My favorite parable. Jesus continued to illustrate the point that God rejoices when lost sinners repent and find forgiveness. A man had two sons, the younger of whom wanted his share of his father’s estate (inheritance). This would have been one-third of the total estate, with the older son receiving two-thirds, a double portion of the other as prescribed by the law (Deuteronomy 21:17).In most cases, the son would have received this at his father’s death, although fathers sometimes chose to divide up their inheritance early and retire from managing their estates. What is unusual is that the younger son initiated the division of the estate. This showed arrogant disregard for his father’s authority as head of the family.
Within just a few days, the younger son was on his way—indicating that this had been his plan when he had asked for his inheritance in the first place. He packed all his belongings and traveled to a distant land. The young man apparently had wanted to live his own way, be his own master, get out from under the rules of his home and his father. Money was his ticket out, so he took it and ran. In this distant land, he wasted all his money on wild living. But then his money ran out. To make matters worse, a great famine swept over the land and the boy did not even have money for food.
The young man became so desperate that he began to work feeding pigs. According to Moses’ law, pigs were unclean animals (Leviticus 11:2-8; Deuteronomy 14:8). To protect themselves from defilement, Jews would not even touch pigs. For a Jew to stoop to feeding pigs would have been a great humiliation. The pods were the seeds of the carob tree, which grows around the Mediterranean Sea. That no one gave him anything shows that he was neglected and insignificant; he had truly sunk to the depths.
Sitting among pigs that were better fed than he was, he reflected on life back home. With no money, no dignity, and, so he thought, no claim to sonship in his father’s household, he decided to go home to his father, confess his sin, and ask to be taken on as a hired man. At least there he would not go hungry. The key lies in the words that he planned to say to his father, “I have sinned against both heaven and you.” He wanted to tell his father he was sorry. He wanted to repent of the selfishness that had led him to leave and spend all the money that his father had set aside for his future. Even if it meant living as a hired man in his own home, he would return there in order to say these things to his father.
So the son returned home to his father, not knowing what to expect—the best he could anticipate was a cold shoulder, a halfhearted welcome, or a chance to be hired as a slave. The father, however, seemed to have cast his eyes on the horizon many times since his son had left, hoping one day to see him returning. Finally, his father saw him coming even while he was far away. The father ran, embraced, and kissed his son. He was filled with love and compassion at the sight of his son who had come home. The son began to give his father the speech he had prepared, but he didn’t even get to the part about asking to be hired, for the father wanted to welcome his son back into his home with a grand celebration.
The father immediately restored this destitute and humbled young man as his son. Then the calf that was being fattened up for the time when a special feast should be prepared was to be killed—the father could think of no more fitting celebration. His son had been as good as dead to him, but now had returned to life. He had been lost, but now was found. As the shepherd celebrated upon finding the lost sheep, and the woman upon finding her lost coin, so this father celebrated at “finding” his “lost” son.
At the report of the news, the older brother was angry and wouldn’t go in to join the celebration. While the resentment of this older brother is easy to understand, his volley of words reveals the same sort of self-righteousness that afflicted the religious leaders of Jesus’ day. The religious leaders, claiming how hard they “slaved” for God, were attempting to keep myriad rules and regulations, many of which God never even demanded. They had the Father’s love, but had chosen to reject it in favor of hard work and self-denial. So when God eagerly welcomed the sinful, common people into the Kingdom, the religious leaders were refusing to join the celebration. But God rejoiced that these sinful people had come “home,” and he invited even these religious leaders to join the party. They had only anger and resentment that their efforts had not earned a party.
The older son needed to get his perspective, be grateful that he had not had to go through such pain, and celebrate this happy day of his brother’s safe return. Desperate sinners, notorious outcasts, difficult people—all have been offered salvation. God’s people must not stand aside and above, but must join in heaven’s celebration when those who were lost have been found.
SO WHAT? (what will I do with what I have read today?)
Pray fervently for the salvation of others. Pray expectantly. And when God moves in their hearts, welcome them with no reservations. I am the prodigal - we are all the prodigal - may it never be that we have any sense of superiority or ever look down on others.
Lord, I am so grateful for Your mercy. I am so grateful you picked me up (and continue to do so) from the dung pile and love me, accept me, embrace me and use me. Lord, help build a church at COV where everyone is loved, accepted and embraced.
"Jesus made a circuit of all the towns and villages. He taught in their meeting places, reported kingdom news, and healed their diseased bodies, healed their bruised and hurt lives. When he looked out over the crowds, his heart broke. So confused and aimless they were, like sheep with no shepherd. "What a huge harvest!" he said to his disciples. "How few workers! On your knees and pray for harvest hands!" Matthew 9:35-38 (MB)
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