The Parables of the Lord Jesus Christ
8 - The Lost Son
As we continue to discover the parables told by the Lord Jesus Christ we come this time to the Gospel according to Luke chapter 15 and verses 1 to 31. Here we find the story Jesus told about a son who was lost. It is usually called the parable of the prodigal son. To be prodigal means to be wasteful; a spendthrift; someone who spends what they have to excess.
In Jesus' story we have a young man living on a farm with his father and older brother. Like many young people he decided that he wanted his freedom. He had had enough of life on the farm. He wanted to get out and go his own way. To do this he needed money, and so he comes to his father and effectively says to him, 'Father, I don't want to wait until you die to get my share of your estate, would you please work out for me what you would leave to me in your will. Will you let me have the money now?' Jesus did not say how the father felt at such a request. He must have been very patient and caring of his sons because in verse 12 we read: "So he divided his property between them." Notice that he gave the older brother his share also.
Verse 13 continues: "Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had (and) set off for a distant country." He was determined to enjoy himself in that distant place with all his newly acquired wealth. We do not know if it was his intention just to waste what he had, but all around were the attractions and pleasures of the city and he is fascinated by what he sees. He is drawn into it all and we read that "there he squandered his wealth in wild living." While he has plenty of money and is freely spending it he gathers lots of new friends only too willing to enjoy life with him. Human nature never changes. It is the same today when someone wins a large sum of money, suddenly there are friends and relatives, not seen before, all wanting to be a part of their life and to benefit from their riches. Often when people come into great wealth suddenly they cannot handle it and they spend and spend until suddenly they realise that it is all gone. So it was with this young man. There came a day went he had spent everything and the good times came to an end. He had nothing left and his so-called friends deserted him.
There was, of course a basic fault in his reasoning. He thought that his need for enjoyment and happiness could be met by complete freedom to do what he wanted, and by material possessions. No longer under the discipline of his loving father he would be free to enjoy life to the full - so he reasoned. This is the basic problem of all humanity. The thinking of the majority is that if they leave God out of their lives they will know complete freedom and satisfaction. The spiritual vacuum that this thinking leaves in lives cannot be filled with either possessions or pleasure for they are at best only temporary.
For the prodigal it was a kind of madness to leave the security of his home and to turn his back on a loving father. Now he was going to experience a great loneliness and a great degradation. With all his money gone and all his companions gone he faces a crisis. Jesus' story continues: "After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in the 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." Think of his shame and his lost status. The son of a rich farmer reduced to labouring for someone else, and what was worse having to feed pigs. This, for someone of his culture, was just about the most degrading occupation imaginable! Before he had been a loved son, now he was less than a hired servant in his father's home. He is on the slippery slope downwards to ruin. He is so hungry that the story says, "He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no-one gave him anything."
I'm glad that Jesus' story did not end there with that young man in such a hopeless condition. The parable goes on to say: "When he came to his senses, he said, 'How many of my father's hired men have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! I will set out and go back to my father.'" He had to come to that point where he realised that his situation was really serious. Jesus says "he came to his senses." The reality of his condition hit him and he knew what a fool he had been to live the way he had. It is a wonderful thing when people come to their senses and realise that the only way to true freedom, true goodness and real purpose and fulfilment and blessing is to live in right relationship with our heavenly Father who loves us beyond anything we could ever deserve.
It was good for this young man to be alone with every support gone and only the sound of the pigs for it made him stop and think. What were his thoughts? Was this all that life was about, just eking out an existence, no better than an animal? How did he come to his senses? He had misery and he had memories. He remembered that in his father's house there was food enough and to spare. He thought about home and about his father and the security and love that there was there for him. Perhaps you have come to a point in your life where you are wondering "What is it all about?" Perhaps you have been deserted by friends or find yourself in a desperate situation. You realise that there is a spiritual emptiness in your life. Are you someone who has wandered away from God having, in the past, experienced his blessing? Now is the time to stop and consider where you are in relation to the God whose very name is love. God understands you. He is merciful and longs for you to come to your senses and turn to Him.
In the person of our Lord Jesus Christ, God has opened his heart to needy, helpless sinners. The one who told this parable is the one who went to the cross of Calvary out of love for those who are also in a hopeless spiritual condition, lost in sins and facing the judgement. He died for needy people like us, who have gone astray. Isaiah 's prophetic words, in chapter 53 verse 6, express it like this: "We all, like sheep, have gone astray. Each of us has turned to his own way; and the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all." Christ died as our substitute and bore the penalty due to our sins.
If you are starving spiritually it is certainly not for the lack of spiritual bread. If you are lonely, it is not for lack of love in the heart of God. If you are guilty, and lost in your sinful way of life, it isn't because there is not someone to redeem you. The prodigal knew that there was food enough and to spare in his father's house and yet he was starving. There is provision for all in God's house. There is provision for the very least, for the most guilty, the most needy, the most wayward. Whoever you are there is provision for you, and you can come home to the Living God if you will.
The turning point in this story came when that sad, desperate young man said, "I will set out and go back to my father." All his searching of his conscience and the realisation of his hopelessness was useless without some action on his part. He has considered his ways and given careful thought to his situation. There is deep concern now in his heart, not just regret or feeling sorry for himself, but a real repentance. True repentance means turning away from our sinful ways and coming back to our heavenly Father through faith in Christ and practical obedience to the Gospel. This lost son made his decision and he got up and set-off home without delay. He made no attempt to improve his appearance, soiled as he was by the work he was doing, but went just as he was. That is how we must come to God for forgiveness. We must come just as we are: "Nothing in my hand I bring, simply to the cross I cling." So he got up and went to his father.
The parable continues: "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. Make me like one of your hired men. 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 fatted 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."
It must have been a difficult journey for the lad hardly knowing what to expect. Would his father accept him back? What kind of reception would he get? But we read, "The father was filled with compassion and ran to his son." Just picture it - the slow steps of repentance but the swift steps of forgiveness. There was much forgiveness. There was great acceptance. There was full restoration. All the son's privileges were restored and the father showed such joy at the return of his prodigal. What a glorious picture this is of God's grace and mercy towards all who will come to Him in true repentance; towards all who will acknowledge that they have sinned, not only against those around them, but more importantly against heaven, against God himself.
Sadly the older brother, who had stayed on the farm, was angry and upset at the welcome his wayward brother received. He could not share in the father's joy. He was jealous and resentful, thinking only of himself and without any thought for his brother. Let us beware of an attitude like that of this other son, an attitude that resents the blessings of others and so misses out on the joy this should bring.
This parable is a challenge to all of us today. Are you a son or daughter who has wandered far from home and needs to return and get right with God? Are you doubting or questioning God's love for you? Realise afresh the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord for you and come to him in repentance and faith today.