Sermon Devotional: The Parable of The Prodigal Son

Sermon Title: The Parable of The Prodigal Son

“The father said to him, ‘Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours. But it was fitting to celebrate and rejoice, for this brother of yours was [as good as] dead and has begun to live. He was lost and has been found.’” Luke 15:31-32

I have been lost once or twice in my life. When I was nine years old, I decided to run away from home. I thought life would be better in the far country of the back alley behind my childhood home in Chicago. Although I was not far from home, the experience was lonely and frightening. As the night grew darker and colder, reality hit me: no one was looking for me. Eventually, I went back home and, like a stranger, rang the doorbell. The greeting I received was not what I had hoped for—it lacked warmth and joy.

Have you ever been lost? Really lost?

Perhaps not geographically, but emotionally or spiritually—lost in plain sight or in a distant land of distraction, disappointment, or rebellion—wandering in confusion or pain. In Luke 15, Jesus tells three stories about being lost and found: the lost sheep, the lost coin, and the lost son. Each story reveals the heart of God and how He values every single life.

The pattern is clear: something precious goes missing, someone risks much recovering it and then comes a joyful celebration when it is found. The worth of what was lost grows in each story—from one sheep out of a hundred, to one coin out of ten, to one son out of two—but in each case, the value is immeasurable.

Being lost is not acceptable in God’s kingdom because every life has incalculable worth. The process of transformation—from lost to found and from death to life and from immaturity to maturity—requires honesty, humility, and courage. For the one who searches, it is costly. The shepherd leaves ninety-nine sheep to look for one. The woman turns her house upside down to find her coin. The father bears the pain of rejection and disappointment, yet keeps watching the horizon, hoping for his son’s return. These stories reveal that God bears the risk of love every day—for us, as we become who He created us to be and as we tell others our stories of being lost and found by Him.

When what was lost is found, there is celebration. Life with God is worth celebrating in God’s kingdom, and joy is always shared in community. When the prodigal son returns home, the father does not scold or shame him. Instead, he runs to meet him, throws his arms around him, and restores him fully as his son. That is the rhythm of divine grace: risk followed by rejoicing. Heaven itself applauds when one soul returns home.

Through this parable, we also see the character of God revealed. God sees His sons and daughters, and notices when we are missing. God is present when we are tossed about by life’s storms. God restores what was lost, mending broken hearts and making us whole again. When we turn toward home, we discover that God has already been running toward us, ready to embrace, forgive, and rejoice. In His kingdom, every homecoming is a reason for celebration.

Consider—
╬ When have you felt distant from God or others? How has God pursued you in love?

╬ What risks might He be calling you to take to reach someone who is lost today? And how can we, as a church family, join heaven’s celebration when the lost are found?

╬ Father, thank You for Your unending love and pursuit. Thank You that You see me even when I wander. Teach me to celebrate life the way You do—to rejoice over every return, every restoration, every life made whole. May I rest in the truth that I am always with You, and all that You have is mine. In Jesus, Amen.