A former, now deceased, pastor of mine used to tell the story of how a number of years ago he witnessed a few times to a well-known Chicago area baseball announcer. However, that person could not get past the fact that he was a terrible sinner, and believed God could/would never accept him, despite assurances from my late pastor. Perhaps some of you out there have the same feeling, that you have been too long in the pit of sin for God to forgive and save you. If so, then today’s Scripture is for you. It is one of the most famous and favorite of the parables that the Lord Jesus told.
In response to the Pharisees' criticism of Jesus for eating and associating with sinners, the Lord told three parables. The first two were short ones - the parable of the lost sheep, and the parable of the lost coin (Luke 15:1-10). The third one, was much longer, and is the parable told in our Scripture, that of the lost son. The parable begins with a man and his two adult sons. The younger son went to his father and demanded his portion of the inheritance right then. He didn’t want to wait until his father died. He wanted it right then! The father gave him his portion, and then the younger son left to go live in a far country (vs. 11-13). While there the young man lived a wild and sinful lifestyle. The Scriptures say that he wasted all of his money on “prodigal” living, a wanton and sinful lifestyle. It is quite possible he spent all of his time partying, with alcohol, drugs, and orgies. He is representative of all unsaved people.
When his money ran out, a famine also hit, and the rich boy who never worked, was now reduced to pouring slop to pigs (vs. 14-16). This young man was hungry, he did not have a nice, comfortable bed, and when his money was gone, so were his “friends”. He had hit rock bottom. This, though, was where he needed to be, as in this wretched state he was able to come to his senses, and see exactly where his sinful life had led him (vs. 17). He began to think the truth about himself, and the situation he had created. We all need to see and believe the truth about ourselves, that we are sinners in need of a Savior. We need to repent and agree that our wrongdoing is sin, and to decide to turn away from it. The young man wanted to go home. He wanted to return, even if it meant being a servant in his father’s household (vs. 18-19). He didn’t know what kind of reception he would get, but he repented of what he had done, and decided to go back home where he belonged.
Little did he know, though, that his father was earnestly waiting for him to return! (vs. 20). The father had been looking, watching the horizon every day for the sight of his son to return. Then one day the father’s hopes and prayers were realized, his son had come home. He wasted no time, but hitched up his robes and ran to welcome him home. It didn’t matter that his son was filthy and smelly from the life he had been living. It didn’t matter how sinful he had been, once the son had repented and decided to return, the father welcomed him. Our Father in heaven is like the father here. We stray away from Him and are lost, but God loves us, and never gives up searching for us until found. We are never tossed away or forgotten about, even when we lose our way or turn our backs on Him. There is great delight and joy in the Father when one of His children turns around from their sinful ways and heads home. He ran to meet his son!
Not everyone was so delighted to see the prodigal son return home. The older son was angry when he saw the way their father welcomed him back home (vs. 25-30). He is like the Pharisees, the self-righteous religious hypocrites. He was angry that his brother was welcomed, and probably believed he should have been punished for his sins, not received blessings. He was jealous of what his brother received. When we notice God blessing someone’s life, it doesn’t mean He has forgotten us. There was enough to go around for not just the prodigal son, but the older one, as well (vs. 31). God won’t hold back from blessing us, too, if we will just come to Him and ask.
When we reject God’s will in our life, we enter a “far country”. Satan beckons us there with promises of excitement. But the reality of the “far country” never fulfills those empty promises. Sin distorts our thinking, and we lose our sense of what is right and good. When we don’t follow God’s will, we make foolish decisions and end up in trouble. The end of that journey will be our own personal pig-pen. When we have been lost and are found again, there is great rejoicing in heaven. It is never too late to repent and be found by God. Our sin will never out-distance the reach of God’s grace. If we turn around and come home to the Father, He will receive, forgive, and restore us with rejoicing. He is calling! He is waiting!