Luke 15

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Luke 15:13-24, “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 servants 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 servants.’ 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.

Take some time to read through all of chapter 15.  In this text, we find the parable of the lost sheep, the parable of the lost coin, and the parable of the lost son (which is highlighted in our focus verses today.)

There are several important things to point out in this teaching.  As the son was a long way off, his father saw him coming and it says he was “filled with love and compassion” so he ran to him, embraced him, and kissed him.  Now, respectable Middle-Eastern men did not run.  Maybe women and kids ran but men did not.  Here is this father lifting his robes, baring his legs, and running to his son.  This would have been unthinkable.  Then, the father embraces his son and kisses him.  This probably wasn’t the reception his son was expecting.  Remember, the son is ready with his speech that he practiced about being a hired hand.  But the son doesn’t even get a chance to finish his speech.  The father stops him and says, “Bring the finest robe and put it on him.  Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet.”  The finest robe would have been the father’s robe and here he is asking for the servants to bring it quickly and put it on the youngest son.  Wearing the father’s robe was a sign of restored standing in the family.  The father didn’t say, “We will work on you repaying the debts or I’ll take you back after you’ve groveled a bit.”  Rather, he covered his poverty and his ragged clothes with all the signs of the honor.

            Next, the father asks that the fattened calf be cooked in celebration.  Keep in mind, meat was reserved for special occasions and the fattened calf would have been for very rare, very special occasions.  And all are invited to celebrate the return of the son.

            Most of us know that the story isn’t quite over, we have the whole issue of the older brother, and that’s an important piece but I’m not going to unpack it today.  For now, let’s reflect on the father and the youngest son.  By now, I’m sure you have figured out that the father is God.  We are the sons.  We aren’t going to get into deep theological analysis of each son, I just want to make a couple points:

·      God loves us with a love that is so incredibly deep and intense.  We can’t, in our human brains, really imagine it.  If you are a parent, you might understand it to a certain extent.  But what is hard for me to understand is that God gave up his own son to die for us (John 3:16). 

·      We have all done things that separate us from God.  We are all sinners (Romans 3:23)  We have all done things that create a barrier in our relationship with God.  We might like to rationalize our sins (think well my sins aren’t that bad), the reality is that sin is sin.  God sees sin the same, and no matter how big or small in our human way of thinking, it prevents us from being in a restored relationship with God. 

·      Many of us have had our gutter moments.  Regardless of how far away from God we are, God is always seeking us, wooing us toward him.  He is like the father in the story, looking out the window – is he close by?  Is he getting closer?  We call this prevenient grace.

·      When we decide to turn back to God, to seek God, God is more than willing to receive us.  When we seek Jesus AND decide to say yes to him, he is ready to welcome us into the Kingdom.

·      When we ask forgiveness from God for our sins, God freely offers it.  It doesn’t matter what we have done, when we say to God, “I believe in you, I believe in Jesus, I want a relationship with you, I’ve been wrong, I need your forgiveness.”  Just like the father in the story, God is like “YES!  Let’s celebrate.  I’ve been waiting for you!  Luke 15:7, “I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.”

I’ll leave you with this:  God is looking out the window, just waiting for you to come home.

Let’s pray…Lord Jesus, Thank you for your amazing love. More of you and less of me.  Amen.