This story shows how much God loves lost people. This parable has been called the pearl of the parables. The Prodigal Son had cashed in his inheritance and spent it on wild living until he had nothing left and was forced to work in a pig pen. He made the worst decision in the best place and now he makes the best decision in the worst place. He has hit rock bottom. Now he stops and thinks. He didn’t think before this! His desperation causes deliberation. Satan does not want people to stop and think about their lives. This boy has finally come to his turning point. We are going to look what happens when he reaches this turning point.

1 – His remembrance (vs. 17)

“He came to himself” – He was far from himself. This is what sin will do to you. You do things and put yourself in situations that you would never do. Sin is a form of insanity! Sin really makes fools out of us. See Romans 1:21-22. “fool – moronic”. Sin puts us out of our minds. Sin causes us to soften things that we know are wrong. When he comes to his senses he is talking to himself. There is nothing wrong with talking to yourself. It is what you say to yourself that is important. You need to say the right things to yourself. See Psalm 42:11. There was no one around to encourage David so he encouraged himself! Talk to your own soul.

This boy talks to himself. This boy remembers his parental blessings. The servants had more than enough to eat. If this is the way they ate then the family must really have plenty to eat. There is no shortage of food in the Father’s house. See John 6:35-48.

He remembers his personal burdens. He finally realises what he has done and where he has come to. He is saying “Look at me!” He has fallen so far and his life is a mess. He realises that on his own the “far country” is more than he can handle. He had so much more at home.

2 – His repentance (vs. 18)

He finally decides to say farewell to the far country. Some people are just sorry that they got caught. This boy is changing his direction.

• The honesty of his repentance – “Father, I have sinned”. He did not try to blame anybody else. He admits the enormity of his sin. We always want to blame somebody else. See Psalm 51:4-14. If you are going to truly repent you have to accept you have sinned. He was going back to his Father who loved him. There is a Daddy back home that is waiting for his wayward son. He will give you back everything the Devil took away from you! See 1 John 1:8, 9. If we confess our sin then God will cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
• The humility of his repentance – “no more worthy to be called you son”. You do not strut back to God! You come back to God with a broken and contrite heart. You do not come to God on merit. You come back to God in mercy. He left saying “give me” and he comes back saying “make me”. God will make you, mould you. See Job 42:6. You need to humble yourself. The son would be happy to be a hired servant in his Father’s house.

3 – His return (vs. 20)

“He arose and came” – Up to now it has just been talk. Now he arose and is on his way. Now he is changing his direction. We can all say what we are going to do. This boy does it. What is this boy thinking about on the way home?

• Risk – His father could have had him stoned. He had shown disrespect for his Father.
• Exodus. He had to leave his old life behind and swallow his pride. He had to leave sin behind. He had to give it up.
• Temptation – The Devil is whispering in his ear on the way back. He is being called to go back to the pig pen.
• New understanding – Now he knows what happens when he gets away from the Father’s house. You get a new understanding. God has spanked you.
• New resolve – He has learnt his lesson. He is not going to go away again. He will resolve to never go back to the far country.

Categories: Luke