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A man had two sons. The younger said to his father, “Father, let me have my share of the estate that would come to me.” So the father divided the property between them. A few days later, the younger son got together everything he had and left for a distant country where he squandered his money on a life of debauchery.

‘When he had spent it all, that country experienced a severe famine, and now he began to feel the pinch, so he hired himself out to one of the local inhabitants who put him on his farm to feed the pigs. And he would willingly have filled his belly with the husks the pigs were eating but no one offered him anything. Then he came to his senses and said, “How many of my father’s paid servants have more food than they want, and here am I dying of hunger! I will leave this place and go to my father and say: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you; I no longer deserve to be called your son; treat me as one of your paid servants.” So he left the place and went back to his father.

‘While he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was moved with pity. He ran to the boy, clasped him in his arms and kissed him tenderly. Then his son said, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I no longer deserve to be called your son.” But the father said to his servants, “Quick! Bring out the best robe and put it on him; put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Bring the calf we have been fattening, and kill it; we are going to have a feast, a celebration, because this son of mine was dead and has come back to life; he was lost and is found.” And they began to celebrate.

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We know this is not a true story, it’s a parable, Jesus used lots of parables to explain things to his disciples, can anyone name any others…………..

There’s a well-known saying “the grass isn’t always greener on the other side”. Very often we can decide that what we have is not enough. We might think it’s unfair that we live where we do, we might think we should have a better home. We might wish we had better facilities at school, or we might want teachers that let us get away with things, how often do we say thank you for what we have.

We here all have a home, all of us get fed every day, we sleep in a bed at night, not on a floor, we don’t have to live outside, we can turn a tap on and get water, we can flush! Who here cannot read?

Yet, we can still think we do not have enough. This is what happened with the son in our story, he didn’t like his life, he sought a more exciting, more hedonistic life, only for it to unravel and for him to find himself starving hungry, cold and without those who love him around him.

In the time and place that Jesus told this story, inheritance laws meant that the eldest son inherited twice the amount his other brothers did, daughters did not inherit if there were any sons. This young man would have taken a third of his father’s estate and just squandered it, then when it was all used up and he was hungry, back he came,

When the parable was written it was written in Greek, the Greek words used to describe the distant country is “Cora magna” which means ‘big empty’, so the son went off to a big emptiness and while he enjoyed what was happening there at first, he found it simply led to a big emptiness.

Many people are empty as they do not appreciate what they do have. Who here this morning thought ‘picking up my school bag, oh great! I have an education and a future?’ Or did you more likely think ‘I wish it was Saturday’. Who here envies the people who have more friends than you do? But do they have as good a home life as you?

What are you grateful for?

Imagine if one of your classmates has no pen, or needs a ruler and you lend them one, but they say nothing. Much as you might try not to, you might feel a little bit annoyed for their ungratefulness, it’s the same with God. We often ask God to hear our prayers, but how often do we thank God “thank you for the takeaway” “Thank you for a good win” “thank you for letting me enjoy myself” “Thank you for the food, the bed, the water”

The prodigal son realised he had not been grateful and he returned to his Father, just as we are called to do.

Having thought of the things you are grateful for, think of now the people you have to be grateful to.

Closing prayer

Lord, I lay my heart before You And I pour out my very soul. Desperate, You know what I need As empty before You I go. Lord, strengthen my weary heart– Make it strong once again. For only You can meet this need, Hold me up, my Savior Friend.