Want to know God?

Valley Grande Baptist Church

In Luke 15, Jesus told a story about a father who had two sons. He told this story to help people understand how they could know God.

The younger son in the story decided he wanted his inheritance before his father died so he asked for it early. He then traveled to another country where he spent everything he had on wild parties. As soon as his money was gone, there was a severe famine. To survive he found a job feeding pigs, and he was so hungry that he wanted to eat the pigs’ food. Realizing that his father’s hired laborers ate better than he did, he swallowed his pride and began his journey home. As he traveled, he prepared himself to ask his father to forgive him and to make him a hired servant. However, when the younger son reached home, his father ran to him, hugged him and threw a party because his son had come home. 

When the older son returned from the family farm and discovered his father was throwing a party because his brother had come home, he was so angry that he refused to go into the house. Even when his father came out and begged him to join the party, he still refused. 

Jesus’ story demonstrated that both sons had broken their relationship with their father and needed their father’s forgiveness. Yet, only the younger son experienced forgiveness. The older brother never experienced forgiveness because he never acknowledged his need for forgiveness.

Jesus’ story revealed God as a loving father who longs for us to return home. Just like the father in the story, God is ready to forgive all who acknowledge sin and return home. Whether we identify with the older brother or the younger brother in the story, we all need to return home and experience the father’s forgiveness. 

When Jesus died on the cross, God drew the world a road map showing the way home. All who recognize that their sin has separated them from their Heavenly Father can come home and find God’s grace (John 3:16–18). If you want to know God, you must ask for God’s forgiveness and trust your loving Father to guide you.