Luke 15:11-32

It's been quite a while since I posted. I won't bore you with the details, but let's just say my health was giving me trouble. But I am back. I wrote this a few nights ago when I was having a very intense encounter with God and He led me to looking at the story of the prodigal son. What an amazing story it is, filled with timely lessons for us all.

I wanted to share this because it had such a profound affect on me and I hope it will for others.

For reference, the bold words are the Bible and the word in italics are mine.

The Prodigal Son

Luke 15:11-32

            11 Jesus continued: “There was a man who had two sons. 12 The younger one said to his father, ‘Father, give me my share of the estate.’ So he divided his property between them.

            How it must have pained the father to see what his son really valued. My first thought was what a permissive parent. And then it struck me. Just like God, he was likely hoping his son would learn a lesson. God gives us blessings, but how do we handle them? Let’s see what the younger son does.

            13 Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living.

            Here we go – mismanaging God’s blessings. You maybe aren’t being “wild,” but take a closer look at your life. What about your finances, your prayer life, or the treatment of those around you?

            We dare not lose sight of something important: this does not mean we do things to earn God’s favor. No, we do them out of our great love for God for all He has done for us. We will talk more about this later.

14 After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he began to be in need.

            Now we are in trouble.

15 So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs. 16 He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything.

            We try to fix it ourselves and it fails spectacularly.

            17 ”When he came to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired men have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! 18 I will set out and go to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. 19 I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired men. 20 So he got up and went to his father.

            “But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.

            Ewww! His son had been working in pig pens and it is doubtful he had been bathing much, if at all. He must have been pretty ripe. And yet, the father hugs and kisses his son. How awful we must appear to God, covered in the filth of sin.

            21 “The son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.

            We come back, humbled and ashamed, certain of rejection. I’ve known the sting of rejection, but there is no rejection with God.

            22 “But the father said to his servants, ‘Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. 23 Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate. 24 For this son of mine was dead and is alive again.; he was lost and is found.’ So they began to celebrate.

            The father is so happy to have his son home - found and alive. He brings out the finest robe to cover over his son’s filth. There were sure to be some who thought he had lost his mind. God gave us a robe to cover our sin. It was the robe of righteousness of His Son, Jesus who lived, died, and rose again to earn that robe for us. And just as that father rejoiced to have his son home, there is celebration in heaven over one sinner saved. (Luke 15:10)

            25 “Meanwhile, the older son was in the field. When he came near the house, he heard music and dancing. 26 So he called one of the servants and asked him what was going on. 27 ‘Your brother has come,’ he replied, ‘and your father has killed the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound.’

            Here comes the older brother…and he looks familiar…and angry.

            28 ”The older brother became angry and refused to go in. So his father went out and pleaded with him. 29 But he answered his father, ‘Look! All these years I have been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders. Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends. 30 But when this son of yours, who has squandered your property with prostitutes, comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him.”

            The older brother is mad. Here he’s been slaving away and this no-good loafer comes along and his father is giddy that he has returned. This just isn’t fair. Not to mention he killed the fattened calf for him. Not just any animal, but the fattened calf. When has his father ever even given him a goat to have a party with his friends.

            Who could blame this older brother, right? He’s been slaving away and never had a party. However, how often has he maybe not done his work as well as he could? Or maybe he asked a servant to do it? Or maybe he “forgot” about it? And did he ever even ask his father for a goat to have a party with his friends?        

            Here we are again. We are mad. Someone who has been openly sinning, with no regard for God, accepts Jesus and gets into Heaven. How is that fair? We’ve been behaving ourselves all these years: church, Bible study, family devotions, mission work, and on and on. No parties. We have done all this and this screw-up gets the royal treatment. But just like the older brother, how well have we really lived up to the standards set before us? Not even close. So, are we any better than the older brother? What about church – have we ever slept in? Have we ever skipped Bible study? Have we ever “forgotten” what we should be doing? Have we forgotten who we are serving and why?

            And have we ever asked for the “goat?” Have we been so upright that we haven’t asked for anything for ourselves? But that isn’t what God wants. He wants us to talk to Him.

            Philippians 4:6 “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your request to God.”

            We are God’s children. He wants to hear from us. He wants us to ask for the “goat.”

            However, we need to keep something in mind. We do not do what we do (or don’t do) to gain God’s approval. There is no scoreboard that measures who gets in and who doesn’t get in. No, we get in because of the love of the Father who sent His Son. It is through our faith in Jesus as our Savior that we are granted salvation. By Grace Alone. We have nothing to offer.

            31 “’My son,’ the father said, ‘you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. 32 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.

             The younger brother suffered for his sins. He knows the depths of his sin as he says he is no longer worthy of being a son. But the father offers grace. Imagine the gratitude of the younger son. This is the gratitude of that younger son.

            The older brother isn’t as good as he thinks for “behaving.” And perhaps he is thinking he’s going to have to share his inheritance. All those years, he counted on getting the entirety of his father’s property. After all, the younger brother took all of his half and partied it away. All that is left belongs to the older brother. He isn’t going to share with this irresponsible brat. He is every much a son to his father. And his father points that he has had the blessings of being a son all these years.

            We are the older son. We see someone come to faith later in life and get resentful, especially if we have been believers all our lives. After all the “work” we have done. Do we really have to accept this person? We have worked hard and deserve more that someone who comes along at the last minute. We are being judgmental and we forget what God has done for us. Still, God loves us.

            We also are the younger son, coming home to an unexpected joy and welcoming. Our father has welcomed us home. How thankful we are.

            Whether we grew up in the church or came to the faith later in life, we must guard our hearts and our tongues. No matter when we came to faith, there is gratitude for all that our Heavenly Father has done. We all serve Him in gratitude as long as He asks us to serve on this earth. No matter how we come to faith, the goal for all of us is Heaven. And God and all of heaven celebrates for every soul saved. We should celebrate too because these are all our brothers and sisters in Christ.

Thanks be to God for His great love and mercy!