THE COMEBACK KID
Luke 15:11-32
Everyone loves a good comeback story. It's thrilling to see someone go from being on the verge of defeat to clawing their way back into it and then achieve the impossible comeback. There have been many memorable comebacks in sports. One of the most famous ones is known as, The Comeback. In 1993, the Buffalo Bills were trailing the Houston Oilers 35-3 in the 2nd half of their playoff game when quarterback Frank Reich threw four touchdowns to lead the Bills to a 41-38 win in the biggest NFL comeback in history.
We love to see people rise above adversity and triumph. Many consider Abe Lincoln to be the greatest president. He grew up poor, failed at business twice and had a nervous breakdown. He lost when he ran for Congress, lost twice when he ran for the Senate and lost as a vice presidential candidate. One might think he should look for a new career. But, he pressed on and made an amazing comeback. He was elected the 16th president, led the country to reconciliation and won re-election.
Then there was the greatest individual comeback of them all-the resurrection of Jesus. Mary Lee sent me a video sermon by Kyle Idleman and Dave Stone about Jesus' resurrection being the greatest comeback ever. Kyle and Dave stated that there were three elements that were needed in each comeback story: 1. The moment when you think it's over. 2. The moment you start to believe. 3. When the victory happens and the celebration begins.
It made me think of something else I had seen earlier that day. My Mom posted a meme about the Prodigal Son. I realized that the three elements in a comeback are found in the story of the prodigal son. So today we'll look at the story of the comeback kid.
1) The bad game plan (11-16).
"Jesus continued: “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. “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. 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."
Sometimes teams get into the predicament they're in because of a bad game plan or a poorly executed one. Sometimes they're not prepared for the opposition or nothing seems to be working for them that day. There are times when we find ourselves in a trying situation that isn't our fault; it's the circumstances of life. Then there are the times when it is our fault; we make poor choices-we have a bad game plan-like our young friend here.
He wanted so badly to go out and experience the life he was missing out on. Sometimes we can be tricked into believing the grass is greener on the other side. We don't want to be under our father's thumb anymore. Usually teenagers have this attitude. 'I can't wait to get out of here so I can do whatever I want'. Then they get out on their own, live it up for a while then reality hits and they realize they didn't have it as bad as they thought they did.
But we can be the same way with our heavenly Father. Sometimes we get an attitude and we're not going to allow anything to stop us from doing what we want. God's ways are too restrictive-go out and have some fun-you owe it to yourself. So, we do it our way and pay the price. Satan was able to convince Eve she was missing out and he operates the same way today.
I'm sure when the younger son asked for the inheritance his father questioned him about it. I don't know what the son told him but it obviously was a great concern once he left the house. So, the question arises as to why the father allowed it. Adam Clarke's commentary mentions it was actually customary for this to happen and it could become a legal matter if the son decided to challenge the father's refusal.
But I think the point here is that the father allowed the son to make his own choices. Our heavenly father will do the same. As I'm sure the prodigal son's father tried to talk some sense into him, the heavenly Father will do the same for us. But in the end, we will be left to our own free will.
Vs. 14-isn't it interesting that after the son had blown through all his money on foolishness, a famine comes. It often happens this way, doesn't it? We get some extra money, go out and blow it instead of save it and then something happens where we need it but we don't have it. We don't think or plan ahead; we just live in the moment without a care for anything but enjoying ourselves. And then something happens to put us in a predicament and we end up in trouble. And because of that-we end up suffering for our poor choices.
Then we're left to make compromises to compensate for our situation. This Jewish boy was feeding pigs, an unclean animal to the Jews. So this was a degrading situation for him. His shameful living led him to a humiliating outcome. Many times after we have made our poor choices we are put in a position to lie, cheat, steal or compromise on our morals to get by. This boy was left demoralized, dirty and hungry; so hungry that pig slop looked good to him.
"But no one gave him anything". This would be the bottom; the moment when you would think it's over. This is the moment that you wonder-is this how my life is going to be now? Here is where the regrets would settle in. "How could I have been so foolish? I wish I hadn't spent all my money. I wish I had never left home."
When we are suffering from the consequences of our actions we are left with regrets and sorrow. If we find ourselves in jail or on the streets, having lost everything and everyone-this can be the time when we lose hope; where we convince ourselves it will never get any better.
When you go to work and your boss lets you go. When you go to the doctor's office and receive that terrible diagnosis. When you get that shocking phone call that you've lost your loved one. This is the fearful moment, the doom and gloom moment where you wonder if you can make it any further. Your burden is heavy; your outlook is dim. You are led to the place where you think the game is over.
2) The glimmer of hope (17-20a).
“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 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."
He came to his senses. You think it's all over but then the light bulb goes off and you have an epiphany. You come to a realization that all hope is not lost. This young lad hadn't acted in good sense since he decided to ask his father for his share of the inheritance but here he is now with a sensible thought. No matter how far we sink, no matter how long we've been acting foolish, there is always a possibility that we can come to our senses.
Paul told the Corinthians in 1st Cor. 15:34a, "Come back to your senses as you ought, and stop sinning." How many times has God communicated that to us?
Where once he couldn't wait to leave home, now he couldn't wait to get back there. His sensibility came with humility and repentance. He knew he had sinned and that he didn't deserve forgiveness. That's how we need to be when we've gone astray. If we come to our senses it will be with humility and godly sorrow.
But this is the moment of believing in possibilities. Maybe it's not over. He decided to take his chances and go back to his Father's house. He didn't know what would happen but he was going to find out. It would be embarrassing and uncomfortable, but it was worth the try.
"So he got up and went." This was a defining moment for him. It's one thing to come to your senses, it's one thing to have the idea, but then you have to act on it. He could've talked himself out of it. He could've convinced himself it wouldn't work, he could've considered it crazy to even try, but he didn't. He probably thought, 'at this point, what have I got to lose?'
That's how it can be for the person who felt it was all over and then something happens to bring a glimmer of hope. The idea might sound impossible to pull off but what pushes the person or team through is to feel, what do we have to lose? We're already losing-let's give ourselves a chance at winning. So they devise a 'hail mary' game plan and go for broke.
3) The comeback victory (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."
The Father didn't see his son and walk away from him in disgust and contempt. He didn't even wait for his son to get to him. He ran to him. He didn't run toward him in angry haste to yell at him but his quickness was for the purpose of loving on him. Here was this young man standing there all disheveled, smelling of pig, mud and body odor. But that didn't matter to his father; all that mattered was his son had come home.
This depicts the great love and compassion our heavenly Father has when we come back to him in humble repentance. We come to him or we come back to him riddled with the stink of sin; the stench of death. He could reject us, refuse to receive us in such repulsive conditions. Instead, he runs to us and embraces us in reconciliation.
We see the father cut his son off before he could finish. Before the son was going to ask to become one of his servants, the father calls for his servants to bring the robe, a ring and sandals. In ancient times putting a ring on one's finger signified honor and dignity. The prodigal son's actions were anything but honorable or dignified yet this is what the father did for him.
God does that with us too. We were dishonorable and undignified but the Lord placed upon us the honor and dignity of his son Jesus. And when we go astray, he is waiting for us to come back to him so he can rekindle and reestablish that same honor and dignity. Isn't it nice to know that things like honor and dignity can be reclaimed? When we act in ways that dishonor the Lord, and ourselves, there is the hope of regaining the status we once held in the Lord's eyes.
Notice the difference between how the father treated him vs. how other people treated him. When he had money, I bet he had lots of new friends. But when the money was gone who was there to help him? Then you have his employer. If he was given any food it had to be pretty awful to produce a wanting for what the pigs were eating. He was thought of so worthlessly that no one was willing to spare any of the pig's food for him.
But his father exchanged the rags he was wearing for not only a robe, but the best robe; along with sandals to cover his bare feet. And as he was denied pig food in a foreign land, when he came back home he was given a feast. When we 'run away from home', we may enjoy ourselves for a minute but soon we'll be dirty and despondent. That is, until we come to our senses and get back home; realizing how foolish we were for thinking things would be better elsewhere.
4) Not everyone was cheering (25-32).
When teams make a comeback there may be some fans cheering but not all of them will be. The ones who saw their team choke big time will be pretty upset when the initial shock wears off. Well, in the story of the comeback kid we have the same thing happening with the older brother.
“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.’ ”
His Father went out. When the father saw his wayward son he ran to him. When the father knew his elder son was upset, he went to him. Love is proactive; love is initiative. Love doesn't wait until it is shown; it shows first. That's how God is toward us. He showed his love to us even in our sin. The younger son sinned but the father showed his love for him. The elder son was angry yet the father went to him and loved him. Even in our folly, God comes to us and loves us.
The elder son's anger was not really toward his brother. Even though he highlighted his brother's sinful actions and referred to him as his father's son and not his brother, he was really upset with his father. He felt slighted, he felt the father was showing favoritism. We can feel that way. We can feel like the work and dedication we put into serving the Lord isn't appreciated. So, when a wayward Christian receives mercy from God, we can feel like God is rewarding them when he should be punishing them.
But in this we are failing to see the love of God-both towards the repentant and towards us. Notice the father's gentleness with the elder son. The elder son is upset with his father but his father doesn't respond with, 'how dare you talk to me like that'. Instead, he sees the hurt and the misperceptions and he deals with it.
Our heavenly Father is compassionate towards us in our emotional state. We need to be respectful even when we feel like he's being unfair, but it's good to know we have a God who understands our pain and will deal with us in a loving and reasonable way.
The older brother wanted the father to tear into his rebellious child and then reject him and send him on his way. The father wanted the elder son to switch his focus from the sin that his brother committed to the fact that he had made it back. He wanted him to rejoice that his brother was alive.
He wanted him to put himself in his brother's shoes and answer the question-what would you want me to do if that were you? The father wanted him to realize that if it were him he would've done the same thing. The father put the focus where it needed to be. God will do the same for us.
When someone who's been away and lived in sin comes back in humble repentance are we glad or are we cynical? Do we rejoice or do we scoff? Do we forgive or do we resent? Who are we more like-the father or the older brother? Do you know anyone who's out there? Have you tried to get them to repent and come back home?
Maybe you're here today and that's where you're at-you're on the comeback trail. That's great! It might not be an easy road but stay on it long enough to claim the victory. We're pulling for you because everyone loves a good comeback story. Are you the comeback kid?
