Download Parable of theProdigal Son1

Sermons by Pastor Tom McLauchlin
Bethlehem Church
2233 Hampton Highway
Yorktown, Virginia 23693
(757) 291-8599
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.Bethlehemtime.org
Parable of the Prodigal Son
The Prelude
Anyone who is a parent, guardian or raised children for any length of time can tell you
that it is a task fraught with reward and also much difficulty. When children are very
young they are often willing to do what’s requested without too much opposition. But as
they grow older they become less and less likely they are to listen to parental or anyone
else’s guidance and begin to do things their own way in an attempt to gain independence.
Unfortunately they are often not wise enough to know what’s right and wrong. Parents,
educators, counselors and pastors have their hands full with children who will not listen
and think that they have all the answers. The bible talks much about young people and
constantly admonishes them to listen to parents and godly advice because these are the
years of exploration and foolishness. We read in 2Ti.2.22, “Flee the evil desires of
youth, and pursue righteousness.” And David said in Ps.25.7, “Remember not the sins
of my youth and my rebellious ways; according to your love remember me, for you are
good, O LORD.” And when the Lord destroyed the world by water in Noah’s day, he
said to himself in Gen.18.21, “I will never again curse the ground because of man, even
though man's inclination is evil from his youth.” It is no wonder then that many of our
children do such foolish things and ruin their lives before they have a chance to live it.
That’s why parents have the responsibility to guide them through these rebellious ways
and set clear guidelines for them to follow. Prov.22.6, “Teach a youth about the way he
should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it.” They must be taught for they
do not have the wisdom to know on their own. Deu.6.4-7, “Listen …Love the Lord your
God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength. These words
that I am giving you today are to be in your heart.
Repeat them to your children. Talk
about them when you sit in your house and when you walk along the road, when you
lie down and when you get up.” Why? So you and your children can remember them
and live by them. And the last three verses about parent’s responsibility are Solomon’s
wisdom in Pr.23.13-14, “Do not withhold discipline from a child; if you punish them
with the rod, they will not die. Punish them with the rod and save them from death.”
And lastly Pr.19.18, “Discipline your son while there is hope.” A lack of discipline and
paternal influence has left the black community in disarray. For example, several studies
have shown that there are more black males in prison than in college. And AfricanAmerican men are only 6 percent of the population and account for over 50 percent of the
jail and prison population. Additionally, black teen girls are just as impacted with girls
between 13-18, having 70 percent of all African-American pregnancies with almost all
out of wedlock or unmarried. And their abortion rate is four times higher than their white
counterparts. In New York City alone 67 percent of teenage pregnancies end in abortion.
The African- American family is becoming endangered as 72 percent of all black
children are raised without a father in the home and left to a single mother or grandparent
to raise. Increasingly single mothers are turning to live in boyfriends and homosexuality
allowing their significant other to be the male figure in the home and raise their young
sons and daughters.
Hence the traditional definition of family has changed to include
any and all makeups. As a result young black children are failing in school with only 59
percent, the lowest of any ethnic group, obtaining a high school graduation. The result of
a lack of education leads to increased government assistance, crime-infested
neighborhoods, lack of priorities and a cycle of generational poverty. This brings us to
the beginning of our parable.
The Father
There are three main characters in the parable and none more important as the father.
Perhaps in the past, the definition of “father” had a generally accepted meaning which
adhered to a traditional standard. A father was considered a comforter, counselor, dad,
disciplinarian, protector and provider. But most importantly he was there. He were
wishing us a happy sixth birthday, giving us butterfly kisses to make us laugh, keeping us
in line as our mother would say, “Just wait until your father gets home.” And he was
there when a boy came calling on his little girl and checked him out from head to toe,
asking who is parents were, where does he live, how were his grades and generally
terrifying him in fear with, “That’s my little girl.” He was there to explain to his son the
facts of life, how to respect women, obey authority and seek God. And there to show his
little girl by example how she should be treated by a man, just like he treats her, with
respect and dignity. It was he who drove you to church, taught you respect and made you
sit up straight. He was there for the ballgames and school plays. He even shed a tear
when you came on stage with your little costume. Of course no one saw it because like a
father he always wanted to project strength. And lastly, he was there to secure your home
at night, tuck his children in and turn off the lights. He was the last one to bed, brought
you water at night and was the first one up. One could wonder if he ever slept. This type
of father would garner quotes like, “Dad, a son’s first hero, a daughter’s first love” or
his little girls saying, “I may find a prince someday but my daddy will always be my
king.” That’s the kind of father I remember, the kind I wanted to show to my children,
the kind I wish our youth had and the kind I want the boys to be. But today a generation
of children has a different picture of father. With absent fathers, live-in boyfriends,
homosexual marriages and single moms, the traditional definition of a father has been
muddled. Is a father still a father if he is in prison? Can my mother’s boyfriend
substitute as my father? My mother married another woman. Is her new wife my father
now? If I don’t have a male figure, is my mother also my father? We’ve come far, so far
that brothers are finding they have the same dad when they are teenagers; parents on their
second or third marriages are creating blended families, whatever that means and lots of
broken children. But the greatest and correct example of a father is found in God. And
what he is like is clearly seen in his word. He is the only perfect Father and is the
standard for each man to strive for. And although we are not perfect, we can align our
ways to his ways as we lead our families. The more we use his example of fatherhood
the better fathers we are.
It is little doubt then that I believe Christians make the best
fathers. Let’s explore three areas in the word and see what a perfect father is like. The
first and most important thing children need from a father and miss the most is his love.
Nearly every man who is responsible for a baby says he loves the child as soon as it is
born. He may shun support for it and even fail to be in the child’s life, but he still feel he
loves him. Somehow men equate becoming a daddy with love. That cannot be farther
from the truth. Especially when we compare their love for their children to our Heavenly
Father’s love for us. Listen to the godly type of love in 1Cor.13.4-18, “Love is patient,
love is kind …it does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, …rejoices with the
truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never
fails.”
How can a father be patient and kind with his son when he is absent from his
life? How can he rejoice with him in his triumphs if he never goes to a game or
graduation? And how can a daughter feel protected by him if she doesn’t really know
him or even where he is? Where is the trust when he is breaking promises and being
unfaithful to one’s mother? And lastly, how can a child hope in a father who will not
hope in him?
Remember love “always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always
perseveres.” Love must be demonstrated or it is not love at all. God show us this
example in Jesus. We read in Ro.5.8, “But God demonstrates his own love for us in
this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” And again in 1Jn.4.9-11, “This is
how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that
we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us
and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.”
St. Augustine said, “God loves
each of us as if there were only one of us.” That is, if you were the only person on earth
God would have still sent His Son. Jesus would have still gone to the cross and died just
for you. And heaven would still welcome you into eternity. Just as a loving father would
die for one child even if he had a dozen more, so Jesus would die for you alone. This is
the essence of the prodigal son’s story. Here is a man who loves his son as if he were the
only heir. While we shall discuss the two son’s actions later, we must understand that
this story is one of a father’s enduring love for his son. It is a story of “always
protecting, always trusting, always hoping, always persevering.” There is a story of
Oliver Cromwell, the 17th century Lord Protector of England who sentenced a soldier to
be executed at the ringing of the evening curfew bell. However, the bell did not sound.
The soldier's fiancé had climbed into the belfry and clung to the large clapper of the bell
to prevent it from striking. When summoned by Cromwell to account for her actions, she
cried as she showed him her crushed and bleeding hands. Cromwell's heart was touched
and he said, “Your lover shall live because of your sacrifice. Curfew shall not ring
tonight!” This simple story of love cannot begin to compare with the love God for each
of us.
God’s Presence
The second area we find a perfect father in God is his abiding presence. The Bible tells
us that God is omnipresent, meaning there is no place that God is not. He is fully God
everywhere all at the same time. The universe is said to be immeasurable beyond
imagination. It is so big that when we look up to the sky at night we can only see a very
small portion of our Milky Way galaxy. Using the most powerful telescopes available,
astronomers estimate that our own galaxy may contain a billion solar systems with
hundreds of billions planets. Now consider that there may be over one hundred billion
galaxies in our small portion of the universe and we begin to understand the
boundlessness of space. Astronomers say the light seen from the farthest part of our
seeable universe has been travelling for 14 billion years at the speed of 186,000 miles a
second. That’s’ fast, so fast that in one second light can travel around the earth eight
times. When we consider how far light would have travelled in 14 billion years we can
only stand in awe of God’s greatness. Scientists concede however, that the universe is
just too big to ever truly estimate. Now the bible says that in every corner of ever galaxy,
on every star, planet and sun in the entire universe God’s presence is there. In nebulas
discovered and undiscovered, comets named and unnamed, asteroids and meteors,
galaxies and groups, God is there. And even more he transcends the universe, that is, he
is beyond it, outside of it and over and above it. What is immeasurably vast to us can be
measured in the palm of God’s hand. Listen to Isa.40.12, “…with the breadth of his
hand (he) marked off the heavens …held the dust of the earth in a basket.” And God
said in Jer.23.24, “Who can hide …so that I cannot see them …do not I fill heaven and
earth?” declares the LORD.” And David said in Ps.139.7-12, “Where can I flee from
your presence? If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths,
you are there. If …settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me
…if I say …the darkness will hide me …even the darkness will not be dark to you; the
night will shine like the day.” God is omnipresent, he’s everywhere. But’s being
everywhere does not mean everywhere can feel his presence.
Presence requires
recognition from those who would benefit from the one being present. A person may be
present but have no presence. For instance, a dignitary may be among us, but until he
becomes known, he has no special significance. Being present may be hid but presence
cannot for it must be recognized. There is an interesting conversation between Moses
and God in the book of Exodus. After the people sinned with the golden calf, we read in
Ex.33.1-3, “Then the LORD said to Moses, “Leave this place, you and the people you
brought up out of Egypt, and go up to the land I promised on oath to Abraham …I will
give it to your descendants. I will send an angel …but I will not go with you, because
you are a stiff-necked people and I might destroy you on the way.” You see God said
he would be present but they would not feel his presence.
Presence requires
responsibility and acknowledgement. So the people repented, prayed and cast away the
things that made them sin so they could again feel God’s presence again.
God’s
presence returned and we read in Ex.33.10, “Whenever the people saw the pillar of
cloud …they all stood and worshiped.” It was their acknowledgment of God that led to
the returning of his presence. Moses reminded the Lord that these were his people and
being in the Promised Land would be meaningless without his presence. Listen to the
conversation in Ex.33. 12-16, “Moses said to the LORD, “You have been telling me,
‘Lead these people,’ but you have not let me know whom you will send with me. You
have said, ‘I know you by name and you have found favor with me.’ If you are pleased
with me, teach me your ways so I may know you and continue to find favor with you.
Remember that this nation is your people.” The LORD replied, “My Presence will go
with you, and I will give you rest.” Then Moses said to him, “If your Presence does not
go with us, do not send us up from here. How will anyone know that you are pleased
with me and with your people unless you go with us? What else will distinguish me and
your people from all the other people on the face of the earth?” This is the type of
presence children need from a father. Paying child support may mean they are present
but it doesn’t mean they have presence. Seeing a child every now and then, sending a
text or two may mean they are sometimes present in the child’s life but it is far from
having a presence. We are not God and cannot be everywhere with our children, but our
presence can. Our presence goes with them through the things we teach them as children.
The lessons and stories we tell them, the discipline we mete out and the love we show
them never leaves. The Lord said in Deu.6.5-9, “Love the LORD your God with all your
heart …soul and …strength …Impress them on your children. Talk about them when
you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you
get up. Tie them as symbols …write them on the doorframes of your houses and on
your gates.” This impressing is having a presence in the lives of one’s children. It is an
ironing in of values, morals, confidence, worth and dignity. The benefits of presence are
too many to name. Presence means joy. David said in Ps.16.11, “You will fill me with
joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand.” Just the thought of a
father coming to the game is enough to make a child’s heart leap with anticipation. But a
father actually being there is pure jubilation. The opposite can also be true. I remember
a few years ago, backstage at our Christmas play I found a young teenager crying. She
was so distraught that she didn’t even want to participate. Her father had promised her he
would be there and at the last minute texted to say that “something came up.” Her tears
were uncontrollable and it took the support of others to convince her to continue.
Presence gives restfulness. Remember what God said to Moses about his presence being
with them in Ex.33.14, “My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.”
There’s something about a father being around that sets us at ease. Perhaps it is knowing
that you are his and belonging to him means something. Perhaps you see him as one who
can insulate you the world, who is watchful of danger, experienced in life and strong
enough to protect you. And perhaps he’s one that allows you to make greatest of
mistakes, say and do the most hurtful of things to him and still love you enough to feed
you at his table, tuck you in a warm bed and if necessary, die for you without question.
That’s a presence that gives assurance and rest. And lastly God’s presence brings about
validation.
Webster defines validate as, “to recognize, establish, or illustrate the
worthiness or legitimacy of; to support on a sound authoritative basis.” The thesaurus
uses synonyms such as “affirmation, endorsement, consent and testimony.”
God
validates us the moment we accept Christ as our savior. We read in 2Cor.1.21-22, “God
…anointed us, set his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a
deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.” The moment we turned to Jesus we were
affirmed by God to be legitimate sons. Again we read in Eph.1.13, “And you also were
included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation.
When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit.”
This is why John could say in 1Jn.3.2, “Now are we the sons of God.” And Paul could
say in Ga.4.6-7, “Because you are his sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our
hearts …and since you are his child, God has made you also an heir.” See how God
validates us. He loves us, adopted us as full sons and disciplines us when we’re wrong.
Discipline is also a part of validation. We read Prov.3.11-12, “My son, do not despise
the LORD’s discipline …because the LORD disciplines those he loves, as a father the
son he delights in.” And in Heb.12.7-9, “God is treating you as his children. For what
children are not disciplined by their father? If you are not disciplined …then you are
not legitimate, not true sons and daughters at all …human fathers …disciplined us
and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of spirits
and live!” But how do fathers give validation to their children today and what does it do
for the child. Through their actions fathers treat their children as having no, little or great
value.
For some fathers these children are not worth their time and effort, while to
others they mean more than the world. The amount of worth a father see’s in a child
determines what priorities come before and after, what is more or less important and
where his time and resources should be spent. Is my daughter more important than my
job, career or girl friend? Can my son call on me day or night, in times of joy and in
times of trouble.
Am I willing to lay down my life for my child? God made us his
priority by giving his only Son. John.3.16, “For God so loved the world that he gave
his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal
life.”
The attitude and behavior of the father helps determine the child’s self-worth.
Self worth is simply the value a child places on himself. How much am I loved? How
much can I achieve? How does my father feel about me? Am I valued in his eyes, by the
way he treats me? Is he ashamed or proud of me? Many children see themselves as less
than normal simply because they’ve been told that and are treated as such. The bible
gives us lessons on how a father should interact with his children to help give their life
meaning and establish them and add value to their lives. We are to have compassion on
them.
That is, we’re to be concerned about them, their wellbeing and comfort.
Ps.103.13, “As a father has compassion on his children, so the LORD has compassion
on those who fear him.” We are to carry them along until they reach a place of maturity
just as the Lord carries us. Deu.1.31, “The LORD your God carried you, as a father
carries his son, all the way you went until you reached this place.”
We are to
encourage them and not berate and belittle them. Col.3.21, “Fathers, do not embitter
your children, or they will become discouraged.” And lastly, we must teach them the
ways of the Lord. Deu.6.6-7, “These commandments that I give you today are to be on
your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and
when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.” God is
always with us. He told Joshua in Jos.1.9, “Be strong and courageous. Do not be
afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you
go.” And again in Ps.23.4, “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of
death, I will fear no evil: for you are with me; your rod and your staff they comfort
me.” While men are not omnipresent, that is they cannot be everywhere at once, they can
be at the dance recital for their little girl. They can take a son to practice basketball after
work. And they can come home every night, help with the homework and teaching him
what’s it’s like to be a man. Sometimes presence is everything. The presence of a father
in the discipline of children can be just as effective as the punishment. We are not God
but we can begin the parable simply in Lu.15.11, “There was a man who had two sons.”
The Departure
Lu.15.11-12, “There was a man who had two sons. The younger one said to his father,
‘Father, give me my share of the estate.’ So he divided his property between them.”
Although it does not say the ages of the sons, we know the younger one was rebellious,
possibly a teenager, and gave his father much grief.
While the older was more
disciplined, he despised the younger son’s treatment of his parents and disregard for
parental authority. We gain a little of the younger sons character from Lu.15.1-2, “Now
the tax collectors and ‘sinners’ were all gathering around to hear him. But the
Pharisees and the teachers of the law muttered, ‘This man welcomes sinners and eats
with them.’”
From this accusation Jesus gave three parables, the lost sheep who
wandered away, the lost coin that could not be found and the prodigal or lost son. If the
Pharisees could not understand the joy of finding a lost sheep or coin, surely they could
relate to the joy of receiving a lost and perhaps thought dead son home again. You see
the Pharisees had families also. And anyone with a family knows the grief that comes
with raising children. Perhaps they could not relate to the sheep or the coin, but their
hearts could not be so hardened to ignore a rebellious teen for he lived in their homes.
This younger son was lost in his mind before he ever squandered his father’s wealth. The
immaturity of youth hindered him and he could not see the dangers inherent in rebellion
and the destruction that lay ahead when authority is disregarded. Somewhere along the
way he rebelled against his father’s instruction, his brother’s companionship and his
mother’s teaching. Cleary he did not understand the commandment of Ex.20.12, “Honor
your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the LORD your God
is giving you.” Or the warning in Pr.30.17, “The eye that mocks a father, that scorns
an aged mother, will be pecked out by the ravens of the valley, will be eaten by the
vultures.” Or the even more permanent judgment in Deu.21.18-21, “If someone has a
stubborn and rebellious son who does not obey his father and mother and will not
listen to them when they discipline him, his father and mother shall take hold of him
and bring him to the elders at the gate of his town. They shall say to the elders, “This
son of ours is stubborn and rebellious. He will not obey us. He is (the same as) a
glutton and a drunkard.” Then all the men of his town are to stone him to death. You
must purge the evil from among you.” But as the foolish son considered his family
unbearable to live with, they too felt the strain so much so that he was unbearable to live
with also. Solomon warned in Pr.1.8, “Listen, my son, to your father's instruction and
do not forsake your mother's teaching.” But this instruction that the son wants to listen,
wants to honor his father and mother. But this wasteful son would have none of that and
Solomon’s words and indeed the scriptures themselves carried no weight with him. I can
imagine the days leading up to the actual departure. First the tension between the
brothers had to be intense because when the younger son finally came back the older son
was angry and had no desire to see him. The animosity and fighting must have been
great and we are never told in the parable if they ever made peace. And then there is the
loving mother who must have cried at night while her son would argue with his father
and his brother. Mothers never say much but listen and pray intently. How many nights
she must have talked to her son and supported him when he thought no one cared or
understood. There were many broken hearts in this home but none more than when the
boy decided to leave. At least during the arguing everyone was at home. Everyone was
safe and accounted for. To a parent it is better to have disorderly and vociferous son than
no son at all.
Jesus says in Lu.15.11-12, “There was a man who had two sons. The
younger one said to his father, ‘Father, give me my share of the estate.’ So he divided
his property between them.” It is one thing to see a child leave home that you’ve
prepared for the world and have your unyielding support but something altogether
different when there is animosity, hostility and resentment. It’s one thing to see a child
depart believing they will come back soon but something else when the parties believe it
is the last time they will see each other simply because of bitterness. The older brother
was perhaps the angriest of all. Under Mosaic Law the estate would normally be divided
upon his father’s death. Two-thirds would go to him and one-third to his younger
brother. Deu.21.17, “He must acknowledge …the firstborn by giving him a double
share of all he has. That son is the first sign of his father’s strength. The right of the
firstborn belongs to him.” To divide now is the same as his younger brother saying to
the father, “You are dead to me. I never want to see you again. Give me now what I
would get at the time of your death for to me that time is now.” After such sharp words
there was not much to say and the father knowing he had exhausted every avenue of
reasoning, reluctantly gave him what he asked and commended his son to God. Now
And unless there was much money on hand, which is highly unlikely, perhaps a third of
the estate had to be sold to accommodate his son. And we read in v13, “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.” Notice that there was no intent to ever return for
he “got together all he had.” Now consider the frame of minds. The leaving son is
confident, yet fearful. He believes he is ready to face the world and has grown beyond
the need of his father’s wisdom, his mother’s care and the overshadowing of his big
brother. But he is also afraid because every step takes him away from the only life he has
ever known. He thinks of turning back but after putting his family through so much he
must follow through. With anger in one eye and a tear in the other he heads out of site
forever.
His brother is delighted that the son is gone but angry at what he did to his
parents. And he is also afraid for even though he hates him, he loves him. Just as the
parents will worry every night so will he. But he can never show it for hate will not
allow him. And then there are the parents. Here is a mother who is heart broken and a
father, who wonders what he could have said, could have done to keep the family
together. He is afraid for his son for he knows the lad is not ready and feels guilt that it
has gotten to this point. Contention has ceased and now there is the fear they may never
see him again. Notice that the young son goes as far as he can and, “set off for a distant
country.” Like Jonah fleeing from God Jonah 1.3, “But Jonah ran away from the
LORD,” so this son tries to flee from the memory of his family, the guilt of his actions
and far enough away that he will not shame the family name. So far that he can make a
fool of himself and no one will recognize him.
The first night was the worse for the
family he left behind. Their son has always been in the house at night. But tonight he
was not there and there was an emptiness accompanied by fear for they did not where if
he was alive or dead. So they prayed and prayed and prayed. Even the angry older
brother would miss him and wonder if he’s okay. But the wasteful son also had a hard
first night. In an effort to hurt the family that had rejected and drown out the guilt of
conscience that haunted him he went to the furthest extremes of lasciviousness and
debauchery. He wanted to hurt his brother for being the good son, his mother for being
so good and kind and his father for giving him the money to go away with. Perhaps the
father should have said no, fought a little harder to keep him and perhaps the mother
should have cried more. But they just let him walk away and now they are going to pay
for it by his own self-destruction. And so we read in v.13, “and there squandered his
wealth in wild living.” To destroy what his brother cherished, his mother sacrificed for
and his father had worked a lifetime for was the only way to get even. It was never about
fun, it was about anger.
Wild Living
No one in the bible speaks of money and wealth more than Solomon. It appears that he
considered himself an expert in the field of finance.
Perhaps he should because
according to scripture he received wisdom, riches and wealth beyond measure. And one
word of wisdom is in Pro.21.17, “Whoever loves pleasure will become poor; whoever
loves wine …will never be rich.” The prodigal son was wasteful indeed for it was not his
money that he was spending but it was the perspiration from his father’s brow that was
wasted. It was the sweat of long days of working in the field, the breaking of hard
ground and the planting and reaping crops that was squandered. It was the blisters and
bloody hands of a father trying to get the last of the harvest in before the storm that this
young boy misused. And not only the father’s wealth but the washing and wringing out
of clothes, the churning of butter that made the hands rough and the going without so the
kids wouldn’t that was thrown away as if the money came down as leaves would fall
from a shaken tree. Jesus said in Lu.15.13-14, “The younger son got together all he
had, set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living. After
he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he
began to be in need.” In the beginning he wanted to be his own man and not be bound
by the limits set by his parents. He felt that he was mature enough to tackle a more
mature world full of cunning and deceit, with tricks up every sleeve without his father’s
guidance. But the more he acted foolish the more the world pulled him along to the point
of absurdity. His thinking became irrational to the point of being ludicrous. In the
beginning he would spend a dollar for a ten-cent drink and in the end he would spend one
hundred dollars for the same drink. That’s the way the world is, it catches us when we
begin to act a little crazy and in the end makes us brainless. In the Scientific American
Journal there is an article about a young woman who when in her mid-20’s, went on a
road trip with friends and stopped briefly in Las Vegas. Like many who go through the
area she gambled and enjoyed it. Over the years she would make trips to casinos to
gamble. But by her late 40’s she was skipping work four times a week to visit casinos to
play blackjack for thousands of dollars a hand. She would lose so much that she look for
loose change in the seats to pay the thirty-five cent toll to get home. When her credit
cards were maxed out she would open new ones and max them out. Eventually she stole
money from her clients to gamble and was sentenced to prison for two years. In trying to
recover she said to her counselor, “I wanted to gamble all the time. I loved it- I loved the
high I felt.” This is where sin takes us. It uses and abuses, draining every ounce of life
from us until there is nothing left. And after it has had its way will throw us away to die.
We read in Ja.1.14-15, “ But each person is tempted when they are dragged away by
their own evil desire and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin;
and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.” Here is the wasteful son. Though
he thought he was in control it was evil desire that dragged him and enticement that
tempted him.
Now its sin that is conceived in his heart and would see him die.
Lu.15.14, “After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole
country, and he began to be in need.”
The prodigal was in need before the famine
came and was already dying. Famines come and go but it can be especially hard when
there is already a famine in one’s soul. His need for spiritual food far outweighed his
need for physical nourishment. Famine is nothing more than a scarcity of food that leads
to hunger and starvation. The irony here is that what happened to his soul is now
happening to his belly. Both were empty. Both were in need of substance but neither
was to be found. Jesus told the importance of one over the other in Mt.4.4, “Man shall
not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.” Here
the prodigal feels the pains of his belly but has not recognized the pains of his heart.
Perhaps he is yet too proud to go home, to proud to humble himself. He is in physical
need but his stubbornness has not died yet. He is not yet dead to his pride and arrogance.
His belly is empty but foolishness still lives. But soon the hunger of his stomach will be
severe enough for him to do things he never thought he would. Lu.15.15, “So he went
and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed
pigs.” There is no animal more unclean to a Jew than the pig. It is the ultimate nastiness
and the filthiest of creatures. This citizen, obviously not a Jew, sent the prodigal to work
the most humiliating job of all – feeding pigs. The shame must have been overwhelming.
The prodigal can feel life slipping away. Like many who struggle to survive he is
depressed with life. Certainly no one in this distant land loves him. There is no mother to
care for him and no father to give him advice. He is on his own. If he eats, he eats. And
if he starves, he starves. Sin is about to conceive. As we look now into his depressed
mind we find benevolence and bitterness, clarity and confusion, faith and fear, happiness
and hatred, a longing to be home and to be one’s own man. The depression is caused not
by his circumstances but the war that wages within. The struggle worsens as he finds
himself feeding pigs. Is this God’s punishment? Where did I go wrong? It is said that
the wealthy turn to suicide more often than most when they are faced with great financial
loss.
According to a CNN study the 2008 global financial crisis led to over 5000
suicides. These experts made bad decisions and their financial losses led to depression to
shame and ultimately to suicide. This is the prodigal mind. This is the mind of man
without God. It is far from the mind that is in Christ. Of that mind we read in Phi.4.8,
“Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is
pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or
praiseworthy—think about such things.” How does one think right and pure when he
has the guilt of what he has done to his family and had stooped so that he would work
with feed pigs? What pulls a man back from the brink of destruction seeing he has
nothing in himself that saves him? It is the teaching of loving parents that anchor his feet
now. It is the lessons learned in Sunday school and the scripture he learned as a child
that stuck in his mind.
He remembers the gentle guidance of his mother and the rules
sets by his father. How he longs to have those rules now. What keeps him now is not
himself but the prayers of the father to the Father. It is God holding back the forces of
evil that gives him the opportunity to grab the life preserver of common sense. And grab
he did for we read in Lu.15.16-17, “He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the
pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything. “When he came to his senses, he said,
‘How many of my father’s hired servants have food to spare, and here I am starving to
death!” Here he has two longings, one to fill his belly and the other to fill his soul. The
world offers neither. Where were his friends that helped him squander his father’s
wealth?
Where were those who filled his heart with laughter and his body with
fornication? They were long gone. They left with the last coin. He longs to eat and he
longs to go home. The prayers of the father are taking effect. The tears and petitions of
his loving mother were not in vain. She taught him from childhood and now she must
trust God. Prov.22.6, “Train up a child in the way that he should go and when he is old
he will not depart from it.” Now, as always, she must trust God. Now see what prayer
can do. He thinks that he came to his senses but it was the Holy Spirit that brought him
back. He thinks he did it and figured it out but it was God that never left him because of
a father’s prayer. “When he came to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father’s
hired servants have food to spare, and here I am starving to death!” Notice he is still
thinking of food. His heart is yet to be redeemed and yet to be humbled and broken. But
now at least he acknowledges he has a father. Just a few days ago he wished him dead.
But now he says, “my father.” What a picture of our relationship with God. After we
have wasted what God has given us, he allows us to come to him. Ro.8.15, “The Spirit
you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, "Abba,
Father.” “Abba” is an Aramaic word and means “Daddy.” Our relationship with God
is more than just him up there and us down here. No, for those who can understand it,
God is our “Daddy”. And there’s nothing daddy would not do for his children. Here he
cries “My Father”, my daddy has food”.
The End of Foolishness
One of the revealing characteristics of the bible is that it makes no effort to conceal the
sins of those in it. Adam and Eve ate from the forbidden tree of the knowledge of good
and evil and were forced from the Garden of Eden. They brought sin and death to all
mankind. Noah made it through the flood only to get drunk, lay naked and curse his
offspring. Abraham lied and said that his wife was his sister. The pharaoh took her in,
thinking she was single and was cursed by God because of Abraham’s lie. Later he
committed adultery and turned the son of the adulteress affair and his mother out in the
desert. Jacob tricked his brother Esau out of his birthright, lying to his father that he was
Esau. Moses disobeyed God, Aaron made a golden calf and Samson slept with
prostitutes. David committed adultery and murder while his son Solomon had 700 wives
and 300 mistresses. Peter forsook Jesus and cursed in front of him and Paul (Saul)
persecuted Christians.
The list is long. The bible reveals the good and the bad of the
lives of its heroes. The message here is that men are flawed and only God is perfect.
David had it right when he said in Ps.14.2-3, “The LORD looks down from heaven on
all man to see if there are any who understand, any who seek God. All have turned
away, all have become corrupt; there is no one who does good, not even one.” Moses
led his people out of bondage but in the end disobeyed God. Abraham, the father of faith
started out as a liar. Jacob, the beginning of the nation of Israel was a trickster, a
deceiver and liar. David, God’s great and handpicked king had hands so stained with
blood that God would not allow him to build the temple. And then there’s Paul, a man
who consented to the killing of believers but ended up writing most of the New
Testament. Men are flawed but redeemable. This is the prodigal son in Lu.15.17-18,
“When he came to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have
food to spare, and here I am starving to death! I will set out and go back to my father
and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you.” He comes to
his senses in that he sees his own flaws and realizes that he has made many bad choices.
Lots of people realize they’ve made bad choices, reflect upon them and then continue in
their foolishness. But the prodigal son reflects and decides to do the right thing. The
scripture says, “…he came to his senses”. The dictionary defines coming to one’s senses
as “to become reasonable after becoming foolish or to begin to think in a sensible or
correct way after being foolish.”
Look at this prodigal, which means to be wasteful.
Before, he was foolish and wasteful with that which he did not earn, but now at last
foolishness has run its course and he recognizes the error of his ways. Sometimes we
must be afflicted, suffer great indignities, agonizing and being overwhelmed, before we
realize that we are not and never were in control of our lives but acted as if we were.
Foolishness is to believe that whatever one does is right. It is the justifying of one’s
actions no matter how reckless. We read in Ecc.10.2-3, “The heart of the wise inclines
to the right, but the heart of the fool to the left. Even as fools walk along the road, they
lack sense and show everyone how stupid they are.” The end of foolishness has three
parts. First there is the acknowledgment of wrongdoing. He does that in saying, “I will
…say father, I have sinned against heaven (God) and against you”. Secondly he must
be determined to stop. This is the point of reasoning as one weighs the consequences of
continuing doing wrong, continuing in sin. There is a military doctrine of mutual assured
destruction or MAD that says a full scale nuclear war would destroy both sides and
completely annihilate everything and any rational leader would weigh the options of
conflict and choose the path to peace. The prodigal was at this point of full scale war in
his inner being and to continue would be certain death. He had to resort to reasoning or
start eating with the pigs. What can be next for him but death for he says “…and here I
am starving to death.” And thirdly the end of foolishness is turning. It is more than just
doing right but sorrowfulness for doing wrong. Paul told the Corinthians that their sorrow
led to their repentance in 2Cor.7.9-11, “I am happy …because your sorrow led you to
repentance. For you became sorrowful as God intended …godly sorrow brings
repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings
death.” See what this godly sorrow has produced in you.” Godly sorrow produces
repentance but worldly sorrow is simply grief from the pain of sin. Worldly sorrow does
not turn the heart or acknowledge the seriousness of sin but only that it hurts when I am
caught. The prodigal first felt worldly sorrow and then godly sorrow, “I have sinned
against heaven”. Now notice the third part of the end of foolishness – repentance. He
says, “I will set out and go back to my father.” That’s what God wants. He knows we
are flawed and will make mistakes, lots of them, but he wants us to come back to him
through godly sorrow, through repentance. How sad and broken the prodigal feels that he
squandered his father’s wealth, broke his mother’s heart and abused the love of his
brother. Now he loathes sin and despises wrongdoing. He can only look back and say,
“What was I thinking?” So he says, I will set out and go back to my father and say to
him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to
be called your son; make me like one of your hired servants.’ So he got up and went to
his father.” Here is the heart that belongs to God, the heart of stone that has been made a
heart of flesh. God said in Eze.36.24-28, “I will …bring you back …you will be clean
(for) I will cleanse you from all sins and …will give you a new heart and put a new
spirit in you …I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees …you will
be my people, and I will be your God.”
The prodigal has been born again. His
condition is better now than it was when he was in his father’s care or his mother’s arms.
He is now a new person, a new creature. He is according to 2Cor.5.17, “A new creation
…the old has left, had passed away, has died and the new was born, righteousness was
born, he is become something completely different, completely new.” He confesses that
he is no longer worthy to be called his father’s son. What he does not realize is that he
was never worthy. It’s not about worth but acceptance. His father did not supply his
needs or call him son because he was worthy. No, it was because the father accepted him
as his son. If we are accepted by God based on our worth we are indeed lost. Ro.3.9-12,
“What shall we conclude then …for …all under the power of sin. There is no one
righteous, not even one …no one who seeks God. All have turned away, they have
together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one.” Sonship
does not come from worth but from relationship. He was his father’s son and that was
enough. And squandering his father’s wealth, scorning his mother’s love and shun his
brother’s companionship did not change that. But yet he prepares for the worst and is
ready to say, “I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your
hired servants.” This is not the prodigal now it is each of us. It is our mistakes, our past
that keeps us from going home to a loving father. It is we who do not understand that it
was never about us being or doing good. Everything was based on his love for us, not
our treatment of him. Did Jesus not tell us, did he not say in Lu.12.32, “Do not be
afraid, …for your Father has been pleased (it’s his desire) to give you the kingdom.”
The road home was long. Remember in Lu.15.13, “He set off for a distant land.” What
a lonely journey. His friends are long gone and his money left with them. Here is the
prodigal humbled and beaten. There is no more pride for he has been bested by the
world. He left his father’s wisdom and protection thinking he could conquer the world
but now there is no doubt the world was more than he bargained for. Jesus said it best in
Jn.15.4-7, “Remain in me, as I also remain in you …(you cannot) bear fruit unless you
remain in me …if you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from
me you can do nothing. If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is
thrown away …thrown into the fire and burned. If you remain in me and my words
remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.” It took a third of
his father’s kingdom, the anger of his brother and the tears of his mother but now he
understands. Now what goes through the mind of someone who has fallen so far and
realizes the folly of his ways? He is still hungry but hunger will have to wait. He is
naked and unkempt but clothes and bathing will have to wait. All he can think of is
home. “Abba Father, daddy, I’m coming home.”
The Journey Home
We find the prodigal son on the same road where many are found. He has wasted his
parent’s wealth, offended them and his brother and alienated any friends he may have
had. He was his own man and did not need anyone’s advice about anything. That which
is not worked for is rarely appreciated and those who waste what they have did not work
hard enough to get it.
To be given too much makes one unappreciable and lazy.
Solomon observed such a man and said in Pr.24.30-34, “I went past the field of a
sluggard, past the vineyard of someone who has no sense; thorns had come up
everywhere, the ground was covered with weeds, and the stone wall was in ruins.
I
applied my heart to what I observed and learned a lesson from what I saw: A little
sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest— and poverty will come on
you like a thief and scarcity like an armed man.” The prodigal was given that which he
did not earn, wasted that which he did not sweat for and was chose foolishness over his
father’s wisdom. But now he has come to his senses and says, “How many of my
father’s hired servants have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! I will set
out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and
against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your
hired servants.” It will be a long journey for we read that when he left home he “set off
for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living.” While we do not
know the mode of transportation he took to the town of his undoing, for he had lots of
money, we can be sure he walked back for when he headed home, he had none. Here is
the born again son, one who finally came to his senses, who decided he has gone as far as
he could and enjoyed every worldly pleasure only to find it hollow. Solomon tested
worldly pleasure and said to himself in Ecc.2.1-2, “Come now, I will test you with
pleasure to find out what is good …what does pleasure accomplish? He continues in
Ecc.2.10-11, “I denied myself nothing my eyes desired; I refused my heart no pleasure.
My heart took delight in all my labor, and this was the reward for all my toil. Yet when
I surveyed all …everything was meaningless, a chasing after the wind; nothing was
gained under the sun. He realizes that the pleasures of this world can never satisfy the
emptiness of the soul. But not just pleasures but poverty and burdens either. Some feel
that if they hurt enough or are taken advantage of enough that perhaps they will feel
better about their emptiness, filling the void in their life with bitterness. They would
rather attempt to fill the emptiness with pain and hate and pity than to leave it empty. But
those things are just as ineffective as pleasure. Both are like pouring air in an empty
bowl, it’s just as empty. It took Solomon the entire book of Ecclesiastes to finally get to
the meaning of life and what truly satisfies. He says in Ecc.12.13-14, “Now all has been
heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep his commandments, for
this is the whole duty of man. For God will bring every deed into judgment, including
every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil.” Doing God’s will is what satisfies and is
the only thing that fills the void in our lives. His will gives us purpose. He created us for
purpose and only he can truly provide it. Everything else is like pouring air in an empty
bowl. The prodigal like some mountain climbers reach the peaks of the tallest mountains
without any thought of coming down. They consume all of their food and drink, wearing
out equipment and bodies for a moment of pleasure at the top. Many climbers do not
realize the most dangerous part of the trek is coming down. That’s when drink is gone,
the rope frayed and the body tired. According to the Scientific American Magazine,
fifty-six percent of climbers die during their descent. Another seventeen percent die after
going up and deciding to turn back. Only fifteen percent died on the way up. One doctor
put it this way, “That’s actually a common rule in climbing that more people die coming
down than going up. You're spent getting to the top. You get tired, you’re exhausted.”
Here is the prodigal son who has reached his farthest point and gone as far as his money
would take him and now has to head back down, back home, back to the place where he
began. No matter how high the climb or how far the journey one should always be
prepared for coming down and going back. The prodigal’s money is spent, his belly is
empty and he is exhausted. It is a long way down. But more than that, he has lots of
extra baggage. He is carrying a broken heart and laden with guilt and shame. He also
has the uncertainty of his reception. “Will my father turn me away?” Then, “If he does
what shall I do and where will I go?” Step by step as he heads home as a thousand
things goes through his mind. But we read in Lu.15.20, “So he got up and went to his
father.” Just as this prodigal son came to himself and arose to go to his father, God
wants us to get up from our old life and come to him. We do not read of the father
searching for his son, only a longing desire for him to return. If the father brought him
back still angry, still disobedient and scornful nothing would change.
There is no
mention of fellowship between father and son until the son comes to himself and decides
to go home. The prodigal always remained the son but the fellowship was broken. It
could only be restored by the son and the desire to do his father’s will. The father
remained consistent as the father he left would be the same father that would greet him
upon his return. This is why the son had to come to his senses. There are many who
want fellowship with God without coming to their senses. They want the joy of the
home’s blessings and the protection it provides while living in the distant land of
rebellion. They desire the father’s comfort and the benefit of his provisions without any
personal responsibility. These want to be fed with a long-handled spoon. But the
prodigal knew that it was he who broke fellowship and acted was foolishly. He would
not accept or respect is father’s authority and needed to acknowledge his sins and return
home for the fellowship to begin again. But he also knew that returning home would
never be the same even if his father received him. He was not the same naïve kid who
left but much wiser now. His heart has been changed and the value his father’s hard
earned money and respect for his father’s home, wisdom and authority would now be
seen in a new light. Even before he left there was no real fellowship with his father or
brother, but only arguing, complaining and bickering. That’s why he left. But now he
knows what’s it is like to be disrespected. He is now able to accept that he does not
understand and learn how to receive disappointment without anger. For now he knows
what if feels like to be hungry and on your last dime. He returns home feeling as if he
has not inheritance having squandered his share. He has tasted poverty and shame and
truly desires fellowship with his father. Every believer should desire fellowship with
God. We read in 1 Jn.1.5-10, “God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. If we
claim to have fellowship with him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live
out the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with
one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin. If we claim to be
without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he
is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.
If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word is not in
us.” Listen to these verses in light of our parable. “God is holy and right and cannot
have fellowship with our foolishness. We have broken fellowship with him because of our
own wrongs and left him, not he us. We can only restore that fellowship by realizing our
wrong and going home. Once we realize we need our Father and decide to honor, obey
and trust him we then can have fellowship with him and he with us. For this to happen
Jesus must cleanse our hearts and purify our minds so we detest sin. Then we can have
godly fellowship. If we say that we’ve done nothing wrong and our fellowship is just fine
it shows our hearts have not been changed and we deceive ourselves. But if we are truly
sorry and yield our hearts for cleansing then we can be confident the Father will receive
us because he makes our hearts and minds like his.” But just don’t say you’ve done
nothing wrong and don’t need his cleansing for that’s just wrong.” You see we need God
to get our hearts right for fellowship with him. This is one thing we can never do.
Pro.20.9, “Who can say, “I have kept my heart pure; I am clean and without sin”?
Every heart is tainted, every heart separated from God and only he can cleanse our hearts
and restore fellowship with him. We read in Lu.15.20, “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.” It could have been late at night that the
father was awake for he has had very little sleep since his son left. Was it 2 or 3 A.M.
when he turned over, restless and decided to pray? He prayed and prayed for his son’s
return. Rising to his feet he is moved to look out the window and sees a faint movement
far off in the dark. Not waiting to put even his shoes on or wake the others he shakes
with anticipation. Peering harder he still cannot make out who it is but now his heart is
pounding with excitement. And then still in the dark an eternity away he sees his son’s
limp. There’s no mistaking it, that’s his son. Does he wake the others or does he simply
wait for a knock at the door? He does neither and opens the door and rushes to his son.
It seems like forever, the road has never been this long and he runs and runs for his son.
And just as the father is sure now it’s his son, so the son recognizes his father and with
his last ounce of strength speeds up. There are no what if’s now. The son is almost
home. In the movie the Wizard of Oz there is a scene when Dorothy is preparing to go
home. She taps her ruby red shoes and repeats, “There’s no place like home, there’s no
place like home, there’s no place like home.” Perhaps this is where the prodigal is now,
repeating in his thoughts, “There’s no place like home.” But you do not have to tap your
shoes to come back to God. Just invite him into your heart. Tell him you’re sorry for
your sins and you’re coming home. Listen to what Jesus said in Jn.6.37, “All that the
Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will never turn
away.”
Father and Son Reunion
We begin our story with the reunion of a father and his son. Not all reunions are happy
and there are many full of anxiety and uproar. When either party is bent on quarreling or
if the very thing that separated them has not been resolved then the reunion will have the
same disquietude as the breakup. If the hearts are not changed then the reunion is shortlived. In many cases breakups are the result of one person thinking they’re right and the
other one is wrong. And if that attitude doesn’t change for either then the reunion will
be a continued conflict instead. Over the years I’ve come to appreciate that I am more
wrong than I previously thought and always wanted to have the last word. When the
truth is told none of us are perfect because there is as Paul said in Heb.12.1, “sin that so
easily entangles us.” We learn of our sad state of affairs in Is.64.6, “All of us have
become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags; we all
shrivel up like a leaf, and like the wind our sins sweep us away.”
And Jeremiah put it
this way in Jer.17.9, “The human heart is the most deceitful of all things, and
desperately wicked. Who really knows how bad it is?”
Throughout scripture God
reminds us of our common weakness and warns us in Ro.12.3, “Do not think of yourself
more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment.” Now
the repentant son has come home and it’s not the son’s attitude that counts so much as it
is the father’s. How will he receive his son? Will he turn him away or scold him for
wasting his money? The story now pivots to the character of the father. What type of
man is he really? If he turns scolds him and turns him away perhaps the son was justified
in leaving in the first place. It is the father’s disposition and his attitude that will finish
the story. We read in Lu.15.20, “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.” Compassion is an interesting word and means to join in the
suffering of another in order to help them suffer less. It is a carrying of their burden so
they will not have as heavy a load. It is the Good Samaritan who finds a man stripped
and half beaten on the roadside and washing his wounds, placing him on his donkey as he
walks, spending his own money for lodging for this man to recover and never even
knowing his name. It is Simon who carries the cross of Jesus on the road to Golgotha
hill, letting the splinters dig in his back, the weight burden his down just to relieve a little
of his suffering.
This is compassion.
The father saw his wounded, half naked,
malnourished and unkempt. The prodigal’s spirit was broken, tears flowing down his
face and crying out “Father, Father.” And what does the father do, “runs to his son,
throws his arms around him and kisses him.” Now let’s see what he could have done.
Perhaps he could have had the attitude of the Pharisees who wanted to stone a woman
caught in adultery. “Guilty, she’s guilty. Let’s stone her.” But Jesus had compassion
and said in Jn.8.7, “Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone
at her.” Or like the Pharisee who prayed in Lu.18.11-12, “God, I thank you that I am
not like other people—robbers, evildoers, adulterers …I fast twice a week and give a
tenth of all I get.”
But Jesus compared him to the sinner in the corner who beat his
chest and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner.’” But this father was a good father
who did just as any good father would do and rejoice when a prodigal comes home.
Listen to what Jesus said heaven’s attitude towards the repentant son in Lu.15.10, “I tell
you there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who
repents.” While the angels do rejoice, I believe our Heavenly Father is doing this
rejoicing because it says, “in the presence of the angels.” Angels did not shed any blood
for us or die on a cross. That was God. What’s the song, “The blood still works?”
Perhaps God is singing that song every time a sinner repents, “The blood still works.”
The son has practiced what to say to this father along the long journey back. Over and
over he said it to get it right. “Father I have done wrong. No, that’s not right. Daddy I
made mistakes. No, that doesn’t sound right either. Father may I come home or daddy
I’m sorry. I just don’t know what to say.” And then it comes to him to just be honest and
tell his father how he feels. The long road home melts any pretenses for he is truly
broken. It unveils any charades for a once proud heart is crushed and open to all. And
with all his practicing he can only say, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and
against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.” I am so glad to have a
heavenly father that even when I don’t have the right words, confused even about what to
ask for, he searches my heart to help me. Ro.8.26-27, “The Spirit helps us in our
weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes
for us through wordless groans. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of
the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of
God.” See God is not looking for the right words, he wants the right heart. He doesn’t
care about eloquent speech but instead an eloquent heart. It is not the words that count
but the heart the words would flow from. The prodigal’s father is beyond listening,
having already forgiven his son. What sin, what wrong, what wastefulness? What a
picture of God’s compassion. The psalmist said in Ps.103.10-12, “He does not treat us
as our sins deserve or repay us for our wrongs …but as the east is from the west, so far
has he removed our sins and wrongs from us.” David continues that God does this for
he knows how weak we are. We read in Mic. 7.19, “You will cast all our sins into the
depths of the sea.” His son is home and he has done with his sin what God does with
ours and cast them in the sea of forgetfulness. They no longer have any meaning on our
relationship with God, no bearing on salvation and are as if they never existed. Therefore
the believer can shout, the prodigal son can shout Ro.8.1, “Therefore, there is now no
condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus …thru him I have been set free.” The
father could not hear his son’s words only his heart. And with that we read in Lu.15. 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.” To the Pharisees listening to this parable
this part was perhaps particularly disturbing. Remember we began our parable with the
Pharisees getting upset that Jesus welcomes and eats with sinners.
Now with the
elevating of the prodigal son Jesus is in essence saying that sinners will be elevated to
equal or higher status than them. Let’s look at it by visiting Genesis where we find
Joseph is released from prison, interprets Pharaoh’s dreams and given special status.
Gen.41.39-43, “Pharaoh said to Joseph, “‘There is no one so discerning and wise as
you …I hereby put you in charge of the whole land of Egypt.” Then Pharaoh took his
signet ring from his finger and put it on Joseph’s finger. He dressed him in robes of
fine linen and put a gold chain around his neck. He had him ride in a chariot as his
second-in-command, and people shouted before him.” God elevated him from the pit of
death, from slavery, from prison to second-in-command in the kingdom. Now notice the
elevation of the son. He is given the best robe and the father’s ring and sandals on his
feet. Slaves went barefooted but this was no slave it was the father’s son, “Quick bring
some shoes.”
He continues in Lu.15.23, “Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let’s have
a feast and celebrate.” By giving his ring and best robe he put all the servants on notice
that his son was no servant. His son would not be a hired hand but the second-incommand of the entire house. This was his son, his son. The servants were to prepare a
feast for him, take his orders and serve him. Everyone knew how he squandered his
father’s wealth. Everyone saw him come back beat and broken. But no matter for the
father had forgiven and welcomed him. But more than that, the father elevated him
above that of his elder brother. What servant dare lay a charge against him or bring up
his past. What did Paul say in Ro.8.31, “What, then, shall we say in response to this? If
God is for us, who can be against us?” “So you wasted your father’s money did you?
You’re no good.” We respond, “My father is for me and he’s greater than you.” “Well
we always knew you were no good and wouldn’t amount to anything.” We respond, “My
father is for me and he’s greater than you.” Throw the mud, bring up the past and try to
condemn me and I respond, “My father is for me and he’s greater than you.”
The Dead Live
Job asked the ultimate question in the midst of his sorrows. In a short time calamity
overtook him like a storm as all ten of his children, seven sons and three daughters die at
one time. His riches that God blessed him with are now stolen by Satan. And now his
body is afflicted with painful sores and he looks so miserable that even his wife asks him
to curse God and die. He sits down somewhere all alone, having his own pity party when
his friends show up. They could barely recognize him and instead of encouraging this
man of sorrows, one by one they accuse him of deserving what he got and brand him a
sinner being punished by God. But in all of this he keeps his integrity. Who knows if he
will live the night or go the way of his sons and daughters. So he asks the obvious
question. “Is this it? Is there no more to life than to suffer and die?” Job put it this way
in Job 14.14, “If a man die, shall he live again? All the days of my appointed time will I
wait, till my change come.” This is the question that has plagued the mind of men since
the beginning of time. Can something that is dead ever live again? Job considers in
14.7-12, “At least there is hope for a tree: If it is cut down, it will sprout again …its
roots may grow old in the ground and its stump die …yet at the scent of water it will
bud …but a man dies …breathes his last and is no more …he lies down and does not
rise; till the heavens are no more.” Can the dead ever live again? Job finally said the
answer has to be yes because man is more than just a tree. He is God’s greatest creation.
He was created in God’s image, given dominion over the works of his hands and as we
know now can receive so much love that God would become one of us to die for us. He
answers his own question in Job 19.25-27, “I know that my redeemer lives, and that in
the end he will stand on the earth. And after my skin has been destroyed, yet in my
flesh I will see God; I myself will see him with my own eyes—I, and not another. How
my heart yearns within me!” Ezekiel had the same question in mind about Israel. His
beloved nation was exiled far away into a foreign land called Babylon and he along with
them. He had seen his people treated with brutality as they were captured and led away.
Then he received word from the homeland of the siege of Jerusalem and the beloved
temple under attack. And to make matters worse he records in Eze.24.15-16, “The word
of the Lord came to me: “Son of man, with one blow I am about to take away from
you the delight of your eyes. Yet do not lament or weep or shed any tears.”
Ezekiel
was not allowed to mourn even his beloved wife. Ezekiel could only wonder if God was
painting him a picture of the end of his people and the end of the nation of Israel. He had
already seen the northern kingdom destroyed and now Judah was under siege. What of
the promises to Abraham and what of the prophecies of the coming Messiah? His people
are all but dead and Ezekiel has to wonder if a dead Israel could ever live again. The
people cried out that their bones were dry and brittle and all hope was gone. The nation
was finished. So God asks him in Eze.37.3, “Son of man, can these bones live?” And
Ezekiel answers in the same verse, “Sovereign LORD, you alone know.” The question
is, can a dead Israel, with no homeland of its own anymore, a Jerusalem destroyed, the
people exiled, the ark of the covenant and all the sacred things trashed and the temple
burnt to the ground, could Israel ever come to life again? God assured him in the valley
of dry bones that even dust and death was not enough to stay his hand and overcoming it
was as easy as causing the word to be spoken over dry bones. What may seem dead to
you and me is not dead to God. Jesus said Mt.1926, “With man this is impossible, but
with God all things are possible.”
We read in Eze.37.4-6, “Then he said to me,
‘Prophesy to these bones and say to them, ‘Dry bones …this is what the Sovereign
LORD says …I will make breath enter you, and you will come to life. I will …make
flesh come upon you and cover you with skin …then you will know that I am the
LORD.’” And finally Jesus gave us the ultimate answer of whether the dead will live
again in Jn.5.28-29, “Do not be amazed at this, for a time is coming when all who are
in their graves will hear his voice and come out—those who have done what is good
will rise to live, and those who have done what is evil will rise to be condemned.”
Death has no hold on the power of God. And God has declared that even death itself will
die in 1Cor.15.26, “The last enemy to be destroyed is death.” And John declared in
Rev.20.14, “Then death was thrown into the lake of fire”, so that we read in Rev.21.4,
“There will be no more death.” Now that we know that death is not the end of things we
can begin our story of the prodigal and the father’s proclamation. He says in Lu.15.24,
“For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.” As
defined by Webster, dead is to be deprived of life. That is anything that is dead is no
longer alive and does not have the ability to feel or move. One who is dead is no longer
producing or functioning. Hence the church phrase, “Anything that is dead ought to be
buried.” This was the prodigal in rebellion to his father. Although born in his father’s
home he rejected his father’s teaching. Although he ate at his father’s table he refused
his father’s communion.
And although he squandered his father’s wealth he was
unappreciative and thankless. He was dying before he ever left home. It was his sin, his
rebellion and his moving away from the presence of his father that brought about his
ultimate death. This was our state when we rejected our heavenly Father. Listen to
Eph.2.1-3, “As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, in which you
used to live when you followed the ways of this world …disobedient …gratifying the
cravings of our flesh and following its desires and thoughts …deserving of wrath.”
The prodigal viewed his relationship with his family, his father, mother and brothers as
dead, never to be revived again. And although he had no ill will toward his father, he
considered him in his way, holding him back, an old man whose time has come and gone.
To the prodigal his father was indeed dead. Remember he said to him in v.12, “Father,
give me my share of the estate.” He did not want to wait for his father to die naturally,
but counted him as dead now so he could receive his inheritance early. He did not realize
that his own death came with the rejection of his father’s will. He did not realize that he
was alive only if he remained in his father’s will. This is the death his father speaks of
when he says, “My son was dead; my son was lost.”
During the rebellion, his son was
physically alive, clearly breathing and functioning. So the death the father speaks of was
not physical but it was the breaking of communion with the father. It was the doing of
his own will, having his own way and rejecting the teaching that made him his father’s
son. Jesus said for us to be his, to be alive to him, we would must remain in him and do
his will. We read in Jn.15.3-5, “You are already clean because of the word I have
spoken to you. Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by
itself; it must remain in the vine …I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain
in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.” All
of us were at one time dead in our foolishness but when we came to our senses, turn away
from ungodliness and surrendered to Christ we are as Ro.6.13, “Brought from death to
life.” Paul said in Eph.5.14, “Wake up, sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will
shine on you.” This is the prodigal son who came to his senses. He woke up. And when
he woke up and realized that he needed his father to survive, that he could not make it by
himself and that he was only a branch and his father was the vine. When he realized that
he needed his father the light came on. It was there that Christ shined on him and for the
first time he saw the filthy way he was living, his sinful nature. He could see his heart’s
rebellion against authority, his stealing and lying, his hurtful and profane words, his
hatred, sexual immorality and all his impureness. The things he never thought were sins
were shown for what they are and they grieved him.
Like the prodigal many in the
church are dead. They have yet to come to their senses and repent of their sins, living a
life as if they were alive but no companionship with God. They are like the church of
Sardis to which Jesus said in Rev.3.1-2, “You have a reputation of being alive, but you
are dead. Wake up! Strengthen what remains and is about to die …hold it fast, and
repent.” Notice that the son was not alive until the father said he was alive. Just coming
to his senses did not mean he had a new relationship with his father. Just because his sin
is grievous to him now doesn’t mean he can go in the house and open the refrigerator or
sleep in the bed. Just as the word had to be pronounced over the dry bones, “Eze.37.4-6,
‘Prophesy to these bones …and they will come to life.” The disciples could not remain
in the vine unless they were pruned by the word in Jn.15.3-4, “You are already clean
because of the word I have spoken to you. Remain in me.” And the dead will not be
raised in the last day without the word of God according to Jn.5.28, “Do not be amazed
at this, for a time is coming when all who are in their graves will hear his voice and
come out.” In the same way it was the Father’s declaration that pronounced that the son
was alive again. Cleaning yourself up apart from communion with God keeps you dead.
Repenting and turning your life around apart from God and you remain in darkness. The
prodigal came to his father and the father gave him life. Just as the thief on the cross
came to Jesus with his last breath in Lu.23.42, “Remember me when you come into your
kingdom” and Jesus answered in v.43, “Today you will be with me in paradise”, so the
Father tells the prodigal, “Today you have become my son and I pronounce to all that you
are alive to me. Kill the fatted calf, let’s celebrate.” Death is not the end and God can
pronounce you alive if you would only turn to him. Be the repentant prodigal today and
when somebody tells you that you’re dead to them you can say, “I’m alive to God.”
When they speak over your life that you’ll never amount to anything you can remind
them that you may look like dry bones but God can make dry bones live. And finally
when the walls close in it seems like no one cares and they tell you that you’re on good,
you’re cursed, beaten and abused and no one understands, know that your redeemer lives
and like the repentant prodigal, he’s ready to pronounce life over your life.
The Older Son
There is a story of two shopkeepers who had shops across the street from each other and
were fierce competitors. They spent each day keeping track of the other’s business. If one
got a customer, he would smile in triumph at his rival. The competition made each dislike
the other’s prosperity. One night an angel appeared to one of the shopkeepers in a dream
and said, “I will give you anything you ask, but whatever you receive, your competitor
will receive twice as much. Would you be rich? You can be very rich, but he will be twice
as wealthy. Do you wish to live a long and healthy life? You can, but his life will be
longer and healthier. What is your desire?” The man frowned, thought for a moment,
and then said, “Here is my request: Strike me blind in one eye!” This is the heart of envy
and jealousy, to want another’s success and then to have resentment towards that success.
Our story focuses on jealousy. Webster defines jealousy as an angry feeling of wanting
to have what someone else has or an angry feeling caused by the belief that someone you
love likes or is liked by someone else. Jealousy is different from envy because the latter
is to want what someone else has. For example, you may wish that you had a pair of
shoes like your friend or a new car like your neighbor. That’s envy. But jealousy is
when you believe that your best friend will stop being your friend because you don’t have
those fancy shoes or your kids will be ashamed of you because you don’t have a fancy
car like the one across the street. Jealousy brings out anger and resentment. Again, the
distinction is important in our story. Here is the story of the oldest son in our parable.
And while we may exegete the scripture for deeper meaning, the bottom line is he was
jealous. Here he is the older son, the good son, the one who did not waste his father’s
money, respected his father’s will, never talked back, never said no and worked long
hours. But even the good son had an ulterior motive because he knew one day his father
would die. And with the younger prodigal son gone, the farm, money and servants would
all be his. And while his foolish brother has squandered much of it away what remained
would all be his. The older brother disliked his younger brother because had no regard
for his parents and the hard work that was into building the family business.
The son
had his portion and wasted it and to say it again and again his mind, “The rest belongs to
me.” So he worked hard, real hard, putting in long hours to build up the farm, planting
extra fields, buying more sheep and cattle. The older son didn’t mind the work for it was
for a good cause, his own future. We begin this section with Lu.15.25, “Meanwhile, the
older son was in the field. When he came near the house, he heard music and
dancing.”
This is where one would expect to find the good son, working in the field,
producing and working the crops. He has the spirit of Martha who worked anxiously
preparing the house for Jesus and his disciples while her sister sat and listened to him.
Martha said in Lu.10.38-40, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the
work by myself? Tell her to help me!” You see someone has to work. Everyone cannot
just take a third of his father’s wealth and lollygag around the countryside blowing it on
fun. Someone has to work the fields, feed the cattle and shear the sheep. I’m trying to
see the older son’s position here. He knew he was the good one because he listened to
his father, knew he was the most loved one because he stayed home, was the father’s
choice because he worked hard and did not squander the farm. But in the back of his
mind he knew the inheritance would be his and he would not waste his good fortune.
When he came out of the fields according to Lu.15.25-27, “he heard music and dancing.
So he called one of the servants and asked him what was going on. ‘Your brother has
come,’ he replied, ‘and your father has killed the fattened calf because he has him
back safe and sound.”
While not a part of the parable we know that he and the servant
had much conversation about what was happening and the condition of his brother
because he knew his brother wasted his father’s money on wild living, prostitutes and
came back broken and poor. What first goes through our minds, “My brother is home
safely. Thank God.” Perhaps it’s, “I haven’t seen him in so long, let me go in and greet
my baby brother.” No, what goes through the older son’s mind is jealousy. It’s now I
have to share. I have to share my father’s attention once again. I have to share the
house, half the bed again, put up with his dirty clothes, his attitude and his disrespect.
And most of all I have to share my inheritance.” So we read in Lu.15.28, “The older
brother became angry and refused to go in.” But the anger he now has started long ago
before his brother left.
It started when his younger brother disrespected his father
authority, demanded his inheritance ahead of time and considered his family dead. It
festered when he saw his father age over the worry of his son and stay up long hours
praying just to get up early every morning to rush to the window and see if he’s coming
back. And now this prodigal and wasteful boy returns home hat in hand. This anger has
been mixed into his soul and has been rising like yeast. In fact an etymology study shows
the root of jealousy means “to boil, to ferment or yeast.” Already angry that he again has
to share, he is disturbed more when he hears the sound of celebration. There has never
been such music, dancing and celebration, not in all the days of his life. This is a
working farm and not much time for celebration. But here it is and for whom, “a
wasteful and no good brother.” The prodigal son should be in the barn sleeping with the
rest of the servants and here he finds him in the house. The house is for family not
servants. This wasteful son should be a servant for he has squandered his right to live
like a son. Being in the house means the father has received him as a full son. Perhaps if
he found his brother in the barn, feeding the cows or heading to the fields to do some
work he would not be as angry. Such disregard for parents requires punishment not
celebration. The older brother has a right to be angry because remember, he considers
himself to be the better son. He’s the one who stayed home, obeyed his father and
worked the fields. Now there is celebration, not for him the better son, but for the
prodigal. So what does the servant tell this better son about his younger brother in
Lu.15.27, “Your father has killed he fattened calf because he has him back safe and
sound.”
His anger is at its highest and he is boiling over. He is furiously jealous.
Perhaps if his brother had a dreaded disease or lost an eye he could have said, “I told you
so” and moved on. But no, he is safe and he is sound. That’s the last thing a jealous
person wants to hear. Psychologists say that jealousy is our reaction to the threat of
losing something we possess to a third person. So what is the older brother afraid of?
It’s not losing his inheritance for he keeps that mostly intact. The threat is not being
ousted or becoming a servant for he will always be his father’s son. The real threat here
is again sharing his father’s love with his brother. One may not consider that much but
I’ve seen that green-eyed monster rise up over and over. We know he does not want to
share of the inheritance, an inheritance that legitimately should all be his. But he is truly
jealousy because he does not want to share his parents love and attention.
And as a
result he does not go in and direct his anger at his brother but it is to his father. Yes he is
angry that his brother is alive and well. He is angry that he returned and has received
such a reception instead of the one deserved. But his real anger is trying to understand
how his father could hurt him so, like the other son better, not think about his feelings
and give the wasteful son a party. Inside the father senses or gets word that his older son
is angry and we read in Lu.15.28, “So his father went out and pleaded with him.” Ever
the peacemaker this father is. While we may rightfully question the older son’s actions
we must not overlook that the prodigal did not go out to see his older brother but left
diplomacy to the father. Just because the prodigal came to his senses does not mean the
hurt feelings are gone. It is easier to forgive a hurt than for the hurt to heal. And
someone once said, “Time heals all wounds.” While that may or may not be so, it
certainly hasn’t been enough time for years of malicious words and hurtful actions to
heal. The father recognizes that his older son was jealous. He was hurting and he did all
he could to comfort him but he could not turn away the prodigal. Both of these are his
sons and having just gained one back he does not want to lose the other. As the paternal
diplomat he knows the history of both sons, the animosity that exist between them and he
just wants peace. He is full aware of what life was like before the prodigal left but in
some way has to convince the older brother to give the younger a chance to show he’s
changed. If his attempts fail then jealousy will make the end situation worse than the
beginning. We don’t know the words he said to his son but from the son’s response we
see the first attempt fails for he is still angry, still jealous. Now the older son paints a
picture of what’s in his heart and says in Lu.15.29-30, “Look! All these years I’ve 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.
But when this son of yours who has
squandered your property with prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened calf for
him!” There’s something about anger that reveals what’s really in your heart. The older
son first words to his father are angry words. “Look”, that is “Wait a minute you spoke
now let me speak.” “All these years I’ve been slaving for you and never disobeyed your
orders.” He like many in the church sees worship as a chore, a slaving to get an
inheritance one day, a security card against hell. The older son did not have any more
communion with his father than the prodigal for one was rebellious and the other distant.
Now his own heart is revealed to him, “I’ve been slaving”.
instruction that you gave me.
It was not fatherly
It was not comforting words of encouragement or the
loving communion between father and son but slaving orders. He sees his father as
unappreciative and forcing him to work for his inheritance and the other son can get his
for nothing. What a picture of law and grace. The older son is law and law is work. The
prodigal is grace and grace is favor. Both law and grace live in the same house, have the
same father and get the same reward. But grace’s inheritance is freely given and seems
very unfair to law. Listen to law, “Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could
celebrate with my friends.” Of course not for someone had to work the farm. The older
son tried to be perfect but perfect was not in his heart as is shown in his response to his
father by his jealousy. “Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate
with my friends.” He really didn’t want the young goat or the celebration but wanted it
denied to his brother. It was not about the celebration at all because listen to the rest of
his complaint, “But when this son of yours who has squandered your property with
prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him!” That’s it. It’s about the
father giving the younger son something, anything that he did not give to him. One
would think that the older son enjoyed the fights between the prodigal and his father. It’s
not even about the squandering of property, but his father’s love. He is so angry with his
father that he tries to hurt him by saying “this son of yours” and not my brother. As the
prodigal disowned his father so the older son disowns his brother. There are too many
parallels to mention so understand this one. God loves the thief on the cross who never
had an opportunity to watch Jesus do miracles or walk on water. He loves the sinner who
is to humble even to look up to heaven and asks forgiveness, the drug addict who looks in
the mirror and is convicted of sin, the prostitute who wants a new start and everyone who
calls on the name of the Lord. Jn.3.16, “For God so loves you that He gave His only
Son to die on the cross so that you would believe in Him and have everlasting life.”
This is the prodigal son, this is grace.
One New Man
As we conclude the parable of the prodigal son we must pause to remember why Jesus
gave it and to whom. We read in Lu.15.1-2, “Now the tax collectors and sinners were
all gathering around to hear Jesus. But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law
muttered, “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.”
The audience then
includes the tax collectors, sinners, disciples and the Pharisees. Tax collectors were
considered the worst of Jewish society. They were so hated that here they are mentioned
separately from regular sinners like adulterers, prostitutes and criminals. They were men
employed by the Roman government to collect taxes from their Jewish brothers. Because
they were for the most part dishonest and worked for the very people that enslaved the
Jews these “publicans” as they were called were considered traitors. Jesus uses this
disdain for tax collectors and says that if a brother does not accept the discipline of the
church he should be excommunicated and treated as a tax collector, that is, have nothing
to do with him. But now we find that Jesus not only eats with sinners and tax collectors
but chose a tax collector, Matthew, to be one of his disciples. And when he had dinner at
Matthew’s home many sinners and tax collectors came to listen. The Pharisees saw it
and murmured that eating with such a shameful group was not right. But can you
imagine the impression this dinner had on Matthew and the others at the table. Here is
Jesus, a popular teacher of the law, not only elevating one of them to discipleship but
breaking bread and drinking from the same cup. There is a story of Jesus encountering a
man who had leprosy, a dreaded skin disease that forced him away from the center of
society and untouched by anyone lest they become unclean with him. So we read in
Mt.8.2, “He came and knelt before Jesus and said, “Lord, if you are willing, you can
make me clean.” To feel that you are so dirty or diseased that no one wants to touch you
has to be troubling. Here this man kneels at the feet of the great physician and asks for
healing. And what does the Lord do in Mt.8.3, “he reaches out his hand and touched
the man. “I am willing,” he said. “Be clean!” Immediately he was cleansed of his
leprosy.” This was the one thing the leper did not expect, a touch from the Lord. As he
sees the hand stretch towards him he must think, “Wait a minute Lord. I have leprosy.
I’m too dirty and diseased to touch. Doesn’t he know that no one touches me?” The
leper longed for that which he knew he couldn’t have. But touch him the Lord does and
he is healed. The feeling that comes with being accepted and included in society brings a
certain amount of worth and self-respect to one. This is the feeling of Matthew now. No
one would associate or wanted to eat with a tax collector. Who wants to be a companion
to one who was a prostitute or reach out and touch a leper? It’s embarrassing to feel dirty
because of your skin or inferior because you’re not like others.
The religious
establishments, those who consider themselves too good to touch the leper, be seen with
the tax collector or dine with the prostitute, can never reach them for God and will find
fault with anyone who tries. Someone has to reach out to the lost homosexual crying out
for redemption, to the drug addicts and prostitutes who are ready to hear the gospel and
the Muslim who’s yearning for the truth. This is a weakness of American Christianity,
that we’ve forgotten much of our compassion. We must always remember Jesus had
compassion. Listen to him in Mt.11.28-29, “Come to me, all you who are weary and
burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am
gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” This parable to the
Pharisees and his disciples is the answer to the accusation that “This man welcomes
sinners and eats with them.” Jesus not only wants the tax collectors and sinners but says
in Jn.6.37-40, “All those the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to
me I will never drive away. …I shall lose none of all those he has given me …my
Father’s will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have
eternal life.” The prodigal son wasted his father’s wealth but he’s back now and he is
heavy of heart and needs rest. Yes he dirtied himself with prostitutes but now he needs a
touch from his father. He came to his senses and comes home to his father and he who
comes to the Father the father will never drive away. The father tells his older son who
doesn’t understand this truth of God’s love in Lu.15.31, “My son,’ the father said, ‘you
are always with me, and everything I have is yours.”
To the Pharisees who are
listening, to the religious establishment of today and to the self-righteous everywhere he
says, “Do not be jealous that the sinners come home. Rejoice! Isn’t that what you want,
to turn sinners hearts to God? These new creations who now trust God and fill the
temple and church with praise should not threaten you. Join them in worship, rejoice
with them in redemption and shout with them in praise. They have slept with destruction,
been tortured in mind and body and skirted with death. But now they have life from God
just as you have. Don’t judge them by their past acts but by their present and future
ones.
Hold them accountable? Yes. But only in their new life in Christ for they born
again just like you. The old man is dead. The tax collector is dead, the prostitute and
drug addict is dead, the homosexual is dead and the leper has been healed. You can
touch him now.” Remember 2Cor.5.17, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new
creation; the old has gone, the new has come.” Now the father ends the parable of the
prodigal son with Lu.15.32, “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.” Notice the “we had to
celebrate and be glad.” Why must we celebrate? There’s an interesting study published
in the Scientific American Journal that found cows all over the world only eat facing
north or south. They simply will not eat facing east or west. Scientists can only
speculate as to the reasoning. Cows certainly do not use videoconferencing to make a
joint decision. It’s just what cows do. And then there’s the pigeon that flies thousands of
miles to find the same spot over and over without any landmarks or maps.
New
construction and changed landscape does not affect its flight at all. It just knows. For
both of these it’s just in their nature. But on an infinitely greater scale God has a nature
also. He is said to be holy in 1Peter 1.16, “I am holy.” He is love in 1Jn.4.16, “God is
love” and he is forgiving in 1Jn.1.9, “He is faithful and just to forgive all our sins.”
And he rejoices when sinners repent in Lu.15.10, “there is rejoicing in the presence of
the angels of God over one sinner who repents.” Just as the cow eats towards the polar
caps or birds find their nests again, so much more that God will rejoice over one he died
on the cross to save. The prodigal’s father had no choice but to rejoice. There was
nothing that could contain his happiness in seeing a dead son live. Just as one could not
contain his tears over losing a loved one so he cannot contain his rejoicing over a thought
dead son alive. There is no power that could stop him leaping for joy because the grave
did not swallow the prodigal. His excitement cannot be contained because the prodigal
wasteful son is no more but he now has a new, a born again and good son. He had to
rejoice, how could he not? Now consider the prodigal was that great city marked for
destruction in which the Lord said in Jonah 1.2, “Go to the great city of Nineveh and
preach against it, because its wickedness has come up before me.” The older son was
Jonah who felt that Nineveh was unworthy to be saved. But just as that great city came
to its senses in Jonah 3.5, “The Ninevites believed God. A fast was proclaimed, and all
of them, from the greatest to the least, put on sackcloth”, so the prodigal came to his
senses. Jonah, the Pharisee and the older son of the parable, who stayed home while the
prodigal acted like Nineveh, was displeased that the Lord would care about someone so
wicked. But the prodigal came to his senses, the sinner repented and Nineveh mourned
because of its sins and said in Jonah 3.8, “Let everyone call urgently on God. Let them
give up their evil ways and their violence.” God saw their efforts and like the good
Father in the parable had compassion on Nineveh and saved it. And Jonah like the older
brother could not understand the Father’s compassion so he was angry in Jonah 4.1-3,
“But to Jonah this seemed very wrong, and he became angry.
He prayed to the
LORD, “Isn’t this what I said, LORD, when I was still at home …I knew that you are a
gracious and compassionate God … abounding in love … it is better for me to die than
to live.” This is how many feel about sinners repenting. They would rather see them
punished than redeemed. But as we end our parable we must consider one last statement
the father said in Lu.15.31, “My son,’ the father said, ‘you are always with me, and
everything I have is yours.” This is perhaps one of the most overlooked nuggets in the
parable. How can the older son and the prodigal both have an inheritance? How can they
ever live in the same house, both law and grace? How can Jonah and Nineveh reconcile?
This is the mystery answered in Christ. Paul said in Eph.2.11-14, “You who are Gentiles
…were separate from Christ, excluded from …Israel …without hope and without God
in the world. But now (you are) …brought near by the blood of Christ. For he himself
is our peace, who has made the two groups one.”
Like the prodigal, you and I found
hope in the cross of Christ and the forgiveness of our sins when we came to our senses
and accept Jesus as our Lord. We were all prodigals. Now, because of the cross both the
prodigal has the same hope as the older son who has always been there, an inheritance.
Eph.2.15-19, “His (Christ) purpose was to create in himself one new man out of the
two, thus making peace, and in one body to reconcile both of them to God through the
cross, by which he put to death their hostility …you are no longer …strangers but
…members of his household.” Now both the older son and the prodigal enjoy the
father’s house together. While Jesus doesn’t tell us how the story ends we can see it
through the father’s efforts in making peace. It is how the story really ends. Christ
brings peace through the cross making all of us one. Now they are brothers again
because the father loves them both. This is the peace that God offers you if you would
turn to him in faith. Remember Jn.3.16, “For God so loved the world that he gave his
one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”
This is the verdict: God is ready to forgive you all your sins. He loves you that much.
Just ask the Prodigal Son.