A Recklessly Extravagant LoveSample

The Recklessly Extravagant God

The Story Unpacked (summary of the parable)

Through the Parable of the Prodigal Son, Jesus tells a story about two sons who both need forgiveness and a father who is not only willing to forgive them, but desires to embrace them and celebrate with them.

The younger son’s shortcomings are obvious. He completely humiliated his father and selfishly wasted the wealth that he received from him. However, he realised what he did was wrong and he found forgiveness and acceptance from his father.

The older son’s problem is less obvious, but potentially even more dangerous. From the outside it looked like he was doing everything right, but on the inside he was just as selfish as his younger brother. He was not generous and forgiving like his father, and his anger towards the situation resulted in him disrespecting the father also.

The father in the parable was outrageously forgiving, generous and loving toward both his sons. The amazing truth of the Bible is that we all have a Father who is recklessly extravagant in His love towards us! He is recklessly extravagant in the sense that even if we have turned away from Him like the younger son, God runs to us with open arms. He is ready to embrace us as He offers His forgiveness and unrestrained love, longing for us to turn to Him and have a relationship with Him. Even if we have an attitude like the older son, God goes out looking for us, pleading with us to join the feast.

In fact, it is so important to God that we know how much he loves us that Jesus paid the ultimate price by dying on a cross for our sins so that we could have a relationship with Him. Our Father in heaven longs for us to receive His love and forgiveness. His desire is for us to live our lives joyfully delighting in our relationship with Him, and to help others know that God also invites them to share in His amazing celebration feast. Whatever our past, and whatever our life may look like now, God has an incredible plan for each of our lives that He wants to show us through a relationship with Him.

Questions

1. What can we learn from the life of the younger son?
2. What can we learn from the life of the older son?
3. If you identify more with the younger son, how do you feel knowing that God is running to you with open arms?
4. If you identify more with the older son, how do you feel knowing that God is always with you, and that everything He has is yours?
5. John 3:16-17 says, “For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him.”
   Why did Jesus die on the cross?
6. How do we enter into a relationship with God and receive His forgiveness and love?

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