The Prodigal Father (Luke 15:1-32)

I don’t remember reading a story book when I was young. Perhaps I did, but I did not retain any delightful thoughts on the literary pursuit of my childhood unlike most kids today. Perhaps the closest joy I could think of is the distinct memory of browsing the thick arcane Yellow Pages, when I was in primary 6! Needless to say, I didn’t do very well in my English language and, in fact, I didn’t have a decent grade for English at my ‘O’ level examination. But looking back at my life, I see a single stroke of Gracious providence from the days at Sunday School under the care of Godly Sunday school Teachers, to the days at Polytechnic where I came into contact with a member of Jesus Saves Mission, Banner of Truth publications and Reformed Faith! More delightful things were to follow; during my National Service, I met our late Pastor Cheah and also came to know First Church which I joined subsequently. Such distinct memories of the past have given me the desire and energy to seek to love and serve God and entertain the notion that the best is yet to be. 

Many of you would also be able to attest to the Goodness of God in seeking and preserving you who came from a non-Christian or nominal Christian background of various shades. The three parables from the mouth of Jesus as recorded in Luke 15:1-32 certainly attest to the attitude of God and the way He welcomes sinners. Particularly, the first two parables of the Lost Sheep and the Lost Coin, underscore the seeking nature of God’s love for Sinners. Perhaps these two parables can be applied to the way God’s Grace come to individuals outside of the Covenant home. The parable of the lost sheep speaks of the unshakable responsibility of the shepherd towards the “lost” sheep. The parable of the lost coin speaks of the extent the lady owner goes to, leaving no stones unturned, until her precious coin is found. Importantly, both parables at the end speak of the stupendous Joy that ensues when the sinners are found by God. While the first two parables can be applied to the way God’s Grace come to individuals outside of the Covenant home, the third parable, commonly known as the Parable of the Prodigal Son, can be applied or even serve as a warning to Children from covenant homes. Both children, the younger son and the elder son, of this loving Father (who represents God the Father) can be said to be not on the same page as the loving Father. One can assume that this loving Father would have instructed both of them to love God and his law but, in spite of the parental instruction, the younger Son has caused the Father much sadness in his desire to leave the comfort and love of the family, not to mention the callous request for his share of inheritance which is tantamount to seeking the early death of his loving Father. Perhaps such action would have caused great darkness and tears to engulf the parents in real life and might have drown them if not for the grace of God! The younger Son has certainly sinned against God (“heaven” is a term use to refer to God in New Testament time by the Jews) as God has provided him a loving family to teach and instruct him in the way of God. He has also sinned against his Father by his dishonoring action and attitude. As divine providence would have it, the younger son was brought to himself by the pain of being destitute which occasions the manifestation of God’s attitude towards sinners by the action of this loving Father through his longing for his penitent younger Son and the way he receives his younger son as demonstrated by his compassion, his act of running towards his Son, though such an act is deemed to be  unsuitable for an elderly man of status, his embrace and kisses,  the way he restores his younger Son by the Robe to confer his renewed status, the ring to underscore the penitent Son’s renewed authority and the shoes indicating that he is no longer a slave but a free man and finally the celebration he calls for in the wake of the return of the penitent Son. Jesus is in fact telling the Pharisees and the Scribes (Luke 15:1) that, unlike them, God the Father wants to receive and welcome sinners to his fold in no uncertain terms! This is diametrically opposed to the prevalent thoughts of the self-righteous Jews then that, “There is joy before God when those who provoke Him perish from the world.” So this parable could be rightly called the Parable of the Prodigal Father in view of his lavish love for his penitent Son! 

What is interesting to note further is that the older Son, though living in same household with the Loving Father, is “lost” all the while. We see his lost state in his response to the return of his penitent younger Brother. This older Brother, representing the self-righteous Pharisees and scribes, would in all likelihood be a respectable person in the community but his reaction of not wanting to be part of the celebration and his words bring to the fore his attitude and spirit of a “hired servant” rather than that of a loving Son and his self-righteousness rather than a contrite heart that yearns and rejoices in the return of his “lost” younger sibling. These all demonstrate that his heart is not right before God. The question for you today is this: if you are a covenant Child, are you in anyway like the younger Son in his rebellious state or in the penitent state? Or are you like the older Brother who behaves like a child of the Kingdom but is not so in the heart? The ultimate question is this, do you know this loving Father who receives Sinners! Can you recall his loving providence that leads you to repentance and faith in the Lord Jesus? The loving Father will only receive you through faith in his dear Son, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. “For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ, Who died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with him” (1 Thess 5:9,10). “But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him” (1 Cor 2:9).

For those who have tasted that the Lord God is good, the best is yet to be! Amen.

“In the end that Face which is the delight or the terror of the universe must be turned upon each of us either with one expression or with the other, either conferring glory inexpressible or inflicting shame that can never be cured or disguised.” C.S. Lewis