God’s Lost and Found
Today’s scripture lesson comes from the Gospel of Luke. We will be looking at the story of The Lost Son. This is one of many stories that Jesus told on his way to Jerusalem. Jesus used these short stories to teach the people of the day import lessons about Christian life, and we can still learn from them today. Open your Bibles to Luke Chapter 15, and we will read verses 11 through 32. Luke 15: 11-32
This story starts off in verse 11 giving us the cast of main characters. Lets start with the man, or the father; the father here is meant to depict God, the Father of all of us. The younger of his two sons represents a sinner who has found or returned to the Father. The elder son is set as a representation of the scribes and Pharisees of the day. Now that the cast is set lets take a look at the story.
The younger of his son goes and asks his father for his portion of his inheritance. The custom of the day was that at death a person’s estate or property would be split between his sons. In this case with two sons the elder son would get two thirds of the estate and the younger son or second son would get one third. Now sometimes a father would distribute his estate early so that he could retire, but that was an uncommon happening. So, the younger son goes and says, “hay dad can I get my portion of your estate now?” The father does this for his sons; he gives them each their portion of his estate. Now these are some lucky kids right? I mean they are young, now they have property, they can earn a comfortable living for themselves, well the older son does just that, but the younger son has his own ideas…
Now the younger son wastes no time, he gathers his belongings, sells his property, and heads off to Vegas… Not quite, but verse 13 says that he “gathered all together, and took his journey into a far country, and there wasted his substance with riotous living.” The young son has left his father, and his father’s rules to go do his own thing.
Now lets stop for a minute and talk about the action so far. This young son has come into some money, and he is blowing it. This sounds like a familiar story so far, our Father, God gives to us each and every day. Do we use what we are given to honor Him, to glorify Him, or do we say “Thanks God, this is great, and go off and do our own thing.” I will be the first to stand up and say that the Lord has blessed me with much, and not so much has been used to his glory so far. So why do we do this, why do we stray from God; separate ourselves from God, our Father? The answer is pretty simple: Adam, Eve, a garden and a snake, I’m sure that you all remember the story. Our human sin nature separates us from God. It is not all that different than the separation of the young son from his father. When we are with God He protects us from sin, and He provides for our every need, but when we are separated from God we are on our own, which is where the younger son is now.
We catch up with the younger son in verse 14 in the far country, living life to its fullest, parties, women, what more could he ask for? All is well until the bottom falls out of the market in this country, and a famine takes over the land. Now guess what; it just so happens the young son runs out of money about the same time. Too bad for him, his money is all gone, all of his new “friends” split, and now there is no food to eat. What is a young man to do?
The young son decides he needs to find a job. Verse 15 says that, “he joined himself to a citizen of that country.” Meaning he was probably hired as a servant, or laborer for this individual. The task or job that he was given was to go out into the fields and feed the pigs.
Now lets stop and have a reality check here. What is the one thing that devout Jewish people can’t eat or even touch? If you guessed pork, you would be right. Mosaic Law says that pigs are unclean animals, so because of this Jewish people will not eat or even touch a pig or pork. There is another problem for the young son. While he is feeding the pigs the only thing he has to eat was what was left that the pigs wouldn’t eat. Depending on which translation of the Bible that you have, he was either eating the husks from corn, or the pods from beans, either way it wasn’t good. Now, for a Jewish person in this time period to be stuck feeding pigs, well, it must have been a very humbling experience. It was then that he realized that even his father’s servants had it better than this!
Have you ever found yourself eating with the pigs? We all have at one time or another: What did you do? Where did you turn for help? Well like we just said our young son comes to his senses too. Now he realizes that what he has done is wrong, it is a sin. It tells us in verse 18 and again in verse 21 that, “I have sinned against heaven, and before thee (the father).” The light pops on in this kids head, this situation is not right, and I need to do something about it. Now this is usually the result of hitting a very low point in our life. We realize we are just kidding ourselves, if we think we can muddle through life’s problems on our own. There is only one place that we can get the strength and the knowledge that we need to survive, and thrive, and that is from our own Heavenly Father.
So our young son decides the way to go is back to his father, and confess his sin, which is just what he does. The father in our story saw his lost son when he was still a “great way off” and he ran out to greet him. We need to stop here again… Am I wrong or does it sound like the father was waiting and watching for his young son to return? It is no different than our Father, God, he is always ready and willing to forgive a sinner and take him in. The young son tells the father that he has sinned against heaven and he is no longer worthy to be called his son.
The father doesn’t really hear a word that the kid says; he is overjoyed that his son has returned. He doesn’t care what has happened, he is just glad that he has come back. The father tells his servants to bring him the best robe, and to put a ring on his finger and shoes on his feet. He then tells his servants to go and kill the fatted calf and to prepare a feast so that they can celebrate the son’s return. The father says “let us eat and be marry, for this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost and is found.”
This is just what each and every one of us must do to start a relationship with God. We have to tell God, just like the young son had to tell his father, “I have sinned against you, and I know that it is wrong, Lord please forgive me, I commit my life to you.” Now what does God do with us then? He forgives our sins, and takes us into the family of believers, and He adds our names to the Book of Life, and gives us the promise of eternal life. WOW!!! What a gift.
Now we all remember back at the start of this story there were two sons. Well, the older son returns from his work in the fields and hears a party going on. The older son calls to one of the servants and asks him what was going on. The servant explained to the older brother that his brother had returned, and his father had ordered the celebration because he was now safe and sound. Well what to you think the older brother thought about these developments? Verse 28 tells us that “he was angry,” now that is pretty clear.
The older brother is so angry that he won’t even join the party, so the father goes out to see what is wrong. The older son tells the father that this isn’t fair. He has worked hard all his life, done all that he had asked of him, has been good and faithful, but does he kill even a goat for him to party with his friends? NOOOOOO!!!! Now his deadbeat brother returns after wasting all that his father had given him on parties and fast women, and what does he get? The father has the prize calf killed and throws a big party. Do you see anything wrong with this picture?
The father answers his older son in verse 31, saying, “and he said unto him, Son thou art ever with me, and all that I have is thine.” The father goes on in verse 32, “we should make marry and be glad: For thy brother was dead, and is alive again; and was lost and is found.”
This older brother is not much different than a lot of people that call themselves Christians today. They come to church almost every week, they sing the songs, put their offering in the basket, and listen to the prayers. They act just like everyone else. Well almost, there is one thing missing. These people hear the message, know what the program is all about, but they just have not gone to the Lord and confessed that they are a sinner. They know what is in store for those who believe, but they just cannot take that last step and “return to the father.”
Now each and every one of us that is already in the Lord needs to be on the lookout for these people. They are easy to find, because they are the ones that are stopping you to ask: What is the party about? Jesus tells us what the party is about in Luke 15: 10, “Likewise I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth.” Stop and think about that for a second. There is a celebration in heaven every time someone comes to the Lord.
Now do you know someone who is lost, who has never known Jesus Christ, or someone who knows Jesus, but has been separated from Him? Then you should lead them to the Lord. Maybe you yourself are still lost, or maybe the world has come between you and Jesus. This is easy to fix, you just need to examine your heart and you need to ask yourself this question: Has there been a celebration in heaven for me? If not bow your head with me right now…
Father God, I know I am a sinner Lord, I know that you sent your Son Jesus Christ to die on the cross for my sins. Lord please forgive me for my sins, Lord I commit my life to you; guide me and protect me Lord, and give to me the knowledge to do your will. I ask this in the name of Your Son Jesus Christ. Amen.
