The Prodigal Compassion for the Rebellious

Luke 15:11 - 32

Have you ever heard someone talking about someone you never knew, but because of their relationship with that person and the stories they shared, you felt like you knew that person?  One purpose for Jesus Christ coming to earth was to help us see what our heavenly Father was like.  Jesus, who has spent eternity past with the Heavenly Father, knows him well and gives us picture stories (parables) to show us what our heavenly Father is like.  It is in Luke 15 that Jesus gives us one of those stories, so that you and I might see what the heavenly Father is really like.

First, let me ask you a question!  What do you think God thinks when he looks at you? We may think God is fed up with our failures and wants nothing to do with us. We may think he is disappointed in us or that he might love us more if we worked harder. But according to Jesus, God doesn’t think like that. The truth about God’s heart for sinners may surprise us and certainly has the power to change our lives.  

In order to understand the parable, we need to start with verses 1-2: “Now the tax collectors and sinners were all gathering around to hear him. But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law muttered, ‘This man welcomes sinners and eats with them!’”  In Luke 15, we discover that Jesus is surrounded by 3 classes of people: common people (us) - sinners, tax collectors (the worst of sinners), and the Pharisees and teachers of the law.  You can almost feel the tension here.  Jesus likes to spend time with the worst kind of people, and it bothered the self-righteous religious people. So, Jesus begins to share three parables with the Pharisees.

In the first one, a farmer has 100 sheep, and one gets lost. Jesus shows how the farmer leaves the 99 and goes on a search and rescue mission for the one that is lost. In the second story, a widow loses one of her 10 coins and searches intently until she finds it. These coins represented her life savings.  In the third story, a son is lost and eventually returns home.  There are many things that could be said about these three parables, but I want to just point out one common thread. Whenever the lost is found, there is great rejoicing! In Verse 6, the farmer calls his buddies together and says, “Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.” In verse 9, the widow says, “Rejoice with me; I have found my lost coin.” And when the lost son returns home, the father throws a big party filled with rejoicing.  Jesus is making the point that when the lost are found, heaven throws a big celebration! Whenever a lost person repents, spontaneous partying breaks out in heaven. 

1. The Younger Son

Now, let’s begin with the younger son in verse 11-12. “Jesus continued: “There was a man who had two sons.  15:12 The younger one said to his father, ‘Father, give me my share of the estate.’ So, he divided his property between them.”  As the younger son, he was entitled to 1/3 of everything his father had. Legally, this was his when his father passed. In order for the father to give him this amount, some of his property probably had to be liquidated and sold. Taking the money, he leaves home and journeys to a place the Bible calls “a distant country.” There he spends every dime he has on riotous living. When a famine comes, not having any cash and being too far away from home, he attaches himself to a farmer who says, “The only work I have is feeding my pigs.” He who had eaten prime rib just a few weeks earlier now dines with the swine.  Before going any further with the story, let’s stop and analyze what happened to this young man. How did he end up in such a mess?  We will call this the “Five Steps to the Pigpen.”

1. He became selfish. His fall began with a selfish act, a disregard for his father. He said, “I want my money and I want it now.” All he could see were the dollar signs. “Dad, give me my money. Show me the money. I want out of here.” 

2. He acted hastily. The Bible says that when he got his money he took off to a distant country. When you hear that phrase, you shouldn’t think of somewhere thousands of miles away. Do you know where the distant country is? It’s one step outside of God’s will. It’s not a matter of geography, but a broken relationship with God. 

3. He wasted everything he had. The word prodigal means, “to waste.” When he left, he never intended to come back home. After all, he took all the money with him. If he had planned to return, he would have left some assets behind. 

4. He separated himself from every relationship that was important to him. By leaving, he broke his relationship with his father and his brother. He also left his family and his friends. He rejected everything that was good and right and holy. All of that went out the window. 

5. He made a long string of bad decisions.  Sin always works that way. One bad decision led to another. First you tell a lie, and then you have to tell another one to cover up the first one. Sin always leads to more sin. Once you start making bad decisions, it’s easier to make them as you go along. But pretty soon you are about 15 bad decisions down the road. At that point it seems easier to keep on going in the wrong direction.

Notice what happened next, Luke 15:14 - 16: “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.  15:16 He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything.” There was a famine in the distant country. Whenever you leave God, there will always be a famine. It may look good, like a land flowing with milk and honey. In the distant country you enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season. But after a while the money runs out, the music stops, the beautiful people get bored with you, and you are broke and penniless. In the end he lost everything. He who had it all lost it all. He who came from a good family now sleeps with the pigs. The prodigal son has hit rock bottom. God often lets that happen because many of us won’t look up until we hit rock bottom. When we finally reach the end of our rope, then and only then do we begin to think about returning home again.

1. The Way Back Home

While he’s face-to-face with the pigs he begins to change by coming to his senses. Luke 15:17 – 19 “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!  15:18 I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you.  15:19 I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired men.’ 

First, there was an awakening. Verse 17 says, “…he came to his senses.” Sin is senseless:  it’s a form of temporary spiritual insanity. It’s turning away from living water in order to drink out of a sewer. What was it that brought him to his senses? He was hungry. His stomach made him think back to his father house. That’s not a very exalted motive. Nothing suggests he turned back because he realized what a terrible thing he had done. He hasn’t repented yet or come to grips with the enormity of his sin. That’s still in the future.  

Here is a startling truth: People often turn to the Lord simply because they have nowhere else to go. Their motives may be no more exalted than the need to find a hot meal and a place to stay on a cold night in December. What that means is this: When you are praying for a straying believer, ask God to make them hungry. Pray for the famine to come. Pray for their money to run out. “Lord, make him so miserable that sin no longer looks inviting.” “Lord, make her hungry for the love she used to know.” “Lord, make him so restless that he can’t sleep at night.”

Second, there was repentance. He said to himself in verse 18, “I will set out and go back to my father.” Repentance is what happens when you’ve been going the wrong direction and finally you say, “I’ve gone this way long enough. I’m going to turn around, and I’m going to go back in the other direction.” Repentance is a change of mind that leads to a change of heart and life. 

If the first step back home stemmed from personal need, he now begins to grapple with the root problem. He realizes that his fundamental need is not for food, but for a restored relationship with his father. He’s hungry tonight because many months ago he got greedy and left home. He’s sleeping with the pigs because in his pig-headedness, he demanded his own way. He’s living alone because he chose to go his own way. Repentance means admitting that you are solely responsible for the mess you are in. You can’t go back home until you admit that you were the one who left in the first place.

Third, there was honesty.  Notice what he also says in verse 18: “Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you.” He stopped making excuses for his behavior.  A person is really serious about changing his life when he stops making excuses for their behavior. Think about what the prodigal son could have said. “It was really my older brother’s fault. He always picked on me, and Daddy always liked him best.” Or he might say, “If my old man had given me more money I wouldn’t be in this fix.” Or, “That farmer never gave me a good job.”  He could have made a thousand excuses. But he didn’t. He simply said, “I have sinned.” These words marked the beginning of a new life for this young man. When you stop making excuses for your failures, you are not far from a brand-new life.

Fourth, there was humility. While he is still in the pigpen, he mentally rehearses what he will say to his father in verse 19: “I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired men.” What a tremendous statement that is. He came back home with no pre-conditions.  He didn’t say, “Dad, before I’ll come back, we’ve got to make a deal.” That’s not real repentance. This man was so deeply hurt over the way he had lived that he said, “Father, I’m not worthy to be called your son. I’ve disgraced you. If you will take me back, I will work like a hired hand.” Real repentance doesn’t make deals.

Fifth, there was resolution. Look at the first part of verse 20: “So he got up and went to his father.” It’s certainly easy to criticize the prodigal son. But, when the time came to move, he moved. So many people say, “Give me some time to think about it.” Not this guy. He didn’t delay, but simply started out on the journey home.

1. The Father’s Welcome

As he shuffled along the road, a couple questions went through his mind: “What is my father going to say? Will he take me back?” With his head down, he walked along that dirt road, probably embarrassed and humiliated. Certainly, his fears were well founded. 

Luke 15:20 – 24 “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. 15:21 “The son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ 15:22 “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.  15:23 Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate.  15:24 For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ So, they began to celebrate.” What do you begin to think when God looks in your direction as you have been rebelling against him, living apart from him?  What do you think God is filled with when He looks at you?  This parable tells us what the heart of the Father is filled with when He looks at us – COMPASSION!  We often don’t think about the father’s pain when we read this story. But it could not have been easy for him. First of all, he lost part of the fortune he had worked so long to amass. Second, he lost his reputation in the community. When a son leaves home in such anger, there’s no way to keep it hidden.  But the worst pain was the simple fact that the father had lost his son. After all these years, after all those prayers, after holding him in his arms, after teaching him how to hunt and fish, after pouring out an ocean of love, suddenly the dream is shattered, and the father is left with a huge hole in his heart. Words cannot express the pain, the sadness, the loss the father feels. His son has left home, and no one can console him. After all that, could anyone blame the father if he refused to take his son back? No wonder the son worries as he slowly plods toward home. He has no idea what awaits him. 

Verse 20 says that while he was still a long way off, his father saw him. This is a great moment. His father saw him and was moved with compassion. Have you ever wondered how long the son was gone? It really does not matter. Day after day the father watched for his son. Night after night he waited for his return. Nothing deterred him, not the weather, not the jeers and jokes of the skeptics, not the doubting looks of his friends. Deep in his heart, he believed his son would someday come back home. 

Then it happened. One day, he saw a figure walking hesitantly toward him.  Throwing all dignity aside, he ran to meet his son, embraced him without saying a word, threw his arms around him and kissed him. The word Jesus used means he smothered him with kisses.  The father knew full well how his son would be welcomed in the village when he returned in failure. So, he would run to meet his boy before he reaches the city limits. If he is able to reconcile with his boy in public, no one will be able to treat his son badly. Interestingly, in that culture, men who wore robes never ran in public; to do so was deeply humiliating.  In that one moment all questions were answered. The son’s fear melted away in the tears and hugs. No words passed between them, but one broken heart spoke to another. Then the sobbed confession  he was so overwhelmed that he could only utter the first part of his prepared speech in verse 21: “I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.” 

It would be impossible to predict what would happen next. This “Grace Encounter” gives each of us the hope of tasting grace ourselves. Notice the five signs of the father’s welcome:

1. The kiss represented forgiveness.

2. The best robe was a status symbol.

3. The ring was a sign of authority.

4. The sandals were a sign of freedom. Only slaves went barefoot.

5. The feast, the sign of a joyful welcome  reserved for special occasions.

Verse 24 brings the first part of the story to a close with these wonderful words of hope: “So they began to celebrate.” At the father’s command, a party begins that lasts for hours.

God cares more about relationship than religious action!  This story is a picture of how God sees us.  Mercy does not give us what we do deserve; grace gives us what we do not deserve.  Aren’t you glad this morning for grace?  Have you accepted the grace of God today?  If not, then why not now!