‭‭Luke‬ ‭15‬:‭21‬ ‭NIV — The son said to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.”

‭‭Luke‬ ‭15‬:‭23‬-‭24‬ ‭NIV‬‬ — The Father replied, “Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate. For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.” So they began to celebrate.

‭‭Luke‬ ‭15‬:‭31‬-‭32‬ ‭NIV — My son, the father said, “you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.”

I’ve included five verses from today’s parable on The Prodigal Son. You can read the full chapter @biblegateway. Celebration and food are often two things that go together. Every year we celebrate holidays, births, birthdays, weddings, anniversaries, reunions, and life. Take a moment to envision the celebration over the prodigal son returning. We know how each son felt over this celebration. The one who wandered didn’t feel worthy. The one who stayed didn’t feel his brother was worthy. The father’s love was greater and he chose to forgive, love, and celebrate his son. 

Thankfully our God doesn’t look to our past mistakes. He sees us all as His children, worthy of His forgiveness, love, and celebration.

Let’s pray. Heavenly Father, thank You for celebrating me even when I do not feel worthy. Thank You for forgiving and loving me. Help me to show that same forgiveness and love to those around me. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.

Often our family likes to celebrate with my easy lasagna recipe.

1 bag of frozen cheese ravioli

1 lb of italian ground sausage

1 jar of preferred spaghetti sauce

1 2-cup bag of preferred shredded cheese

Instructions: Thaw frozen ravioli. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Cook ground sausage. Mix prepared sausage with spaghetti sauce. Layer ravioli, sauce, and cheese. Sprinkle any remaining cheese on top. Bake for 20 minutes.