Bible ReadingLuke 15:11-32 And he said, “There was a man who had two sons. And the younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the share of property that is coming to me.’ And he divided his property between them. Not many days later, the younger son gathered all he had and took a journey into a far country, and there he squandered his property in reckless living. And when he had spent everything, a severe famine arose in that country, and he began to be in need. So he went and hired himself out to one of the citizens of that country, who sent him into his fields to feed pigs. And he was longing to be fed with the pods that the pigs ate, and no one gave him anything. But when he came to himself, he said, ‘How many of my father's hired servants have more than enough bread, but I perish here with hunger! I will arise and go to my father, and I will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Treat me as one of your hired servants.”’ And he arose and came to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion, and ran and embraced him and kissed him. And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ But the father said to his servants, ‘Bring quickly the best robe, and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet. And bring the fattened calf and kill it, and let us eat and celebrate. For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found.’ And they began to celebrate. Now his older son was in the field, and as he came and drew near to the house, he heard music and dancing. And he called one of the servants and asked what these things meant. And he said to him, ‘Your brother has come, and your father has killed the fattened calf, because he has received him back safe and sound.’ But he was angry and refused to go in. His father came out and entreated him, but he answered his father, ‘Look, these many years I have served you, and I never disobeyed your command, yet you never gave me a young goat, that I might celebrate with my friends. But when this son of yours came, who has devoured your property with prostitutes, you killed the fattened calf for him!’ And he said to him, ‘Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours. It was fitting to celebrate and be glad, for this your brother was dead, and is alive; he was lost, and is found.’”
Mark 5:1-20 They came to the other side of the sea, to the country of the Gerasenes. And when Jesus had stepped out of the boat, immediately there met him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit. He lived among the tombs. And no one could bind him anymore, not even with a chain, for he had often been bound with shackles and chains, but he wrenched the chains apart, and he broke the shackles in pieces. No one had the strength to subdue him. Night and day among the tombs and on the mountains he was always crying out and cutting himself with stones. And when he saw Jesus from afar, he ran and worshiped him. And crying out with a loud voice, he said, “What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I adjure you by God, do not torment me.” For he was saying to him, “Come out of the man, you unclean spirit!” And Jesus asked him, “What is your name?” He replied, “My name is Legion, for we are many.” And he begged him earnestly not to send them out of the country. Now a great herd of pigs was feeding there on the hillside, and they begged him, saying, “Send us to the pigs; let us enter them.” So he gave them permission. And the unclean spirits came out and entered the pigs; and the herd, numbering about two thousand, rushed down the steep bank into the sea and drowned in the sea. The herdsmen fled and told it in the city and in the country. And people came to see what it was that had happened. And they came to Jesus and saw the demon-possessed man, the one who had had the legion, sitting there, clothed and in his right mind, and they were afraid. And those who had seen it described to them what had happened to the demon-possessed man and to the pigs. And they began to beg Jesus to depart from their region. As he was getting into the boat, the man who had been possessed with demons begged him that he might be with him. And he did not permit him but said to him, “Go home to your friends and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you.” And he went away and began to proclaim in the Decapolis how much Jesus had done for him, and everyone marveled.
[01:25:05]Ephesians 2:13 But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.
Observation questions- In Luke 15, what does the younger son ask for before his father dies, and what happens to him after he leaves home?
- What details in Mark 5 show how broken and untouchable the man among the tombs had become before Jesus met him? [01:25:18]
- In Luke 15, what three things does the father give the returning son, and what celebration does he order? [01:42:36]
- How does the older brother respond when he hears that his younger brother has come home, and how does the father answer him? [01:45:57]
Interpretation questions- The younger son seems to want the father’s gifts without the father himself. What does that reveal about how a person can badly misunderstand God even while knowing a lot about him? [01:34:48]
- Ephesians 2:13 says those who were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. How does that help explain the meaning of the “far country” in Luke 15 as more than just a place on a map? [01:37:20]
- The father runs to the son before the son can clean himself up. What does that show about the heart of God toward people who are turning back to him in repentance? [01:41:24]
- The older brother stayed near the house but still missed the father’s heart. How can resentment and scorekeeping grow in someone who looks outwardly faithful? [01:46:04]
Application questions- God wants to meet personally with his children. When you come into the house of the Lord, what usually has your attention first, and what would it look like for you to truly stop and listen for his voice? [46:51]
- Some people carry a picture of God as harsh, impossible to please, or always demanding more. Has that picture shaped the way you pray, obey, or avoid him? What has helped form that picture in your life? [01:33:08]
- The far country is any place where a person wants God’s gifts but not God’s ways. Where do you feel most tempted to say, “I want my way”? What values of the Father are hardest for you to stay close to right now? [01:38:14]
- The pigpen is where sin eventually takes a person. What does “pig slop” look like in real life for you right now—confusion, compromise, secret sin, bitterness, exhaustion, or something else? What helps you notice when your soul has drifted there? [01:39:35]
- The father gives dignity, authority, and identity to the son who comes home. Which of those do you most need to receive again from the Lord right now: dignity after shame, authority to walk in obedience, or identity as a son or daughter? Why? [01:43:17]
- The older brother shows that it is possible to stay close to church life and still be angry when grace is shown to someone else. When do you find yourself comparing, scorekeeping, or quietly resenting the mercy God gives to others? [01:46:29]
- Jesus told the delivered man to go home and tell others how much mercy he had received. Who in your life needs to hear what the Lord has done for you, and what would it look like to share that this week in a simple, honest way? [01:28:21]
