Jump Start # 2542

Luke 15:20 “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.”

Our verse today comes from the wonderful story we know as The Prodigal Son. This story hits home and it ought to. It’s our story. It’s a story that is played out in most congregations and in many homes every year. Rebellious and arrogant that young prodigal left home with wild ideas dancing in his head. He needed the inheritance to fulfill his dreams. He demanded and it was given to him. Reckless, irresponsible and foolish, he lost all the inheritance. Hopeless and helpless, he fell so far that he was wanting to eat what dirty pigs were eating.

He came to his senses. He remembered. His father was good. His father was generous. His father may let him back if he were to be a servant. The demanding changed to begging. The hopelessness found hope. It was back home. What a mistake he had made. What a fool he had been. Broken and defeated, he went home.

And, from that, I want us to see a few lessons:

First, he got rid of his pride. As long as someone is thinking more of themselves than of God, they will stay out. Too embarrassed to return. Too afraid of what people may say. “I’m not going forward,” I’ve heard sinful people proclaim. The father didn’t run to the pig pen. The prodigal got up and CAME to his father. Many are too embarrassed to be baptized before others. Have they forgotten what the Lord did for them. His death wasn’t in a secret room. It was on a hilltop where all could see. He was beaten and nearly naked. Everyone could see. Maybe we need a bit more of “denying ourselves” and get over worrying about what others might say and do the right thing.

Second, he came home, but he came home differently. That’s the key. That’s the repentance. That’s the change. It isn’t a matter of simply coming home. Coming home the same doesn’t do anyone any good. One might as well stay out with the pigs if he isn’t changed. That demanding, self-centered prodigal was a different person. That’s missing in some today. Some will mumble some weak apology about possibly doing a little wrong but there’s no change in their hearts. There is no brokenness. There is no shame. There are no tears. A couple of weeks later, that person is right back at his old ways again. Repentance is more than saying “I’m sorry.” Some are sorry that they got caught. Some are sorry that things ruined their health or finances. But the sorrow ought to be directed towards Heaven. You broke God’s heart. You shamed the Lord who died for you. You trashed God’s holy commands. You blasphemed the name of God.

The prodigal declared, “I am no longer worthy…” He realized that he had shot his son-ship in the family. He deserved to be disowned and kicked out. He understood that. He realized that. He wasn’t walking home with a smile on his face. This wasn’t funny. I would love to hear a person admit before a congregation, “I am no longer worthy to be a member.” But that doesn’t happen. You have to take me back, is what they think. I demand that you take me back. You can’t keep me from being a member. Not too much brokenness in those words.

Third, once a person is changed, they show it. We are not given a picture of what the next day looked like, but you can just expect things were different. He was different. Different attitude. Different way of looking at the work that had to be done. Different work ethic. Different words towards his father. So, here comes a person walking down the isle of a church building on a Sunday morning. They tell the preacher that they haven’t been coming much and they want prayers. The good folks pray. They surround that person with hugs and love. Yet, that night, at the evening service, that person isn’t there. Next week, they aren’t there. Where’s the change? What’s different? Was it simply to put some distance from coming discipline? Was it just something someone told them to do and they had no idea why?

When a person repents, there ought to be some changes. When John was preaching repentance, the crowds wanted to know what to do. They asked, “Then what shall we do?” John said, if you have two tunics, share with one who has none. The tax collectors were told to collect no more than what was ordered. The soldiers were told to stop taking money from others and not to falsely accuse others. Changes. Changes that would stick. Changes that would be evident.

Fourth, an atmosphere welcoming one home needs to be created. Had the father acted like the older son, the prodigal would have never returned. He came because the father had an atmosphere of love and acceptance. Being a servant at home was much better than being free on the road. Love, grace and forgiveness needs to fill the air. None of us are perfect. Finger pointing, whispering, judgmental attitudes often prevent some from coming home. Having to answer a thousand questions. Having to be treated like a second rate citizen. Having people say, “I’m keeping an eye on you,” only kills the desire to come home.

I wonder how many want to come home, but they are afraid. They don’t sense what the prodigal did towards his father. They know that they have done is wrong, but now they fear being treated as if they had spiritual leprosy. So, they stay away. It’s not God, it’s His people that they fear. That should never be. The spirit of the elder brother is alive in far too many places these days. That spirit is no better than the spirit of rebellion that took the prodigal away. Both boys were lost. One was lost in a far country and the other was lost at home. One realized he was lost. The other never got it.

Coming home different…that’s the key.

Roger

Jump Start # 2464

Luke 15:20 “And 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.”

Our verse today comes from the amazing story of the prodigal son. I love that parable. I have a whole collection of books just on this parable. We have a Jump Start book devoted to this parable. Sixteen years ago, I edited an issue of Biblical Insights that was completely devoted to the prodigal son. There was a fantastic list of writers who submitted articles for that special issue. It was definitely one to keep. You can see, I love this story. Currently, I am in the midst of a series of lessons at home on the Prodigal son.

This parable is ageless. And, I guess the reason I connect so well to this parable is that I have stood in the shadows of all three characters in this story. I have been with the prodigal. I have had the opportunity to forgive those who have hurt me and by doing that I have stood with the father. And, sadly, and with much regret, I have stood with the older brother and have been judgmental at those who were just wanting to do what was right. I’m all over this story and I guess that is why I love it.

Every time I read it I find new nuggets of insights and truth. Our verse is one example of that. The prodigal decided to come home. There was no where else that he could go. The pig farmer that he was working for provided food for the pigs, but not for the prodigal. It seems that the farmer cared more for his pigs than this down and out prodigal. He got up and headed home. Our verse says, “while he was still a long way off, his father saw him.”

How did he know it was his son? Parents know their kids. We know the back of their heads. We know the tone of their voices. We know how they walk and carry themselves. But more than that, I believe this father was always looking for the prodigal. I expect he had prayed for this day since the prodigal left. The text tells us that the father ran, which was odd in that culture. We run for exercise. Most folks didn’t run in the first century unless their house was on fire. The father ran, embraced and kissed. He was so happy that his son was coming home.

Did you notice that the father did all of these things BEFORE the prodigal ever spoke the first word to his father. The father didn’t wait for the apology. The father didn’t hold back until he saw how this would turn out. The father didn’t know if the son was going to ask for more money. He saw him. And, he ran. And, just as the prodigal knew the father, I believe the father knew the prodigal.

The text doesn’t tell us this and we can always put more into it than intended, but it’s not a stretch to imagine the prodigal walking slowly, head hung down, the steps of defeat. He probably left the house with his head held high and eyes full of dreams. Now, it was all a nightmare. He had failed. He had no where to go but home.

And, amazingly, the father saw, ran, embraced and kissed. That was certainly unexpected. The Jewish crowd who first heard this must have thought that this father was weak and spineless. No lecture. No scolding. No “I told you so.” No get out of here. No thousands of questions. None of that. Just, ran, hugged and kissed.

Although the prodigal made a fool of himself, whose money was it that was wasted? Technically, it was given to the prodigal, but it was the father’s money. It was the prodigal’s inheritance. It likely took a lifetime to accumulate that. And, now it was all gone. There was nothing to show for it. There was no real estate bought. There was no home purchased. There was no money sitting in a bank account. There was no cattle. There was nothing. It was all gone. Years and years of labor and saving was gone. There probably wouldn’t be enough life left in the father to recover that money again. The father was hurt. The prodigal had insulted him, shamed him and left him with very little. Yet, it was this father who ran, embraced and kissed.

Jesus is showing us that this is what God is like. He’s just like that. Now, the father didn’t run to the pig pen. There was no hugging and kissing in the pig pen. The prodigal had to come home. He had to make the steps. But the father was waiting. The father was looking. The father was hoping.

Many of us grew up with our moms telling us, “Wait until your father gets home.” We knew what that meant. We’d hear the door open, we’d hear his heavy steps coming in and we knew before long we’d be getting it. And, most times we deserved it. And, in this story, so did the prodigal. He deserved it. But, he didn’t get it. Instead of wrath, he found grace. Instead of hatred, he was given love. Instead of being kicked out, he was received. The father ran, embraced and kissed. Powerful words and thoughts for us to consider.

Now, some thoughts for us:

First, the prodigal was hoping to be made a servant. That, he thought would be the best situation for him. As hard as it would be to serve your own family and take care of them and to end the day by sleeping in a barn while they were in the house still was better than being with pigs. The father was much better than that. It’s hard for us to anticipate God. It’s hard for us to figure God out. He’s not like us. He’s better than the best among us. We must remember that the prodigal son is a story, a parable. It is easy to stretch things more than what God intended. And, theologically, there are many points that would pull us from this, but it sure seems like the father forgave the prodigal based upon his return and not the words that he said. God knows our heart. He knows when we are genuine and when we are blowing smoke and making excuses.

Second, God’s love for us is something that we may never fully understand. Sure there are verses that state that. Sure there are examples that show that. But putting this on our front porch, is just hard to grasp. We know what we have done. We know that God knows what we have done. We know that we deserve the book thrown at us. We know that saying, “I’m sorry,” just doesn’t seem to be enough. And, it’s not. We know, like the prodigal did, that some damage cannot be restored, repaired or replaced. Still, God loves us.

Third, that long trip home, as hard and as bad as it may have seemed for the prodigal, turned wonderfully well for him. The father treated him so much better than he could ever expect. A ring? The best robe? A meal of beef? Music and dancing? Some would think that the father was over the top. He was. Some would think he did too much. He probably did. Some would think that the wrong message may have been sent. He didn’t think so. Some may think that he was rewarding wrong. He didn’t think so. He knew what was needed. He knew compassion to be felt must be expressed. He knew how low the prodigal was feeling.

God trusts you. God loves you. God wants to be with you. God is so glad that you are home with Him.

I just love this story….don’t you. If you would like either a copy of our Prodigal Son Jump Start book or reprints of the Biblical Insight on the prodigal son, drop me an email (Rogshouse@aol.com).

Roger

Jump Start # 1854

Luke 15:20 “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.”

The parable of the prodigal son– one story that never gets old. It is an illustration of forgiveness. It is the Lord’s description of the nature of God. It is our story. We have stood in that home and wanted to leave. We spent time in the far country, living it up, having a great time, and far, far away from God. We came back to God. We have tasted forgiveness. We know this story.

I once edited an entire issue of Biblical Insights that was devoted to this one parable. I remember as a young preacher hearing one of my heroes, Robert Jackson saying that he had 33 different sermons on the prodigal son. At the time I thought, how can you have 33 different sermons on this one parable. Now, all these years later, I think, he ONLY had 33 sermons on this parable.

One side point that I want to look at today, based upon our passage, is understanding that people change. The young man that couldn’t wait to get out of the house, now wanted to come home. The prodigal who demanded, “Give me,” now returned with, “Make me” one of your servants. The far country didn’t live up to the expectations that he had dreamed. It never does. Certainly, it was thrilling for a moment, but that moment is fleeting, sinful and harmful. Money gone. Friends gone. Famine. No options. The crushed life today is the person addicted, expelled from school, arrested, fired, divorced and in all of this, alone, empty and without resources. For too many, this is how their life ends. A wasted life. A selfish life. A life that didn’t glorify God nor accomplish much good.

In the Lord’s story, the prodigal changed. He changed his mind and he changed his direction. He got up and came home. That’s the key. That’s hard. That involves admitting you failed. That involves swallowing a lot of pride. Many a person will admit that the booze and hard living destroyed their marriage, lost their jobs, and even took their health. But they say that sitting in a bar, looking at yet another drink. They don’t change. They remain in the far country. They never come home.

The Lord’s prodigal changed.

There are two thoughts that come with this:

First, people can change. That is the story found within the Bible. People can change. The Corinthians were immoral, thieves and pagans. They changed. Every person that is a Christian has changed. Righteous people do not become Christians. We were unrighteous.

This is the message that needs to be repeated. You can change. Society tells us that you can’t. Accept. Embrace. Change the thinking of others. Change the by-laws of the church (whatever that means). So, instead of prodigals coming home, today, the church and the world runs to the far country and has a meal with the prodigal in the pig pen. That’s not the Lord’s story. It wasn’t the father who changed. It was the prodigal.

Change isn’t easy. For the prodigal, he had to leave the far country. Get out of the environment that destroyed your life and your soul. Change friends. Change jobs. Change cities. Change habits. Not easy, but it is possible.

Second, for those of us that are at home with the Father, we must allow others to change. Sometimes we are the very ones who are declaring, “He’ll never change,” or, “It won’t last.” You don’t find the Father saying that. Not in Jesus’ story. Instead of standing on the sidelines of life, booing, believe in people and help them to change. It’s a journey. It’s hard. There may even be a step or two backward as they are trying to make progress.

Can the unfaithful husband change? Yes. Can the addict change? Yes. Can the habitual liar change? Yes. Have you changed?

What brought the change, wasn’t counseling, programs, but coming to the Father. Those other things may need to be used, but without the Father, there won’t be any change. The prodigal came home to his Father. It wasn’t his brother that he missed. It wasn’t the family dog that he missed. It was the way he knew that his Father would treat him. The servants, who were serving, were living better than he was. He was a son, yet he longed to have a life as good as the servants did. The servants lived well because of his Father. The generous, kind Father was responsible for the good life the servants lived. If he could only have that, it would be better than looking at pigs.

Trickling through all of this is the thread that reminds us that we too can change. Our attitudes can get better. We don’t have to be so bleak, negative and complaining. Even at work, our outlook can improve. The way we talk to others can improve. We don’t have to interrupt so much, nor correct every mistake someone says. We can take off the “Grammar police” hat. What we are doing in the church can get better. We can worship better. We can be more engaged and more involved. Our marriages do not have to stay the way they are. They can get better.

Underlining this great parable is the story of someone who changed. It is possible. You and I can change. Our relationship with the Lord can get better. We can know the Bible better than we do. We can pray better and more. We can walk with more joy in our hearts. Change is possible, not just for the far country people, but even for us at home. The elder brother didn’t get that. He didn’t think that he needed to change. He didn’t think that he was lost. He was just as lost at home as the prodigal was in the far country.

Both boys needed to change. One did.

I saw a survey that indicated overwhelmingly most people do not like the way that they look. We don’t like our ears, our nose. We have put on too many pounds. We are too short. We don’t like our hair. Some will spend a lot trying to change their appearance, even to the point of having surgery. But what really can be changed is the way we are on the inside. Do you like that? Do you like how you treat others? Do you like your attitude? Do you like your walk with the Lord? Do you like your home life? Do you like yourself? That can be changed. You can be a different person, a better person. Sometimes it takes a “pig moment” before we realize this. We ruin a friendship, a marriage, a relationship with our family, and then it comes out. Our attitude. Our arrogance. Our tongue. Our judgmental tone. Change. Change those things. Make things right and better.

You can change. Will you?

Roger

Jump Start # 879

Luke 15:20 “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.”

The prodigal came home. The wild adventures in the far country turned into disaster for this younger son. Broke, embarrassed, helpless, hopeless and friendless, he turns to home. He rehearsed his apology speech. He thought about it. That long road home was so different than the journey away from home. I expect he left excited, full of dreams and plans and nearly running. The journey home is full of regrets. He came home a failure. He was a loser.

How appropriate on Father’s Day weekend, that we now turn to the hero of this story, the father. His actions, words and attitude is what makes this story. He had been hurt. He had been embarrassed. Yet, his love, grace and forgiveness is what turns this story into a picture of God and us. Jesus wants the world to see that this is God. This is how God acts.

A few thoughts for us.

First, the prodigal knew his father. He had lived with his father for a long time. He had seen how his father dealt with the servants. He knew his father to be a kind and generous man. He knew the heart of his father. This is the key to this story. Without this knowledge he would have had no where to go.

Many prodigals today remain prodigals because they do not know their Father, God. They fear God. They messed up and they fear God will only make it worse for them. They stay away from worshipping God, they avoid God’s people and close their hearts, mind and eyes to God’s word. The one person who can really help them, they run from because they do not know Him. The prodigal came home. He knew his father.

It seems in all our teaching that we do, especially to teenagers and college students, that this is a message that they need to get. They need to know God. We dance all around that subject and talk about all kinds of interesting things, but I wonder how many are pulled to the far country without a knowledge of the Father. They stay in the wilderness for decades because they do not understand God.

A true knowledge of God is not that He is a softy and we can get away with anything we want. That is not God. A true knowledge of God is not that He overlooks sin and denies that His children could ever do anything wrong. That’s not God. God is loving and forgiving.

A second thought here. In this story, the father represents God. One can only imagine what it would be like to have God as a literal dad in the house. The perfect parent. One who was right every time. Not overly strict and demanding and not a push over who neglects. Yet, with God as the perfect parent the prodigal left. He left the best for the inferior. He left. Are we to assume that God was partially to blame for the prodigal leaving? Had he been a better parent, the prodigal would have stayed? Is that a fair conclusion to the text? NO. Absolutely not. God is perfect, 100% of the time. We are not perfect as God is. As parents, we have made mistakes. But many godly parents are eaten up with guilt because they have a prodigal in the family. It is only made worse by the whispers, guilt, judging and comments of others. Some prodigals leave not because of the parent but because of the far country.

A third thought. Every time a prodigal returns, you and I have to opportunity to act like the father or to act like the older brother. We can accept or we can shun. That is our role to play.

Now, let’s notice two other things about the prodigals return.

When he came, he began his speech. Verse 21, the actual speech, mirrors verse 19, the rehearsed speech, except for one part. The prodigal didn’t get to say, “Make me as one of your men.” I believe he intended to say that. He couldn’t. The father interrupted him with orders for a robe, sandals, ring and a feast. These were the signs of acceptance. Servants didn’t where sandals, sons did. Servants didn’t wear the best robe, the masters did. Servants were not given the ring, a signet ring, meaning trust, ownership and rights. Servants didn’t eat the fatted calf. They cooked the fatted calf. The calf that was saved for special occasions. Two unmarried boys at home…maybe the father was saving this for a future wedding. The celebration was now. The lost has been found, the dead is now alive. The father did everything he could to demonstrate to the prodigal that all was forgiven and that he was loved and accepted. That is so important. The father didn’t lecture. He didn’t give a speech. He ordered gifts, food and feasting. Just days before this, the prodigal was looking at pig food. Now he was going to eat the fatted calf. God blesses us beyond measure.

When the prodigal came home, he was changed. He was not the same. He was not demanding. He was broken. He learned some lessons. He was wrong. Some prodigals come home unchanged. They still have an attitude. They still have the thirst for the far country. They come home making demands and threats. Those are not the times for rings, robes and celebrations. Those prodigals come home because they know mom and dad have a soft spot in their heart and more than anything, no one else will take them in. Home is their last choice. They don’t want to be there and they don’t plan on staying there long. It’s a place for a meal, a bed until they can figure out how to return to the far country. Parents make a grave mistake in such cases when they bring robes, rings, and fatted calves. In such cases, the lost remains lost. The dead are still dead. They are not interested in forgiveness, God, church or doing right. They want a bed and a meal and nothing said. They have no speech. They do not apologize. They do not say that they have sinned. They show up and expect. They show up and demand. Don’t confuse this for what happened in Luke 15. They are not the same.

The prodigal in Jesus’ story came home changed. He said, “Father, I have sinned…”

We must remember that this is a parable, a story. It is so vivid and alive that we can see it. I can see that old father seeing the son a long way off. How did he recognize him? He knew. The father drops what he was doing, I always imagined him out hoeing the garden, and he takes off running. Understand in Jesus’ day, people didn’t run much. It wasn’t an exercise thing. People ran when there was trouble. People ran to escape trouble. The old man running must have caught the eyes of the servants. You notice, as he interrupts the prodigal’s speech, he tells the servants to bring ring, robe and sandals. Where were the servants? They must have seen the father running and they took off after him. They must have wondered what is going on. What’s gotten into the old guy.

We end this piece by noticing the actions of the father. He ran. He embraced. He ordered. He felt compassion. He kissed. Genuine love. Real acceptance. Warmth. The prodigal hadn’t felt that way in a while. Dirty, smelly, hungry and nothing to offer his father other than himself, he was shown this great love.

Many of us wish we had a dad like that. Maybe your dad wasn’t the best. I was with my dad yesterday. He had surgery. We laughed, talked and hugged each other. We love each other. Not all have a relationship like that. Some don’t know their dads. This story is not about dads and sons. It is about us and God. All of us DO have a father like that—He is God. He is looking for you. Each day He thinks, maybe today is the day he or she will return. He’s hoping. He’s looking. He’s wanting. He thinks about you more than you think about Him. He longs for you to be home. He wants you with Him.

And here we are. Many of us, most of us, have nothing to bring to God except ourselves. We’ve messed up. We’ve made big mistakes. We’ve wasted opportunity. We’ve sinned. All we can say is, “Father, I have sinned in your sight.” That’s what He wants you to say. He wants you home. He wants you to follow Him. He wants you to obey Him. He wants you to be a disciple of His Son. He has the best for you.

What an amazing Father. He’s yours. He is looking for you. Won’t you come home?

Roger