‘Jesus continued, ‘There was a man who had two sons…’’ (Luke 15:11-32)
The parable of the lost son is one of the most well-known stories in the Bible and is, in the view of many, one of the greatest short stories ever told. In general terms we follow on from the previous, shorter stories, where we have this wonderful image of God seeking out those who are lost and then rejoicing when they are found and saved. But as we delve deeper into the content, and especially into the characters in the story, there is so much that we can learn from these verses. Many questions can be asked about the behaviour and actions of both sons and about their attitude to life and their Father – and many sermons could and have been written on these verses. But perhaps today we can just reflect on two. If we are completely honest with ourselves, which of these two sons would we most identify with – and why might that be? Which son was ‘more lost’?