Advent Day 15

Chapter 15 is one of the many places in the Bible where sheep are the subject. We are compared to sheep; they are the most vulnerable animal on the planet – they are the only animal that needs a shepherd. They cannot fight or camouflage themselves, they don't see well, and they can't find food for themselves nor can they hunt. Their one attribute is they have incredible hearing. They can hear the voice of their Shepherd. God's Son is our Shepherd, and heaven rejoices over the repentance of one of God’s sheep that strayed.

The prodigal son is one of the most well-known stories in the Bible. The emphasis over the prodigal son is restoration, which is the work of God. In the story, the father always expected the son to return because legally he was his son even though he left for a while. When the son returned the father restored him fully, not making him one of the servants, but fully treated him as his son – a picture of us in repentance when we have disjoined with our Father.

Questions for Reflection:
The parable of the prodigal son is actually a parable about two sons. Think over the response of the son who didn't leave his father. Which son do you think was worse off? As the father responded to his second son, how does God respond to our legalistic attitudes?