Luke 15:20-32

Luke 15:20-32

 20 “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. 21 “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.’ 22 “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; 23 and bring the fattened calf, kill it, and let us eat and celebrate; 24 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. 25 “Now his older son was in the field, and when he came and approached the house, he heard music and dancing. 26 “And he summoned one of the servants and began inquiring what these things could be. 27 “And he said to him, ‘Your brother has come, and your father has killed the fattened calf because he has received him back safe and sound.’ 28 “But he became angry and was not willing to go in; and his father came out and began pleading with him. 29 “But he answered and said to his father, ‘Look! For so many years I have been serving you and I have never neglected a command of yours; and yet you have never given me a young goat, so that I might celebrate with my friends; 30 but when this son of yours came, who has devoured your wealth with prostitutes, you killed the fattened calf for him.’ 31 “And he said to him, ‘Son, you have always been with me, and all that is mine is yours. 32 ‘But we had to celebrate and rejoice, for this brother of yours was dead and has begun to live, and was lost and has been found.’”

The father in this parable represents God.  Jesus is striving to describe what God is like to the complaining scribes and Pharisees that we see in the opening verses of the chapter.  These religious leaders think they know God, but Jesus makes it clear that He is very different than they imagine.  We have already seen that God does not care about our comfort, but He cares about our character.  In this section we see that that God does not care about the sins of our past, but He cares about repentance in the present.  Too often, we become bogged down in our pasts.  There is value to understanding and remembering the past.  We can be grateful for victories or learn from the failures of the past.  However, we can also become proud from our victories or discouraged by our failures.  As important as it might be to be understand our past correctly; it is even more important that we have a clear understanding of God.  We see as least three important truths about God in this passage.

GOD SEEKS AND SAVES SINNERS: Jesus will clearly state that the reason He came to earth was to seek and to save the lost in chapter nineteen of Luke.  He illustrates what that looks like in these parables.  When the sheep was lost, the shepherd went looking for it.  When the coin got lost, the woman cleaned the house.  When the younger son returns, we find the father watching and waiting expectantly.  When the older son refuses to come to the party, the father goes out to convince him to join in the celebration.  The point is that God takes the initiative in saving sinners.  Paul says in Romans that there is no one who seeks God.  It is always God who seeks us.  When the father sees his younger son in the distance; he has compassion on him, runs to him and embraces him.  God is gracious and merciful.  His heart is full of compassion.  Most people have an idea about God that He is angry and mean.  He created us to be able to enjoy a wonderful and joyous relationship with Him.  When we sin, we turn our backs on that relationship.  However, He continues to seek us out and makes complete provision for us to be able to return to Him.  The image of the father waiting should not be misunderstood as God just idly standing by waiting for us to come to Him.  Rather, God has sent Jesus to pay for our sin on the cross.  He accepted Christ’s death as payment in full for our sin and resurrected Him from the dead.  He sent His Spirit to reveal His Word and draw us to Himself.  He invites us to come to Him in faith.  He has done all that is necessary for us to be saved from sin.  However, He does not obligate us to come to Him.  He lovingly and insistently urges us to return and waits for us to respond to His call by trusting Jesus.

GOD RECEIVES AND RESTORES THE REPENTANT: The Gospel is all about reconciliation.  Man has been separated from God by his sin.  There is no amount of good works that can pay the price for sin.  Jesus paid the price for sin through His death and resurrection.  Man can be reconciled to God through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.  God rejoices greatly over every sinner who is reconciled to Himself.  These truths about the Gospel are not clearly communicated in this parable, but the doctrines of repentance and reconciliation are clearly illustrated.  When the younger son finally comes to his senses, he recognizes that he is in a desperate situation and he remembers the way that his father treated the servants in his home.  He does not feel worthy of being restored as a son but hope his father will be moved by his plight and allow him to become one of the servants.  We can clearly see that he has been broken and that he is willing to trust exclusively in the father for the future.  We don’t see him trying to make “deal” with the father and try to bargain his way back.  Too often when people come before God, they concessions in certain areas of their lives in hopes of earning some sort of favor from the Lord.  God’s favor can never be earned, and true repentance is never partial in its scope.  The younger son does not say he will come back if the father will make certain provisions; he simply comes back and signs a blank contract for the father to fill out in any way he sees fit.  When the Lord sees this kind of repentance in our hearts it demonstrates our complete faith in Him, and He "rejoicingly" restores the repentant. 

GOD COMMEMORATES AND COMMUNICATES COMMUNION: We were created to live in communion with God.  God is grieved over the breaking of that communion through sin.  However, when a sinner repents and trusts in the Lord Jesus for salvation it is a time of great commemoration and celebration.  The younger son hopes to be sent to the slave’s quarters, but the father sends him to the house with new clothes, a ring on his hand and new sandals on his feet.  The father declares a feast in order to celebrate the son’s return.  This repeats the theme that there is great joy in heaven when a sinner repents.  When man returns to communion with God, there is great commemoration.  The father clearly communicates his forgiveness and demonstrates the younger son’s complete restoration.  We also see the father’s desire for communion in his treatment of the older son.  We will be looking at the older son in the next post, but we see the father going out to call his older son back into communion with his brother and himself.  When the older brother breaks off fellowship, the father lovingly communicates his love and invites him to come back into communion with himself and his younger brother.  It is the desire of God’s heart to be in communion with man.  When man returns to Him, God celebrates with all of heaven in commemoration of communion restored. 

APPLICATION: Be grateful for the fact that God seeks to save sinners.  We are called to be imitators of Christ which means He has called us to seek out sinners that He might save.  Don’t try to bargain with God about sin.  Turn from sin to trust Christ alone for salvation and rejoice in His gracious forgiveness.  Walk in fellowship with God enjoying the communion He created us to experience with Him.