A Father Who Deserved Better

A FATHER WHO DESERVED BETTER

11 Then He said: "A certain man had two sons.

12 "And the younger of them said to his father, ’Father, give me the portion of goods that falls to me.’ So he divided to them his livelihood.

13 "And not many days after, the younger son gathered all together, journeyed to a far country, and there wasted his possessions with prodigal living.

14 "But when he had spent all, there arose a severe famine in that land, and he began to be in want.

15 "Then he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country, and he sent him into his fields to feed swine.

16 "And he would gladly have filled his stomach with the pods that the swine ate, and no one gave him anything.

17 "But when he came to himself, he said, ’How many of my father’s hired servants have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger!

18 ’I will arise and go to my father, and will say to him, "Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you,

19 "and I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Make me like one of your hired servants."

20 "And he arose and came to his father. But when he was still a great way off, his father saw him and had compassion, and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him.

21 "And the son said to him, ’Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight, and am no longer worthy to be called your son.’

22 "But the father said to his servants, ’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 fatted calf here and kill it, and let us eat and be merry;

24 ’for this my son was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ And they began to be merry.

25 "Now his older son was in the field. And as he came and drew near to the house, he heard music and dancing.

26 "So he called one of the servants and asked what these things meant.

27 "And he said to him, ’Your brother has come, and because he has received him safe and sound, your father has killed the fatted calf.’

28 "But he was angry and would not go in. Therefore his father came out and pleaded with him.

29 "So he answered and said to his father, ’Lo, these many years I have been serving you; I never transgressed your commandment at any time; and yet you never gave me a young goat, that I might make merry with my friends.

30 ’But as soon as this son of yours came, who has devoured your livelihood with harlots, you killed the fatted calf for him.’

31 "And he said to him, ’Son, you are always with me, and all that I have is yours.

32 ’It was right that we should make merry and be glad, for your brother was dead and is alive again, and was lost and is found.” Luke 15:11-32 (NKJV)

Our Lord used this parable to set forth the love, compassion and provision of the heavenly Father. It also tells how God deals with the disappointments caused by His children. In this parable, the father had two sons…both were disappointing: one by his actions; the other by his attitude.

Keep in mind that both these young men were their father’s sons by birth, their father’s children, and not some other relationship. Their relationship with the father did not change just because their ways were a disappointment to him.

The younger son was just as much that father’s son in the hog pen as he was before he left home or after he had returned home. So with the older son. He did not sever his relationship to his father because of his greed, jealousy and covetousness.

In the case of the younger son, it was fellowship with his father that had been lost. In the case of the older son, the fellowship with the father was strained by his unbecoming attitude.

I. WHAT WE LEARN ABOUT OUR HEAVENLY FATHER FROM THIS FATHER’S DEALINGS WITH HIS YOUNGER SON.

The father in the parable typifies our heavenly Father in the following ways.

A. He Amply Supplied The Needs Of His Children:

“So he divided to them his livelihood.”

Parallel: Now consider our heavenly Father commitment to supply our needs.

“And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:19 (NKJV)

"Therefore do not worry, saying, ’What shall we eat?’ or ’What shall we drink?’ or ’What shall we wear?’