Parables
What I Learned from the Prodigal Son
For many years, I have learned about the story of the Prodigal Son yet never in this much depth. The Prodigal Son is a story about two sons and a father. The younger son leaves with all of his inheritance and loses it all while the older son has been working for his father. The younger brother returns, and the father throws a party and slaughters the fattened calf for him since he had finally returned. The main new information I learned is that the slaughter of the fattened calf symbolized a celebration at this time. This information helped me understand more why the older son was jealous of his brother. I also discovered that the moral is not just that God is forgiving, but that He loves us unconditionally. This has always been one of my favorite parables, and now I enjoy it even more because of the new historical background and moral I learned. I chose this quote because it goes along with the moral behind the parable of the Prodigal Son. God will always love us unconditionally yet we can also love each other unconditionally. ● ● ● ● ● ●
What I Learned from Other Parables
Some other parables, such as the Laborers in the Vineyard and the Rich Man and Lazarus, I discovered new information about. The Laborers in the Vineyard tells a story of three different workers who begin at different times yet still all receive the same payment. This story is new to me, so I learned new insights about its moral and historical background. A piece of historical background I learned that enhanced the story was that it is actually about the Kingdom of Heaven. Some may work harder to get there, yet we all get there in the end. The moral of this story is to remain loyal to your promises. I enjoyed learning about this moral since it is something I can always be working on in my life. The Rich Man and Lazarus discusses how a rich man ignores a poor beggar, Lazarus, when he is alive, so the rich man goes to hell while Lazarus goes to Heaven. The rich man begs God to take him up to Heaven, but God explains that wealth does not outweigh the amount of good done on Earth. One new piece of information I learned from this story was that love matters in heaven, not personal wealth. I enjoyed learning about these parables this unit since they have morals that apply to my life today. I chose this image because it reminds me of the moral in the parable of the Laborers in the Vineyard. After learning about this story, I will work harder on keeping the promises I make. ● ● ● ● ● ●
The Most Impactful Moral
To me, the moral that had the most impact was from the Parable of Sower. This story is about how four seeds are planted in different areas yet only one is able to flourish. The three other seeds are either eaten by birds, burned by the sun, or unable to grow because of thorny ground. The moral behind this is that God has a path for everyone. The seeds only grew in one area because that was their purpose; this is where they would flourish the most. This impacted me the most because I struggle a lot to find what I am good at and want to pursue in my life. This parable taught me to be patient because everything will work out in the end. The Parable of the Sower teaches me to accept the gifts that God has given me because they will lead me to my purpose in this world. I chose this image because it is a path, just like one God has for me in my life. Even though it may be scary and I may get lost at times, God will always be leading me towards something great. ● ● ● ● ● ●
Jesus in Today's World
In today's world, there is much hatred and war. If Jesus were to come today, I feel that he would preach a lot about peace and love. People who follow Jesus' teachings, such as Mother Teresa, tried to teach to love one another but the message has still not overpowered all of the hate. Jesus would tell stories like these parables but angle them to have an underlying message of love. The Prodigal Son is a good example of how God will always love us, but Jesus might twist this to say how our brothers and sisters on Earth will always love and care for each of us. Jesus is a strong figure that many people listen to, but there still will be people who don't believe in his words. I feel that Jesus is so influential that even he can change the minds of those that hate others. Today's world is filled with hate, so we need to listen to the words of Christ even if he cannot physically be here with us. I chose this image because if Jesus were here today, it is what he would teach us to do. Jesus would teach us all to love one another and be grateful for the life we have. 
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