A recent sermon series at South Harbor Church,whilerereadingan excellent bookby Tim Keller, The Prodigal God, broughtto mind new insights from this familiar,very powerful parable spoken by Jesus as, in particular,I was drawn to the4- characters and 5 - movementshighlighted below:
Parable of the Prodigal Son and Forgiving Father- Luke 15:3-32 Jesus continued: “There was a man who had two sons (1). The younger one said to his father (2), ‘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. Inclination - A Longing to Return to the Father.
“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.’Condemnation- Expected & Deserved by the Father
So he got up and went to his father. Desperation- Lost Hope, SeekHelp Similar to Step #1 of Alcoholics Anonymous (AA), recognizing my life is unmanageable andI'm personally powerless to improveit.
“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 (3),‘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. Restoration - Unmerited Grace and Favor Shown by the Father
“Meanwhile, the older son was in the field. (4)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.’ ” Celebration -The Father's Callto RestoreLost Brothers and Sisters
There are severallife-changinginsights to be gleaned from this powerful story (parable) spokenby Jesus, as includes:
1. Insights about the Faithful Father - God
- Godprovides his "property" toall people, allowing us to chooseour life path,as began in the Garden of Edenwhenhe allowedthe first man and woman to choose between good and evil. Whileknowing the outcome, God's lovecompels him to giveus"free will" to either obey or reject him.
- Though wereject him, God never rejects us! Helovingly awaits ourcomingto him -with arms wide open -longing toreceive and restore to us-without hesitation -critically needed"property" as are these "gifts": A Robe - Forgiveness, coveringour sin and shame (love, grace), A Ring - Restored Identity and Belonging to his family(value), Sandals - Renewed Purpose and Meaning for Life(hope)
2. Insights aboutWayward Children - Our Human Condition
- No matter how bad wemess-up...rejecting God through poor choices and selfish living...we can knowthe Father eagerlyawaits our return to him.
- Whenmy life is out-of-control, broken and unimaginable, Ido well to "come to my senses", repent and return to the outstretched arms of the Father. He (God) holds what we need fora full life, aswe all seek andyearn to receive.
Third,most often overlooked but equally powerful are these.... 3. Insights forServants andSons -Those Who Claim God as Father
- God commands his servants, and calls his sons, tomodel his heartand grace (mission) for lost and wayward people - unconditionally - extending to them acceptance into his (our) family, as he lovingly extended to us.
- This restoration involves: Unconditional Forgiveness, Restored Identity, Renewed Purpose and Meaning, and Joyful Celebration.
Imissed this one...admittedly both in understanding and often in action...as it's the Father's (God's) command to his Servants...andcalling to his Son...toshare hisheart for lost and lonely people,extendingto them full acceptance and restoration as our brothers and sisters in God's family. Reflecting on this... I'mstruckthat the older son - members of God'sfamily (Church) - shouldhave gonesearching for his brother,and/orshould have been eagerly awaiting his return with the father,and/or at least, should have joined incelebrating the son's (his brother's) return...but he didn't! Instead, the Father commanded his servant to extendrestorationto the lost son on his behalf through a "quick" distribution ofthe significant,symbolic gifts of a robe, a ring and sandals.
Why??? This question needs to penetratemyconsciousnessif I'm to grasp the full significance of this story.I'd describethe answer to the question to be: The Inherit Danger of Sonship vs. Servant hood". As I servant I'mmore inclinedto obey God's commands and model his heart and mission, while as a son I'mquite prone tobe self-serving and entitled in my thinking and action. True for you?
So what are we? The following passages shed light on this...
John 15:9-17 - Following Jesus' teaching aboutthe Vine &Branches: “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love.If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love.I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.You are my friends if you do what I command.I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you.You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last—and so that what ever you ask in my name the Father will give you. This is my command: Love each other.
Ephesians 1:3-9 -Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In lovehe predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will—to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves. In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s gracethat he lavished on us. With all wisdom and understanding,he made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ,to be put into effect when the times reach their fulfillment—to bring unity to all things in heaven and on earth under Christ
From these passages it seems clear that, if we accept God's gift of salvation, we become adopted children in his family - ahigh honor - while in doing so we're also called and commanded to carry out the Father's workseeking, accepting and restoringlost children to his family. I see this as a "slippery slope", asI (we)too easily vacillate between our "rights" as sons and our "responsibilities" as servants.
Further describing theunconditional love and graceof the Father...as he calls and commands his sons and servants to demonstrate...Icame across this article:
The Robe, The Ring and The Sandals - Copyright 2013: Sandra Micelotti Ministries, http://www.sandramministries.com/golden-nuggets.php?dev_id=6
Well known is the story of the Prodigal Son who became bored and tired of living a life of moral and spiritual excellence. He decided he wanted to take the portion of family inheritance that was his, establish his independence and partake of another lifestyle that would allow him to live free from any restrictions. Although his Father's heart was broken, he granted his son's request and did not prohibit him from pursuing that for which his heart desired.
After a time of tasting all that for which he had longed and having squandered all of his money, the Prodigal became impoverished, lonely, empty, dissatisfied and ended up working in a pigpen. One day as he began to assess his situation, he compared his present lack to his past of plenty. Instead of thinking as many would: "Woe is me, I have chosen my position so in it I must remain...", he thought to himself: "Why should I continue in this situation when I can return to my Father who loves me and will be allow me to live and work on his property." Shortly thereafter, the Prodigal started his journey homeward.
While the Prodigal isa distance fromhome, his Father seesand runs to him. In his Father's embrace the Prodigal admitted his wrongdoing, acknowledged his unworthiness to be called son and asked for forgiveness. Believing he no longer deserved to be called son, the Prodigal expected to be restored to the family as one of the hired servants. How surprised and pleased he was when his Father wholeheartedly received him as son rather than servant and insisted that a fatted calf be killed for a celebration. Nevertheless, this display of love by the Father was minor in comparison to that which was to be expressed through the further instruction the Father gave concerning the Prodigal.
The Father quickly told one of his servants to bring out and put upon his son, who stood in rags, the best robe, ring and sandals(Luke 15:22). Each individual item contains priceless and profound insight into the character of Father God's love toward all those who are His and bear the title of son or daughter.
"Bring forth the best robe and put it on him" -In having the best robe placed on him, the Father was telling the Prodigal as well as all observers that his position as son was being restored. It was an immediate demonstration of complete approval, love and mercy as well as protection - major benefits of being a son. In addition, everyone was witnessing the Father's transfer of the prime inheritance from the eldest son to the youngest son.
The same thing occurred in Genesis 27:15 when Rebekah took the choice clothesof the eldest son Esau and put them on the younger son Jacob. In Hebrew culture the eldest son, the firstborn in the family, received the best inheritance/distribution of property, goods, etcetera. In the instance of the Prodigal as with Jacob, the inheritance was transferred to the youngest son.
"Put a ring on his hand"- Long ago, presenting a ring to someone was a sign of great affection and also a symbol of being placed in an office of authority; among the rich it was a sign of wealth and dignity. Pharaoh removed his signet ring and put it on Joseph's hand when installing him into office in Egypt (Genesis 41:42). In the book of Esther the King took off his ring, the royal signet by which the decrees of government were signed, and gave it to Mordecai (Esther 8:2). The ring showed Pharaoh's affection for Joseph and the King's affection for Mordecai and transferred to them all power and authority necessary for the promotions they received, one as Governor and the other as Prime Minister.
The ring placed on the hand of the Prodigal evidenced the great affection the Father had toward him. It also announced, once again, the transfer of inheritance which would ordinarily have gone to the first-born.
"Put sandals on his feet"- The prodigal returned home without shoes, a sign of having become extremely destitute because in ancient biblical times only servants and slaves went barefoot. Therefore, when the Father ordered shoes to be brought out and put on the Prodigal's feet he said for the third and final time that the Prodigal was not to be treated as a servant but as a sonwith all entitlements.
Forgiveness would be empty without restoration to the privileges forfeited by sin. Therefore, if you bear the name son or daughter through having received Jesus as Lord and Savior by the power of the Holy Spirit you have found favor with the Father. Thebest robe has been placed upon you, a demonstration of the Father's complete approval of you and love and protection for you. And, aringhas been put on your hand representing the riches you have in Christ, authority you have been given in the name of Jesus and installation into the office of king and priest to God. Sandalshave been put on your feet affirming sonship and all of its benefits, including but not limited tohealing, loving kindness, tender mercies and every good thing (Psalm 103).
In conclusion, I would offer this prayer:"Father God, I can notthank you enough for yourmercyand unmerited grace to me, a lost,wayward sonwho is prone to reject you and go his own selfish way. Thoughundeserved you, Father God,shower me with rich gifts of forgiveness, identity and belonging in your family, andvalue and purpose for my life.Father help me notloose sight ofthe desperate and hopelessness from where I've come, asin turn I extend your grace and restoration to other family members finding their way back to you. When I do forget ...feeling selfish andentitled,while loosing focus of yourlove for lost people...thank you that I can know - withoutdoubt - that you, Father God,wait longingly to receive and welcome me back home."
http://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=make+me+a+servant+make+me+a+servant+today&qpvt=make+me+a+servant+make+me+a+servant+today&FORM=VDRE#view=detail&mid=A687108F281F555C915FA687108F281F555C915FMake
Make Me a Servant- by Kelly Willard Make me a servant, humble and meek, LORD let me lift up those who are weak. And may the prayer of my heart always be: Make me a servant, Make me a servant, Make me a servant...to-day
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