You, too, May Come

We were blessed to have Pastor Keith Bennett overseeing the message.

Note from Pastor Bennett:  I am indebted to Dr. G Campbell Morgan, Dr. Rienhard Lenski, and Dr. Helmut Thielicke for some of the thoughts in this message.

contains a major parable of Jesus which is divided into three sections.  A parable is an early story with a heavenly meaning.

My concern today is to get at the heavenly meaning back of the third section of this parable of earthy things.

First, though, the background which teaches us why Jesus told this parable in the first place.   makes that quite evident

Now the tax collectors and sinners were all gathering around to hear Jesus. But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law muttered, “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.” –

This criticism is what produced the three-fold parable in .

Prior to our looking in some detail at the division relating to the lost son, it seems significant to me to call  your attention to the fact that this three-fold parable is but a symbolic expression of the attitude God takes toward those who are lost.  This attitude is beautifully recorded in .

The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance. –

That is the reason why Jesus Christ has not yet come in glory and judgment, that is why judgment has been delayed.  God is waiting patiently while the Holy Spirit is at work through the people of God, through the Word of God, and through the events of life.  He is waiting in His grace until everyone possible has the opportunity to hear the gospel message of the death for our sins of Jesus Christ, the resurrection of Jesus and His coming again.  In His grace He is waiting for all to come to salvation who will come.

Let us look now at the WAITING FATHER in His grace in this third-part of the parable which deals with the lost son!  We shall do so by the following five developments.

Development #1 is the DIVISION OF THE INHERITANCE.   of Luke:

THERE ONCE WAS A MAN WHO HAD TWO SONS.  He was a wealthy man, a decent man, a respected man.  His family was maturing, his boys were almost of age, in fact one of them already way.  They both were living at home at the time our story begins.  They worked with and for their father, were under his roof, under his authority, under his wise guidance.  One day the younger son got tired of his surroundings.  He was tired of his father telling him what to do, where to go, where not to go and when.  He resented being treated like a little boy, after all, he was almost of age now, and he wanted to be free.  The fires of life were burning inside his soul.  His father, though a loving man, a thoughtful man, a decent man, just didn’t seem to understand.  He seemed to old fashioned, so out of touch with life and reality.  The you man felt that life was passing him by, that he was missing out.  Something had to be done, and it must be soon!  He therefore asked for a family counsel meeting.  His father called one.  He, his brother, and his father talked.  The younger son made known his feelings and then boldly asked before it was really proper to do so: “FATHER, GIVE ME THE SHARE OF THE INHERITANCE WHICH BELONGS TO ME.”  In that day 1/3 of the total wealth belonged to the younger son.  Thus the father, even though he disagreed with the request of the younger son, even though he knew that there would be troubled times and suffering ahead, nonetheless he granted the young man his request as he divided the wealth between them.

Development #2 in this story of the gracious father, is the DEPARTURE TO THE DISTANT COUNTRY BY THE YOUNG SON, THAT IS, THE DECLINE AND FALL OF THE HEADSTRONG, WILLFUL YOUNG MAN.   serves as background for this development.

“NOT MANY DAYS LATER, THE YOUNGER SON GATHERED ALL HE HAD AND TOOK HIS JOURNEY INTO A FAR COUNTRY, AND THERE HE SQUANDERED HIS PROPERTY IN LOOSE LIVING.”

Ah, the excitement that stirred in the young man’s blood that day as he set out on his own with his wealth securely packed in his gear.  He breathed a sigh of relief, though he felt a twinge of regret, that morning he set out for the far country by himself.  FREE, FREE, AT LAST.  Just feel that sunshine, smell those flowers, breath in deeply of that fresh air!  Ah, it’s great to be alive, to be on your own, to be free.  There was a spring in his step as he made his way to the far country.  His mind was filled with all kinds of thoughts of what it would be like, of what he would do, of how he would live.  There were the bright lights, the fun places to go, the things to buy and to do.  Yes indeed, it was great to be alive.

At last he arrived in the country of excitement and expression.  Immediately, he looked for and rented and expensive apartment.  Then he went to the clothing store and bought the best clothes in the store.  Then he made his way to the happy night spots, the fun places of the far country.  There was music and dancing, wine flowed, drugs were shared, friendships grew as he bought round after round of drink.  The friends patted him on the back and exchanged pleasantries.  Yes, and there were lovely ladies.  So many lovely ladies, who would every want more?  What a life, so much fun, so many friends, party after party, good time after good time.  He had never dreamed it could be so great!  It was better than he thought!

Time passed, days, months, and then years.  Gradually things began to change.  His friends were not so cordial, they knew that the well was running dry, indeed that the son was even having to borrow from time to time.  Some of the ladies began to find him a little less charming.  Yes and his health wasn’t so good now, the loose living was beginning to take it toll.

Finally, his money was all gone and so were the ladies, and so were his friends and so were the good times.  Such was the descent into desperation of this headstrong, this self-willed young man.  Such is the decline and fall of all those who forget the Father Go, who turn their back on their Father, of all those who wildly spend their life and waste their resources.  Life and resources which in reality they owe to the Father God, for all they have and are have come from Him.  Thus ends development #2.

Development #3 is the DESPERATION OF THE SON IN THE FAMINE FILLED FAR COUNTRY.  :

“AND WHEN HE HAD SPENT EVERYTHING, A GREAT FAMINE AROSE IN THAT COUNTRY, AND HE BEGAN TO BE IN WANT.  SO HE WENT AND JOINED HIMSELF TO ONE OF THE CITIZENS OF THAT COUNTRY, WHO SENT HIM INTO HIS FIELDS TO FEED SWINE.  AND HE WOULD GLADLY HAVE FED ON THE PODS THAT THE WINE ATE, AND NO ONE GAVE HIM ANYTHING.”

Sometimes when things look bad, a person begins to wonder if they can get worse.  Such a person is right, they CAN GET WORSE.  No only was the son short of money, girls and friends, so was most everyone else as the great famine, a great depression arose in that land.  The son did the best he could to avoid it, but finally he was at the end of his own resources and he began to be in want.  He was desperate, so he did the one thing he most didn’t want to do, he found a job and was thereby put under the authority and orders of a boss.  There were those terrible restraints again that he had so hated a few years ago back home.  His boss was a kindly sort in that he gave him a job in a time of depression, but the nature of that job was a bit distasteful.  The man sent the son into his fields to feed the dirty, smelly swine!  If there was one job that was most underneath the dignity of a man in Jewish thought, it was that job.  That’s as low as you can go, so the thought, so he thought!

So desperate was the son though, that for months he did work.  His diet was so inadequate and small, the wages were poor, that the young son would have gladly eaten the husks that the swine at in order to try to stop that terrible gnawing hunger, but he had some principles and no one gave him anything and he wouldn’t steal!  So his hunger continued and his situation grew ever more desperate.  This was the deepest desperation he had ever known in his rather protected young life.  What a plight.  From riches to rags in a few short years, stupid wasteful years; from a palace to a pig sty.  In a few short, extravagant years; from the privilege of a son of a gracious father in a palace to the lowest position in the land as a servant to swine and their owner.  That’s the bottom of the barrel indeed.

Development #4:  THE DESIRE TO RETURN.  :

“BUT WHEN HE CAME TO HIMSELF HE SAID, HOW MANY OF MY FATHER’S SERVANTS HAVE BREAD ENOUGH AND TO SPARE, BUT I PERISH HERE WITH HUNGER.  I WILL ARISE AND GO TO MY FATHER AND I WILL SAY TO HIM ‘FATHER, I HAVE SINNED AGAINST HEAVEN, AND BEFORE YOU.  I AM NO LONGER WORTHY TO BE CALLED YOUR SON; TREAT ME AS ONE OF YOUR HIRED SERVANTS’ ”

There is, there can be value in suffering.  God wastes nothing.  Here is the key to this whole story:  “BUT WHEN HE CAME TO HIMSELF.”  Sometimes we have to hit the bottom of the barrel, we have to suffer before we come to our senses and see the destruction and sinful path our present attitudes and actions involve.  So it was with the son; as long as things were going well, and money and pleasures were in abundance he felt that he was on top of the world.  But when the problems came, when suffering hit, when desperation finally settled in, the young man’s memory began to work, his conscience at last began to function.  He remembered his father and his father’s house.  Things were different there.  There was a different spirit and there was plenty to eat.

Thus the young man began to repent of his waywardness, his sin.  His sufferings caused him to look inward and to realize that he was indeed guilty of sin.  The sin of wasting his life, of wasting his father’s wealth and resources, of selfishness and self will in expressing himself immorally, doing whatever he wanted without thinking about others or God!

The young man remembered the warmth, the provisions, the acceptance, the purity of his father.  He now had a plan, he knew what must be done.  He would return to his father, confess his sin, be humble in being willing to work as a hired servant.  Thus he arose and made his way back to the Father on the long journey from the far country home!

Development #5 is the DEMONSTRATION OF GRACE recorded in :

Many thoughts filled the young man’s mind is he’s painfully slowly made his way back to the father. How would he be received? Indeed, with his father be alive it all, he hadn’t heard in a long time. Would he be refused? There were times when the young man almost turn back, but what were the alternatives?

Finally, the palace could be seen in the distance. If he could have seen it, there was a face in a window looking out watching and waiting! Indeed, many times in his suffering the father looked down the road for his sons return. As the father looked he caught sight of the pathetic, ragged figure and at once he knew. His long-lost son was on the way home. Compassion stirred in his heart in the aged father threw open the door and ran as fast as his tottering old legs would allow to his lost son. When he reached him he embraced the lad, he kissed a boy over and over again, even though he smelled of swine and of travel. The sun began his confession, “FATHER, I HAVE SINNED AGAINST HEAVEN AND BEFORE YOU:  I AM NO LONGER WORTHY TO BE CALLED YOUR SON.”

The father interrupted as he said to his servant, “BRING QUICKLY THE BEST ROBE AND PUT IT ON HIM; AND PUT A RING ON HIS HAND, AND SHOES ON HIS FEET.”  Thereby the Father’s forgiveness and acceptance were vividly expressed as he called his sinning son back into full sonship, as he dressed him in the robes of Christ’s righteousness, as he gave him the ring as a pledge of present membership and future blessing, and he gave him the shoes of sonship. The father continued, ” ‘AND BRING THE FATTENED CALF AND KILL IT, AND LET US EAT, AND MAKE MERRY, FOR THIS MY SON WAS DEAD AND IS NOW ALIVE AGAIN, HE WAS LOST AND NOW IS FOUND.’ AND THEY BEGAN TO MAKE MERRY.”

Is there more beautiful picture in all the world of the grace and forgiveness of the waiting Father for the erring headstrong sinners of our world that this?

The lessons of the section are many. Consider this Helmut Thielicke tells the story of how one day he put his little baby son in front of a mirror for the first time. The little lad enjoy the figure in the mirror but didn’t realize that it was, then all at once a sense of recognition came over the little lad as he realized, why THAT’S ME IN THAT MIRROR. We haven’t really understood the mirror in the story of the prodigal’s unless the Spirit of God has led us to realize, WHY THAT’S ME! In ways we are all the prodigal son. The beauty here though is, that, when we come to ourselves, we have a WAITING FATHER. We too may come, you too, may come to the Father, and find forgiveness, cleansing and acceptance. Have you had enough of the far country yet? Are you tired of squandering the Father’s riches and resources? Isn’t it about time to come home, to come to the Waiting Father? A preacher by the name of Samuel Chadwick made some helpful points on this parable once. I quote Campbell Morgan, “HE READ THE STORY OF THE PRODIGAL SON, AND HAVING COMPLETED IT CHADWICK SAID, ‘I PROPOSE TO PREACH TO YOU THIS MORNING ABOUT THE THIRD SON IN THIS STORY.’ THEN HE WENT ON TO SAY THAT WE HAVE TWO SONS, ONE WHO BY DISOBEDIENCE BROK HIS FATHER’S HEAR, AND ONE WHO, WHILE KEEPING HIS FATHER’S LAW, HAD NO SYMPATHY WITH HIS FATHER’S HEART.  THEN THERE IS THE THIRD SON, AND HE IS ON THE ONE WHO UTTERED THIS STORY.  HE WAS THE SON OF THE FATHER, WHO BOTH KEPT THE FATHER’S LAW, AND UNDERSTOOD THE FATHER’S HEART, AND SO WAS ABLE TO REVEAL THE WHOLE TRUTH CONCERNING GOD IN THE PRESENCE OF DERELICT HUMANITY, AND TO MAKE POSSIBLE THE RESTORATION OF THE LOST.”

That Son is none other than Jesus Christ who once proclaimed, “I AM THE WAY, AND THE TRUTH AND THE LIFE, NO MAN COMETH UNTO THE FATHER BUT BY ME.”

How about it this morning, are you ready to come to the Father, to come home? Jesus the Savior who died for you in your place and your sin, and who rose again, beckons to you, calls you to the Father by your reception of him as personal Savior and Lord.  WON’T YOU COME HOME?  THE FATHER IS WAITING!