The Parable Of The Loving Father

Introduction:

• "In Luke 15, we encounter a story often called 'The Parable of the Prodigal Son,' a title that highlights the son's wasteful choices and, in a way, keeps the focus on our own shortcomings.

• But I believe this name misses the heart of the story. A truer title might be 'The Parable of the Loving Father,' which shifts our attention to the father's extraordinary love and actions in welcoming his son home, rather than the son's mistakes in wandering away."

• Imagine a young man who demands his inheritance, leaves home, squanders it all in reckless living, and ends up broke and broken, feeding pigs.

• Yet, when he returns, his father doesn’t just welcome him—he throws a lavish celebration!

• This story speaks to all of us, whether you’re exploring faith for the first time or have walked with God for years.

• Let’s read our text and then we will dive into four factors from this parable that remind us of God’s incredible love.

Read Text & Pray

I. Don’t Forget the Pigs

i. Remember Where You Came From: The pigsty was the prodigal son’s rock bottom—a place of shame and regret that showed him the cost of his choices.

ii. He thought leaving home would help him “find himself.” Instead, he lost everything—his money, his dignity, his identity.

iii. He ended up feeding pigs, a job so degrading for a Jewish boy that it was unthinkable. He did for a stranger what he refused to do for his father.

iv. In that filthy pigsty, he remembered home—not as a proud son, but as someone who’d settle for being a servant, just to eat the scraps his father’s workers enjoyed.

b. Think of a time you took a wrong turn—maybe not physically, but in life.

i. Illustration: I once heard about a young woman who left her small town chasing fame in the city. She thought she’d find freedom, but ended up alone, broke, and far from God. It was in her “pigsty moment”—sitting in an empty apartment—that she remembered the love of her family and her faith.

1. Like her, the pig pen shows us where our own way leads us.

2. It reminds us where our choices lead when we go without God.

ii. Why Remember?

1. When we’ve been saved for a while, it’s easy to forget what it was like to be lost. We can start to feel “above” others, forgetting our own struggles.

2. Remembering our past keeps us humble and grateful. It reminds us that we’re all sinners saved by grace, whether we’ve been here for decades or just walked through the door today.

c. As you grow in your faith, remember the pigs in your past and stay someone who loves and welcomes everyone, no matter their past.

i. If you’re new: your story matters, and God’s grace covers every pigsty you’ve ever rooted around in.

ii. If you’ve been walking with Christ let me tell you here today, Don’t Forget The Pigs! Remember where God found you.

II. Don’t Forget the Party

a. The father’s response to his son’s return wasn’t a lecture or a punishment—it was a party! And it was a very Extravagant Welcome Home!

i. The son had a speech ready: “Father, I’m not worthy to be called your son.” But he barely got the words out before his father interrupted him with love.

ii. The father called for a celebration, sparing no expense:

1. The Best Robe: Not the son’s old, tattered clothes, but a robe reserved for honored guests, covering his shame with dignity. This points to God’s righteousness that covers our sins.

2. A Ring on His Finger: The ring was a sign of sonship, restoring his authority and place in the family. God doesn’t just forgive—He restores us fully.

3. Sandals on His Feet: Servants went barefoot, but sons wore sandals. The father declared, “You’re not a servant—you’re my child!”

4. The Fatted Calf: A rare treat, saved for the grandest occasions, signaling a feast of joy for the son who was “lost and is found.”

iii. Jesus says in Luke 15:10, “There is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”

1. Heaven throws a party every time someone comes home to God!

2. Illustration: I read about a church that threw a big welcome party for a man who’d been in prison for years. He walked in, nervous, expecting judgment. Instead, they greeted him with hugs, a meal, and a Bible with his name on it.

3. That’s the kind of party God throws—full of grace, no strings attached. We should be that kind of family, celebrating every person who walks through the doors.

b. The Irony of the Son’s Search

i. Everything the son chased—freedom, joy, belonging—was waiting for him at home all along. He didn’t need to wander; the father’s house had it all.