Tuesday 27^th November

Luke 15:11-32

“For your brother was dead and has come back to life! He was lost but now is found.” (verse 32)

The NLT starts this story off with the profound statement…’to illustrate the point further, Jesus told them this story’. Although this statement is not found in most other translations, I think it really does justice to the context of these parables and emphasises Jesus’ point; His love for the lost. If we remember back to the beginning of this chapter Jesus is addressing the sinners and Pharisees. He highlights that it is the lost who need saving and that His association with them, although against Rabbinical teaching, was exactly how He could save them; by meeting them where they were.

This teaching is found in the very core of this third and final parable. The story in brief, is of a man who had two sons. One decides to go and spend his inheritance on wild living and prostitutes. After squandering all his share of the wealth, he finds a job feeding pigs. The depth of poverty the son had was so low that verse 16 tells us that his employers wouldn’t even give him the pigs food. Upon coming to his senses he realises that he would be better off in his father’s house as a servant. He returns home to be greeted by his loving father who runs out to meet him. A party is thrown and he is reinstated as a SON. His brother is indignant at this and doesn’t recognise what’s happened.

The changing point in this story happens when the son comes to the realisation at his circumstance. Without the father he is lost. That is much the same with us. The Holy Spirit’s job in our lives is to convict us of our sinful state and show us how depraved we are without Jesus. When the son finally makes the move to go home his father is waiting for him to receive him back. Again the same with us, when we come or come back to the Father He not only is waiting but lavishes His glorious love upon us.

The father in the story reinstates his son and gives him three significant gifts to show that. A robe which symbolised honour, a ring which showed authority and sandals to show his status was of a son not a servant. God the Father not only accepts us back but also gives us the honour of being His children by adopting us into His family. Not longer are we alien to God but sons and daughters.

The older brother in this story symbolises the Pharisees. They show no compassion for the sinner but rather hypercritical accusations against others whilst living in sin themselves. The brother had all rights to his father’s possessions and temple riches constantly surrounded the Pharisees, yet both missed out on the real treasure enjoyed by a repentant sinner.

In conclusion Gods excitement, joy and desire is to see those lost come back to Him. His love for both sinner and saint is consistent and unconditional! He never leaves us and is always waiting for our hearts to respond to Him in true repentance.