The Selfish Son

Did you Know? 

• Jesus’ little stories were called ‘parables.’


• God commands us to honor our parents. The son did not give honor to his father.


• ‘A foreign country’ is where Gentiles live, and it is unclean for Jews.


• Jews think pigs are unclean.

The Meaning of the Story

This is a story of a son who has no respect for his father. He broke his father’s heart.

After he wasted all the money his father gave him, he was poor, lonely, sad, and very hungry. He then understood how selfish he had been. He knew that he was a sinner. He decided to go back home and tell his father that he was very sorry.

But the son knew that he had another Father. He had a Father in heaven. When we sin against someone here on earth, we also sin against God. So, the son also told God that he was very sorry for what he had done.

What would the father do when he saw his son? Would he shut the door in his face? Would the father make him work like a slave? The son received a wonderful surprise. The father was very happy to see his son, and he forgave him for all the bad things he had done.

Who is Jesus?

Jesus is God’s Son, and in this story, He shows us what His Heavenly Father is like. God loves us. God wants to forgive our sins and bring us into His family. We become a part of God’s family by saying sorry to God and the people we have sinned against. We can be sure that God will forgive us when we say we are sorry because He loves us.

Thinking about the Story 

1. Why did the son ask for his share of the property?


2. Why did the father give his son his share of the property?


3. What did the son do with all this money?


4. Why did the son go home?


5. Why did the father take his son back again?


6. Why did the father have a party?