Luke 15:11-3211And he said, A certain man had two sons: 12And 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. 13And 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. 14And when he had spent all, there arose a mighty famine in that land; and he began to be in want. 15And he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country; and he sent him into his fields to feed swine. 16And he would fain have filled his belly with the husks that the swine did eat: and no man gave unto him. 17And when he came to himself, he said, How many hired servants of my father's have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger! 18I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before thee, 19And am no more worthy to be called thy son: make me as one of thy hired servants. 20And he arose, and came to his father. 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. 21And 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. 22But 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: 23And bring hither the fatted calf, and kill it; and let us eat, and be merry: 24For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found. And they began to be merry. 25Now his elder son was in the field: and as he came and drew nigh to the house, he heard music and dancing. 26And he called one of the servants, and asked what these things meant. 27And he said unto him, Thy brother is come; and thy father hath killed the fatted calf, because he hath received him safe and sound. 28And he was angry, and would not go in: therefore came his father out, and entreated him. 29And 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: 30But as soon as this thy son was come, which hath devoured thy living with harlots, thou hast killed for him the fatted calf. 31And he said unto him, Son, thou art ever with me, and all that I have is thine. 32It 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. (Luke 15:11‑32)
Once a young man who had a good home did not want to stay there; he wanted to go away where he could do just as he pleased. So he asked his father for his share of money, which the father gave him, and he soon went to a far country.
There he spent his money in foolish, wicked ways, until a time of famine came and he had no money left to buy food, and no one gave him any. Then he went to work for a man, taking care of swine. But no good food was prided for him, and he was so hungry he wished he could eat the husks the same as the pigs ate.
Then this young man began to think how foolish he had been to leave his father’s good home, where all had plenty, while he would soon die without food. He decided to return to his father, and ask for a servant’s place, for he knew he did not deserve to be treated as a son; he felt ashamed of all the wrong things he had done.
So he started for his father’s house; he must have been long on the way, since he had no money for travel. But while he was yet far from the house, his father saw him and hurried to meet him.
Did the father scold his son who had left so proudly to have his own way, and came back weary, hungry, and without money or suitable clothes? No, he was sorry for him, and put his arms around him and kissed him.
The son said, “Father, I have sinned against Heaven and in thy sight, and am no more worthy to be called thy son.” But he did not ask to be made a servant, for his kind father greeted him as a son, and called for the servants to bring him good clothes, even “the best robe,” and to put a ring on his finger, which was a gift of love, also a sign of a member of a certain family. The servants were told to prepare a feast, that all should rejoice over this son’s return.
There was an older brother who was not kind to forgive as the father; he was angry that this brother should be well treated and would not come in to feast with the rest, even though his father came to urge him. The father said, “It was meet (or, right) that we should make merry and be glad: for this thy brother... was lost and is found.”
It was not that the son deserved to be well treated, it was only because the father was loving and kind to do for him.
The Lord Jesus told this story to men who thought He should not show kindness to those they called “sinners.” They were like the older son in the story; those who were ashamed and sorry for sins, were like the younger son.
Have we not all been like that young man, wanting our own ways, and not valuing God’s blessings, until we reaze, as he did, that we will starve and die in our way? We do not deserve God to forgive, but what the Lord Jesus seemed to want all to know by this story was the wonderful forgivess of God, the Father, to one who will come to Him and say, “I have sinned.”
ML 08/12/1945