This devotional has been a tough one for me as I have sought to examine my own heart before the Lord.
Chapter 4: Who Is the Prodigal?
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This devotional has been a tough one for me as I have sought to examine my own heart before the Lord.
This forum is a place for you to ask questions, share insights, and give your feedback to Chapter 4 of the book. It is also a place to post the habit God wants to work with you in changing for this Devotional.
For those who do not yet have their own copy of the book I have posted an earlier rough draft which is substantially the same below.
From Daily Devotional Studies, Chapter 4 by jtl. Constructive comments are appreciated.
You may have heard the story of a young man who left his father’s home to explore what the world had to offer. After indulging his senses and the desires of his heart he spent his inheritance and found himself broke in a foreign land at a time of famine. Eventually he came to his senses and humbled himself, deciding to return to his father and his father’s home. He confessed his youthful foolishness, and offered himself to his father as a hired hand, knowing that he was no longer worthy to be called his son. This is Jesus’ parable of The Prodigal Son.
We will consider the story of The Prodigal Son and see how it may apply to those we know. Many of us may have been blessed to be brought up in a good home where we had loving parents and a safe and secure environment with all of our needs supplied. But some of us did not have these blessings. Some of us were raised by a single parent and hardly had enough to eat. Some of us may have been in foster homes or been raised in an orphanage where we don’t even remember our mother or father. So who might be the prodigal?
As I looked back at my own life and examined my own heart I could find the prodigal in me. At various stages of my life as a Christian I have been led astray or drifted away from God to pursue what I believed would bring me the most fulfillment and happiness. In some ways there is still a prodigal in me. If you review your own pilgrimage and see into your heart I believe you may also find that the story of the prodigal is also your story even though the details will be different from mine or those recorded in Scripture. So let’s look at the prodigal son in the story of Luke to see where we may fit in.
The Gospel of Luke, chapter 15, contains three parables. The first two parables, the parable of the lost sheep, and the parable of the lost silver coin, set the context for the parable of the prodigal son. Let’s take a look.
1Then all the tax collectors and the sinners drew near to Him to hear Him. 2And the Pharisees and scribes complained, saying, “This Man receives sinners and eats with them.” 3So He spoke this parable to them, saying:
4“What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he loses one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness, and go after the one which is lost until he finds it? 5And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. 6And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and neighbors, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost!’ 7I say to you that likewise there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine just persons who need no repentance.
8“Or what woman, having ten silver coins, if she loses one coin, does not light a lamp, sweep the house, and search carefully until she finds it? 9And when she has found it, she calls her friends and neighbors together, saying, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found the piece which I lost!’ 10Likewise, I say to you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”
11Then He said: “A certain man had two sons. 12And the younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the portion of goods that falls to me.’ So he divided to them his livelihood. 13And not many days after, the younger son gathered all together, journeyed to a far country, and there wasted his possessions with prodigal living. 14But when he had spent all, there arose a severe famine in that land, and he began to be in want. 15Then he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country, and he sent him into his fields to feed swine. 16And he would gladly have filled his stomach with the pods that the swine ate, and no one gave him anything.
17“But when he came to himself, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger! 18I will arise and go to my father, and will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you, 19and I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Make me like one of your hired servants.”’
20“And he arose and came to his father. But when he was still a great way off, his father saw him and had compassion, and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him. 21And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight, and am no longer worthy to be called your son.’
22“But the father said to his servants, ‘Bring out the best robe and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet. 23And bring the fatted calf here and kill it, and let us eat and be merry; 24for this my son was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ And they began to be merry.
25“Now his older son was in the field. And as he came and drew near to the house, he heard music and dancing. 26So he called one of the servants and asked what these things meant. 27And he said to him, ‘Your brother has come, and because he has received him safe and sound, your father has killed the fatted calf.’
28“But he was angry and would not go in. Therefore his father came out and pleaded with him. 29So he answered and said to his father, ‘Lo, these many years I have been serving you; I never transgressed your commandment at any time; and yet you never gave me a young goat, that I might make merry with my friends. 30But as soon as this son of yours came, who has devoured your livelihood with harlots, you killed the fatted calf for him.’
31“And he said to him, ‘Son, you are always with me, and all that I have is yours. 32It was right that we should make merry and be glad, for your brother was dead and is alive again, and was lost and is found’” (Luke 15:1-32 NKJV).
This passage shows that we must all come to the point where we make the effort to draw near to Jesus because we recognize we need to hear from Him. The tax collectors and sinners understood this but the Pharisees and scribes did not. They were self-appointed judges without compassion and didn’t see their need for Jesus. Those who chose to draw near to Jesus to learn from Him found out that He received them, wanted to spend time with them, and was happy to share a meal with them. Have we come to the point in our lives where we recognize our continual need to draw near to Jesus and learn from Him? Have we drifted into being self righteous judges and shut off our compassion from those who society looks down upon?
In these parables each loss was felt deeply. Both the shepherd and the woman rearranged their schedules and priorities to search for that which had been lost. The shepherd left the flock in the wilderness while he diligently searched for the lost sheep. The woman carefully searched her house seeking her lost coin. Both the woman and the shepherd rejoiced when they found what was lost! It was a cause for celebration! Friends and neighbors were invited to join in celebrating the good news: That which was lost had been found!
These three parables were told to benefit the Pharisees and scribes because they were more lost than the tax collectors and sinners who had come to Jesus and were listening to what He had to say. Jesus was holding up a mirror through these parables so the scribes and Pharisees could see themselves in the parables and repent of their hard hearts and see that God is a loving Father who would receive them with open arms if they would just turn to Him in faith. These parables show that we should value all people just as the shepherd valued the lost sheep and would call it by name the woman valued the lost coin and was diligently seeking it out.
I think we all recognize the value of a wadded up dollar or a dollar that has been trampled through the mud is the same as the value of a crisp new dollar from the bank. We know we do not determine the value of the dollar and its value has nothing to do with its external condition. It has intrinsic value set by the government and market forces. But do we look at people the same way? Do we see each person of equal intrinsic value regardless of their past, present, or future condition or circumstances? Do we really believe their value is assigned by God and is unalterable? Just as the lost coin did not decrease in value to the woman who lost it and the lost sheep did not decrease in value to the shepherd responsible for it, so a lost person does not decrease in value to God.
We should not make the mistake of the Pharisees and scribes my devaluing people based on external circumstances or their conduct, no matter how reprehensible it is. This was the lesson for the Pharisees and scribes and this is a lesson for each of us. Have we learned this lesson or we in the process of learning it? Has our compassion been shut off or have we judged fellow human beings for one reason or another?
The prodigal son in the parable took his inheritance prematurely before his father died. He valued “stuff” more than his relationship with his father. He left his father’s home and presence and wandered away in search of adventure and a more satisfying life. He had “wander lust” and it needed to be cured. And, before too many years had passed, he found out that he was following an illusion. His dream for something more and better than what he had with his father lacked substance or a reasonable hope of fulfillment. His desire to take his inheritance from his father to find a better life was premature and led him in the wrong direction. He squandered his inheritance. The truth is that more than a few of us have been like the prodigal and prematurely took what we could from our parents to leave them and squandered what they had given us.
In the parable the prodigal’s disillusionment set in when he had spent his inheritance and a famine overtook the land, leaving him destitute. But “disillusionment” is a necessary step to come into contact with reality. It means the deceptive illusion is coming to an end. More times than not, this experience is very painful and the prodigal son realized he would be better off returning to his father, even if he were treated as a hired hand. He also recognized that he had made a series of not only bad decisions but sinful ones. He had violated God’s commandments wantonly and had hurt his father. But his life had become so miserable that he was prepared to face the music. He thought he would come clean with his Dad and throw himself on his mercy, hoping to be treated as a hired hand, realizing that he had already squandered his inheritance and his behavior had forfeited his right to be received as a son.
But the father’s heart went out to his prodigal son. He knew he had to let him go and that the son had to find out for himself how empty the promises of the world could be. The father hoped to see his son again, looking for him every day even though he did not know if or when we would return. One day, he saw a figure approaching from the distance. Perhaps by his gait or by his appearance or by something that welled up in his heart, but he believed his lost son was returning home! With hope and faith welling up in his heart, he ran toward him. He saw that it was indeed his son! He fell on his neck and kissed him in a profuse display of affection. Eventually his son had an opportunity to speak and he said, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight, and am no longer worthy to be called your son.’
The father would have none of it! It was as if he did not hear and the son had not even spoken. His compassionate heart of love welcomed him in as he extended his arms and hugged his son with a long and loving embrace. He quickly gave orders for the son to be clothed in his best robe and for him to be given one of the father’s signet rings so he could conduct business and access wealth in the name of his father. The son was given a pair of new sandals signifying he was welcomed back into the household of his father. His father then ordered the servants to prepare the fattened calf for a sumptuous feast. A great celebration was going to be given to honor the return of his lost son.
But the older brother who had loyally stayed with the father all these years, never venturing out on his own, was upset about all the love and attention that was given to his younger brother who didn’t deserve any of it. He had no intention of going to the party in his brother’s honor. His father came out to plead with him to join in the celebration. His father explained that his younger son had been dead but was restored to life. He was lost and had now been found.
The father’s explanation didn’t seem to do much good. The older brother never understood his father’s heart. He thought his father was strict and not fair. He thought he had to obey all the rules to receive blessings from his father but even when he did all this they weren’t forthcoming. He didn’t understand that all the father had was his and all he had to do was ask. He didn’t understand that his father valued him far more than all the substance he possessed. He didn’t understand that his father loved both of his sons and would give anything for either of them. He didn’t understand that both he and his younger brother were much more valuable to his father than all of his considerable wealth. Jesus saw the Pharisees and scribes as the prodigals who had not yet returned to the Father. He was trying to help them see the true conditions of their hearts and help them understand that they missed the loving Father heart of God, that God wanted to withhold nothing back from them too. I can’t help but believe some among the scribes and Pharisees realized this celebration and display of affection the father had for the prodigal was also intended for them. Their spirits would be moved deeply as they began to better grasp the greatness of God’s love for them and for the ones they had judged.
Can you see the heart of Jesus and the heart of Father God in this parable? This is why Jesus told the story. It was to reveal the compassionate heart of God toward each one of us. Those who have faithfully and dutifully sought God without knowing His heart for them haven’t really understood that God will withhold no good thing from them. All they have to do is ask in faith, believing.
Those who have left the conscious presence of God looking for fulfillment outside of His will must come to an end of themselves. They must come to disillusionment in order to be brought into reality, the reality of the Father’s love for them. It often takes severe circumstances to bring this about. They need to come to an end of their ability to live life on their own. Just as the older brother has to recognize his own self righteousness and repent, they need to square with God and admit that they have rebelled against Him and broken His moral and righteous laws. They need to return to Him and trust in His love, forgiveness, and mercy and let Him decide the course of their lives. Like the prodigal son in the parable, they will be glad they did!
God will welcome them with open arms and throw a big party in their honor. He will give them His robe of righteousness that will cover all their guild, sin, and shame, clothing them with honor instead. He will give them His signet ring of authority so that they will have the authority of the Father backing them up. He will cover their feet with His sandals of peace so that they will walk in peace and their steps will calm the troubled waters. They had been dead but have been brought back to life. They were lost but now are found. Their return from the dead will be cause for a great celebration!
Do you, like me, see yourself in this parable and see that you have either not known the Father’s heart, or have left the Father’s presence in search of a life outside of His will or both? Have you become disillusioned with that life, finding it not to be what you had wanted? All you need to do is determine to come back to the Father and throw yourself on His mercy. If you do this, as one prodigal that has returned home (but has still further to go) to another, let me be the first to join the Father in welcoming you back home!
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From Disciples' Devotional Workbook: Chapter 4, Study, Meditate, Do
Key Scripture: “And he said to him, ‘Son, you are always with me, and all that
I have is yours. It was right that we should make merry and be
glad, for your brother was dead and is alive again, and was
lost and is found.’” Luke 15:31-32
John 3:16-17 (“For God so loved the world (John) that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever (if John) believes in Him (he) should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world (John), but that the world (John) through Him might be saved.”) Read these verses as if they were written just for you.
Isaiah 43:1-5a (“But now, thus says the Lord, who created you, O Jacob, and He who formed you, O Israel: ‘Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by your name; You are Mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned, nor shall the flame scorch you. For I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior; I gave Egypt for your ransom, Ethiopia and Seba in your place. Since you were precious in My sight, you have been honored, and I have loved you; therefore I will give men for you, and people for your life. Fear not, for I am with you;’”) Romans 8:1-2 (“There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death.”)
Hebrews 8:6-12 (“But now He has obtained a more excellent ministry, inasmuch as He is also Mediator of a better covenant, which was established on better promises.
For if that first covenant had been faultless, then no place would have been sought for a second. Because finding fault with them, He says: ‘Behold, the days are coming, says the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah—not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt; because they did not continue in My covenant, and I disregarded them, says the Lord. For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord: I will put My laws in their mind and write them on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. None of them shall teach his neighbor, and none his brother, saying, “Know the Lord,” for all shall know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them. For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more.’”)
Ezekiel 16:1-14 (“Again the word of the Lord came to me, saying, ‘Son of man, cause Jerusalem to know her abominations, and say, “Thus says the Lord GOD to Jerusalem: ‘Your birth and your nativity are from the land of Canaan; your father was an Amorite and your mother a Hittite. As for your nativity, on the day you were born your navel cord was not cut, nor were you washed in water to cleanse you; you were not rubbed with salt nor wrapped in swaddling cloths. No eye pitied you, to do any of these things for you, to have compassion on you; but you were thrown out into the open field, when you yourself were loathed on the day you were born.
‘And when I passed by you and saw you struggling in your own blood, I said to you in your blood, “Live!” Yes, I said to you in your blood, “Live!” I made you thrive like a plant in the field; and you grew, matured, and became very beautiful. Your breasts were formed, your hair grew, but you were naked and bare.
‘When I passed by you again and looked upon you, indeed your time was the time of love; so I spread My wing over you and covered your nakedness. Yes, I swore an oath to you and entered into a covenant with you, and you became Mine,’ says the Lord GOD.
‘Then I washed you in water; yes, I thoroughly washed off your blood, and I anointed you with oil. I clothed you in embroidered cloth and gave you sandals of badger skin; I clothed you with fine linen and covered you with silk. I adorned you with ornaments, put bracelets on your wrists, and a chain on your neck. And I put a jewel in your nose, earrings in your ears, and a beautiful crown on your head. Thus you were adorned with gold and silver, and your clothing was of fine linen, silk, and embroidered cloth. You ate pastry of fine flour, honey, and oil. You were exceedingly beautiful, and succeeded to royalty. Your fame went out among the nations because of your beauty, for it was perfect through My splendor which I had bestowed on you,’ says the Lord GOD.”)
Luke 22:31 (“And the Lord said, ‘Simon, Simon! Indeed, Satan has asked for you, that he may sift you as wheat. 32But I have prayed for you, that your faith should not fail; and when you have returned to Me, strengthen your brethren.’”)
John 21:15-19 (“When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?”
“Yes, Lord,” he said, “you know that I love you.”
Jesus said, “Feed my lambs.”
Again Jesus said, “Simon son of John, do you love me?”
He answered, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.”
Jesus said, “Take care of my sheep.”
The third time he said to him, “Simon son of John, do you love me?”
Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, “Do you love me?” He
said, “Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you.”
Jesus said, “Feed my sheep. Very truly I tell you, when you were younger you dressed yourself and went where you wanted; but when you are old you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go.” Jesus said this to indicate the kind of death by which Peter would glorify God. Then he said to him, “Follow me!”
Recommended resource for those who want to go deeper: Song of Songs (Song of Solomon) – focus
on how the Shulammite was viewed by Solomon and others. See the Song of Songs as an illustration
of how the Lord views His bride and how she looks at Him, remembering that we are the Bride of Christ. Prodigals and those Who Love Them by Ruth Bell Graham.