The Parable of the Lost Son
What Happens When We Turn Back To God?
Introduction
The parable of the prodigal son as told by Jesus (Luke 15:11-32) is a vivid picture of a person who rejects God’s love to live a sinful life. Far from his father’s oversight the son indulges in whatever his wayward heart desires until the consequences of his poor decisions leave him destitute. At some point, he realizes he has made the wrong choice. The son decides to return to his father and seek forgiveness. In the parable the father represents God, the prodigal son represents all those dead in their sins, and the older brother represents the self-righteous and religious community.
Give Me My Share
11 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.
Much like Eve in the garden, Satan conjures up seductive imaginations in one’s mind and heart that by design appear to promise far greater satisfaction than life with God our Father. Soon the desires for possessing these imaginations create complete dissatisfaction (possibly contempt) with present surroundings. The supposed “good life” and its deceptive promises are relentlessly calling from a distant land, but the journey requires severing ties and breaking free. The growing dominance of dissatisfaction instigated by the lure of vain imaginations soon erupt—”Give me my share of the estate.”
The son’s arrogant demand for his inheritance from his wealthy father rises to the height of disrespectful rejection of his father’s support and love. The son expresses no sense of appreciation or gratitude toward his father, and why should he? Soon he will be free from his father’s joy killing oppressive control and enjoying true happiness in a distant land where he will live a far better life than he ever experienced with his father.
Squandered His Wealth In Wild Living
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.
Endowed with the father’s wealth the son cast off all former values and moral restraints and determines to deny himself no pleasure whatsoever. Self-indulgence is on the horizon. Finally, he can call the shots and do as he pleases and no one is going to tell him what he can and cannot do. “Wild living,” (KJV “riotous living“) drunkenness, sexual immorality, and prodigal behavior depleted his wealth until be was destitute—busted.
The enticing allurement of life far away from God has always been a popular choice for humans. In Matthew 7:13-14, Jesus speaks of this wide path that is well-traveled by the masses of humanity which in the end leads to a wasted and destroyed life including eternal separation from God. There exist within each of us a basic instinct to feed the passions of our ungodly nature. Without Christ as Lord these dominate forces can and will destroy your life.
Severe Famine
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.
Life’s journey has many unforeseen seasons and events. The son’s profligate lifestyle left him unprepared for economic challenges essential to one’s well being. When the finances failed so did his friends; no one cared to help him so he got a job feeding and caring for pigs. His state of hunger was such that the pigs’ food seemed appetizing. For the Jewish Pharisees that had gathered to hear Jesus tell this parable, the idea of working on a pig farm and desiring the pigs’ food was a horrible state.
When He Came To His Senses
17 “When he came to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have food to spare, and here I am starving to death!
In the depths of despair, hungry, needy and no one caring to share a meal with him, he began to reflect upon the choices and decisions that had brought him to a life of degradation. The vain imaginations that once promised a wonderful life had played him for a fool as they always do in the end. The horrific consequences of bad choices served to shake him free of the delusional lifestyle that had robbed him of all that was good. “When he came to his senses” he remembered how wonderful life truly was with his father, and how even the servants lived better than he.
In John 16:8-11 we learn that it is the specific ministry of the Holy Spirit to convince and convict all mankind that they are sinners in need of God’s forgiveness. The Holy Spirit speaks to our hearts and brings us to our senses. He causes us to see who and what we really are—sinners in desperate need of a Savior. Coming under the Spirit’s conviction leads to the supernatural revelation that Jesus is the answer to all our needs. It is a revelation beyond natural words and flows from the spiritual dimension.
He Reasoned With Himself—I Have Sinned
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 servants.’
The process of spiritual introspective reflection is necessary to the understanding that we are without excuse, completely sinful, and undeserving of God’s love. Our mind and heart must come into complete agreement with the convicting presence of the Holy Spirit.
The weight of his guilt and sin made him feel unworthy. Nevertheless, he remembered his father’s loving-kindness and knew that being among the least in his father’s house (a servant) was to be a truly blessed person—even “the servants have food to spare.”
All his bad decisions and the painful consequences led him to realize his sinful behavior—”I have sinned against heaven and against you.”
Repentance always begins with a genuine reflection that leads to a change in our thinking toward God. It is heartfelt and affects every part of our being. It is much more than just feeling sorry for yourself because of the sad state of affairs you might be facing. It is a revelation of the Spirit that we are sinners and we must turn to God in full and sincere repentance.
So He Got Up and Went to His Father.
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.
Authentic repentance takes action. He gathered up the pieces of his broken life and began the journey back to his father. It is not enough to recognize that we have failed ourselves and God, we must humbly go to our Father and confess our sin.
Jesus paints a picture for us to understand our heavenly Father’s heart and how He feels when we finally come to our senses and repent. “But while he was still a long way off his father saw him” coming down the road and ran to meet his son. Filled with compassion the father runs to his son, wraps his arms around him, and kisses him. The attitude of the father’s heart toward his rebellious son was one of complete forgiveness and acceptance.
I am reminded here of my own experience with repentance and coming home to my heavenly Father. As I exited the church pew and started toward the altar, God met me in the aisle and wrapped his loving arms around me as we walked toward the altar of confession and salvation. It isn’t enough to say I believe in God. We must get up and walk toward God with a humble and contrite heart—”I have sinned.”
He Owned His Sin and Unworthiness
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.’
The son confesses, “father I have sinned against heaven and against you.” The son knew he was totally wrong and without excuse. It wasn’t the economy, his poor family life, a few bad breaks or that he was mistreated by the world that ruined his life. His own sinful rebellious desires yielding to vain imaginations that promised a wonderful fun-filled satisfying life had deceived him. Now face to face with his father he confesses the truth, “I have sinned… I am no longer worthy…”
There is no sense of entitlement in true humility and repentance; only an overwhelming feeling of unworthiness—”I am no longer worthy…” said the son. Like the rebellious son, we too must understand that our sins have disqualified us from God’s blessings and eternal life and we are not deserving of His loving-kindness, mercy, grace, and forgiveness. Nevertheless, He bids us “come to me.” As was the son, our feelings of unworthiness are real and accurate. However, we must not confuse our unworthiness as being worthless. God has placed great value upon our lives by sending his son to pay the price for our sinfulness and redeem us for Himself. We have a Christ imputed value. God loves us and we are His possession making us highly valued children of God.
Passing From Death to Life is Reason to Celebrate
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.
The son was dead (spiritually dead) and living outside of the father’s blessings. He had severed all ties with his father—”give me my share of the estate,” he demanded. The imagery here is that of every sinner who is seduced by sin’s attraction and promise of a great life separate from God’s will. We believe the same lie and argue, “I don’t need God! I will live a life far from His oversight.” Little do we know we are walking into death and destruction. Proverbs 14:12 says, “There is a way that appears to be right, but in the end, it leads to death.” We become lost and consumed in the land of the living dead.
Spiritual death or being spiritually dead is the state of existence where we are physically alive but our spirit is not supernaturally born again as Jesus taught in John 3:3-7. Our sin or rebellious experience may not be as dramatic as the prodigal son’s departure. For many of us, it is one of gradual drifting away from God as we transition to a life where God is more of a memory than a relationship, someone we never really knew. Many who are spiritually dead often flatter themselves by their knowledge of God without ever having been born again. What is of greater importance here is not the process or event that led us away from God but coming to the realization that we are spiritually dead in our sins. Just as the son came to his senses and admitted to himself that he was an unworthy sinner, we too must come to our senses and turn to God in full and complete repentance.
All heaven celebrates when we turn to God and are born again. Jesus tells us in Luke 15:10, “There is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.” This spiritual dead son passed from being dead in his sins to a restored life with his father. It is impossible to overstate the necessity of recognizing that we are sinners that must repent and turn to God our Creator and Father.
The Self-Righteous And The Religious Community
25 “Meanwhile, the older son was in the field. When he came near the house, he heard music and dancing. 26 So he called one of the servants and asked him what was going on. 27 ‘Your brother has come,’ he replied, ‘and your father has killed the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound.’ 28 “The older brother became angry and refused to go in. So his father went out and pleaded with him. 29 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. 30 But when this son of yours who has squandered your property with prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him!’ 31 “‘My son,’ the father said, ‘you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. 32 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 reaction of the other brother was not compassion but “anger.” This part of the parable appears to be aimed at the Pharisees who had gathered to hear Jesus’ teachings. In their minds, they were the good sons of God and the teachers of the law. They considered themselves to be faithful followers of Judaism “never disobeying” the Scriptures. They had not abandoned God’s house to follow the sinful ways of the heathen. However, were they truly the good sons of God?
Jesus often exposed the Pharisee’s hypocrisy and non-existent relationship with the Father—”You are of your father the devil…” he said to them (John 8:44). This is true of many religious folks who claim to be the good sons of God, who have always attended the Father’s house each Sunday but have no understanding of authentic salvation and true spiritual matters. They do not understand what it means to be spiritually dead and made alive in Christ. They have no real interest and compassion for the lost and unsaved. They often resent the lowly lost souls seeking salvation and forgiveness, preferring the religiously dignified and affluent community that feigns love for the Father. They are beside themselves as the angels in heaven and the body of Christ celebrates the penitent sinner who has come to his senses. Herein lies the problem of the self-righteous that trust in religious observances and good deeds rather than the living Savior. Herein we observe a class of religious folks that glibly flatter each other while showing contempt for the sinner seeking salvation. This older son had no use for his younger brother who, in his opinion, lacked any redeeming qualities.
There is a large religious community in our country that is as cold and callous toward the lost as is the devil. They have carved out for themselves a form of godliness that is void of authentic Christianity and know nothing about the true meaning of repentance, forgiveness, and eternal life. However, there remain many born again Christians that gather each Sunday to honor and worship God. They are the real deal and you should connect with them. They know the way home.
How to Turn to God
Perhaps at this very moment, you have realized that you need the Lord in your life. Maybe you drifted away or need to be been born again? If so, you can stop right now and begin talking to God. Ask Him to forgive you for being a sinner and the life you have been living outside of His love. Surrender your life to Him, unconditionally. Call Him Lord and make Him Lord of every thought, attitude, and action. You can say, Lord Jesus, forgive me for all my sins and come into my heart and take full control of my life. I am your child from this day forward. Change my heart and mind to be Christ-like in every way. I confess Jesus is my Lord and Savior forever.
