The Parable of a Loving Father
Usually we call this parable-the Parable of the Prodigal Son. The main point of the story varies as you look at it from different angles. In this parable we look at it from the loving father’s view and how He extends His grace to the one who didn’t deserved it.
There are two contexts in which Jesus could have told this story. In Luke 15:1,2 - we read that many sinners and teachers of the law came to hear Jesus. This could have been to help them understand how sinners are changed at the hearing of God’s word.
The other context is mentioned in Luke 15:10. Wherein Jesus emphasises on the great joy that is in heaven over the repentance of one sinner.
As Jesus began the parable, the Jews would have related it to the story of Jacob and Esau. But Jesus began to teach through this parable how one can discover God’s extravagant grace.
How one misses out on this Extravagant Grace?
1)Having a ‘Me, Mine’ mentality.
Luke 15:12 (KJV) And the younger of them said to his father, Father, give me the portion of goods that falleth to me. And he divided unto them his living.
Now the younger son demands the father for his share of the inheritance. The demand itself is outrageous as he dares to ask his father s inheritance even as he lives implying that he meant to be no more . The father could have punished the son. But the gracious father gives the son his share. This son never cared about the father. All he wanted was what the father could offer him.
Most of us are like this we love the blessings God has to give us but we seldom care about God. This ‘me, mine’ mentality slowly moves us away from the grace of God.
2)A Consumerist mentality.
Luke 15:13 (KJV) And not many days after the younger son gathered all together, and took his journey into a far country, and there wasted his substance with riotous living.
The son goes on to commit the next grievous sin by selling off his inheritance, and squanders the money he made on reckless living.
We are stewards of the blessings, God has given us. The owner is the Lord. The same goes with our family , lands and ministry. God has trusted us. We need to make sure that we honor and uphold that trust. Let’s be examples in our communities. Giving our best, judicious in all that we use and careful in our attitude.
3)Friendship with the world.
Luke 15:14,15 (KJV) And when he had spent all, there arose a mighty famine in that land; and he began to be in want. And he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country; and he sent him into his fields to feed swine.
As children of God, we cannot confirm to the patterns and culture of this world. Friendship with the world means enmity with God. The younger son chose the world over his loving father. That led him to become a hired hand for tending pigs. He decided to feed himself with the pigs’ feed. Friendship with the world will have you feeding on filth. Filthy media, foul language and sickness become our portion the moment we decide to move away from the Father’s house and His grace.
Only the Father can satisfy (Luke 15:17). Let’s avoid the evil that the world tries to feed us.
In the Father’s house without the Grace of God.
Luke 15:25-28 (KJV) Now his elder son was in the field: and as he came and drew nigh to the house, he heard music and dancing. And he called one of the servants, and asked what these things meant. And he said unto him, Thy brother is come; and thy father hath killed the fatted calf, because he hath received him safe and sound. And he was angry, and would not go in: therefore came his father out, and intreated him.
The son realised his father’s worth. His eyes were opened and he repents as he makes his way back to the father’s house. The father who kept waiting for his son’s return throws a big celebration forthe lost son being found.
This angered the elder son. He was in the father’s house but he had no clue of the grace that the Father exuded! Many are there in the church like that even today. Within the flock of Christ, have received the grace of God but too self-righteous to give it to others.
This son had to repent just as much as the other from his self-righteousness.
Keeping the laws of God without knowing the purpose.
Luke 15:29,30 (KJV) And he answering said to his father, Lo, these many years do I serve thee, neither transgressed I at any time thy commandment: and yet thou never gavest me a kid, that I might make merry with my friends: But as soon as this thy son was come, which hath devoured thy living with harlots, thou hast killed for him the fatted calf.
The elder son is extremely mad at his father. The main reason, that he gives in this passage is that, for all that he did his father never gave him the appreciation or the enjoyment that he could have had with his friends. He misunderstood the reason behind keeping the laws of the father. He did everything that a dutiful son would do but the intention was wrong. We need to remember why we do what we do. We serve the Lord to please Him not for our own pleasure. The elder son didn’t understand the purpose behind it all. Let us do all that we do for God to rejoice.
Get to the Father to get Grace!
Luke 15:20-22 (KJV) And he arose, and came to his father. But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him. And the son said unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in thy sight, and am no more worthy to be called thy son. But the father said to his servants, Bring forth the best robe, and put it on him; and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet:
The best decision a man eating pigs’ feed could have ever made especially when he realised his mistake was to repent, get up and get to his father’s house. Many people stop with the remorse and guilt. But you need to get to the Father only He can give you this grace.
The younger son probably with filthy clothes and stink knew he couldn’t get close to his father. He rehearses a speech so that his father would accept his apology and make him at the least one of his servants.
But before he could even say that which he rehearsed his father ran! Oh he ran, fell on his neck and kissed him. With the father's kiss, the prodigal son’s past was wiped away.
He gives him a new robe to show righteousness and royalty (Genesis 41:42). Puts sandals on his feet denoting that there’s no more guilt and slips a ring into his finger declaring that he has restored to him the covenant and authority he once held before with the father (Zechariah 2:4). This is extravagant grace. A father who ran towards a sinner and accepts him like a mother!
