Back to the Father
Humility is essential to gain true wisdom. Many times, in order to learn some things – you have to acknowledge what you don't know. That's why many spiritual truths are hidden from those who reject the existence of God. That's why much of what we speak as believers is seen as crazy or controversial by the world.
I remember as a kid hearing the definition of a parable as "an earthly story with a heavenly meaning". When Jesus spoke in parables, His intention was not to confuse, but to separate the 'truth-seekers' from the 'curiosity seekers'. Those who were truly seeking the truth would humbly dig into the parable for the deeper meaning - others would simply dismiss it as just a 'nice story'.
Most of Jesus' parables begin with the phrase, "The Kingdom of heaven is like…" And in these parables, Jesus talks about the character of the Kingdom, the character of the King, and the character of the King's subjects. In Matthew 13 Jesus talks about the 'mysteries of the kingdom' and then in vs. 16-17, He said...
Matthew 13:16-17 (NIV)
But blessed are your eyes because they see, and your ears because they hear. (17) For I tell you the truth, many prophets and righteous men longed to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it.
The parable I want us to look at again today is from Luke chapter 15. It's commonly called "The Parable of the Prodigal Son". This parable is the third in a trilogy of parables demonstrating God's deep concern for the lost. The Pharisees had charged Jesus with an offense by saying of Him, "This man receives sinners and eats with them". Jesus then responded with three parables illustrating the Father's love for the lost.
The first story was the parable of the lost sheep that showed God's care for 1 out of 100. The second story was the parable of the lost coin that showed God's care for 1 out of 10. And the third story is the one I want to look at today. It's the Parable of the lost son and shows God's care for 1 out of 2.
Now the primary character of each of these parables is God. God has an undeniable compassion for the lost, those who feel that they're somehow outside the reach of God's love. Even though this story has been called "The Prodigal Son", it's really teaching us more about…
I. The Loving Father
God wants all people to understand that no matter where we find ourselves, no matter what we've done in the past - we are never too far away from His love. As we read this parable, I want you to try and focus on God's love at the center of this story. And I know many of you have heard this story many times over the years - but as we read, try and picture the waiting Father behind the story of the son.
Luke 15:11-24 (NIV)
Jesus continued: "There was a man who had two sons. (12) The younger one said to his father, 'Father, give me my share of the estate.' So he divided his property between them. (13) Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living. (14) After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he began to be in need.
(15) So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs. (16) He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything. (17) When he came to his senses, he said, 'How many of my father's hired men have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! (18) I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you.
(19) I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired men.' (20) So he got up and went to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him. (21) The son said to him, 'Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.'
(22) But the father said to his servants, 'Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. (23) Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let's have a feast and celebrate. (24) For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.' So they began to celebrate.
Rather than go through every detail of this parable, I want us to concentrate on two main things: The Father's attitude and the Son's response. So first - let's consider…
A. The Father's attitude
To me - it seems rather strange that the father in the parable should give in so quickly to the son's request for 'his share of the inheritance'. Doesn't an inheritance usually come after a parent dies, not while he's still alive...?
It's like when I got the land we're currently building on - it's got 8 undeveloped acres, and our kids noticed that there's 8 people in our family. They decided that everyone should get their own acre... That's not how this works! You can live there with me - but until you're paying the property taxes, that's my land!
However - the father in the story doesn't argue, he doesn't explain the error of the young man's thought process; he doesn't even explain how giving away half of his wealth might affect him. The loving father simply gives away half of his estate. Let's look again at Luke 15:11-12 (NIV)...
There was a man who had two sons. (12) The younger one said to his father, 'Father, give me my share of the estate.' So he divided his property between them.
Pretty generous father, huh? What about our heavenly Father? Have you ever wondered why God doesn't just 'zap' 'bad people' or people who reject Him? He certainly has the power to do so - and the right as the Creator. So why does God just let us have our way when it means that we reject Him?
God doesn't force anyone to love Him. He's given us a choice, to accept Him or reject Him. He wants us to respond to His generosity and grace and love for us by entering into a mutual relationship of love and trust with Him by our own free will. God created us with the ability to be independent, to think for ourselves – but He also understands that our independence from Him can only take us so far. When we choose independence from God – we end up without His blessings.
While God has given us the choice to be independent – He's also given us the privilege, if we choose it – to be dependent on Him. You see, God has put within us the potential for eternity! He has all the resources that we will ever need, now and forever! He wants to give this to us because He loves us so much – but He wants us to choose Him of our own free will.
God gives us a choice – to love Him, or not to love Him. He created us because God desires…
B. A relationship with us
Here's something that we should understand - God doesn't need us. God desires a relationship with us because He loves us. Jesus is illustrating in this story that it literally breaks the Father's heart when we decide to leave His care and provision. – Not because He needs us, but because He knows what's in store for us without Him. He knows that by ourselves - we'll have struggles and hard times, and ultimately we'll be lost for eternity. God doesn't want anyone to be lost.
2 Peter 3:9 (NIV)
The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.
God doesn't send anyone to Hell! He's done everything to make sure people don't have to spend eternity separated from Him! When Jesus spent time with 'sinners', those who 'deserved punishment' - Jesus was criticized by the religious leaders of His day. He responded by saying...
Luke 19:10 (NIV)
For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost.
'What was lost' is 'us'. And we are only saved because of Him - not by anything we've done. And then again in Mark 2:17 (NIV)...
On hearing this, Jesus said to them, "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners."
Biblically speaking - it is accurate to call a 'Christian' a Saint - one who has been redeemed. So by that Biblical definition - I can call myself a Saint. But Biblically speaking I certainly can't call myself 'righteous'. How do you think of yourself? - As righteous, or as a sinner saved by grace? God's whole motivation for sending Jesus to earth was His great love for the lost! Jesus suffered and died for the lost! His resurrection is a call of hope and life for the lost! Now - with that in mind, let's consider…
II. The response of the son
The term 'prodigal' means 'wasteful'. The young man in the story went out and wasted all that his Father had given him. He wasted a lot of time, he wasted a lot of energy, he wasted a lot of money, and he wasted the opportunity, the privilege to be under his father's blessing. He also wasted the potential that he had when he was with his father.
In order for the son to get back to the father, he had to turn around and change the direction of his life. That's called…
A. Repentance
That's not something we want to hear today. We want to be able to go our own way and yet still have all the blessings of being with the Father. But it doesn't work that way. Repentance means 'to turn around' – to stop going one direction, to turn around and then go the opposite direction. Look again at what he says in Luke 15:17-20a (NIV)...
When he came to his senses, he said, 'How many of my father's hired men have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! (18) I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. (19) I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired men.' (20) So he got up and went to his father
He could have wished for home as much as he wanted, but until he actually got up and went back home, his life would never change! He had to intentionally get up, and go home to enjoy the resources of his father. Upon his return, he had to surrender to his father and commit himself to be under his father's care.
Prior to his actions in his situation - he was like someone sitting next to an electrical outlet with a lamp in hand just wishing for light. Until you physically plug that lamp in, there is no light. Many people want God's blessings, but don't want to actually follow the path back to the Father.
The son finally realized what he was missing, turned around and headed home and then had to learn…
B. Submission
And submission seems to be one of the most unpopular things in our culture. It's seen as a sign of weakness. But submission to God is actually a sign of a person who's strong enough to give even his own will over to God.
When we read this parable, as soon as we read the line: "the younger son got together all he had, and set off for a distant country", we know that this young man was heading for trouble. He was following his desires for his life, not his father's desires for his life. You can see it coming from the very beginning of the parable.
- I find it interesting that we can easily see the potential for problems in the lives of others who are heading down that road - but sometimes fail to see it in our own lives. We're heading down the road of our desires and we're convinced that everything's just fine. We haven't ended up eating with the pigs just yet, but we're heading in that direction spiritually, but somehow still think everything will work out fine in the end.
This young man is just like so many of us who somehow think that we would be better off without all the 'restrictions' that the Father puts on us. We don't like having someone else telling us how to live, because we're pretty sure we could do very well on our own.
God has told us in His Word that in order to be a disciple - we must live a disciplined life. We have to learn to sacrifice and arrange our priorities to be like God's priorities. We need to be willing to make commitments to His work, to further His Kingdom. He also tells us that when we practice these disciplines - then we will receive all the blessings He wants to give us.
So What?
Sin is anything that leads us away from the Father. Those who sin are called 'sinners'. They're heading away from the Father, getting farther and farther away with each passing day. They may be aware of God's presence, but they reject Him. Satan has distracted them to the point that they're being buried by the world and they don't even know it. If something doesn't change, death is inevitable and there's no way out.
But that's not you and me. That's all those horrible 'bad people' in the world, right? Luckily - we're here – so we're obviously not a prodigal, right? This story doesn't really apply to us – we're already home with the Father…? Maybe, in a sense… But we were all lost at one time without Jesus...
And let's look at it this way - what's the general direction of your life? Have you allowed God to direct your steps so you're consistently heading toward the Father? Are you always heading home or are you following the world much of the time?
How dependent are you upon God? Do you pray regularly and seek God's guidance, or do you just head out each day on your own..? Do you regularly read His Word to find out how He wants you to live and what He wants you to do? Do you share your faith with others and share God's compassion for the lost? Do you desire worship and fellowship with God's people as a Church regularly, or is that just something you do when there's nothing else to do? Do you really worship and celebrate or do you just go through the motions of being present?
Is it possible that you need to turn around a bit and get back to the Father? Are you willing to recommit yourself fully to being what God wants you to be? Are you ready to submit to God so you can fully receive God's blessings in your life?
And this 'Prodigal son' story still plays itself out again and again today. Many of you might know a 'prodigal', one who's perhaps wandered from the faith - what if you help point them back to the Father? There are choices we need to make - now. We need to determine which path we will follow: the one leading from the Father's house or the one back to the Father? – And are we willing to take others along with us?