“And he said, A certain man had two sons: and the younger of them said to his father, Father, give me the portion of goods that falleth to me. And he divided unto them his living. And not many days after, the younger son gathered all together, and took his journey into a far country, and there wasted his substance with riotous living. And when he had spent all, there arose a mighty famine in that land; and he began to be in want. And he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country; and he sent him into his fields to feed swine. And he would fain have filled his belly with the husks that the swine did cat: and no man gave unto him. And when he came to himself, lie said, How many hired servants of my father’s have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger! I will arise and go to my lather, and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before thee, and am no more worthy to be called thy son: make me as one of thy hired servants. And he arose, and came to his lather. But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him. And the son said unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in thy sight, and am no more worthy to be called thy son. But the father said to his servants, Bring forth the best robe, and put it on him; and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet: and bring hither the fatted calf, and kill it; and let us eat, and be merry: for this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found. And they began to be merry. Now his elder son was in the field: and as he came and drew nigh to the house, he heard music and dancing. And he called one of the servants, and asked what these things meant. And he said unto him, Thy brother is come; and thy father hath killed the fatted calf, because he hath received him safe and sound. And he was angry, and would not go in: therefore came his father out, and entreated him. And he answering said to his father, Lo, these many years do I serve thee, neither transgressed I at any time thy commandment: and yet thou never gavest me a kid, that I might make merry with my friends: but as soon as this thy son was come, which hath devoured thy living with harlots, thou hast killed for him the fatted calf. And he said unto him, Son, thou art ever with me, and all that I have is thine. It was meet that we should make merry, and be glad; for this thy brother was dead, and is alive again; and was lost, and is found.”
This parable is so full, and so exquisite, that one hesitates to add anything to it by way of comment. One can only admire it. What a picture of one throwing off all restraint! He goes away from his father, yea, far away, where he can indulge in his evil ways, unhindered and unchecked. But God knows how to bring back all such: the prodigal began to be in want. And then what had become of all those with whom he had spent his substance? Nothing met him but a cold world which had nothing to give. But he will not give up. He will try and earn his living, and becomes a swineherd, but even here he could not get what would satisfy him. He would have eaten the food of the swine, but could not. “And no man gave unto him.”
No, all this was exactly as it should be: for thus God brings man to the end of all his own resources, that he may turn his eyes heavenward.
And then we read that remarkable expression, “When he came to himself.” May we not ask, What—who had he been all this time? A profligate spendthrift. But now he remembers his father’s house, and the servants, and how well they were fed; and he was perishing with hunger!
How many a person is brought to this! One tries the world’s honors; another, its riches; another, its pleasures. But all these leave the person perishing with hunger. And thank God it does, that then they may turn to Him.
The prodigal resolves to go to his father, confess his sin, own he was unworthy to be called a son, and ask to be made a servant. All very right and proper from the prodigal’s point of view; but, as we shall see, it was not to be thus from the father’s side. But off he starts.
While he was yet a great way off his father caught sight of him, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him. What a reception for such a sinner! It was all measured from what the father was, and his love to the son.
Rightly, surely came the confession of sin, but note that it came not till after the kiss—it did not produce the kiss—and the owning of his unworthiness to be called a son. But his reception stopped his asking to be made a servant. Indeed the father said, “my son.” And he called to the servants for the best robe (Zech. 3:4)—a ring (2 Cor. 11:2)—and shoes (Eph. 6:15): he must be clothed like a son. And the fatted calf must be killed, he must be entertained like a son.
And they began to be merry: they, the father receiving his son safe and sound; and the son received after such a fashion as his scanty thoughts had never reached to.
And this is a picture of what? Of how God receives sinners, and how He rejoices over them. Oh that we might better understand “our reception” by the God of all grace. There is joy in heaven over one sinner that repenteth. What an answer is all this to those timid ones who think of being just inside the door, content to share with the servants if only in at all. Ah yes, this may suit their thoughts; but not the Father’s. He must receive according to his own heart as to what a son should have. “They began to be merry.”
But we must not forget the elder brother—the self-righteous one who never had transgressed, but who could not understand grace. And though his father came out and entreated him, he would have no part in the joy that only grace can give.
Yea, more, he upbraids his father that he had not had even a kid given him, much less a fatted calf. But note, he does not say “that we might make merry; but “ that I might make merry with my friends.” To be merry with his father was not in his thoughts; he had friends more like himself.
The father said he was always with him—was not the father better than all the friends he was thinking of? and all that he had was his. But it was meet to rejoice over a dead one now alive again.
It has been a difficulty with many to know whom the elder son could represent, and chiefly because of the father’s saying “all that I have is thine.” This is an illustration of how a parable cannot be interpreted in all its detail. The simile is that of two sons: one asks for “his portion of goods” and we read the father divided to them his living, and the younger son having had his portion, what was left would fall to the other son. This fully explains the expression, “all that I have is thine.”
There can be no question but that the elder son represents the self-righteous scribes and Pharisees. It was they who objected, as we have seen, to our Lord because He received sinners. Yes, He did; and the three parables in one in this chapter show how He received them—how God received them; and how there was joy in receiving them which the self-righteous ones to whom He spoke could not understand, and in which they would not partake.
These words are very significant: “he would not go in.” When our Lord was on earth, preaching the kingdom, they would not go in, yea, they hindered those who would. And after He was risen, other appeals were made to them again and again, but alas! as to the mass of them, all ended in failure; they would not go in. Ah, are there not any such self-righteous ones now, going on, it may be, with all their observances as religionists, but who understand not, nor have any heart for God’s way of receiving and welcoming sinners in His grace, and eating with them? May God open their eyes to their sad delusion.