The Prodigal Son... my favorite story

The Prodigal Son

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.

Just like our Heavenly Father, this father turned him over to his heart's desire. Sometimes the Lord tell us "no" and then sometimes he gives us what we ask, knowing we might learn from it. But He won't fight it. Romans 1:28: "Furthermore, since they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, he gave them over to a depraved mind, to do what ought not to be done."

"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 we get off track with our relationship with the Lord, there is a hunger that no one else can fill... we'll even settle for scraps. We'll settle for anything to fill the hunger. And sometimes, temporarily, we are decieved to think it was substantial. We'll settle for unhealthy relationships, anything that makes us feel better. When we're so hungry, we'll settle for any lie that sounds good.

"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.

When we come back to God (every day) we should be coming with such a humble heart that we know we're not worthy of His best… however, even still, this father resembles the unconditional love of our Heavenly 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.

Jesus doesn't just sit around and wait for us to come back. Just like Jesus does, this father ran to meet the son where he was. They were both looking for each other. He RAN, not walked. First of all, in the Jewish culture, it was not commonly acceptable for an old man to be running like that. But Jesus doesn't always follow what's "commonly acceptable" to culture or society. When He's filled with compassion and sees us running towards Him, all He wants to do is run and meet us. And neither was this father just sitting there twisting his beard with an angry look on his face as his worthless son approached him. He abandoned himself to run to his beloved. I am reminded of earlier this week when I lost my son at the movie theaters. For a while, as the staff searched for him, I stayed in the spot where I was, waiting, incase Ryan would come back. Finally I couldn't take it anymore and had to go search for him too. When we saw each other in the huge parking lot, we both ran to each other. I didn't care why he ran off anymore, and I didn't even ask. I was just so glad he was found.

"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.

Jesus doesn't meet us with condemnation and say such things as "Oh you finally decided to come back, huh? Well you used up your blessing already, so don't be expecting much else from me." Or "Wasn't such a good idea, taking control over your own life, was it? See, I knew you'd come crawling back." Or "Look at the mess you've made of yourself. Should have listened to me!" … all our heavenly Father sees when we come running back is that we are found. We were dead, but now in Him ALIVE. That's all He wants to celebrate. This father didn't say anything like that. When God sees us, He immediately sees that *because of Jesus Christ* we are His royalty, and his heir- and the co-heirs of Christ (Romans 8:16-17), and it doesn't matter where we were before. And we don't even deserve it. We should be like the son, begging every morning to be considered worthy of God's slop (does God even have slop to give?). But God says "no, you're a child of Mine" and that's all He sees (thanks to Jesus who paid the highest cost to cover the REAL US)

"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!'

It is so easy for us to get jealous when we see someone else get a blessing that we don't feel deserved it. We might feel like we are doing everything right. "Why doesn't anything good like that happen to me?" The Lord says "Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth" Matthew 5:5. "meek" meaning to show patience, humility, and submission. When we humbly submit our lives over to the will of God, He's going to bless that. This brother only cared that he tried to do "the right thing" and isn't seeing a reward. It's nice to do the right thing, but that isn't what brings us near to God, and it isn't what softens God's heart to have mercy on us. Only letting go of ourselves, and humbly submitting our will to His.

" '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.' "

And still this same father, like our Heavenly Father still came down with love on his older son. He didn't say "mind your own business" or "just be thankful for what you have" or "don't be such a party pooper". He still acknowledged that this son was also precious, and is still an "heir" to all he has, just the same. He (probably all smiles and jumping around) was just like, "hey man, come on! Your brother is here again! He's alive again! Let's party!" He totally ignored the bad attitude and just brought forth encouragement. And just the same as our Heavenly Father, God- when He looks on us, He sees only His love for us, not the "real" us. That should just make us all the more want to abandon the "real" us so it will become the "former" us… and by always keeping in our hearts a hunger for God, we can STAY the "new" us.

"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come." 2 Corinthians 5:17