Although outwardly near, as his father owns (“son, thou art ever with me,” ver. 81), the elder son was as far off morally, “in the field” as the younger son had been in the “far country.” For “the field is the world.” (Matt. 13:3838The field is the world; the good seed are the children of the kingdom; but the tares are the children of the wicked one; (Matthew 13:38).) “He drew nigh to the house” (ver. 20), so nigh that “he heard music and dancing,” the sounds of the merry-making of the father over his son, who was dead and is alive again: was lost and is found; (ver. 24.) Picture of God’s joy—Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, uniting to rejoice in what their united action had effected, the Son “come to seek and to save that which was lost” (chap, 19:10), the Holy Ghost to find (ver. 8), and the Father to receive the penitent. (Ver. 20.) As they say, “Let us eat and be merry,” that is, let us have communion and joy on the happy result of our labors.
Though the elder son is so nigh as to hear the sound of all this, and though he is informed of its meaning (verses 26, 27), he will not join 111 his father s joy. Not only had he no heart for that which, so gladdened his father’s heart, but he resents it: “he was angry and would not go in” (ver. 28). How different with the other in his destitution: for, as another has said, “he was hungry and could not stop out, while the elder was angry and would not go in.”
And thus it is ever with the worldling, whether a religious professor or an irreligious profligate. He hates grace. The elder son resents it when manifested to his confessedly (ver. 21) unworthy brother. (Verses 28, 30.) The younger son abuses the grace shown him by his father in dividing to him his living. (Ver. 12.)
And where art thou, and what art thou, my reader? Have you ever answered for yourself God’s first two great questions to man (Gen. 3:9; 4:109And the Lord God called unto Adam, and said unto him, Where art thou? (Genesis 3:9)
10And he said, What hast thou done? the voice of thy brother's blood crieth unto me from the ground. (Genesis 4:10)), the two great questions He asks of all, and would ask of you? If not, answer for thyself now to Him. The first, “Where art thou?” Away from God, in the world which is at enmity with Him (Jas. 4:44Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God. (James 4:4)), and hiding from Him. Be assured He will have thee dragged from out thy hiding place in the day of judgment, when neither rocks nor mountains shall suffice to hide thee “ from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb; [when] the great day of his wrath. is come: and who shall be able to stand?” (Rev. 6:12-17; 20:11-1512And I beheld when he had opened the sixth seal, and, lo, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood; 13And the stars of heaven fell unto the earth, even as a fig tree casteth her untimely figs, when she is shaken of a mighty wind. 14And the heaven departed as a scroll when it is rolled together; and every mountain and island were moved out of their places. 15And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains; 16And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb: 17For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand? (Revelation 6:12‑17)
11And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. 12And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. 13And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. 14And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. 15And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire. (Revelation 20:11‑15).) Come forth now therefore, and whether thou art an empty professor (like him of Matt. 22:1111And when the king came in to see the guests, he saw there a man which had not on a wedding garment: (Matthew 22:11)), or a needy profligate, thou wilt find that God has a covering for thee in grace, a perfect covering, the best robe (ver. 22), His own righteousness (Rom. 4:5-22; 5:25But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness. 6Even as David also describeth the blessedness of the man, unto whom God imputeth righteousness without works, 7Saying, Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered. 8Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin. 9Cometh this blessedness then upon the circumcision only, or upon the uncircumcision also? for we say that faith was reckoned to Abraham for righteousness. 10How was it then reckoned? when he was in circumcision, or in uncircumcision? Not in circumcision, but in uncircumcision. 11And he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had yet being uncircumcised: that he might be the father of all them that believe, though they be not circumcised; that righteousness might be imputed unto them also: 12And the father of circumcision to them who are not of the circumcision only, but who also walk in the steps of that faith of our father Abraham, which he had being yet uncircumcised. 13For the promise, that he should be the heir of the world, was not to Abraham, or to his seed, through the law, but through the righteousness of faith. 14For if they which are of the law be heirs, faith is made void, and the promise made of none effect: 15Because the law worketh wrath: for where no law is, there is no transgression. 16Therefore it is of faith, that it might be by grace; to the end the promise might be sure to all the seed; not to that only which is of the law, but to that also which is of the faith of Abraham; who is the father of us all, 17(As it is written, I have made thee a father of many nations,) before him whom he believed, even God, who quickeneth the dead, and calleth those things which be not as though they were. 18Who against hope believed in hope, that he might become the father of many nations, according to that which was spoken, So shall thy seed be. 19And being not weak in faith, he considered not his own body now dead, when he was about an hundred years old, neither yet the deadness of Sara's womb: 20He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God; 21And being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform. 22And therefore it was imputed to him for righteousness. (Romans 4:5‑22)
2By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. (Romans 5:2)): even as He had for thy first parents when they came forth from their lurking place (Gen. 3:2121Unto Adam also and to his wife did the Lord God make coats of skins, and clothed them. (Genesis 3:21)), and that on the ground of blood shedding for thee of the precious blood of Jesus which cleanses from all sin. (1 John 1:77But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. (1 John 1:7).) The second question, “What hast thou done?” You know you have not served God and kept His commandments. (Ver. 29.) Empty hypocritical profession will—not avail thee in that day of which we have spoken. Own the truth, confess thy sin, for “if we confess our sins he is faithful and just to forgive,” &a, (1 John 1:99If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:9)); and give Him the joy of making merry over thee, and have for thyself that joy which finds but its commencement here. “And they began to be merry.” (Ver. 24.)
“Therefore came his father out and entreated him.” I am at a loss which to admire most, the “compassion” which impelled the father to run and kiss the younger son while he was yet a great way off (the same word in the original as “far” in “far country,” which shows how far the father hasted to meet him), or the desire after him which drew the father out to entreat the elder son. And can it be that you, my reader, are untouched by such varied grace? —“the grace of God that bringeth salvation [which] hath appeared to all men” (Titus 2:1111For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, (Titus 2:11))—the grace of God which has brought Him into this world, as the whole parable (ver. 3) of Luke 15 shows, to “receive sinners and eat with them?” Nay more, to seek and to entreat them, that He may find His joy in bringing salvation to them, and bringing them into it. “Eating with them” (ver. 2), making them at home in His company, and finding His joy in theirs—His “delights were with the sons of men” (Pro. 8:3131Rejoicing in the habitable part of his earth; and my delights were with the sons of men. (Proverbs 8:31)), that is, wisdom’s, the Son of God, who— “Dwells in His bosom, knoweth all that in that bosom lies, and came to earth to make it known that we might share His joys.”
Can it be, I say, that you are untouched by the richness of such grace? Mark that father! The servant has returned and told him of his son’s demeanor when he heard the cause of the merriment—that “he was angry and would not go in.” Or maybe he had seen it all himself through the window. “My elder son!” he may have said to himself as he saw him approach, “I had forgotten thee in the joy of receiving my younger, my Benjamin.” Glad I am to see thou hast not forgotten the way to thy old father’s house, and thou shalt share my joy—thou [that] art ever with me, and all that I have is thine. How glad wilt thou be to give thy old father the joy of sharing it with thy long lost, new found, brother. It was right, it was meet, that we should make merry and be glad. (Yen 32.) But, ah! what do I see? Anger bespreads his face, while compassion and joy fill my heart. But that shall not kindle my wrath and resentment. I will go forth to my first-born, even as I have been forth for my last!”
“What grace! What matchless grace!
Oh, lovely attitude! He stands
With open heart, and outstretched hands.
Oh! matchless kindness, and He shows
His matchless kindness to His foes.”
And is it possible that thou, my reader, hast treated God so? In self-righteous satisfaction, despising grace, and such as feel they have no goodness of their own, only sins and unworthiness, dost thou hold aloof from Him who receiveth sinners and communes (eats) with them? Dost thou fancy thyself aught else, and that He can deal with thee on any other principle than that of grace, of free sovereign grace, of undeserved favor? Then know thou that “All have sinned and come short of the glory of God,” and that, He justifies “freely [undeservedly] by his grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus “ (Rom. 3:23, 2423For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; 24Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: (Romans 3:23‑24)), and thus alone.
“Open the door, He’ll enter in,
And sup with you and you. with Him.”