How Bad Can It Get?

This powerful exploration of Luke 15 takes us deep into the heart of God's relentless pursuit of the lost. We journey through three interconnected parables—the lost sheep, the lost coin, and the prodigal son—each revealing a different dimension of how we become separated from God. Whether we wander away accidentally, get lost in the chaos of life, or deliberately walk away, the message resounds clearly: we are never beyond the reach of God's concern. The prodigal son's story particularly challenges us to examine our own spiritual journey. We see a young man who traded an ocean of blessing for a bottle of temporary pleasure, who lost his identity in a far country, and who descended to depths so low that religious culture said he was beyond redemption. Yet this is precisely where Jesus says transformation begins. When we come to ourselves—when we honestly evaluate where we are versus where God intended us to be—restoration becomes possible. The father's response shatters our expectations: he doesn't demand a full confession or impose a probationary period. Instead, he runs to meet his son, clothes him with dignity, restores his authority, and celebrates his return. This isn't just about one wayward son; it's about how we view everyone who seems far from God. The real scandal of the parable is the older brother's response, representing the religious establishment that would rather exclude than embrace. We must ask ourselves: do we have the heart of the father who celebrates restoration, or the heart of the older brother who resents grace given to others?