“Therefore say thou unto them, Thus saith the Lord of hosts; Turn ye unto me, saith the Lord of hosts, and I will turn unto you, saith the Lord of hosts”.
The Prodigal Son
One day, Jesus was teaching a group of people that included some who were regarded as outcast among society. While doing so, members of the Pharisee sect and some other teachers of the Law began to murmur against him.
Jesus asks these teachers a question:
Luke 15:4
1 One day when many tax collectors and other outcasts came to listen to Jesus,
2 the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law started grumbling, “This man welcomes outcasts and even eats with them!”
3 So Jesus told them this parable:
4 “Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them—what do you do? You leave the other ninety-nine sheep in the pasture and go looking for the one that got lost until you find it.
Continuing, Jesus offered this parable for his listeners to consider:
Luke 15:11-32
11 He said, “A certain man had two sons.
12 The younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me my share of your property.’ He divided his livelihood between them.
13 Not many days after, the younger son gathered all of this together and traveled into a far country. There he wasted his property with riotous living.
14 When he had spent all of it, there arose a severe famine in that country, and he began to be in need.
15 He went and joined himself to one of the citizens of that country, and he sent him into his fields to feed pigs.
16 And he wanted to fill himself with the carob pods that the pigs ate, but no one gave him any.
17 But when he came to himself he said, ‘How many hired servants of my father have bread enough to spare, and I’m dying here with hunger.
18 I will get up and go to my father, and will tell him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in your sight.
19 I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Make me like one of your hired servants.”’
20 “He arose and came to his father. But while he was still far off, his father saw him, and was moved with compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him.
21 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 servants, ‘Quickly, bring out the best robe, and put it on him. Put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet.
23 Bring the fattened calf, kill it, and let us eat, and celebrate;
24 for this, my son, was dead, and is alive again. He was lost and is found.’ They began to celebrate.
25 “Now his elder son was in the field. As he came near to the house, he heard music and dancing.
26 He called one of the servants to him and asked what was going on.
27 He said to him, ‘Your brother has come, and your father has killed the fattened calf, because he has received him back safe and healthy.’
28 But he was angry, and would not go in. Therefore, his father came out, and pleaded with him.
29 But he answered his father, ‘Look, these many years I have served you, and I never disobeyed a commandment of yours, but you never gave me a goat, that I might celebrate with my friends.
30 But when this, your son, came, who has devoured your living with prostitutes, you killed the fattened calf for him.’
31 “He said to him, ‘Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours.
32 But it was appropriate to celebrate and be glad, for this brother of yours was dead and is alive; and he was lost and is found.’” (GNT)
What messages concerning the subject of mercy and forgiveness can we glean from this parable that Jesus gave?
THE LOVE OF THIS FATHER REFLECTS THE LOVE GOD HAS SHOW TOWARD THE HUMAN FAMILY
The parable deals with relationships within the family, and in particular God’s family circle. Not only does the parable teach about the love of the father but it talks about the relationship between family members; in this case two brothers.
‘Prodigal’ behavior is defined by and characterized by profuse or wasteful expenditure of resources.
The father displays a high degree of both empathy and mercy toward his wayward son. Inheritances are generally bestowed after the death of the benefactor, in this parable, the father. What do you suppose the father thought about the son’s request for his inheritance before his father had even died? The younger’s request was essentially asking his father to die. Money is more important to the younger boy than is his relationship with his father. The father in Jesus’ story would have said to himself, “My son wants me dead.”
The behavior of the younger son, who becomes the prodigal, is only a symptom of the real crisis. Neither of the brothers comprehend their father’s love. Nor does one brother hold love in his heart for the other. As a matter of fact, both brothers are spiritually sick but in different ways. Nonetheless, they both build relationships based upon money.
According to the Jewish Encyclopedia, it was the custom among the early Hebrews according to the Law, that the next of kin should enter upon the possession of the estate of a deceased person. The first-born son usually assumed the headship of the family and succeeded to the control of the family property.
jewishencyclopedia.com/articles/8114-inheritance
The Jewish Law of Inheritance
The Law also stipulated that when a man assigned his possessions to his eldest son which were to become his after the father’s death, the father then could not sell them since they are assigned to his son, and the son cannot sell them because they are in the father’s possession.
If his father did sell them, they are sold only until he dies; if the son sold them, the buyer has no claim on them until the father dies. The father may pluck up the crop of a field which he has so assigned and give to eat to whom he will, and if he left anything already plucked up, it belongs to all his heirs.
According to the Law, the eldest son was to receive two-thirds of the estate, while the younger son would inherit one-third. (Deuteronomy21:1-17). Also, a Jewish father could not abdicate his wealth prior to his death.
The prodigal son obviously disregarded all of these provisions of the Law since he was not the eldest and his father had not yet died.
The younger son had grown up in a loving family and yet felt an increasing desire to be independent and get out of the shadow of his obedient older brother. He wanted to be his own man and live his own life.
This is typical when a teenager is approaching full adulthood. They begin to seek to establish their own self-identity. This is a normal part of human development…of growing up. Often though, they do so by renegading against the norms of their parents and by thrill seeking.
The parent must take a balanced approach to dealing with their child when this occurs. On one hand the parent can’t respond permissively, turning a blind eye to their child’s unwise choices and reckless behavior. But on the other hand, if the parent’s reaction to curb the behavior is overbearing, this will probably result in more rebellion since the child is set on establishing their independence.
Perhaps the father in this parable was weighing this possible outcome and chose to let the son have his inheritance with the hope he would learn and come to his senses. He did not want to lose his son completely.
Jesus had a much more significant reason for telling this parable that involves the love God has shown for his children who have shown a head strong attitude and have renegaded against Him.
When the first man and woman turned aside and rebelled by not following his Law, He could have completely destroyed them at that time. Had He done so, none of Adam’s yet to be offspring would ever have been born. We would never have had an opportunity to prove what we were ourselves. Even though born in sin, He gave each of us the opportunity to reject a sinful life and return to Him. And upon doing so, we are washed cleaned of our previous debt to Him. He welcomes us back like the prodigal son’s father did with open arms and joy.
Note what Jesus said prior to relating this parable:
Luke 15:7
“In the same way, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine respectable people who do not need to repent”. (GNT)
Today many blasphemers attempt to paint God as a merciless tyrant because He requires obedience to His commandment and because He is not a permissive parent who lets the child dictate what the norms of His house are. However, God has demonstrated extraordinary self-control and extraordinary mercy…an undeserved kindness on His part. Even to the point of giving up His only begotten son as a propitiatory sacrifice in order that we may be saved.
John 3:16:
“For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that everyone who believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life”. (NLT)
The prodigal son had also committed an act of apostasy against God’s Law by, as verse 15 reveals, joining himself to a Gentile farmer who raised pigs, which was regarded by Law as especially “unclean.”
God’s love and mercy even extends to such sinners today if they repent, turn, and seek forgiveness. The apostle Peter went about preaching:
Acts 3:19, 20
19 Repent, then, and turn to God, so that he will forgive your sins. If you do,
20 times of spiritual strength will come from the Lord, and he will send Jesus, who is the Messiah he has already chosen for you. (GNT)
As was the case for the prodigal son, so it is true of those who have wandered away from God. This wayward son never forgot his father.
Luke 15:17-19
17 But when he came to himself, he said, ‘How many hired servants of my father have bread enough to spare, and I’m dying here with hunger.
18 I will get up and go to my father, and will tell him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in your sight.
19 I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Make me like one of your hired servants.”’
The father is present in the son’s memory, even a faraway country. He was able to see and then admit his error. He realized his desperate situation and was willing to humble himself.
He father was happy to have received his son back. The father was excited and full of joy welcoming him back without any reservation. The father’s reception shows that genuine repentance brings not only pardon but complete restoration. But what about his brother?
” For God will not show mercy when he judges the person who has not been merciful; but mercy triumphs over judgment”. James 2:13
UNFORGIVENESS
Let’s reread what the repentant prodigal son’s brother’s response was to his father’s forgiveness:
Luke 15:25-30:
25 “Now his elder son was in the field. As he came near to the house, he heard music and dancing.
26 He called one of the servants to him and asked what was going on.
27 He said to him, ‘Your brother has come, and your father has killed the fattened calf, because he has received him back safe and healthy.’
28 But he was angry, and would not go in. Therefore, his father came out, and pleaded with him.
29 But he answered his father, ‘Look, these many years I have served you, and I never disobeyed a commandment of yours, but you never gave me a goat, that I might celebrate with my friends.
30 But when this, your son, came, who has devoured your living with prostitutes, you killed the fattened calf for him.’
The loveless attitude of the elder brother portrays false brothers, including religious leaders, who declare themselves to righteousness based on their achievements. His attitude also reflects their merciless attitude toward repentant sinners.
To be one with God is to be like God in His thinking and by emulating His behavior. The elder brother’s response showed he was not like his father and therefore truly wasn’t at one with him.
Just as the elder brother had no true relationship with his father, so the religious leaders and false brothers have no true relationship with God.
In reality both sons were ‘lost’; each in his own way.
The wise father in the parable appeals to his eldest son to be thankful considering that his brother had returned to his senses and had come home. The older son should have been happy. The father told his eldest:
Luke 15:31, 32:
31 “He said to him, ‘Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours.
32 But it was appropriate to celebrate and be glad, for this brother of yours was dead and is alive; and he was lost and is found.’”
The needs of both lost sons are met by the compassion of the father. He is without power when his sons make their wrong decision to reject his love. He reacted in wisdom in spite of refusal. The father is waiting to receive his sons when they come to themselves and comprehend their need for him.
Jesus tells us in this parable what God is like and makes us see ourselves in his creative illustration. This story does not relate the outcome for the two brothers. Each of us must also decide for himself or herself how matters will end for ourselves personally.
God will not turn His back on the repentant transgressor. He is waiting with open arms to receive back those who have wandered away.
Zechariah 1:3
“Therefore, say thou unto them, thus saith the Lord of hosts; Turn ye unto me, saith the Lord of hosts, and I will turn unto you, saith the Lord of hosts”.
Finally, we all must remember that God will show no mercy in the Judgment to the merciless.
James 2:13:
“For God will not show mercy when he judges the person who has not been merciful; but mercy triumphs over judgment”.
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