The Prodigal Son

The Prodigal Son is an age old, and yet current, tale!

Luke 15:11-32

“A certain man had two sons. And the younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the portion of goods that falls to me.’ So he divided to them his livelihood. And not many days after, the younger son gathered all together, journeyed to a far country, and there wasted his possessions with prodigal living. But when he had spent all, there arose a severe famine in that land, and he began to be in want. Then he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country, and he sent him into his fields to feed swine. And he would gladly have filled his stomach with the pods that the swine ate, and no one gave him anything.

“But when he came to himself, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger! I will arise and go to my father, and will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you, and I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Make me like one of your hired servants.”‘

“And he arose and came to his father. But when he was still a great way off, his father saw him and had compassion, and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him. And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight, and am no longer worthy to be called your son.’

“But the father said to his servants, ‘Bring out the best robe and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet. And bring the fatted calf here and kill it, and let us eat and be merry; for this my son was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ And they began to be merry.

“Now his older son was in the field. And as he came and drew near to the house, he heard music and dancing. So he called one of the servants and asked what these things meant. And he said to him, ‘Your brother has come, and because he has received him safe and sound, your father has killed the fatted calf.’

“But he was angry and would not go in. Therefore his father came out and pleaded with him. So he answered and said to his father, ‘Lo, these many years I have been serving you; I never transgressed your commandment at any time; and yet you never gave me a young goat, that I might make merry with my friends. But as soon as this son of yours came, who has devoured your livelihood with harlots, you killed the fatted calf for him.’

“And he said to him, ‘Son, you are always with me, and all that I have is yours. It was right that we should make merry and be glad, for your brother was dead and is alive again, and was lost and is found.'”

The idea of what life is all about that were held by the two sons in the parable are set in direct contrast to the “life” that their father had for them. Noteworthy as well is the obvious similarity of the attitudes and actions of the two boys and the people in our own day and age.

Take a look at the younger son who asked that he be given his portion of the inheritance before his father’s death. This clearly reveals an impatient desire to live his life without the input or correction of his father. His lack of respect and honor for the authority in his life (God) is plainly seen by any observer, yet was unnoticed by the younger son himself. Selfishness and a complete lack of regard for his father’s (God’s) love and teaching are indicated by his making a request that must have hurt his father deeply. Even a casual observer of today’s society can clearly see that in many individuals just such an attitude exists in their approach to living their life. Does it exist in yours?

In addition to being consumed with selfishness, the younger son quickly shows what he believes to be the purpose of life. He takes that which he has received from his father (God) and wastes it in pursuing pleasures and possessions that are quickly gone after their initial excitement. An ongoing trend in our own society shows that a majority of people are trying to maintain an ever-increasing standard of middle-class living on ever-increasing levels of debt and credit. Simply put, we are attempting to live beyond our means. What else does that indicate except the same desire for pleasure and things that ruined the life of that younger son? He found himself, after all funds had run out (no credit cards in those days), in poverty and starvation. To his credit though, Jesus says that he “came to his senses” and realized that this was not what life was all about; and remembered the “real life” that was to be found with his father.

This younger son then does something courageous and commendable. He left behind his old way of living that had brought him to ruin, and showed repentance (a change in heart and way of thinking) by going home to the father that loved him. His purpose was not to try and excuse his way back into his father’s (God’s) good graces. Instead, he determined to really, truly serve his father as he should have from the start, just like one of the hired hands. I can guarantee you that with an attitude like that (faith) he would never go back to the pig sty again. In order for us to come to the Father, we must be willing to leave behind every sin and live as a faithful and obedient servant. Anything less will leave us in the pig sty of sin with the stench of the world clinging to us everywhere we go.

It is obvious that Jesus is speaking about us in the characters of the two sons, and revealing God in the character of the father. There is no doubt that God loves us, just as a father loves his sons. God has even patiently borne with our selfish attitudes as we take the life He’s given us and waste it on loving the things of this world more than Him. But two points need to be made. First, if that younger son had died in the pig pen then he would have perished outside of his father’s mercy and been separated from him forever. Such is the declared end of all who will not come to God. There awaits the selfish and rebellious an everlasting separation from the Father that loves them, in an eternal and tormenting hell. Second, the father loved him enough to let him make his own decisions. When he left it was of his own accord. When he returned it was in response to his change of heart. God gives us that same freedom of choice, but choice it must be!

“Choose you this day whom you will serve…” (Joshua 24:15) There can be no fence straddling. Jesus said that you cannot serve both God and the things of this world. In honest assessment of your own life, what is it that is clearly indicated by your actions and attitude? Are you living in obedient submission to God, or does your lifestyle show a love for the stuff of this world? It is very easy for those around us to see, but hard for us to admit. Come to your senses, swallow your self-destructive pride, and take that step of repentance which leads back to the Father that loves you. Real life is found only in God through obedient faith in Jesus, Who is the only way to the Father. Think seriously about your eternal destiny!