Parable The Prodigal Son

20/07/2009 by John Marsden.

Luke 15:11-32

Jesus continued: “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.

“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. After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he began to be in need. So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs. 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 men 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 men.’ 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.“The son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ “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. Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate. For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ So they began to celebrate. “Meanwhile, the older son was in the field. When he came near the house, 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.’ “The older brother became angry and refused to go in. So his father went out and pleaded with him. But he answered his father, ‘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!’ “ ‘My son,’ the father said, ‘you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. 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.’ ”

• Here are some obvious observations from this story: the younger son wanted to do his own thing and follow his own path, but he didn’t like where it led him; the father is loving and merciful; it is good to be with the father.

THE YOUNGER SON 

He Strays Away

Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country…

·         We can read this parable as an illustration of God’s love for those who do not know Him and His excitement when they come into His kingdom. These are people who have never surrendered their lives to God, but who have spent their lives doing their own thing.

·         We can also read this story and view the younger son as representing children of God—sons and daughters of the Father—who have strayed away from God’s will for their lives, and how delighted God is when they turn their hearts back to Him.

He Becomes Worldly

 …and there squandered his wealth in wild living.

·         Whether an outsider to God’s kingdom or a backslidden believer, the younger son has made friendship with the world, which the Bible calls enmity with God.·         Not only did the son spend all his earthly wealth unwisely, he spent it all on his own pleasures.·         He does not walk in his father’s ways; instead he has shamed his father’s name by valuing worldly things more than honoring his father and being wise. 

He is Humbled

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

·         After the son had spent all of his wealth unwisely, he had nothing left. Earthly treasures run out, and if we have placed our trust in them, we will be left with nothing, just as the younger son was.·         He realized that he had acted wrongly, felt genuinely sorry for it, and went back to his father—a humbled man—to beg for forgiveness, knowing that he did not deserve it.·         Christians who have strayed from God’s will can repent and run back to God, even if they have wasted their time and lives on worldly living. If we are genuinely sorry for living for ourselves and not for God, and if we desire to start living for Him again, we can go back to Him and seek forgiveness.

THE OLDER SON 

He Remains Faithful

But he answered his father, “Look! All these years I’ve been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders.”

• The older son represents people who have been following God faithfully, never straying from God’s will or living for themselves.
• Just as the father loved the older son in this story and saw his faithfulness, our God loves those of us who serve Him faithfully and sees all that we do.

He is Judgmental      

The older brother became angry and refused to go in.

·         In another parable, Jesus spoke of a shepherd who left 99 of his sheep to go find just one who had strayed away. He said that God is the same, and He is more excited over one person who repents and turns back to God than He is over the 99 who were faithful.

·         Just as the father in this story was so delighted over the younger son’s repentant heart, God is so excited when a person gives his life to Him for the first time or when one of His children leave a life of rebellion to start following Him again.

·         This is God’s heart, and those who have been faithful to serve God without wavering must learn to rejoice with God over those who come to Him, rather than to judge them or become angry at God’s generosity.

A LOVING FATHER

He is Not Controlling

So he divided his property between them.

• When the younger son requested his inheritance money from his father, the father gave him what was rightly his. The father also did not restrain the younger son from running off to do bad things with the money he had saved up for him.
• Do you think the father was grieved and sad for his son’s foolishness? Most likely he was, but he knew he could not control his son’s heart.
• In the same way, God our Father has given us free will, so that we can choose to love Him freely and not under compulsion.

He is Compassionate

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.

·         The father ran to his son when he saw him coming back for him; he loved his son and was happy that he had return to him.

·         Notice that he was filled with compassion for his son, not anger or hatred or a judgmental attitude. He knew what his son had been doing, and he had compassion because he knew what sort of destruction his son’s foolish living had probably caused.

He is Forgiving

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.”

·         Not only did the father feel compassion for his son, he also fully forgave his son. He did more than just make his son like one of his servants, more than just allow him to stay at home out of fatherly duty, and more than simply restore him to his original place as his son.

·         He went beyond that and celebrated his son’s return by throwing a party and covering up all his shame with a robe, ring, and sandals.

·         Forgiving means to clean the slate, basically. The father loved his younger son as if the son had never hurt him or strayed from him.

He Delights in His Children

“My son,” the father said, “you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.”

·         The father did not love one of his sons more than the other—not the older one for staying faithful, nor the younger one for returning home. He loved them both and delighted in them both.

·         He tells the older son, “you are always with me, and everything I have is yours.” He never stopped loving the oldest. And the younger son he celebrated because he had been found.

·         Our Father delights in all of His children, and we cannot say that He loves one person more simply because that he has more stuff or more recognition.

How wonderful is the compassion and forgiveness of our heavenly Father. Have a great day walking in the Fathers love.

 John

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