Luke 15:11-24

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SECTION 3

Lost Prodigal Son (Luke 15:11-24)

11 And he said, There was a man who had two sons; 12and the younger of them said to his father, -Father, give me the share of property that falls to me.-' And he divided his living between them. 13Not many days later, the younger son gathered all he had and took his journey into a far country, and there he squandered his property in loose living. 14And when he had spent everything, a great famine arose in that country, and he began to be in want. 15So he went and joined himself to one of the citizens of that country, who sent him into his fields to feed swine. 16And he would gladly have fed on the pods that the swine ate; and no one gave him anything. 17But when he came to himself he said, -How many of my father's hired servants have bread enough and to spare, but I perish here with hunger! 18I will arise and go to my father, and I will say to him, Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you; 19I am no longer worthy to be called your son; treat me as one of your hired servants.-' 20And he arose and came to his father. But while he was yet at a distance, his father saw him and had compassion and ran and embraced him and kissed him. 21And the son said to him, -Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you; I am no longer worthy to be called your son.-' 22But the father said to his servants, -Bring quickly the best robe, and put it on him; and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet; 23and bring the fatted calf and kill it, and let us eat and make merry; 24for this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found.-' And they began to make merry.

Luke 15:11-16 Roaming: This parable has never lost its grandeur or poignancy in two thousand years of reading and telling. It is still as relevant as the day it was told. It is still provoking, puzzling and its ending as shocking and unbelievably wonderful as it was to those who heard it in the beginning. One commentator said, It is the most divinely tender and most humanly touching story ever told on earth. Charles Dickens said: It is the finest short story ever written. In 21 action packed verses the reader learns the profound secret of the kingdom of Godgracel Of all the things Jesus said, this parable alone gives the clearest insight into the very heart of God. Most often it is called, The Parable of the Prodigal Son; sometimes it is called The Parable of the Perfect Father. As a matter of fact, the Father (God) is the hero of the story. A certain man (God) and his response to his two sons is what the parable is all about. The primary lesson of the parable is to show the difference between God's attitude toward sinners and that of the Pharisees (the elder brother).

It is undoubtedly intentional that Jesus said this certain man had only two sons. Two sonsprodigal (sinner) and petulant (Pharisee)that is all the sons God has (except His Perfect Son). All mankind falls into one category or the otherthose who openly rebel and admit they are sinners, and those who try to pretend they are not. You and I were either prodigal or Phariseethere is no other breed of man outside the grace of God.
The younger son had been daydreaming, probably, of all the excitement and happiness he could have if only he could take what his father would pass on to him and spend it in some far off, exotic land. So he went to his father and demanded, Give me. The Greek word dos is (2 pers. sing. aor. 2) imperative for didomi, which means literally, an order or a command, Give me. Impertinent, impatient and impudent he orders his father, Gimme. According to Deuteronomy 21:17, the eldest son was to get two-thirds of a man's estate and the younger son one-third when the man decided it was time to divide his property among his heirs. This son did not ask, did not suggest, did not beghe did not seek his father's wishes at all. The prodigal-minded son was so obsessed with his own independence and craving for excitement he did not even think to ask what he might give his father. He was not concerned at all about his father's feelings and desires. Give me. to do with as I please are the impertinent theme words of every prodigal, fallen son of man.

It is important to note in Luke 15:12 the father divided his livelihood (Gr. bios) between themthe elder son got his share too (later he will complain he was discriminated against). God feeds and clothes all His sons; He makes His rain to fall on the just and unjust alike; He gives rain and fruitful seasons from heaven on believer and pagan alike. It is what each does with his Father's benevolence that matters.

The father graciously and wisely let the son have his freedom. He undoubtedly knew what the lad intended to do. The father knew he could not force the boy to be a son. A son in rebellion, forced against his will, is a son in rebellion still! God knew from the very start, in Eden, He could not force Adam to be a son. He knew He must take the risk of giving man his free will if He was to have a son at all. The father could have made him stay home, say Yes to everything and the father could have smothered the sonpossessed him body and soulbut that would have robbed the boy of his personhood. The Father gave the boy his freedom to be wrong in order that the boy might be able to be right some day, independently and lovinglynot slavishly.
The younger son gathered (Gr. sunagagon) or collected all his father gave him. If he had been given flocks or grain he sold them and converted them into money. He then departed and traveled to a far country. There is a certain pseudo sense of power in breaking loose from parental supervision and provision. Boys become intoxicated with the idea of independence. Many of them lose all sense of propriety and reality when they first taste it. This lad, going far, went too far. He scattered (Gr. dieskorpisen, see the same word translated scatters in Matthew 12:30) his property in riotous living. The Greek word asotos is translated riotous but literally means, without saving. He literally squandered all he had. He spent everything he had. He had left nothing behind at home because he had no plans to return there. He believed he was sufficient unto himself, Without guidance, and undisciplined himself, he fell in with a crowd of profligate parasites. His life became a whirl of self-indulgence, careless wastefulness, and perversion of every good thing passed on to him by his father.

A great famine arose in that far off country, In a society so decadent as one where few take thought for saving anything and where harlotry is rampant (cf. v, 30), famine may naturally be the consequence of such luxury, indolence and dissipation. The lad had frittered away every coin he had. He apparently had many friends so long as he had money to spend. But then one day he was destituteand alone. His parasitic fellow-sinners left him in want.
Going, he glued himself to one of the citizens. That is the way the Greek reads. He did not, could not, wait around for a job-offer. He went out to find some way to live. He latched on (Gr. ekollethe, glued) to one of the locals. The citizen gave him a job of feeding swinebut he was given hardly anything at all fit to eat. To tend hogs was an abomination to a Jew and Jesus paints the most degraded condition possible here. To be compelled to do so was even more humiliating to a young man who had just recently been feeling so powerful and self-sufficient in his freedom from home. The good times were gone, but he probably kept telling himself at first how much better it was than being under a father's thumb. Very soon, however, he began to realize how bad things really were. He would gladly have fed on the pods that the swine ate, but he was not allowed to do so. The Greek word keration is mistranslated husks in some versions. Actually the word means, little horn and is describing carob-pods, the fruit of a tree called carob or kharub, common in Asia Minor and Syria. These pods are somewhat like the common garden-variety green-beannot nearly as wholesome or tasty. They are still used in the Middle East as food for swine. What this boy had to eat was so scarce and so unpleasant, he wanted to eat what he was feeding the hogs but he was not at liberty to do so.

In his bull-headed attempt to get away from what he thought was a prison at home, he took himself prisoner. His friends turned out to be his enemies. Starving, degraded and depraved, he was still crying out, Gimme. but he could no longer have what he wanted. Now he must take what others wish to give himwhich is really nothing at all.

Luke 15:17-20 a Repentance: The need for repentance and its definitiona change of mindwas discussed in chapter 13. The parable of the prodigal son is a classic illustration of repentance in action.

The prodigal came to himself. The Greek literally reads, But to himself coming.. The emphasis is on himself. He had not only been away from his father, he had been away from himself. He had not been his right self. In sin, no man is in his right mind. All sin is a form of insanity (cf. 1 Corinthians 15:34, RSV, Come to your right mind and sin no more.). God did not make man for sin. Man is not for himself when he is sinningman is choosing against himself and some personality other than his right one when he rebels against God. The prodigal's realization did not come like a bolt out of the blue. Note, ... coming to himself. indicates it took a while for him to wake up. It takes a while for most men to repentsome never do.

He remembered what he knew of fellowship with the father and compared that with what he was then experiencing in rebellion and decided the father's house was to be desired no matter what sacrifices he might have to make. Coming to the end of his rope was his salvation. Suffering the consequences of his rebellion was the necessary prelude to his repentance. If God did not allow us to suffer in our persons the due penalty of our errors (Romans 1:27), many more of us would go to hell. One writer has said: Heaven, builds its hopes on the defeat of man's ego. No man can be saved until he admits he is lost. No man can be saved until he admits no one else can help him but God.

The prodigal decided to get up and go to his father and confess his sin. He did not say, It was my father's faulthe should not have been so strictif he will come to me I will go back with him. The lad did not blame his downfall on his father, on his elder brother or on evil companions. He honestly accepted the responsibility himself. Many people regret the consequences of their sin and are sorry they have to suffer them, but they are not honest enough to admit they are responsible. Most people have a tendency to blame the consequences of their sin on someone else. Most people feel they must retain their own pride and dignity even at the cost of self-honesty. But this rebellious child knew what he was, admitted what he was and decided he could honestly blame no one else or claim any goodness of his own at all. He knew he could make no claim of relationship as son to the father at all. He will beg only for a hired servant's lot. He knew his father well enough to know that even a servant's lot with him was paradise compared to the hog-pen of the far country. So we see the subjective-' elements of repentance: (a) deep inner struggle with oneself; (b) rational evaluation of the consequences of one's sins compared with what one knows about God; (c) honest, humble admission of responsibility for sinful choices and actions; (d) confidence that the father will forgive and accept repentance; (e) poverty of spirit that will claim no merit or goodness of his own.

One last thing remainsto get up and go! And he arose and came to his father. Driven by his need and drawn by his hope that the father will receive him, he exercises his will and his body to perform the overt action of returning to the father's house. Repentance is a change of mind and attitude which must result in action. The penitent son took with him words of confession and a heart of obedience (cf. Hosea 14:1-9). He returned, willing to obey the father even as a servant would obey. There may be tears of regret and remorse but without obedience to the Father's (God'S) will, there is no repentance.

Repentance is voluntary. The father did not force the son to return against his will. The father did not send servants to hypnotize, emotionalize or pressure the son into returning. If the son had returned under any other circumstances than a completely rational and voluntary surrender of his will, he would have been a son still in rebellion. The mission of the church is to speak the truth in love and with rational persuasiveness and then let the prodigal son voluntarily come to himself and to the Father. The church is not commissioned to seduce anyone into coming to the Father against his will. The church will do well to constantly review her purpose and methodology.

Luke 15:20 b - Luke 15:24 Regeneration: When he was a great way off. The father had been mourning his lost son; he had been lovingly and longingly looking down the road each day hoping the prodigal would return. God is not willing that any should perish (2 Peter 3:9). When the father saw the son returning, he ran to meet the prodigal. The father did not wait to see if the son had cleaned himself up, or if the son had any means of reimbursement for all the heartache he had caused. The son had not run homehe had probably returned in a half-halting, hesitant manner, anticipating the humiliation he would have to endure and the scolding he would get. But the father saw the son first and ran to meet him and fell on the son's neck (embraced him) and wrapped him in love's arms. Eager to receive his son back no matter how destitute, the father kissed him before he could even finish his confession. The son was looking for, I told you so. but he received an excited embrace and profuse kisses (Gr. katephilesen). Instead of a lecture and punishment (which the son was anticipating), the father was moved with emotional feeling (Gr. esplagchnisthe, compassion) and ordered his servants, Bring quickly. (Gr. tachu exenegkate) robe, ring and sandals to put upon his son.

The robe was (Gr. proten, lit. first) the best and signified honor; the ring signified authority; the sandals signified sonship since slaves went barefoot and only children of the house wore shoes. They were also ordered to bring the calf, the fattened one (Gr. ton moschon ton siteuton); there is only one such calf, reserved for some special occasion (cf. 1 Samuel 28:24). The father also invited the household to join the feast and merrymaking. The word merry does not precisely express the meaning of the Greek word euphranthomen for it is a combination of two words, eu and phren, which mean literally, think well, or be of a good mind. Merriment might infer frivolity whereas the Greek word allows for no superficiality but means deep, mental joy and happiness.

Why such a celebration? Because this father's son who was dead is alive again; the son, having been lost, was found. Because through the son's repentance and the father's forgiveness, the son has been born again. Notice that the rebirth came as a result of action on both the part of the son and the father. The lost and dead son could not be found and reborn until he came to himself, got up and returned home. Only then could the father constitute him reborn. The son was not passive, but active in the event. This scene is the supreme moment in all literature! It is the greatest love story ever told. Jesus did not make up this story. It is true. Jesus Himself wrote this story indelibly in the blood of His cross. Our God is like that father! And the boy? He is you and me. This is our life's story, if we have been found.