This is a home coming for the Prodigal Son. If you are a Christian there is a time when you came home to the Father. The Prodigal has wasted his life with riotous living and spent all that he had. The story of the Prodigal Son is replaced with the story of the Father. The son has been running from love. The Father has astonishing love for his son. It is the story that tells us that we can come back home to God. He is a loving heavenly Father who forgives us. What do you find when you come back home?

1 – Love (vs. 20)

Love will be waiting for you when you come back home. The son had shamed himself and his father. He is destitute in appearance and he has lost all his money. When he gets home he finds love. What can we say about this love?

• It is filled with devotion – The Father saw him a great way off. He was looking for him. He was watching and waiting. Every day he was out looking for his boy. You may forget God but he will never, ever forget you! You may be away from the Lord but God’s eyes are on you. It is not the will of God that you be lost. God is good to you and continues to be good to you.
• It is filled with compassion – He was moved on the inside. See Matthew 9:36 & Luke 7:13. The Lord has compassion upon you. He is not waiting to beat you when you come home. The father runs to meet his wayward son. It was undignified for a father to run. God will meet you half-way! See Hebrews 10:22-23. If you are away from God then come home! Are you still in the far country? Are you not in the pig pen yet? Give up whatever is stopping you from coming home. The father is waiting for you. Come home just as you are. He will run to meet you.
• It is filled with emotion – “He fell on his neck and kissed him”. The boy was stinking from the pig pen. Yet the father grabs his son and kissed him. Normally when this happened in Eastern society the boy would be mocked by the community and stoned. Misery loves company! The father is covering his boy. You do not have to clean up to come home. God will clean you up when you come home! The blood of Jesus Christ can wash away any sin. The father may have been out of breath but he was not out of love. He smothered his boy with kisses. A man kissing another man? Real love will kiss anybody! The boy can kiss his past goodbye! This was not a kiss like Judas. This was a kiss of forgiveness and forgetfulness. God throws our sins into his sea of forgetfulness. If God has forgiven you then there is no need to beat yourself up about it. It was a kiss of freedom. The son was not coming back as a slave. He has the freedom of a son.

2 – Luxury (vs. 21-22)

The son never got to offer himself as a slave. The father launches into full restoration mode.

• The luxury of the Father’s forgiveness – It is not the robe that he left behind. It was the best robe for a special guest. When you come home to God and he will always give you his best. He had rags in the far country. God takes our sins and puts on us a robe of righteousness when we come back to him. When you come home God covers up your scars. See Ephesians 1:7 & 1 John 1:12. You sins have been wiped out. How can you feel guilty for what God has already wiped out?
• The luxury of the father’s favour – He gets a ring on his finger. They had a signet ring which represented the father’s favour. He had the full rights and privileges of a son.
• The luxury of the father’s fellowship – He gets shoes on his feet. They were sandals. Slaves did not have sandals. A son had sandals. When you come back to God he is no longer your enemy. God is your friend.

3 – Laughter (vs. 23-24)

It was not normal to eat meat. Meat was kept for special occasions. They were having a feast to celebrate the son’s return. They want to have some joy! The angels rejoice when one sinner come home!

• Supernatural joy – The son thought he was having a good time in the far country. That was not real joy. You really got joy when you came home to heavenly father. See John 17:13. This is not a joy that comes from a bottle. See Nehemiah 8:10. The joy of the Lord is my strength.
• Sustained joy – It is not a joy that I have one day and it is gone the next. It is more than just a promotion. It is a joy that we can have even in times of trouble. The world didn’t give it and it can’t take it away.

Categories: Luke