There was a man who had two sons. The younger son went to his father and said, “Father, please give me my share of your property now.” So the father divided his belongings between them.
A few days later, the younger son sold everything he had received and left for a faraway country. There, he spent all his money living a careless life. After he had wasted everything, a great shortage of food came to that land, and he began to suffer hunger.
He found a man in that country and asked for work. The man sent him to the fields to feed the pigs. The young man was so hungry that he wanted to eat the food the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything.
Then he began to think deeply about his life. He said to himself, “My father’s workers have plenty of food, but I am starving here. I will return to my father and say, ‘I have done wrong against God and against you. I am not worthy to be called your son. Please let me work as one of your servants.’”
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Discussion questions.
- What happened to the younger son after he left his father’s house?
- Have you ever made a choice that you later wished you had done differently? What did you learn from it?
- When the son realized his mistake, he wanted to return home. What does this teach us about God’s love and forgiveness?