“The Lost Son Comes Home: Stories Jesus Told” by Tim Ladwig.
Discovery House, Grand Rapids, Mich., 2019, 32 pages, Grades K-3.
Forgiveness is a complicated issue. First, there is the problem caused by someone committing a wrong. Forgiveness cannot occur until the person realizes the harm done.
Second, there is the action of asking for forgiveness. The person needs to understand the pain caused by the sinful actions and ask to be forgiven. This means that forgiveness does not just happen automatically. It must be requested by the penitent.
Third, the injured person then forgives or absolves the injury. Finally, there is some type of restitution for the harm.
In sacramental confession, we see all four elements of forgiveness. The most famous example of confession in the New Testament is that of the Prodigal Son. In this powerful parable, Jesus teaches us the necessity of asking for forgiveness and of God’s overwhelming love for mankind.
Famed author/illustrator Tim Ladwig creates another marvelous religious book from the Bible. The name of this beautifully told story is “The Lost Son Comes Home.”
In this well known parable, readers see the younger son demanding his inheritance. Callously and selfishly, he leaves his heartbroken father and chooses a life of luxury and decadence. But nothing lasts forever, and he eventually runs out of money. Unfortunately, a famine strikes his new home at this time. Soon, he is reduced to eking out a living as a farmhand.
Realizing the pigs are eating better than he is, the sinful son begins to wake up. Still unconcerned that he has harmed his father, he thinks about the good food his father’s servants have. They are surely living better than he is. He imperfectly thinks that he should confess his sins to his father so that he can eat better. With this limited insight, the prodigal son begins his journey back to his father’s house.
But the longer the journey takes, the more he understands how much he has hurt and harmed his father’s love and generosity. He becomes more broken and repentant as the journey continues. The son now understands that he has hurt God as well. Only a total confession of his sins will absolve him.
In the final scenes, Ladwig paints a stunning story of the prodigal son’s humble confession and his father’s forgiveness. In the final scenes we see the “good” brother refuse to accept his lost brother despite his father’s pleadings. The father tells the “good” son that all the goods of the family are his, but that he should rejoice that his lost brother has been found. The parable ends before we are told of the narrow minded brother’s response to his father’s pleas for forgiveness and acceptance. Let us hope he chose to re-accept his prodigal brother.
This is a can’t-miss book for instructing children in the need for forgiveness and God’s mercy. Tim Ladwig has created a number of religious books from various parts of the Bible. They are written primarily for K-3 readers, but are equally instructive for older readers. This book was created to be shared between an adult and a child. The author/illustrator has given us an uplifting account of this famous parable.
The book can be ordered through most book vendors. I hope you take the chance to acquire this inspiring title.
