The heart of The Father
This morning I want us to consider the well
known parable of the prodigal son.
It’s the story about a younger son who leaves his father behind
An older son who didn’t understand what
relationship to the father is all about.
And the focus of the story is on the great and
gracious love of the father
There are seven aspects to the message this
morning and they all begin with the letter R
Rebellion, Recklessness, Reflection,
Repentance, Reconciliation, Reaction,
Relevance
Although the main focus of the Prodigal Son parable
is the ungracious brother, the assumptions made
about the Prodigal’s father are enlightening.
We can make some assumptions about the
background of the Father to the Prodigal Son.
It seems he had worked hard and saved money.
Maybe the world would be a better place if more
men had that attitude today.
Sadly, there are many men who seem to have no
desire to provide for or protect their families.
We can assume this Father had trained his sons as
most Jewish men did.
This father was probably a man who wanted his
children to walk with God.
He had probably trained his sons in the Hebrew
Scriptures, prayer, and godly living,
And he would have been active in their practical
training as well.
He would have probably hoped that his children had
learned good things from him.
Yet right at the beginning of the story of the
Prodigal Son we see Rebellion, in Luke 15:11-12
Jesus said:
REBELLION
Jesus said: “There was a man who had two
sons. The younger one said to his father,
’Father, give me my share of the estate.’ So
he divided his property between them.” (Luke.
15:11-12)
When the younger son asked for his share of his
father’s estate, his request was legal according to
Old Testament law but it was a Rebellious request.
Old Testament law stated that the younger son
was entitled to 1/3 of his father’s estate and it was
acceptable for a man to divide his estate among his
heirs while still alive.
But it was rebellious because the son was basically
saying: “Father, I wish you were dead! I’m tired of
you and I want to be free from your control over
my life.”
The younger son’s attitude was marked by
sinfulness and selfishness - he had decided he
knew more about how to live his life than his father
did.
When you were young maybe you thought you
knew better than your parents... Maybe your
children and grand children think they know better
than you... Nothing changes over the years does it?
Yet, the father in this parable shows love and grace
by allowing his son to choose his own path and he
gives his son the required portion of his own life’s
work
It seems like the younger son wanted what his
father could give him but did not want his father.
People who refuse to place their faith in God,
the people who refuse to give their life over to the
Lordship of Jesus Christ, are living their lives in
exactly the same way.
Even the people who call themselves Christians yet
ignore God until they want something are living in
rebellion.
They may pray, “Father God Give me!” But they
only want what Father God can give them - they do
not want Him.
May we never live or behave with Rebellion towards
our loving Father God.
RECKLESSNESS
Let’s look at verse 13. Luke. 15:13 – “Not long
after that, the younger son got together all
he had, set off for a distant country and there
squandered his wealth in wild living.”
“Distant country” that can represent any place
we’ve tried to go to get away from God.
If a modern psychologist analysed this parable,
he might say that the Prodigal left home because
his father oppressed him, or that he was sheltered
from life by his overly-protective mother and the
poor financial prospects in a profit-driven society.
Or blame could be focussed on the government
who should have provided more facilities to occupy
troubled teenagers.
Others might argue that the Rabbis were not strict
enough, or because the boy was forced to go the
Synagogue every Saturday he was now rebelling.
Have you noticed how often people try and
blame others for the choices they make?
People try to avoid personal responsibility.
A person does something wrong and then defends
themself by blaming other people for their own
actions.
The parable says the son squandered his wealth.
The son, despite his father’s goodness made a
choice about how he would live his life.
It was a bad choice, but it was his choice, it is that
simple.
And that is still what happens today.
We each have free will.
We each have free choice.
The younger son chose to live by the worldly
philosophies that say, “Enjoy today!” “Go for it!”
“Get all you can while you can!”
“Life’s a party so have a blast!”
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In some families, grown children are never viewed
as adults by their parents -- or sometimes even
siblings treat their brothers or sisters as if they
were still sharing childhood.
One thing that is clear is the the Father in this
parable respected the free will and choices of His
children.
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Do you enjoy Poirot or Miss Marple stories?
They often involve wealthy families with adult
children who do nothing except live off their
parents via allowances.
Then someone in the family eventually gets tired
of being controlled and kills off an elderly parent to
get their inheritance.
In this parable, the Prodigal son does not have to
put poison in father’s tea: he simply asks for his
inheritance, and dad gives it.
Here is another truth, It may have broken Fathers
heart, but he had to let his son be reckless.
REFLECTION
Luke 15:14-17 – “After he had spent
everything, there was a severe famine in that
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. He longed to fill his stomach with
the pods that the pigs were eating, but no
one gave him anything. 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!’”
The truth is that sometimes we need to be brought
low to realise what we already have.
Often we look for wrong things in wrong places,
when our Heavenly Father has already provided us
with everything we need
In the far country, nobody cared whether the son
had what he needed for day-to-day existence.
Many in the world are only interested in what is in
it for them, when the son was in need it was as if
everyone looked the other way.
Without his wealth, without his extravagance,
without his wild living, he was abandoned.
No government handouts, no benefits, not even a
bowl of pig food to stop him from starving to death.
When the son squandered his wealth he had no
thought about the consequence, the son lived in
the moment and had no thought about the future.
And the son had to reflect on his circumstance and
he realised that Repentance was the only solution.
REPENTANCE
Luke 15:18-20a – “‘I will set out and go back
to my father and say 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.’ So he got up
and went to his father.”
Repentance is not being sorry for where you are
and staying there -
Repentance is being sorry for what you’ve done to
get you to where you are
and then getting up and doing something about it
The biblical definition of repentance is like someone
travelling the wrong direction,
realizing it, and turning to go the right way.
Repentance involves self-examination,
determination to change,
and action to move in the right direction
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Another great truth is the compassion of the Father,
He was eager to forgive.
When another is truly repentant, we must be
generous with our grace and the father did not
withhold grace.
The son knew he needed to repent and
the father wanted Reconciliation.
RECONCILIATION
Luke 15:20b-24 – “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.’ 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
fattened 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.”
When the son repented, when the son turned round
and began his journey home,
the father was waiting and watching --
and in love the father ran to meet his child.
When we have wronged someone, we need to ask
for forgiveness.
We need to do whatever we can to make
reconciliation possible.
We need to take responsibility for our bad choices,
we need to understand what we have done wrong,
not try and justify our bad choices.
In Christ, we are forgiven. And as those who have
been forgiven, it is right and appropriate for us to
forgive others.
But not everyone is gracious to forgive.
Notice this, the father ran to his son and hugged
and kissed him before the son said a word.
Some people think they can protect themselves
from future hurt or gain control by not forgiving the
actions of another.
The Father was so eager for reconciliation, when
the opportunity came he ran towards it.
The son returned with a repentant, humbled,
contrite spirit and the father gladly receives his son
and restores him into the family.
He gives him,
a Robe – to replace old, worn, smelly garments
a Ring – the family seal
and Shoes – because only slaves went barefoot
And there is a great rejoicing as the whole
household throws a celebration
The “fatted calf” – was an animal set aside, fed
the best feed, and saved for a celebration of great
importance.
And the clear cause of the celebration are the
Fathers words in verse 24 – “For this son of mine
was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is
found.”
Now that is an amazing Reaction isn’t it.
But sadly the older brother did not react in the
same way.
REACTION
Luke 15:25-32 – “Meanwhile, the older son was
in the field. When he came near the house, he
heard music and dancing.
So he called one of the servants and asked
him what was going on. ‘Your brother has
come,’ he replied, ‘and your father has killed
the fattened calf because he has him back
safe and sound.’
The older brother became angry and refused
to go in. So his father went out and pleaded
with him.
But he answered his father, ‘Look! All these
years I’ve been slaving for you and never
disobeyed your orders. Yet you never gave
me even a young goat so I could celebrate
with my friends. But when this son of yours
who has squandered your property with
prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened
calf for him!’
‘My son,’ the father said, ‘you are always with
me, and everything I have is yours.
But we had to celebrate and be glad, because
this brother of yours was dead and is alive
again; he was lost and is found.’”
It some ways it seems the older brother was really
no better than his younger brother used to bethe
older son had a resentful relationship with his
father and He refused to acknowledge his own
brother --He calls him “this son of yours” and not
“my brother”
It seems the older brother has no joy in being part
of the family -- it seems He was only grudgingly
obedient.
Notice this, just as the father went out to meet with
the repentant younger son, he goes out to meet
with his oldest.
The older son who remained at home the firstborn;
he was bitter that his father treated the renegade
younger son better than he seemed to treat his
firstborn.
In essence, the father did treat them differently,
because they were different people with different
needs.
But that does not mean he loved one more than the
other, or valued one above the other.
It was a case of comparing apples with oranges.
The father loved both boys equally
The father was gracious and kind in his treatment
of both his sons
So what is the RELEVANCE of this?
To truly understand this parable, listen to Luke
15:1-10 – Now the tax collectors and “sinners”
were all gathering around to hear him. But
the Pharisees and the teachers of the law
muttered, “This man welcomes sinners and
eats with them.”
Then Jesus told them this parable: “Suppose
one of you has a hundred sheep and loses
one of them. Does he not leave the ninetynine
in the open country and go after the
lost sheep until he finds it? And when he
finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders
and goes home. Then he calls his friends and
neighbours together and says, ‘Rejoice with
me; I have found my lost sheep.’
I tell you that in the same way there will be
more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner
who repents than over ninety-nine righteous
persons who do not need to repent.
Or suppose a woman has ten silver coins and
loses one. Does she not light a lamp, sweep
the house and search carefully until she finds
it? And when she finds it, she calls her friends
and neighbours together and says, ‘Rejoice
with me; I have found my lost coin.’ In the
same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the
presence of the angels of God over one sinner
who repents.”
Jesus is letting us know:
Father God cares about people who are lost
Father God doesn’t want anyone to perish.
Father God wants the lost to become found.
Father God knows that all they can do on their own
is harm themselves.
But what joy Father God feels when the lost
becomes found!
In fact all of heaven rejoices!
Let me bring the message to it’s Conclusion:
The man had two sons – both sinners!
The younger son was rebellious, reckless,
disrespectful and morally decadent
The older son was jealous, had a lack of love for
his father and his brother, he was false and selfish
in his motives for serving the father, egotistical,
ungrateful, and blind to his own sinfulness.
Yet the father was loving and offered his grace and
mercy to both
In the two sons, there are two contrasts:
When the openly rebellious person comes “to their
right mind,” when they turn and go to the Father,
they know for certain that they don’t deserve God’s
grace and goodness
While those who pretend to be devoted to the
Father believe that they deserve their rightful
inheritance and believe they’re good enough to
deserve God’s grace and goodness.
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Friends, None of us deserves God’s grace and
goodness:
Rom. 3:10 – “There I no one righteous, not
even one…”
Rom. 3:23 – “For all have sinned and fall short
of the glory of God.”
But the Father loves us and offers us His mercy and
grace!
To the rebellious, disobedient prodigal, the
message is: “Come home! The Father loves you!”
To the prideful, self-righteous older brother –
“Come into the house and enjoy the feast!
The Father loves you!”
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Our heavenly Father did what was necessary to
provide a way of salvation from our sins.
We have a wonderful hope, a wonderful promise in
the grace and mercy of our loving Father God.
May each of us experience the power of Father
God’s love in our lives.
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