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Prodigal Son

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Luke 15:24[NIV]

For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.' So they began to celebrate.

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There was a very rich man who is very loving, kind, understanding, and benignant.

He owned a lot.

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This rich man had two sons. But the two sons each had totally different personalities.

The older son worked hard following the words of his father.

But the younger son hated working.

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So the younger son planned to get out of his boring house and start a business in a big city.

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So he went to his father and talked about getting his inheritance early for his business.

“What are you talking about?”

“Father, please give my inheritance to me in advance.”

“No, since you are still young, wait just a little more.”

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But he kept nagging his father.

“Father, please give my inheritance ahead of time, please.”

Finally, his father decided to give him the inheritance in advance.

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“Ok, here it is. Don’t waste the money and live industriously in the city.”

“Ah, don’t worry about it.”

“If anything is too hard, you can come back home.”

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At last, the younger son left his father’s house and headed towards the city.

“Take good care of your body.”

“Don’t worry. Be well my brother. Take care of father.”

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Leaving his house, the younger son finally arrived at a city where he once had only dreamed about.

“Wow, the city is really great! I made a good decision.”

Arriving at the city, he reserved a room in a good hotel.

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The lavish younger son gained many friends around him.

He did everything he wanted to do and he continued living in this lavish life style.

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However, one day, the younger son was surprised.

Because he used almost all the money he had received from his father.

He sold his car and everything to pay the hotel fee and he went out to the street because he had become a beggar.

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He even wasn’t able to eat well. So he went to his friends who usually mingled with him.

“Ah, I’m sorry but, I’m too busy now. Let’s see each other again next time.”

Just like that, there were no friends who welcomed the younger son for he didn’t have any more money.

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Without any way, he looked for a job.

He went to a province near by the city to feed pigs.

Every day he lived cleaning the waste of the pigs.

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But the employer didn’t give food nor did he pay him well. He became very hungry, so he even had to eat the pods of the pigs.

The younger son suddenly thought of his father.

“At my father’s house, even the servants can eat better than I do…

But I told him that I would come back being successful…”

The younger son felt even more depressed.

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The younger son made up his mind.

“That’s it! I will ask forgiveness from my father. Even I can become a servant for him; I will go back to my father’s house.

I can’t live the rest of my life like this.”

He left for his father’s house.

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Finally, he had a distant view of his father’s house.

Ah! There was somebody hovering around the house. And that person was his father. Every day, his father hovered around the house because the younger son might come back.

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His father saw a person wearing poor clothes, standing away from the house and so, his father ran to the person.

“Are you not my loving second son?”

His father ran to him and embraced him even though he was wearing dirty clothes.

“My son! I’m so very glad that you have come back!”

“Father, don’t call me your son. I’m a prodigal man who doesn’t have any right to be your son. I just beg you to let me work in your house.”

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But his father brought his son home and said,

“Attention everyone, my son has come back. Prepare a celebration with delicious food and bring the most expensive and good clothes to dress my beloved son.”

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His father forgave all the wrong doings and offered his son a big party.

The younger son received great love from his father and returned as a son.

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To those who came to church for the first time today, or for those who haven’t been  coming to church for awhile or even has left God like the younger son, God waits for us by love which is like the heart of the father waiting for his younger son. And when you come before God, He hugs you with happiness and by His love; He forgives all your wrong doings. Our Lord is truly the God of love.