#soap # Luke 15 ## Title: The Joy of the Lord ## Scripture: (Luke 15:32) “It was appropriate to celebrate and be glad, for your brother was dead, and is alive; he was lost and is found.’”” (NET) ## Observation: There are so many moments worth examining in the parable of the prodigal son. That’s the beauty of a parable. A parable is a complex spiritual principle wrapped in a story. This means that there are many different things we can take away from the principle because it is explained with “flesh on it.” The moment in this passage that I love is when the Father comes running to the lost son. Then, at the end of the story, He shares why. He sees His son coming home as a rebirth. I know many people who have lost loved ones and they would all admit they would give almost anything to see them one more time. This is what the Father experiences and He is overjoyed. It is important to remember who is telling this story. Jesus, the second member of the Trinity, is telling us what happens to God when one of His lost children comes back again. He is saying, “No one knows the Father as well as the Spirit and Me. I’m telling you, when you come back to Him, He is overjoyed in a way I cannot fully express in words.” That’s how much the Lord loves you. ## Application: Take a moment and think about seeing a lost loved one again. Then imagine that is how God felt when you “came home” to Him. ## Prayer: Thank You, Jesus, for showing us the love of the Father and for loving us the way You do.