The Prodigal Son
Luke 15:11-32
Today we look at a parable that many of us know well or at least we think we know it well.
However as always the Holy Spirit of God desires to lead us into all truth or deeper truth about God’s word.
It is important to remember that all of God’s word is meant to be a reflection of Jesus who is the living word of God for us.
So turn with me again to this very familiar passage and let us see if there is more here for us to discover beyond what we think we already know.
This parable like so many others is offered to a mixed crowd of Jews and Gentiles. People of the promise of God the Chosen People and people who are called out by God.
The great difference here is that Israel is God’s chosen possession, His special jewel. God has selected them, they did not choose God.
The gentiles on the other hand have not been chosen in the same way. Instead they are the called out ones. God the Father is calling out to them to come to Him of their own free will to choose the Father.
Each of these two groups are made to represent God’s sons dwelling in God’s house, the house of the Father.
The younger son represents all of us who are Gentiles. We are younger because we have not walked with the Father as long as our older brother has.
Our older brother has been with the Father and been granted special status that we do not have. The older brother is the son of blessing who often receives a special blessing or portion from the Father simply because he is the first born.
The older brother is also the first to receive the rules of the household the law and he is expected to be an example to the younger brother in keeping the Father’s laws.
Sometimes this practice of blessing by birth order seems to us like favoritism instead of an act of heritage. It is this kind of envy between the older brother and the younger brother that sets off the younger brother who wants his portion now.
Proverbs 17:17 New International Version
“A brother is born for adversity.”
17 A friend loves at all times,
and a brother is born for a time of adversity.
The dictionary describes adversity as opposed to ones interests.
The younger brother cannot wait for His Father to die in order to get his share instead this insolent young man demands what would be his, here and now. He is contemptuous.
Contempt is a legal word that a Judge might use against you to hold your respect and obedience in a legal proceeding. The Judge might say to you “be quiet or I’ll hold you in contempt of the court”.
The dictionary says "contempt is willful disobedience to or open disrespect of a court, judge, or legislative body."
Receiving an inheritance from a father is a legal matter as well as a matter of heritage.
We see the younger son making demands that he has no right to make but a Father who sees an opportunity to teach a disrespectful son a most valuable lesson.
Jesus is giving us an inside look at the heart of God the Father and at the same time showing the Jews that their special place and status is secure. Jesus did not come to remove them from their place but instead wanted to see them willingly take their place and be an example of love and obedience toward the Father.
Unfortunately they were lording it over others and using their special place for selfish reasons instead of demonstrating humility and compassion.
So now Jesus gives us this parable to speak to both Jew and Gentile.
The Father acquiesces to the young sons request and what would be his inheritance is given to him as requested.
God our Father has given us our “Free will” in a world of choices. The young son squanders his inheritance by making one bad choice after another.
Jesus frames it for us in the worst possible light. The young son wastes his inheritance on wine, women, and song. He makes fast friends who help to spend his inheritance at a record pace and then they are all gone when the money is all gone.
The young son is destitute and goes so far as to become a herdsmen of pigs. The pig was an animal that was most foul to Jewish people. They were not to eat it or even go near a pig but here we see the son feeding the pigs while his own stomach goes empty.
Jesus is teaching us that even the vilest sinner, the seemingly unredeemable are still within the Father’s grasp.
2 Samuel 22:17
17 “He reached down from on high and took hold of me;
he drew me out of deep waters.
Who would you consider to be too far gone to be saved today?
We have any number of groups in our time that might qualify by us as unredeemable.
It is to those groups that God wants to reach out and bring into His house. We must not be so self-righteous.
The young son comes to his senses and realizes that though he has spent his entire inheritance his Father might be willing to take him on as a servant.
God is calling all of us home to His house. Like the Father in the story our Heavenly Father is constantly peering out the window of Heaven to see if some wayward child might return.
This wayward child has even practiced a little speech to convey his shame, regret and humility hoping that will demonstrate his contrition.
1 John 1:9 New International Version (NIV)
9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.
He makes his way home and the Father who has been looking for him day and night sees His son afar off.
Instead of waiting for His child to get closer to the family home the Father runs out to greet him.
It is this act of forgiveness that is held out to all of us by our Father. He needs no rehearsed speech from but instead He only needs to see us take a few steps toward His house.
This wayward prodigal son was never disowned by the Father, never tossed away, never out of mind. Our Heavenly Father desires each of us to be His no matter how we have sinned against Him.
Psalm 85
10 Love and faithfulness meet together;
righteousness and peace kiss each other.
The Father loves all His children with this kind of longing and hope He kisses our dirty pig smelly necks.
The son is embraced even though the stench of sin is still covering him. The Father covers the son in a robe like the robe you and I are covered by – the robe of righteousness – Jesus.
Isaiah 61:10 New International Version (NIV)
10 I delight greatly in the LORD;
my soul rejoices in my God.
For he has clothed me with garments of salvation
and arrayed me in a robe of his righteousness,
as a bridegroom adorns his head like a priest,
and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.
The Father puts a ring on his son’s finger to let everyone know the son is returned to his former status as an heir of his father’s household.
A celebration ensues and the older son is indignant by it all. “Why him and not me” “I have been the good son, the faithful son, the obedient son. ”Why this welcome for one who has tarnished the family name with such vulgar acts?
“I have never even had a small party for me and my friends but my Father has invited the whole village to a feast.”
The Father replies to the older son, “you have been faithful and you will inherit all that you should you are always in my heart but this brother of yours was dead to me and to you so rejoice he is alive and returned from the dead to life in our house, he was lost but now is found.” Rejoice with me.
Friends over the summer you will run into all kinds of people. Those who know the Father and those who are lost. Have compassion on them and mercy toward them for the Father wants them to come to Him to live with you and me in His house.
If there is room enough for sinners such as us. Then there is room enough for those who are far away from the Father. We know Him and the house we share with Him and with all who have been redeemed. There is room enough for all who are His sons and daughters.
John 14:2 New International Version (NIV)
2 My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you?
Amen
