35. The Story of the Compassionate Father

What the Story Says

1. Why did the religious leaders criticize Jesus?

   The religious leaders criticized Jesus because he treated the tax collectors and sinners as friends (#35-02).

2. Why did the man's younger son decide to return to his father?

   The younger son had no money, and was so hungry that he wanted to eat the food he gave to the pigs. He realized that the servants of his father lived better than that (#35-05), (#35-06).

3. What did the man's younger son want his father to do for him when he returned home?

   The man's younger son wanted his father to treat his as a servant, and not as a son (#35-06), (#35-08).

4. What did the father do when he saw his younger son?

   The father was so happy that he ran to his younger son and hugged and kissed him (#35-07).

5. What did the man's younger son tell his father after his father greeted him?

   The man's younger son told his father that he had sinned against his father and against God, and that he was not worthy to be his father's son (#35-08).

6. Why did the father need to go out to his older son?

   The father went out to his older son because the older son would not come into the house where they were celebrating that his younger brother had returned (#35-11).

7. Why was the man's older son angry with his father?

   The man's older son was angry with his father because he thought his father treated his younger son better than he treated his older son. The man's older son thought his father should treat him better because he stayed home and worked while his younger brother went away and wasted his money (#35-12).

8. Why should the father and his older son celebrate?

   The father told his older son that they should celebrate because his younger brother had returned to them alive. This was a time to rejoice, rather than a time to be angry about the past (#35-13).

What the Story Means to Us

1. Why did the man's younger son demand that his father give him his inheritance while his father was still alive?

   Perhaps the man's younger son only wanted his father's possessions, and was not interested in honoring his father (#35-03).

2. Why do you think the father agreed to give his inheritance to his sons while he was still alive?

   It seems that the father loved his sons more than he loved his possessions (#35-03).

3. How is the younger son an example of people who run away from God and live according to their desires?

   Many people are like the younger son. They want to live according to their own desires rather than to be friends with God the Father.

4. Do you think the father should have treated his younger son well when he returned?

   Many people would think the father should have rejected his younger son since that son abandoned him. However, the father in the story was merciful, just as God the Father is merciful. He continued to love his son, and received him with joy when he returned.

5. How should people who have sinned, but who now wanted to come to God, expect God to treat them?

   Jesus told this story to people who had sinned, but who were then coming to God. He wanted them to know that God will receive them when they come to him.

6. Why do you think some believers want to make it difficult for people who have sinned to come to God?

   Some believers do not think it is fair that God accepts people who have sinned without punishing them. In this story, Jesus showed that God will not punish people who have sinned when they come to him and ask him to forgive them.

Summary

The religious leaders worked hard to try to please God. They were angry that Jesus treated tax collectors and sinners as friends when they came to listen to his teaching. So Jesus told this story to show them why God was happy when sinners returned to him. The father in the story represents God the Father. The older son represents the religious leaders. The younger son represents the tax collectors who sinned, but were now coming back to God. Jesus wanted the religious leaders to know that is was right to celebrate that these sinners were coming to God.