Luke 15:11-24

And He said, “A man had two sons. The younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the share of the estate that falls to me.’ So he divided his wealth between them. And not many days later, the younger son gathered everything together and went on a journey into a distant country, and there he squandered his estate with loose living. Now when he had spent everything, a severe famine occurred in that country, and he began to be impoverished. So he went and hired himself out to one of the citizens of that country, and he sent him into his fields to feed swine. And he would have gladly filled his stomach with the pods that the swine were eating, and no one was giving anything to him. But when he came to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired men have more than enough bread, but I am dying here with hunger! ‘I will get up and go to my father, and will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in your sight; I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me as one of your hired men.”’ So he got up and came to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion for him, and ran and embraced him and kissed him. And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight; I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ But the father said to his slaves, ‘Quickly 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 fattened calf, kill it, and let us eat and celebrate; for this son of mine was dead and has come to life again; he was lost and has been found.’ And they began to celebrate.^[1]

The story of the prodigal, or the lost, son is a well known and some might say, well worn Bible story. It is the story of a young man who, as the old folk would say, smelling himself decides to demand his inheritance, leave the comfort and safety of his father’s house, and go and enjoy the pleasures of the world. In the process he quickly squanders all of his inheritance and is left with nothing; no money, no friends, no prospects, and no provision. He is so impoverished that he is willing to do the very thing that is most despicable to Jews: slop pigs. At the end of the rope he comes to his senses and humbly returns home content to be treated as nothing but a servant. But it is also a story of a compassionate father who waits for his son and seeing him coming home from a long distance off runs to him, embraces him, and restores him.

This is more than just a feel good story about a father and his son. It is the story of our Heavenly Father and His love for we His children who smelling ourselves wandered away from him to enjoy the pleasures of sin that only last for a season. By sending His Son to die in our place He opened His arms to receive us and restores us even though we had done nothing to deserve His love. His joy over our return is so great that the whole host of heaven rejoices over just one. This really is good news worth sharing, for no matter how far we have strayed we can still come home and find that He is still waiting to receive us.

Dear Lord, Your love for us is so amazing, especially when we consider the depths of our sin against You. Some of us, like Jeremiah says, have sinned so brazenly that we do not even blush. Help us to over come our pride and ego that will not allow us to come to our senses and return to You. Help us to block out the lies of our enemy and hear again the good news of Your unconditional love and return home. This we ask in the name of Jesus our Lord. Amen.

^[1] New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update (LaHabra, CA: The Lockman Foundation, 1995), Lk 15:11–24.