Luke 15:11-32 - The Prodigal Son

HIS WORDS

And He said, “A man had two sons. “The younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the share of the estate that falls to me.’ 

So he divided his wealth between them. “And not many days later, the younger son gathered everything together and went on a journey into a distant country, and there he squandered his estate with loose living. “Now when he had spent everything, a severe famine occurred in that country, and he began to be impoverished. “So he went and hired himself out to one of the citizens of that country, and he sent him into his fields to feed swine. “And he would have gladly filled his stomach with the pods that the swine were eating, and no one was giving anything to him. 

“But when he came to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired men have more than enough bread, but I am dying here with hunger! ‘I will get up and go to my father, and will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in your sight; I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me as one of your hired men.” ’ “So he got up and came to his father. 

But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion for him, and ran and embraced him and kissed him. “And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight; I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ 

“But the father said to his slaves, ‘Quickly bring out the best robe and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet; and bring the fattened calf, kill it, and let us eat and celebrate; for this son of mine was dead and has come to life again; he was lost and has been found.’ And they began to celebrate. 

“Now his older son was in the field, and when he came and approached the house, he heard music and dancing. “And he summoned one of the servants and began inquiring what these things could be. “And he said to him, ‘Your brother has come, and your father has killed the fattened calf because he has received him back safe and sound.’ 

“But he became angry and was not willing to go in; and his father came out and began pleading with him. “But he answered and said to his father, ‘Look! For so many years I have been serving you and I have never neglected a command of yours; and yet you have never given me a young goat, so that I might celebrate with my friends; but when this son of yours came, who has devoured your wealth with prostitutes, you killed the fattened calf for him.’ 

“And he said to him, ‘Son, you have always been with me, and all that is mine is yours. ‘But we had to celebrate and rejoice, for this brother of yours was dead and has begun to live, and was lost and has been found.’ ”

MY WORDS

And He said, “A man had two sons. The younger said to his father, ‘Father, give me my portion of what I will inherit after you die.’

“So the father divided his wealth between the two sons. Then a few days later, the younger son gathered all his belongings and went on a journey to a country that was far away, and when he got there, he spent all his father gave him living a very immoral life, throwing his money away in extravagant living. When he had spent everything, a severe famine came in this distant country, and he began to be very poor. So he went and got a job feeding the pigs in the field (and Jews do not touch pigs for they are considered unclean). And he would have been grateful to even eat the food the pigs were eating but noone would let him eat. 

“That brought him to his senses. He said, ‘My father’s servants have lots of food to eat, but I am dying here from hunger! I am going back to my father and will say, ‘Father, I have sinned against God and you; I am not worthy to be your son, but can you make me your servant?’ He got up and went to his father.

“When the son was still a long way in the distance, his father saw him and felt nothing but love and compassion for him. So he ran and embraced him and kissed him. The son started the speech he had rehearsed: ‘Father, I have sinned against God and you; I am not worthy to be called your son ever again.”

But the father would not even let his son finish his speech. He called for his servants and said, “Quick. Bring a clean set of clothes and dress him. Put the family ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Then get the grain-fed heifer and put in on the spit. We are going to have a celebration feast! My son who was given up for dead is surely alive! He was given up for lost, but he is now found!’ And they began to party!

While all of this was going on, the oldest son was in the field working. When the day of work was done, he went back to the house. As he approached, he heard music and dancing. He called to one of the houseboys and asked what was going on. The servant told him, ‘Your younger brother has come home, and your father had us roast one of the heifers because he wants to celebrate the fact that his son has come back safe and sound.’

“The older brother walked off very angry and refused to go to the party. His father came out to him and began to plead with him, but the older son would not listen. The son said, ‘I have been so faithful to serve you, always being good and never causing you any heartache, but you have never even roasted a goat and thrown a party for me and my friends. Then this son of yours who has thrown away all your money on prostitutes shows up and you give him a big party feast!’

“His father said, ‘Son, you have always been with me, and everything this is mine is yours – but we had to celebrate and rejoice because this brother of yours was dead, and now he is alive! He was lost, and now he has been found!’”

I WILL

I will write about the experience I had in the shower recently and praise Him as a result.

 I was listening to Jon Thurlow's song where he sings these lines over and over again:

You put the ring upon my finger
You put the robe upon my back
You put your arms around me and say,
"You are my (son), my daughter. Don't forget."

I never even knew this song existed until I was doing listening prayer with a woman, and God gave her the lines to this song so I googled it. It has been my anthem for 2014!

I guess I had never connected that these lines are based on the story of the prodigal son until I did this Jesus Story Discovery Study! God just met me in the shower, and I had such a sweet memory come flooding into my mind of my earthly father:

I was woken up from a very deep sleep in 1981 to answer the call of a person who called at a ridiculously early hour to tell me that she wanted to invite me up to Oregon to live with her. It was a very cold morning, but I had not had time to grab my robe before I came out to answer the call.

While talking on the phone in the kitchen. My father sweetly and gently put his big blue bathrobe over me to warm me.

I still have that robe in my closet, and I will never get rid of it. He died less than four years later, on May 2, 1985. He was such a good earthly example to me of a my heavenly father. He never favored one child over the other. He never treated me like a "prodigal" because I moved to Oregon when I was 19 and never moved back home. He knew I was not a "prodigal" in heart, and I moved because my heavenly Father knew I needed to go there to be found.

When mourning his death in the summer of 1985, God told me, "I took your earthly father to heaven to be with Me so that I could be even more of a heavenly Father to you." 

He has given my His robe of righteousness and sealed me with the ring of His Holy Spirit. He has thrown a big party because I once was lost, but now I am found.

Praise God for His wonderful gift.