Scripture: Luke 15:11-32 Jesus continued: “There was a man who had two sons. The younger one said to his father, ‘Father, give me my share of the estate.’ So he divided his property between them.
“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. After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he began to be in need. So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs. He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything.
“When he came to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired servants.’ So he got up and went to his father.
“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 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 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. Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate. For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ So they began to celebrate.
“Meanwhile, the older son was in the field. When he came near the house, he heard music and dancing. So he called one of the servants and asked him what was going on. ‘Your brother has come,’ he replied, ‘and your father has killed the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound.’
“The older brother became angry and refused to go in. So his father went out and pleaded with him. But he answered his father, ‘Look! All these years I’ve been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders. Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends. But when this son of yours who has squandered your property with prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him!’
“‘My son,’ the father said, ‘you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’”
Devotion: “The parable of the prodigal son could be called the ‘parable of the welcoming father.’ While the repentance of the song is important to the parable, the father’s willingness to forgive, and his unexpected actions are a striking illustration of the fatherly love of God for wayward human beings.”
This is from a commentary by R.C. Sproul, and I love the perspective shift of it. For all of my life, I have known this as “The Parable of the Prodigal Son.” To shift the focus from the sinful and lost son to the forgiveness and love of the father puts this lesson in a different light.
“’For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ So they began to celebrate” (Luke 15:24). What Jesus was teaching about here was not merely repentance when we have screwed up, though that is important too. What He is teaching about is the welcoming heart and demeanor of our Heavenly Father when we seek His forgiveness and come home. He is waiting for you. He longs to run towards you and embrace you. He wants to celebrate because you were dead and are now alive because of Christ. What a beautiful image.
The love of our God goes far beyond anything that we can think or imagine. But through stories like these, the very lessons that Jesus used to teach about our Lord, we get a greater understanding of the very love that our Father has for us. And much like He celebrates when we turn from our sin and come back to Him, let’s celebrate His great love and mercy for us.
Reflect:
- How does shifting the focus of this parable from the prodigal son to the welcoming father change your understanding of it?
