Reading Analysis

Jesus taught people in parables or short stories. The storyelements related to peoples’ lives and so people easily connectedwith the stories. He often did not explain his parables. He leftpeople to meditate on the meaning behind these “teaching tales.”For part of your assignment, you will read parables and analyzetheir meaning.

Your first reading is a famous parable, often called theProdigal Son or The Parable of the Lost Son (Gospel of Luke,Chapter 15, reading verse 11-32…written as Luke15:11-32.)

¹¹ Jesus continued: “There was a man who had twosons. ¹² The younger one said to his father, ‘Father,give me my share of the estate.’ So he divided his property betweenthem. ¹³ “Not long after that, the younger son gottogether all he had, set off for a distant country and theresquandered his wealth in wild living. ¹⁴ After he hadspent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country,and he began to be in need. ¹⁵ So he went and hiredhimself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him to hisfields to feed pigs. ¹⁶ He longed to fill his stomachwith the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave himanything.

¹⁷ “When he came to his senses, he said, ‘How many ofmy father’s hired servants have food to spare, and here I amstarving to death! ¹⁸ I will set out and go back to myfather and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven andagainst you. ¹⁹ I am no longer worthy to be called yourson; make me like one of your hired servants.’ ²⁰ So hegot up and went to his father. “But while he was still a long wayoff, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; heran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.

²¹ “The son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinnedagainst heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be calledyour son.’ ²² “But the father said to his servants,‘Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on hisfinger and sandals on his feet. ²³ Bring the fattenedcalf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate. ²⁴For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost andis found.’ So they began to celebrate.

²⁵ “Meanwhile, the older son was in the field. Whenhe came near the house, he heard music and dancing. ²⁶So he called one of the servants and asked him what was going on.²⁷ ‘Your brother has come,’ he replied, ‘and your fatherhas killed the fattened calf because he has him back safe andsound.’

²⁸ “The older brother became angry and refused to goin. So his father went out and pleaded with him. ²⁹ Buthe answered his father, ‘Look! All these years I’ve been slavingfor you and never disobeyed your orders. Yet you never gave me evena young goat so I could celebrate with my friends. ³⁰But when this son of yours who has squandered your property withprostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him!’

³¹ “‘My son,’ the father said, ‘you are always withme, and everything I have is yours. ³² But we had tocelebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead andis alive again; he was lost and is found.’”

        AnalysisQuestions:

What three teaching points or application points can you drawfrom the character of the prodigal son? In what three ways does hereflect an understanding of human nature?

How is the father in the story a reflection of “God our Father”?What three positive traits can be deduced from the father in thisstory to teach others about God?

How is the older brother a reflection on our attitude towardforgiving others who have done wrong things or done wrong to us?Why is it so hard for people to forgive others? Your paragraphanswer should reflect your critical thinking on this subject.