Parable of the Lost Son Reflection
Directions: Read the instructions below for the assignment to write the paper.
Remember, the point of reflections is to help you learn from your own experiences.
Please be as specific as possible when you are writing. You should be able to explain
not only the details of your experiences but also your thoughts now about them and
how your experience connects to the story. Reflections help us to become wiser, but
only if we don’t actually take the time to think about our lives on a deeper level.
Background Context Work – Understanding the Story.
Read the Parable of the Lost Son in Luke’s Gospel (Luke 15:11-32). Then do the
following before writing your reflection paper:
A) Break down the characters the same way we have done in class by writing
down the significant information about each character.
B) Explain the symbolism for each of the three characters.
C) Write two of the messages from the story that you think Jesus is trying to
teach.
After you do the following, write the reflection paper below based on the following four
sections. The paper should be written in essay form.
1.
In the Parable of the Lost Son, which character do you identify with most from
the story and can relate to in your life? What do you have in common with this
character? What is a meaningful experience you have had where you were like
the character in the story? It should be something that is really important to you
in your life and really made a difference, not something insignificant. How did
this experience affect you? What can you learn from the experience now? Where
did you find God in any of this?
2. Pick a message that you got from the Parable of the Lost Son. Why is this
message important for you and how does it relate to your own life experience?
How have you successfully tried to live out this message in your life? How have
you been unsuccessful in living out this message in your life?
3. In the Parable of the Lost Son, do you agree with the way that the Father dealt
with his two sons? Do you think he was being fair? Why do you think so?
Would you have handled things differently, why or why not? How do you treat
people when they do something hurtful to you like the younger son? How do you
treat people when you see them being selfish and jealous towards others like the
older son?
4. How do you think the Parable of the Lost Son should end? Write a paragraph as
an ending to the Parable of the Lost Son. After you finish writing your ending,
explain why you chose to conclude the story this way. Make sure that your
ending fits with one of the messages and helps to explain the story. It should not
be something random that does not fit.