Monday: The Parable of the Lost Son – Part I
Hailed in history as the most beautiful short story ever told on the forgiving nature of love, the parable of the prodigal son (Luke 15:11-32), narrated only by Luke, may well be called the parable of the loving father and two lost sons. One son chose the lawlessness of the distant land over the love of the father. The other son chose to stay in the home but did not fully know the love of the father or the meaning of a brother.
Image © Lynne Davis from GoodSalt.com
The parable may be studied in seven parts, four dealing with the prodigal, two with the Father, and one with the elder brother.
Give me
(Luke 15:12). The younger son’s decision to demand of his father his portion of the property was no sudden, impulsive urge. Sin often results after a long time of brooding over misplaced priorities. The younger son must have heard from friends about the glitter and glamour of distant lands. Life at home was too rigid. Love was there, but it had its own boundaries; the distant land offered him life without restrictions. The father was too protective, his love too embracing. The son wanted freedom, and in the quest for unhindered freedom was the seed of rebellion.Why me?
(Luke 15:13-16). The son cashed in his entire share and set off to thefar country.
The far country is a place far away from the father’s home. Love’s caring eyes, law’s protective fence, grace’s ever-present embrace are foreign to the far country. It is a distant land ofriotous living
(Luke 15:13). The Greek word forriotous
(asotos) appears three other times as a noun in the New Testament: for drunkenness (Eph. 5:18), rebelliousness (Titus 1:6), and debauchery that includeslewdness, lusts, drunkenness, revelries, drinking parties, and abominable idolatries
(1 Pet. 4:3-4, NKJV). Such pleasures of godless living wasted away his health and wealth, and soon he became moneyless, friendless, and foodless. His glittering life wound up in a gutter. Starved to the point of being in perpetual want, he found employment in caring for the pigs, a harsh fate for a Jew.Make me
(Luke 15:17-19). But even the prodigal is still a son, with the power of choice to turn around. So, the soncame to his senses
and remembered a place called home, a person known as father, a relational bind called love. He walked back home, with a speech in his hand, to plead with the father:Make me.
That is, make me whatever you want, but let me be within your watchful eyes, within the care of your love. What better home is there but the Father’s heart.
The world can appear very alluring. What specific things of the world do you find yourself particularly tempted by, that you find yourself thinking, Oh, that’s not so bad,
when deep down you know it is?
(37)
Some who join the mission of Jesus to save the lost sons of spiritual Israel or others may go overboard trying to recover the lost, thinking the mission is dependent on the arm of flesh. The messengers of Christ are to share the word, not convict or convert, which are the assignments of the Holy Spirit (John 16:7, 8).
Discuss for the purposes of clarification, but seek to limit or eliminate debate, which is often attended by distortions, misrepresentations, personal attacks, etc. Debates tend to harden rather than hearten and do more to deplete the energies and demoralize than develop character (2 Timothy 2:23-26).
Observe when the audience is no longer interested in understanding, but instead incites a quarrel. Do not respond in kind, but get out of the way of the Holy Spirit. The saints do well to avoid the weapons of the enemy, the unfortunate tactics of debate; for by them only arguments are won, not hearts. The faithful learn how to accept rejection kindly and still love.
If salvation rests on the arguments of our imperfect understanding we are in trouble. In the parable the father is pictured as pleading with one son, but had already said enough to the other son before he left, so he did not need to say any more. The Holy Spirit did the rest and the young man “came to his senses” (Luke 15:17).
Pray early and often and trust the Spirit, even when error seems to be gaining ground. Truth does best when the Spirit gets a chance.
I was out on the back verandah scrubbing a pot when suddenly it cried out "John!have you considered the kettle for it is way blacker than me?" My imagination no doubt, but does the degree of "blackness" make any difference? Paul reminds us in Rom. 3:23 that "all have sinned and short of the glory of God"
There is an old saying "there, but for the grace of God, go I" Remember when you point your finger, there are three fingers pointing back at you.
The ancient Pharisees were past masters of the art of finger pointing, practicing hypocrissy that led to their own deception and blinded them to the Living Word walking among them.
When we "finger point" we condemn ourselves and drive from the church people who now spread a negative image of the church and poison the ground for future evangelism.
God help us all.
you are very right, these days if you think that you can change people's mind and soul by accusing their beliefs u end up having more enemies than friend. people these days are looking for preasure of the world, they are happy if the pastor tells them, they are going to have agood job, a loving wife, a nice car, their business will grow, but there is no savation in the end. MAY GOD HELP US TO DO HIS WILL
The father's acceptance of his son is far-reaching, considering his appearance (dirty and smelling like pigs). Not even his own brother would embrace him! I see people who hear the message and are coming "home." They are coming with many spiritual baggages with the intention to be unburdened, eventually. Recently someone accepted the message in my church, but the obvious struggle is gender identity. My greatest concern is general acceptance of this person [who is truely seeking salvation]. In this situation, It is easy to play the role of the prodigal's brother. I pray that we will always follow Christ's example, otherwise, we will be roadblocks to Kingdom Seekers.
Today God is still seeking for the lost. Still Proverbs 1:24 is relevant in and out of the church we are in trouble. The parable shows that the one (Son)who stayed home is in great trouble than the one who went and came back. In fact he was the one showing practising obedience like the scribes and pharisees but was in a worse state than an Jew who took on the customs of pagans and then returned to God his father. The Bible declare that the penitent son came to his senses .However the one at home was ridiculing the father for not rewarding him for his God works . We as seventh-day Adventists have got to be careful, while walk in obedience and seek to do the right these cannot impress God . If we want to be saved we must come to our senses knowing we are a sinner in need of his grace. Is there a brother /sister who left your church and came back . How do you treat him at the nominating committee meetings . As the first elder at my church I ponder these things . I am but a sinner saved by grace.
The question at the end about what I find alluring in the world and justify by saying it's not so bad is media. Certain books, music and movies don't glorify God and it's easy to slowly integrate them into my life and allow their subtle messages to infiltrate. I need to make the Bible and prayer first in my life to discern Gods will for my life and To realize that His love and boundaries are best for me.
We don't have to live in a pig-pen any more to be found eating pig-food. Nor do we need to be obviously absent from God. Bad food bombards us daily through our TVs, radios, and internet connections. Right in our respectable tidy tastefully decorated living rooms.
Nowadays it's really not time to argue about other people's beliefs because most people have chosen to stand against the present truth. But still more with love and kindness we can reach out to such friends and relatives. This issue of preaching the gospel to all the world should not be taken with a human mind rather prayer and fasting. For those who are converted Adventists you can agree with me that sometimes it's so hard to preach the gospel to relatives you live with in the same home. But when we invite the Holy Spirit which convicts and converts all is possible for He strengthens us.
In my college for example people don't want to be invited to campus SDA crusades because they claim that we always insult other churches yet some find salvation in that same gospel.
Brethren, no matter what let's keep on praying and fasting,then go to the world and preach the gospel for we walk by faith not sight. GOD will accomplish it all. Many are lost out there!!!! They need you and me. Some are lost Sheep who at some point sense that they are lost but they don't really know where their shepherd is. Some are lost coins which don't even know that they are lost and some are lost sons in the church.
God should help us. Romans 13:11,Matthew 5:48,Philippians 4:13
We were baptized with many friends and relatives but some of them are now the lost coin and sheep. It is true that we were together in the cage which is governing by the supreme laws of heaven. To them, they were in prison therefore wanted their freedom and they left. Some of these lost sheep or coin has realized their mistakes and wanted to come back to the cage but they feel embarrassing. I think it is our duty to put our legs into the shoes of the good shepherd and look for the lost sheep and coin; with prayers and the support of the holy spirit, we will be able to bring them back.
Paul was right when he said, Therefore let anyone who thinks that he
stands take heed lest he fall.1 cor 10:12
may God help us