This morning I want us to look at a very familiar passage of Scripture in Luke 15. In this chapter Jesus tells three parables… the parable of the lost sheep, the parable of the lost coin, and the parable of the prodigal son. The last parable is the one I want us to talk about this morning. No doubt this is a section of the Bible that we have heard preached time after time. And yet, I don’t know that it ever grows old. And so this morning, I want to again, draw our attention to this beautiful story in Luke 15:11-24…
Many have called the parable of the prodigal son one of the greatest short stories ever told in history. I would tend to agree because it is one of my absolute favorites. But I sometimes have wondered why it is called the story of the prodigal son because to me, the hero in the story is not the son at all, but the father. I don’t know that Jesus told it so much to bring attention to the lost son as much as He meant to bring attention to the forgiveness of the father. I think a more fitting title would be the parable of the loving father.
And so, this morning, I want us to focus my thoughts on the father. And I think there are three things about this fictional father that give us a beautiful picture of our heavenly Father. I want to share…
I. A Father Who Allows Us To Choose
The first thing that I think we can see about this father is that he was a father who allowed his son to choose his own direction in life. We see this prodigal coming to his father one day and saying, “Father, give me the portion of goods that falls to me. Give me what I’ve got coming to me.” It seems as though this younger son was tired of being restrained by his father. It seems as though he was hungry for his independence. He was ready to get out of the house and get out on his own.
Boy, I remember those days. I remember I couldn’t wait to obtain the freedom that comes when you’re out from underneath you’re parents’ roof. No curfew. Nobody making sure that I cleaned my room. Nobody to tell me I had to eat my veggies. Nobody to tell me I had to finish everything that was on my plate before I could get up from the table. Man, I was counting down the days. The only problem was, I moved out from living with my parents and moved directly into living with my wife. So I never did really gain that independence. I still have someone making sure I clean my room and eat my veggies. I still have a curfew (not really). But I remember wanting so badly to get out on my own and enjoy my freedom.
But we see this young man coming to his father and demanding that he go ahead and receive his portion of the inheritance. And what does the father do? “Son, how dare you talk to me like that? How dare you demand something from me? I have cared for you since the day you were born. I have worked my tail off so that you could have everything you need. How dare you come and demand that I give you your part of the inheritance now?” No, he didn’t react that way. In fact, the Bible doesn’t tell us that he said anything. It simply says, “So he divided to them his livelihood.” He went ahead and let his son have his own way. He was bent on having his inheritance and going out on his own, so the father allowed him to do as he wished. I’m sure he realized the dangers of allowing his son to leave home. I’m sure he probably understood the trouble his son was getting ready to get himself into. There’s no doubt in my mind that he was hurt by his son’s demand and desire to leave the home. But, he allowed him to choose his own direction in life.
From the very beginning of time God has allowed us to choose our own way. In the garden of Eden God planted a tree and told Adam and Eve they could eat from any tree but this one. If they chose to eat of that tree, they would die. But it was their decision. It was their choice. Have you ever wondered why God did that? I mean, if He really is omniscient, if He really does know everything, He would have known that they would end up eating from that tree and ruining it for the rest of us. So why did He put it there in the first place? Did He want them to fall? Did He want them to bring death upon themselves and upon all the rest of humanity? No. Then why did He plant that tree of good and evil? So we could choose whether or not we were going to obey Him.
He didn’t design us to be zombies who have no mind of our own. He didn’t design us to be robots under the command of His remote control. He didn’t design us to be puppets on a string. He designed us to have the ability and freedom to choose our own direction in life. Yes, He wants us to obey Him. Yes, He wants us to be His child. But He’s never going to force us to come after Him. He’s never going to force us into obedience. It’s our decision. And I don’t know about you, but I am grateful that God gives us that choice. I’m glad that we’re not just a bunch of robots forced into obedience to God. Because serving Him is much sweeter because I’ve chosen to serve Him. Loving Him is much sweeter because I’ve chosen to love Him.
And friends, all of us have come to a place in our lives where we have been given a choice. Are we going to go God’s way? Or are we going to go our own way? Are we going to choose to be a child of God? Or are we going to choose to seek our independence? You have the power to make your own decision.
Some of you have made your decision, you’re going to follow God. You’ve chosen to accept God’s invitation to be His child. You have decided that you are going to serve Him. Others have made a decision as well, you have decided that you don’t really want to be “restrained” under the Lordship of Christ. You’ve decided that you want your independence. And you’re out doing your own thing this morning. But God has allowed you to make your own choice. That’s your privilege, as a human being, to decide to do your own thing.
But can I plead with you one more time to reconsider your decision? Can I beg you to think about it one more time? You see, in this story that Jesus tells here in Luke 15 we find that once the prodigal son made his decision to leave home, everything was going all right for a little while. He enjoyed his independence for a little while. He could do whatever he wanted to do. Nobody was saying to him, “Be home by 11.” He could go wherever he wanted to go. He could spend his money however he chose to spend it. He had a wad of cash in his wallet and it was totally at his disposal. He could hang out with whatever crowd he thought would be fun and he didn’t have to worry anymore about his dad confronting him about his friends. He was free.
But verse 14 says, that “when he had spent all, there arose a severe famine in that land, and he began to be in want.” And Jesus goes on to tell us how this young man, who had recently been enjoying the comfort of his father’s home, who had never had to go hungry, who had never had to worry about his clothes being worn out, but now he becomes so broke and so desperate that he agrees to do the only work he can find, feeding pigs, the lowest and vilest occupation possible for a Jew. The same one who had at one point had the authority over his father’s servants, was now a hireling to a pig farmer. The very one who had at one point had everything he needed, was now envious of pigs because they had something to eat.
You see, when we choose to do our own thing, it may be fun for a while. The independence we enjoy may feel awesome for a while. But it won’t be long going down that road that you will find that that way of living isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. It won’t be long until your independence turns into slavery. It won’t be long before your freedoms are turned into burdens. Because sin is never as good as it seems up front. Satan makes the ugliness of sin look so attractive and appealing. He makes the bondage of sin look so free. And there will be a time when you, who thought you were doing what you wanted to do, will find that you have become a puppet on the devil’s strings.
It’s your choice today. Will you choose to be a child of God, and enjoy the privileges that come with that? Or will you choose to do your own thing, and very quickly find that it’s not really all that it’s cracked up to be? The father allowed his son to choose his direction in life. And the prodigal son made his choice.
II. A Father Who Has Undying Compassion
But the story begins to change. As we read on we see that finally this young man comes to his senses. And he began to remember all that he had enjoyed when he lived with dad. And from where he was now, coming under the restraints of the household rules didn’t look all that bad anymore. And he remembered the servants that he had at one time had authority over. Then a thought came to his mind… “What if I went back home and offered to be a servant at my father’s house? At least then I would have enough food to eat and a good place to sleep.”
You know, I wonder what it’s going to take to get some of us to come to our senses. I wonder how desperate we’re going to allow ourselves to become before we finally figure out that maybe we do need God. Some of you have reached that point of desperation already. You are experiencing what all those preachers meant when they were talking about slavery to Satan. You know what it’s like to be loaded down with the burden of sin. May I plead with you today to come to your senses? Why don’t you decide right now that you’re going to rise up out of that pig pen of sin that you’re existing in and run back to the Father?
You see, that’s just what the prodigal son did. He got up and made his way home, rehearsing his lines the whole time… “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you, and I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Make me like one of your hired servants.” And as he makes his way home, he has no way of knowing that his father has been longing for his return. His father has been praying that he would decide that he needed to come home.
You see, I think the second thing that we see about this father is that he had an undying compassion for his son. For the Scripture tells us that when the son was still a great way off, his father saw him. Now, I don’t know about you, but to me that says he was looking for his son. To me, the fact that he saw him a great way off says that he had been hoping and looking for his son’s return. If he had forgotten about his son, or lost hope that he would return, I would think that he wouldn’t have been there to see his son a great way off. I would think that the son would have probably slipped into the farmyard unnoticed. But his father saw him, while he was still a great way off.
Imagine with me if you would, the days have turned into weeks, the weeks into months, perhaps even the months into years. Yet this prodigal’s father hasn’t given up hope. Every evening after dinner he walks out and sits on the porch swing. Maybe he gets restless and paces the length of the porch. Maybe he even sees some dust rising in the distance and runs out to the road and watches intently to see if that is his son coming towards the house. Every night we see him do this same routine, sometimes crying, all the time praying. He wants his son back. He was willing to let to let him make his own decision. He’s not going to hunt down his son and force him to return home. But he’s forever hoping that his son will come back. He’s hoping that his son is becoming discontented with his new lifestyle. He still has a deep love for his son.
Then one night, we watch as he goes through this routine again. This time he is really weeping, he’s really pouring out his heart to God to bring his son home. He looks up the road again with eyes blurred by tears. We watch him as he paces up and down the pathway from his porch to the road, back and forth. Then, as he looks up that road again, he sees a dust cloud way in the distance. He wipes the tears away and shields his eyes from the setting sun. He watches intently to see someone coming over that little hill.
The figure is walking slowly with his head lowered to his chest. The father recognizes something in his walk. Then he recognizes the clothes. Sure, they are dusty and tattered, but they’re the same ones his son was wearing when he left home that dark day. And as he realizes who this person is walking towards him, he begins running toward his son. His tears start flowing again, but this time their tears of joy. Maybe he loses his footing a couple times and falls, but he gets back up and starts running again. And we see him coming to his son and throwing his arms around him in a hug he has wanted to give for all those months of waiting.
And he doesn’t say, “I told you so.” He doesn’t say, “Why didn’t you listen to me?” He doesn’t say, “You should have known better.” He’s just happy to have his son home. He’s just happy that he’s able to wrap his arms around the one he has wept over for so long. He’s just happy to be able to kiss the face that he’s missed for so long.
I don’t know if this is the way that the story went. I don’t know exactly how it happened. But I know from what Jesus has told us that this father had an undying compassion for his lost son.
And this morning, lost soul, can I be the one to tell you… that the Heavenly Father has an undying compassion, an undying love for you. Yes, you have broken His heart. Yes, He has spent night after night pacing the porches of heaven crying for your return. But He loves you today. He loves you so much that He’ll take you just the way you are… tattered clothes and all. You don’t have to get all cleaned up before you come to God. You don’t have to become a good person before God will accept you. He loves you just the way you are.
He’ll take you with the grime and filth that covers you. He’ll accept you with the awful stench of sin that seeps from your soul. He has been longing for you to come home to Him. And I promise you, that if you begin making your way back home, He will see you while you’re still a great way off, and He will run to you, and He will throw His loving arms around your tired shoulders, and He will cover your weary, soiled face with kisses of compassion.
And He won’t say, “I told you so.” He won’t say, “Why didn’t you listen to me?” He won’t say, “You should have known better.” He’ll just be happy to have you home. He’ll just be happy that He’s able to wrap His arms around the one He has wept over for so long. He’ll just be happy to be able to kiss the face that He’s missed for so long. Because He loves you this morning. He has always loved you. He never stopped loving you. He wants you to know that His compassion for you is undying.
III. A Father Who Restores Completely
We see father and son embracing in the middle of that dusty road, the son weeping from the awful sense of shame that has come upon him, the father weeping with joy that his lost son has come home. What a beautiful picture of compassion and love. And as the boy, between sobs, begins reciting his rehearsed apology, he gets as far as saying, “Father, I have sinned and I’m no longer worthy to be called your son.” But that’s all the father will let him say. He didn’t have to speak another word. His father had already forgiven him. His father had already accepted him back into the family. He had no thoughts of making his son a servant. The only thing he was thinking was, “It’s time to party.” Why? “Because, this, my son was dead and is alive again; he was lost but now he’s found.” You see, not only do we see a father who had an undying compassion for his son, but we see a father who was ready to completely restore his son.
“Bring me the best robe in the house, put some new shoes on his feet. Put a ring on his hand. Kill the best calf and let’s celebrate.” His son was home. His family was made complete again. His relationship with his son was restored.
You see, the robe that was put on the son was the one that was set aside for festive occasions, like birthdays and weddings. You know, it wouldn’t surprise me if dad hadn’t already had that robe pressed and laid out, ready for use when his son would return. The best robe in the house was reserved for his restored son. He put sandals on the boy’s feet. That doesn’t seem too significant until you realize that freemen were the ones who wore shoes, while slaves went barefooted. He put a ring on his son’s hand. The ring in those days signified wealth, sonship, dignity, and authority. To give a ring to someone was to show favor to them, and affection, and to grant them position. What does all this mean? It means that the father, as soon as his son returned home, restored him to his place in the family. He was given all the privileges of being in that family. Yes, he had left home. Yes, he had messed up. Yes, he had chosen to go against his father’s wishes. Yes, he had broken his father’s heart. No, he didn’t deserve to have a place in the family. But as soon as he returned, his father completely restored him. It was as if He had never left in the first place. He was made a son again.
You see, this morning, not only is our God a Father who loves us unconditionally, but He is a Father who will restore us completely. When you come to the Father seeking forgiveness, He will make you His child. All the rights and privileges that belong to His children are now yours. He will make you His heir. Listen to this passage in Romans 8… For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ. When we come back home, God the Father makes us His child and His heirs with Christ. It’s as if we never left. It’s as if we never broke His heart. He completely restores us.
I love the story about the young man who lived with his family out in the country. His father owned a farm and like most farm kids, Billy was given a number of laborious chores. As Billy was getting older he was getting more and more dissatisfied with farm life. He had some friends that had been to the city and had told him all the fun there was to have there. Billy decided it was time for him to step out on his own. So one night he grabbed all the money he had saved and headed towards the train station.
Once he got to the city he understood why his friends thought it was so fabulous. The busy-ness of the streets excited him. The people that he saw were so interesting. There were so many more things to do in the city. It was great to finally be out on his own, doing what he wanted to do, where he wanted to be.
After some time in the city, however things began to go south. Street life became difficult. There weren’t any jobs to be found. Scrounging for the least bit of food seemed to be what his entire days were focused on. Finally, he realized what he was doing. He remembered all the wonderful meals that his mother could cook. He remembered that comfy, warm bed that had awaited him every night. And He couldn’t help but wish he was back home. So he wrote a letter to his father telling him he wanted to come home. But if he wasn’t wanted he didn’t want to be there. So if he was wanted back home, please put a white handkerchief in the old oak tree out by the railroad tracks. He said, “Dad, if it’s there I will get off at our train station and come home. If it’s not, I’ll keep riding till my ticket runs out.”
Well, as he was riding the train back out to the country that day, a man noticed Billy and the tears that were in his eyes, and he felt as though he needed to speak to him. So the man sat down beside Billy and asked him what was wrong. Desperate for the attention, and longing for some affection, Billy poured out his heart to the man. He told about how he had left home. He told about the city. He told about the letter. He said, “In just a few minutes we are coming to that oak tree where I’ve asked my dad to leave that handkerchief. I’m so afraid that it won’t be there. I’m so afraid that he won’t want me back home. I can’t bear to look and see for myself. Will you watch for me?” The man, full of compassion for this young man, agreed that he would look for the handkerchief. And as they neared the place where the tree was, with Billy’s face buried in his hands, the tears flowing like rain, the man began to smile. He said, “Young man, I don’t think you have anything to worry about. Why don’t you look for yourself?” And as Billy raised his head, to his amazement, he didn’t see one handkerchief hanging in that tree, but the tree was covered with white handkerchiefs. Billy’s tears became tears of joy. His father wanted him back home. His father wanted him back home.
And this morning, sinner, I’m happy to be able to tell you that the old oak tree is white with handkerchiefs for you. God the Father is longing for your return. He’s allowed you to make your own choice. But He has always loved you, and He wants so badly to restore you into the family. He wants you to come home. But you’ve got to make the choice…
Maybe there’s a backslider. You know what it means to eat from the Father’s table. But you’ve decided to do your own thing…
You can never do too much that God can’t forgive you. God loves you so much He’ll take you just the way you are, but He loves you too much to leave you that way…
