Today's topic: JESUS is COMPASSIONATE!
Read Luke 15:11-32
What are some of the characteristics you see in each of the men?
• Older Son = angry, resentful, jealous, unkind, without joy
• Younger Son = bad life choice, greedy, humility
• Father = wise, forgiving, filled with love and compassion
Which do you think Jesus is?
• Jesus is human… So he felt the tendencies of the older son…
• Jesus left His heavenly father to come to earth (a foreign country), left and live as a human to bring back everyone with Him. …. So he felt a kinship with the prodigal son.
• Jesus is the compassionate father… and that’s who He wants us to be!
Who are you?? Are you the older son, the younger son, or the father??
The younger brother finds it hard to accept his father’s love, forgiveness, and healing. Do you think it’s harder to receive or accept forgiveness?
Is it harder to forgive yourself or to forgive others?
• Forgiveness, like gratitude, is a choice.
• In choosing forgiveness, there is joy.
• In choosing forgiveness, there is peace.
1 John 1:9, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.”
We are called to be compassionate as God is compassionate. We’re called to follow Jesus’ example as a son - the younger son without being rebellious, and the elder son without being resentful. We’re called to be like the father in growing through our grief and into forgiveness and generosity.
