Message topic: A repentant son found forgiveness.
Scripture text: Luke 15: 17-32
As a child of God, how important is the word forgive in the bible to you? Does our topic for sharing this morning flip the light switch as it mentioned the repentant son?
Did you know that in the bible forgive is considered one of the most important concepts, representing a central theme throughout the scriptures, as it signifies God’s unconditional love and the expectation: that human should also extend forgiveness to others, essentially making it a core principle of Christian life; refusing to forgive is seen as disobedience to God and can hinder one’s relationship with him.
There is another name by which the repentant son could more readily be recognized, which is the prodigal son, whose story is one of the most read in the scriptures.
Let’s stop and ask ourselves, what does the word prodigal mean? If you’re like I am, the only context you have for that word is the parable of the prodigal son found in Luke 15.
At the end of the story, after the son wasted his inheritance on reckless living, comes to his senses, and returns home to beg his father’s forgiveness, the father was always hoping for his return says, for this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found.
Many do assumed prodigal had something to do with being lost and then found, losing your way and then returning home. Indeed, the whole chapter of Luke 15 is a series of parables Jesus is telling about lost things being found: lost sheep, lost coins, and lost people.
But that’s not what prodigal means. Prodigal means wastefully extravagant or giving on a lavish scale. Though they sound similar, between those two definitions is a world of difference. God is never wasteful, imprudent, or reckless in any of his ways.
God is in every way perfectly generous, perfectly lavish, and perfectly bounteous. In fact, this is the heart of the controversy over the worship song reckless love.
God’s love is certainly overwhelming and never-ending, or reckless. Perhaps it seems so to the world, but the foolishness of God is wiser than men (1cor. 1: 23-25)
I believe that from the time you saw on your bulletin the message topic, you know that it was going to be about the prodigal son; we have read and heard this story so many times but have we ever stop to think of who were the people mention in this parable, knowing that a parable is an earthly story with a heavenly meaning?
First we learn of a father and two sons, who did they represent spiritually, also mentioned were many servants, who did they represents? In telling this story Jesus identifies Himself with God in his loving attitude towards the lost, symbolized by the younger son, The elder brother represents the self-righteous.
The prodigal son: represents those who strayed from God and then return seeking forgiveness, the elder son: are those who are self-righteous and resentful of God’s mercy and love.
According to the custom of the day, the younger son had the right to ask for his birthright at any time, only that it did not show love and respect.
He got what he wanted and went off to a far country where he could live his life the way he wanted: lavishly.
There is no record to tell for how long he was gone, or how much he had gotten for his birthright, we do believe it would be less than what his older brother would have gotten as it was the coulter of the time.
This taught was always in the father’s mind, he will one day return, so he would always look down the road that leads up to his house to see if any- one is approaching.
How often, or have you ever used this term, I couldn’t believe mine eyes? This may be what this loving, caring father said when one day he looked down the road and saw some one who have the looks of his son who had left home to live life on his own.
He went to meet him and found that it was indeed his young son who had left home looking like someone who was alive, now he had needs of every sought, yet he could not resist but to embrace and kissed him.
Listen to what he had to say to his father, I have sinned against heaven and in thy sight, and am no more worthy to be called thy son: while he was speaking, the father was saying to the servants , bring forth the best robe and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet, and bring hither the fatted calf, and kill it; and let us eat and be merry: for this my son was dead, and is alive again, he was lost, and is found, and they began to be merry.
Do you remember what is the meaning of the word prodigal: it is one who return to God and ask for forgiveness, so what did this prodigal say to his father on his return; I have sinned against heaven and you and you, and I am no longer worthy to be called your son, just make me one of your hired servants.
Jesus in this parable represent God who came to earth in the form of a man with his primary purpose to forgive mankind all their trespasses as they seek his grace and mercy.
While the reception for the prodigal was still going on, the older son returned from the field, and when he heard all the festivities in the home he would not go in and enquired what was the reason for this accession.
Here we find the father doing the same thing for both his sons, when he saw the younger approaching, he went out to meet him; and when he learned that the elder was out- side and would not come in, he also went out to talk with him.
The elder son could not empathize with his father’s joy at his son’s return or his compassion for the prodigal. His refusal to join the celebration, highlights his selfishness and inability to forgive or show compassion for his younger brother as well as his own inability to see the father’s grace and love.
The elder son represents those who are self- righteous and resentful of God’s mercy and love.
Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are envy, adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. but the fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such, there is no law. And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions. If we live in the spirit, let us also walk in the spirit of Christ.