There was a man who had two sons. The elder of them approached his father and said, “Dad give me the portion of your property that is due to me”
So the father divided his entire estate equally between the two sons and the younger son set off for a faraway land where he squandered his father’s property on loose living.(loose women, booze, drugs, fast cars, parties).
The younger son was destitute and joined himself to the citizens of that land. (Luke 15-15)He went to work for the citizens of that land by feeding the pigs. He was jealous of the pigs because they were so well fed. He was in want but no-one gave him anything.
Then he came to his senses. (Luke 15-17) He said to himself, “How my father’s hired servants have enough to eat while I am here starving, I will go to my father and say, I have sin against you, and against God, please take me back as one of your hired hands.”
So the younger son set off for home (Luke 15-20) and when still a fair distance from home the father caught glimpse of his son and ran towards him with open arms. He kissed and hugged his son and welcomed him back but the son responded “I’m not worthy to be called your son” but the father put a ring on his son’s finger and sandals on his feet and called out to one of his servants, “Quick, kill the prize calf” for we have reason to celebrate for my son was dead and now he is alive, he was lost and now he has been found” (Luke 15-22)
The celebration was in full swing with music and dancing at the house and everyone was having a good time.
Meanwhile, the older son come home from working in the fields and sees the dancing and hears the music then calls out to one of the servants and asks, “What does all this mean.?”
The servant answered, “Your brother has returned home and your father has killed the fatted calf because he has received your brother safe and sound.”
The older brother, however became angry and refused to enter the house (Luke 15-28) and said, “All of these years I have worked for you like a slave and you never even killed a young goat for me so that I can feast with my friends yet you killed the prize calf for this no good son of yours who has wasted your property on prostitutes.” (Luke 15-28)
The father responded “Son, you are always here with me (Luke 15-31), everything I own belongs to you but we just had to celebrate because your brother has returned to the family.
Now lets take a look at the three men at the centre of this story, the father and the two sons.
THE YOUNGER SON
This lad went to his father ands said “Give me”. In fact he demanded his inheritance before it was due. He wanted to experience all that the world has to offer and the world welcomed him with open arms but after he lived a frivolous life wasting his money he was left destitute and joined himself to the citizens of that land. When you spend enough time with people, you become just like them as their influence begins to shape your life so what are you joining yourself to?
He ended up feeding the pigs and was jealous of the pigs because they were well fed while he was starving now isn’t that interesting? He had lots of friends when he had lots of money but as soon as he was left without a thing there was no one to help him out.
But then he came to his senses. In other words he received a revelation. He discovered that the things of the world did not make him happy so he decides to return home to his father. Notice how he already had his speech all worked out in his mind. “I will say to my father, I have sinned against you and God, please take he back as one of your hired hands” So he swallows his pride and sets off for home no doubt that he will be expecting a really telling off on his return.
But notice how when the younger son humbled himself that the blessings came which is in stark contrast to when he left for a faraway land no doubt with an arrogance that sometimes hits people who come into a lot of money in a short time.
It does not say that the younger son took a shower after he finished working among the pigs so he could have been in a messy state on his return which tells us that the father accepted him as he is. He could have told him to clean himself up first but he didn’t.
THE OLDER SON
The older son comes home from the field after working all day and discovers that everyone else is having a party. He seemed to be the only one who didn’t know that his brother had returned home. That tells me that he was so busy that he didn’t know what the father was doing. We can be like that, we can be so busy that we can be out of touch with what the rest of the family are doing.
Then he asked “What does all this music and dancing mean?” You have to ask what kind of a person doesn’t know music and dancing mean? It shows you what a sheltered life he has lived.
Once the servant revealed to him the purpose of the celebration, the older son got angry and told his father “This no good son of yours squandered your money on prostitutes.”
He couldn’t even call him “my brother.” People are sometimes like that when they describe people who live differently to them as “those people over there.”
Then he accused his brother of wasting the money on prostitutes. How did he know what his brother spent the money on or was he just making assumptions? Its a strange thing about making assumptions. They are usually not true. The older brother was so busy out in the field he didn’t even know that his own father had organised a celebration for his brother let alone having any knowledge about his brother’s antics in a faraway land.
Notice how he called his brother “no good son of yours” It is very dangerous to use labels to describe others because if the label sticks then they will become according to the label used.
The older brother basically represents the enemy when he makes accusations against us, uses our past to attack us, and makes assumptions about us. He does not care whether it is true or not just so long as everyone else takes his side.
THE FATHER
The father displayed all of the generosity of God. He was generous in his forgiveness and his offering of the fatted calf. If he said “We’ll kill the skinny calf for my son since he has been a bad boy” then that would have devalued his son. He never said to his son “Right, you are paying for that and if you are living under my roof then it is my way or the highway.”
He was also generous with his forgiveness. You know that someone who is unforgiving tends to be stingy with their money as well. The two are related.
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