What do you think when you hear the word “freedom?” We're going to talk this evening about a man who thought freedom was doing whatever he wanted. Then he found out freedom without God isn’t freedom at all—it’s just another kind of prison. Of course I'm talking about the familiar story of the Prodigal Son. The title of this message is “Freedom in God's Forgiveness.”
To illustrate His point, Jesus uses something most of us have had experience with, and that's family drama. We see that, even in the Bible, kids often don’t listen until they’ve lost everything! But the beauty of the story isn’t how badly the son messed up—it’s how good the Father really is.”
This is the third and final part of a series of parables Jesus taught about the subject of redemption, the first two being the lost sheep and the lost coin. Martin Luther called it “The Gospel in a Nutshell” and we will see why by the time we are done.
The word prodigal does not appear in the Bible itself. It comes from the Latin word prodigus, meaning lavish, wasteful, or extravagant. English adopted it through Old French, carrying the sense of recklessly spending or wasting resources. So when we say “The Prodigal Son,” we’re really saying, “The Wasteful or Extravagant Son.”
Luke 15:11?-?32 NLT
[11] To illustrate the point further, Jesus told them this story: “A man had two sons. [12] The younger son told his father, ‘I want my share of your estate now before you die.’ So his father agreed to divide his wealth between his sons. [13] “A few days later this younger son packed all his belongings and moved to a distant land, and there he wasted all his money in wild living. [14] About the time his money ran out, a great famine swept over the land, and he began to starve. [15] He persuaded a local farmer to hire him, and the man sent him into his fields to feed the pigs. [16] The young man became so hungry that even the pods he was feeding the pigs looked good to him. But no one gave him anything. [17] “When he finally came to his senses, he said to himself, ‘At home even the hired servants have food enough to spare, and here I am dying of hunger! [18] I will go home to my father and say, “Father, I have sinned against both heaven and you, [19] and I am no longer worthy of being called your son. Please take me on as a hired servant.”’ [20] “So he returned home to his father. And while he was still a long way off, his father saw him coming. Filled with love and compassion, he ran to his son, embraced him, and kissed him. [21] His son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against both heaven and you, and I am no longer worthy of being called your son.’ [22] “But his father said to the servants, ‘Quick! Bring the finest robe in the house and put it on him. Get a ring for his finger and sandals for his feet. [23] And kill the calf we have been fattening. We must celebrate with a feast, [24] for this son of mine was dead and has now returned to life. He was lost, but now he is found.’ So the party began. [25] “Meanwhile, the older son was in the fields working. When he returned home, he heard music and dancing in the house, [26] and he asked one of the servants what was going on. [27] ‘Your brother is back,’ he was told, ‘and your father has killed the fattened calf. We are celebrating because of his safe return.’ [28] “The older brother was angry and wouldn’t go in. His father came out and begged him, [29] but he replied, ‘All these years I’ve slaved for you and never once refused to do a single thing you told me to. And in all that time you never gave me even one young goat for a feast with my friends. [30] Yet when this son of yours comes back after squandering your money on prostitutes, you celebrate by killing the fattened calf!’ [31] “His father said to him, ‘Look, dear son, you have always stayed by me, and everything I have is yours. [32] We had to celebrate this happy day. For your brother was dead and has come back to life! He was lost, but now he is found!’”
And he said, “There was a man who had two sons. And the younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the share of property that is coming to me.’ And he divided his property between them.
One of my pastors, Mark Medley did a sermon on this a while back that really opened my eyes to some things I had never thought about. This young man basically tells his father "I wish you were dead! I can't wait for you to die! Give me my inheritance NOW" That’s like saying, ‘Dad, I love you… but only as much as your debit card.’
It wasn't just a matter of going into his office and cutting a check. He had to go sell a, sizeable portion of his land. It would have cost the father much of what he used to make his living. It would have cost him status in the community. But he didn't care. His devotion to his son was so strong. Also, notice how he didn't force the son to stay. He didn't chain him to the house. Friends, freedom is risky. One of the most painful things you experience as a parent is seeing your children make choices that go against what you have taught them and that you know won't end well for them. God does the same with us. He gives us freedom—even the freedom to walk away and we are about to see where that inevitably leads.
Not many days later, the younger son gathered all he had and took a journey into a far country, and there he squandered his property in reckless living. And when he had spent everything, a severe famine arose in that country, and he began to be in need. So he went and hired himself out to one of the citizens of that country, who sent him into his fields to feed pigs. And he was longing to be fed with the pods that the pigs ate, and no one gave him anything.
The famine paints a vivid picture of how empty life is apart from God.Talk about a humiliating job for a young Jewish man to have to take! But it goes even deeper. If he was simply an employee, he would have been given food. The fact that he wanted to eat the pig slop indicates that he wasn't as much of an employee as he was a slave. But notice the next part
“But when he came to himself, " This is where it all comes down to. It's similar to what Peter experienced after he had denied Jesus (Matthew 26:69–75) or Paul's encounter on the Road to Damascus.(Acts 9). When we hit bottom and our need for God's mercy really hits home It's like a drowning swimmer breaking the surface and gasping for air—finally seeing the way out.
he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have more than enough bread, but I perish here with hunger! I will arise and go to my father, and I will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Treat me as one of your hired servants.”’
Again, this is where it all starts. The son recognizes the depth of the evil deed he has done. He realizes that he is totally unworthy to ask anything of his father. Friends, when we get to that point, where are exactly where we need to be for God to reach us!
And he arose and came to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion, and ran and embraced him and kissed him. And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ But the father said to his servants, ‘Bring quickly the best robe, and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet. And bring the fattened calf and kill it, and let us eat and celebrate. For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found.’ And they began to celebrate.
We see the only time in the Bible that God is seen as running. He runs to greet His Wayward son as he makes his way home. Isn't that beautiful? And Friends, He will do the same for you!
Charles Spurgeon said it beautifully:
When God receives a sinner, He does not put him in the back place, and say, ‘Remain a little while in the kitchen, and then you may come into the parlor.’ No! The moment a sinner believes, he is received into the heart of God. The best robe is put upon him at once.
The prodigal’s story is really our story—but even more, it’s God’s story. The Father still runs to meet sinners, still robes them in grace, and still throws the feast of forgiveness. The only question is—will you come home today? Friends, Christ is waiting. You don't have to stay in the pigpen for another moment—come to Jesus now.
