:11-32 has a powerful moral lesson for all of us, especially those who once refused to adhere to the advice. Many of us heard this very parable or story at a younger age and the impression is heart-touching. Let the parable of the prodigal son lesson educate you about what is worth and what is useless in life. It is all about making wise decisions so that you do not regret it.

I do remember reading a well-printed book about the prodigal son with very good descriptive photographs. Yes!, you know kids like beautiful graphics in stories. This has left an unforgettable memory in my life so today I feel the need to share with you the moral lesson behind this parable.

Jesus Christ was actually iterating about how sinners could end up in heaven only “if” they repent. Before that, he taught about the parable of the lost sheep and the coin.

They all denote the same meaning. It is never too late to make amends for past mistakes just like the prodigal son who led a regretful life before he came to his senses.

What Brought About This Parable In The Bible?

Now here is the parable; It all happened when Jesus Christ was eating and drinking with sinners and tax collectors whiles he teaches them the gospel on how they can gain salvation but the Pharisees and other experts in the law backlash Jesus for dining with sinners. These Pharisees were self-conceited and arrogant people.

They love themselves and their welfare only but Jesus used parables to prove to them how possible it is for a sinner to enter the kingdom of God. In this world, there are many people who have lived a regretful life and think that is the end of their world but when that very person reads parables like this, he has to find it inspirational enough to correct past mistakes.

Jesus Tells The Parable Of The Prodigal Son

Jesus told the parable in this way; there lived a rich man with his two sons, the little one requested for his share of his father’s wealth to travel far away to enjoy life the way he wants and this compassionate father divided his wealth between them.

The little one set off with his part to a far distance. He misused the money on women and other pleasures of life. This parable made me understand that money can make a fool of people by blindfolding them from reality.

Indeed money answers all things but when used without wisdom, you become the most foolish person on earth. This is one of the this our generation has to learn fromthe parable of the prodigal son lesson.

Don’t be deceived, money is not everything. His money got finished and there was a great famine, finding it difficult to eat he sought for a job. His job was to take care of the pigs. Looking broke and hungry in life the prodigal son ate some of the husk fed to the pigs. Life was then teaching him a lesson by making him acknowledge his foolishness.

Living a regretful life he said to himself;

“…how many of my father’s hired workers have food enough to spare, but here I am dying from hunger!. I will get up and go to my Father and say to him ” Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you” (Luke 15:17-18).

He was feeling ashamed of his life and decided to go home at all costs because he has become an outcast. There is a popular saying that goes like “home sweet home.”

He thought in his mind that when he reaches home he deserves the kind of level and treatment of his father’s hired workers.

“He arose and came to his father. But while he was still far off, his father saw him, and was moved with compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him” (Luke 5:20).

While he neared home his father saw him at a distance and his heart melt with joy so he runs to his son hugged and kissed him. This son said to his father that he doesn’t deserve “a son” for he has sinned against heaven and his father.

With such a remorseful feeling he was simply ashamed of himself for making such a big mistake in life. But his father is a compassionate father and so he never felt annoyed for his son’s failure.

Instead, he requested his son be dressed nicely by his slaves. They put a ring on his finger and changed his sandals.

The whole house rejoiced with music and celebration because this compassionate father made his slaves kill the fattened cow for the prodigal son.

As the celebration went on the elder son returned from work in the field, he heard the celebration and called one of the slaves asking him what was going on and the slave told him:

“Your brother has returned and your father has killed the fattened cow because he got his prodigal son back and safe.”

I believe this news would angry anyone else because it doesn’t sound good and it never sounded good to the elder brother so he became angry and so he refused to go in

But this compassionate father appealed to him to understand that his little brother who had lived a regrettable life has come home safely. The elder brother lamented that he had been obedient all years working like a slave but his father never sacrificed even a little cow for him.

“But it was appropriate to celebrate and be glad, for this brother of yours was dead and is alive; and he was lost, and is found” (Like 15:32).

He didn’t appreciate “finding something precious that once got lost.” The compassionate father made him understand that everything he owns belongs to him, he had been with his father always and as an elder son, he is the first and direct heir to his father.

In the same way, Jesus Christ came to save those who are lost. He is calling sinners to repent from their sins and be worthy of eternal life.

“For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost” (Luke 19:10).

Today, many people take the wrong paths, and upon regretting they feel too ashamed and pompous to accept their failure so with guilty conscience they try to move ahead in the same wrong path which is very dangerous.

May the prodigal son’s lesson open everyone’s eyes to seem for things that worth a lifetime or eternity.

The endpoint would be an end to his life and salvation as well. It is never too late to go “home” and reconcile with yourself and everyone you have offended just like what the prodigal son did.

How on earth would anyone find true happiness when you move around with guilty conscience? lest you clear it out of your mind by taking the proper steps. Anyone who becomes arrogant to accept mistakes and make amends fools himself to his early grave.

A Good Thought Of The Situation Of The Prodigal Son Lesson — Summary

A rich man’s beloved son ended up fighting for his life by doing one of the shadiest jobs in a foreign land.

The beautiful and affecting parable of the prodigal son lesson reveals to us that taking care of swine was considered to be an employment of the most despicable character being a royal member. He had to survive as a homeless being; feeding on the same food(carob pods) pigs eats!.

“When he had spent all of it, there arose a severe famine in that country, and he began to be in need. He went and joined himself to one of the citizens of that country, and he sent him into his fields to feed pigs. And he wanted to fill himself with the carob pods that the pigs ate, but no one gave him any” (Luke 15:14-16).

Moral Lesson From This Story Of The Compassionate Father

Life offers us many choices and since we are all fallible, it is unwise to adjudge or condemn anyone who deviates in life and if you adjudge let it be constructive enough to put the person on his toes.

His deviation is temporal and so finding solace in life is very high. Jesus made it clear that the kingdom of God is possible for everyone including sinners or those who have deviated in life.

It is always possible until the person in question dies without repentance. In view of this, I prefer and would recommend every believer to pray for all those who have deviated in life for worldly pleasures like the “prodigal son” and surely God and his angels would rejoice when the lost one repents.

As I end this article, I would like to tell everyone that there are rewards for every good thing you are doing even if you don’t see it now as the elder brother of the prodigal son there is no need of lamenting for your reward and blessings would come from above even when you die you would still have your reward waiting for you.

On the other hand parents or elders in our communities should show compassion like the compassionate father of the prodigal son because to “err is human” and no one is perfect except God. Forgive any sins committed against you by your children or anyone at all.

Hope this prodigal son lesson has taught you how to live for what worth most in life. Just avoid unreasonable gratification of any source. Be patient and let the Holy Spirit teach you the right path to take.

Ask God to give you guidance just like how Balaam asked God for direction while he realized he couldn’t rely on his own understanding.

With that, God will open the floodgate of heaven and bless you abundantly with more riches, strength, and long life. It cost nothing to forgive. Amen.