The Prodigal Son

This morning, I want to share with you a parable that is familiar to many of you. It has been titled with many different names, but the most common is the prodigal son. The word prodigal means recklessly wasteful. It is a term that could very easily be applied to our own society.

Luke 15:11-24 Jesus continued: "There was a man who had two sons. 12 The younger one said to his father, 'Father, give me my share of the estate.' So he divided his property between them.

There is a sense of self centeredness (Give me that which is mine! – When “I” is the central concern in our lives, it will lead us to our weakness and sinfulness.

Notice also the division of property - (Deut.21.17). An extra portion went to the eldest son.

Although it is not directly discussed in the text, the cultural custom of Ketsatsah – the ceremonial cutting off from a village or family, would have been exercised here. In effect, once the younger son left, he was dead to the family and to the village, cut off forever.

13 "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.

The word that is translated as “wild” is (as-o’-toce). This is the only use of this word in the New Testament and therefore, there is some dispute among scholars as to how it should be correctly translated. According to Strong’s, it can either describe a person who is 1. Given over to dissipation; or a person who is 2. Recklessly wasteful and wildly extravagant. Whether or not the boy was “wild,” he was definitely reckless, being much too free with his money. After a time, the money ran out. But no doubt the prodigal continued to enjoy himself with his new found friends, living off the good will of those he had treated well. Yet such a state of affairs was not to last. The scriptures tell us that:

14 After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he began to be in need. 15 So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs. 16 He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything.

There is an old song that says, "Into every life a little rain must fall," and for the prodigal, the proverbial rain came at the worst possible time. As his fair-weather friends turned inward, he found himself in need. At first, he still allowed his stubborn pride to rule him. He hired himself out to a citizen of that country, feeding the pigs. Two things that are important here. First, hiring oneself out meant that one became a slave, giving up his or her freedom and social status in exchange for a sum of money. But to understand how far the prodigal had fallen, one must consider the writings of the Talmud, which stated that anyone who fed swine was to be considered cursed. But. . .

17 "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! 18 I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. 19 I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired men.'

When he came to himself. Thank God we can eventually come to the end of ourselves and realize the desperate need that we have and how foolish we have been. We often fail to realize how desperate the situation had become for the young prodigal. The young man realized that he would die if he remained where he was. What we fail to understand, in our ignorance of that culture, is that returning home was not much better. Having been cut off in Ketsatsah, any servant of the house, any member of the village could stone him on sight. In effect, he said to himself, “I will try to make it to my father, and if he will have me, I’ll live. If he rejects me, at least it will all be over.” It was not a happy journey back home, cold, barefoot, hungry, and wondering if it was all in vain.

Can you see him as he reaches the end of that trip? Thin and frail, weak as a kitten, he stumbles up the lane. As he passes the first field, a few of the servants look up and study him—a beggar, they think; but then one of them catches a glimpse of his dirty face. The cry goes up and the servants drop their tools as they scramble to find rocks. The prodigal breaks into a run, with all the strength he has left, and as he runs, the scripture picks the story back up.

"(20b)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 prodigal hears someone running towards him, and as he looks up, his father runs right into him, knocking him to the ground. And the father throws himself at the boy. But instead of the punches and kicks the boy expects to receive, the father shields him from the rocks and kisses him. The prodigal fought through the confusion and began his plea. How many times had he fallen to sleep practicing it, weighing each word of his confession?

21 "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 cut him off before he could finish. He pulled the boy to his feet and began to shout orders to the servants, who stood around in wide-eyed wonder, dropping their stones harmlessly upon the ground.

22 "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. 23 Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let's have a feast and celebrate. 24 For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.' So they began to celebrate.

This is important, for the father’s commands tell us much about the future the prodigal would face, as it does the future of any repentant sinner who comes to the Father for forgiveness.

The best robe-to cover his rags and convey honor upon him. God does not just give us a robe-he insist upon giving us the best.

Next, a ring was set upon his finger-the signet ring, which brought with it the authority of the family. In essence, the giving of the signet restored what had been broken in the ketsatsah. He was again a son, a member of the family, with all the rights and privileges that came with it.

The sandals might seem an afterthought, but they are perhaps the most important, for only free men wore shoes. His freedom was being restored. There is an old Negro spiritual (All Gods Chillun got Wings) that states:

I got shoes, you got shoes
All o' God's chillun got shoes
When I get to heab'n I'm goin' to put on my shoes
I'm goin' to walk all ovah God's Heab'n

Finally, the fatted calf speaks of rejoicing and celebration. It is not with anger, judgment, or condemnation that the prodigal is welcomed back, but with genuine thanksgiving.

There are some here that have wondered far from home. And maybe today God is calling you to come to yourself and to come home. He wants to give you that robe of righteousness, which will cover all your sins. He wants to restore your relationship, giving you the power and authority of a child of God. And he wants to set you free from the slavery of sin, whose chains seem to wrap around us so easily. You see, Jesus is calling you, softly, tenderly, he says, my child, come home.

If you are here today, and God is calling you, I want to ask you come as we close. There may be others that simply need to pray; this alter rail is always open. Won’t you come?