God's Story: Two Sons and a Father (Prodigal Son)

God's Story. Two Sons and a Father. So part of God's story is about Jesus wanting us to know how much God loves us. Sometimes Jesus taught by using parables. A parable is a pretend story that teaches us a lesson. Jesus once told a parable about two brothers and a dad, and it begins like this. This dad had two sons. We call one the older son, because he's, well, older. We call the other the prodigal son, because he liked to waste money buying things he didn't need. One day, the prodigal son went to his dad and said, Dad, give me my share of your money. See, he knew when his dad died, he and his brother would split the money. But he didn't want to wait for his dad to get old and sick and die. He wanted money now. You might think most dads would say, no way! But his dad actually gave it to him. Kids, remember, this is a parable. I wouldn't try that at home. Anyway, the son took the money and ran away. We don't even know if he said goodbye. And for a while, he bought everything he wanted. He bought stuff for his friends, too. He had so much fun spending money that he never bothered to earn any. Soon, he had nothing left. So now he needed a job to buy food. Problem is, the only job he could find was working for a farmer, feeding pigs. You know, animals that enjoy snorting and rolling around in the mud. And to make matters worse, his friends stopped liking him since he stopped buying them things. Although people who hang around just because you're buying them things are not real friends. Here was the prodigal son, stuck feeding pigs. No friends, no home, and no food. He was so hungry, he wanted to eat the smelly, soggy pig food. He felt pretty sorry he had run away. Have you ever done something and felt sorry about it later? It's not fun to feel that way, is it? Well, one day, the prodigal son remembered how the people who worked for his dad had lots of food to eat. Hmm. He didn't think his dad would want him back as a son, but maybe he could be a servant in his dad's house. But this idea was risky. He had been so mean to his dad. He had taken money and run away. He'd spent every penny. He had acted like he never wanted to see his dad again. The prodigal son knew he didn't deserve to go home. But if he didn't ask his dad for a new job, he could die. So he decided to go back to his dad's house. Well, while the prodigal son was still pretty far away, his father saw him coming. And guess what? His dad started running to him. Then he hugged his son and even kissed him. Really? The Bible says that. In fact, he threw the prodigal son a huge welcome home party and even gave him special gifts. Meanwhile, the older brother was out in the fields, working. Kids, remember, this brother had been home the whole time, obeying his dad while his younger brother ran away. So when the older brother found out his dad was throwing a party for his younger brother, he was mad. Really mad. He had never gotten a party. He thought his little brother deserved punishment, not a welcome home celebration. Jesus told this story because sometimes we act like the prodigal son. We do things that make God sad, like how the son took his dad's money and ran away. Other times, we act like the older son. We follow God's rules, but forget how special it is to obey Him. Maybe we even want people who disobey to get punished, instead of being excited when they decide to follow God. But Jesus wants us to know that no matter what we do, He loves us. Just like that father. And that's the story of the prodigal son. So, in case you missed it, here's the quick version. There were two brothers. One loved buying stuff. He asked his dad for money. He ran away. He spent the money. He felt sorry. He went back home. His dad threw him a party. The older brother got mad. The dad loved both sons. And no matter what, God loves us, too. And that's a part of God's story.