The Prodigal Son - Luke 15:11-32 (NKJV)

Then He said, "A certain man had two sons.  And the younger of them said to his father, 'Father, give me the portion of goods that falls to me.'  So he divided to them his livelihood (God gives us so much, so many blessings that we cannot count, so many promises, salvation, eternal life with Him, freedom!)  And not many days after, the younger son gathered all together, journed to a far country, and there wasted his possessions with prodigal living.  But when he had spent all, there arose a severe famine in that land, and he began to be in want.  Then he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country, and he sent him into his fields to feed swine.  And he would gladly have filled his stomach with the pods that the swine ate, but no one gave him anything (this is just like the world.  It may seem to be a fun or exciting place at first glance, but it slowly steals from you everything that it can, and it leaves you with nothing.  The one who truly cares for us isn't the world, but God!)  But when he came to himself, he said, 'How many of my father's hired servants have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger!  I will arise and go to my father, and will say to him, 'Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you, and I am no longer worthy to be called your son.  Make me like one of your hired servants.'  (We in ourselves are not worthy to be called sons and daughters of God, but through Jesus and HIS worthiness, we are now the children of God!! :) ).  And he arose and came to his father.  But when he was still a great way off, his father saw him and had compassion, and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him.  (Gee, I could write a book on this verse alone!!  The son took the first step, but the father saw his son while he was still a great way off!  That means that the father had been eagerly awaiting his son's return, searching down the road every day, waiting for the day that his son would return to him.  His father could have had a lot of reactions as he saw his son trudging down the road.  He could have been angry, for his son had wasted all of his inheritance.  He could have been ashamed of his son.  He could have been hurt and turned the son away.  But instead, the father had compassion on his son.  He felt empathy for him, and was eager to have him back at home again with him.  His eagerness in greeting his son is unmistakeable.  He is rejoicing, excited, exhuberant!).  And the son said to him, 'Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight, and am no longer worthy to be called your son.'  But the father said to his servants, 'Bring out the best robe and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet.  And bring the fatted calf here and kill it, and let us eat and be merry; for this my son was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.'  And they began to be merry.  (The son began to state the plea he had formed in his head while he was still in the pigpen.  He wasn't given the chance to finish his plea, however, because his father was so eager to forgive him and welcome him back into his family that he told the servants to begin to make merry.  The father didn't speak one word of condemnation to his son; he didn't call him a loser, didn't make him feel horrible for squandering his money, didn't make him feel like less of a son.  He just wanted to show his son how much he appreciated his return by having a huge party!)  Now his older son was in the field.  And as he came and drew near to the house, he heard music and dancing.  So he called one of the servants and asked what these things meant (obvoiusly, the father wasn't out partying all the time!  This was a special occassion, and he treated it as such).  And he said to him, 'Your brother has come, and because he has received him safe and sound, your father has killed the fatted calf.'  But he was angry and would not go in.  Therefore his father came out and pleaded with him.  So he answered and said to his father, 'Lo, these many years I have been serving you; I never transgressed your commandment at any time; and yet you never gave me a young goat, that I might make merry with my friends.  But as soon as this son of yours came, who has devoured your livelihood with harlots, you killed the fatted calf for him.'  (It is very unlikely that the older son has never transgressed any of the father's commandments.  Regardless of the "honor thy father and mother" commandment, the older son is refusing to participate in his father's joy.  He only acts like a spoiled child, jealous of the joy in which his father has received his brother.  Note that the older son does not call his brother his brother, but rather calls him "this son of yours" which shows contempt.  MacArther's Study Bible suggests that the older brother represents a Pharisee, but I think this goes for all of us.  Take part in our Father's joy!  The joy of the Lord is our strength, and when another brother receives a blessing from God, rejoice with him!)  And he said to him, 'Son, you are always with me, and all that I have is yours.  It was right that we should make merry and be glad, for your brother was dead and alive again, and was lost and is found.'"  (All Christians were once lost, and yet now found by the Great Shepherd, Jesus Christ, Who died on a cross to take the punishment for our sins and to make atonement so that we can be called the children of God!  And as children, just like the statement here, we are always with God, and He has given us all that we can ever or will ever need.  The whole earth, the heavens, the entire creation is His, and He is the giver of ALL good things!  Praise His holy name!) 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