We are familiar with the biblical story of the prodigal son. The story resonates with many due to the emotional reunion of a wayward son and his patient and merciful father. It is a story we can all relate to naturally because, like the son, we have all made our share of mistakes and decisions we wish we had never made – with the associated regret. We may yearn for redemption from the consequences of past actions, but do not know the way. This world is not good at forgiving and forgetting. But the story of the prodigal son shows us that redemption is indeed possible. It is a story of finding what was lost and restoring life to what was dead.
In brief, one of the sons had wasted his inheritance through extravagant and wasteful, or “prodigal”, living and found himself in a far country, without money, without family, feeding hogs, and sharing the same meal with them. He was as low as he could have gone – short of death – with no way out or back as far as he could see. His hope had evaporated and perhaps, by this point, he realized he had brought all this on himself. From a human perspective, this would be the appropriate administration of justice because he got exactly what he deserved. Thankfully, God is not human and according to the parable, the story does not end in the hog pen.
“And he arose and came to his father. But when he was still 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 to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight, and am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ But the father said to his servants, ‘Bring out the best robe and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet. And bring the fatted calf here 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’” (Luke 15:20-24).
We can glean several things from these verses that should be very encouraging to us. If we are convicted of our sins, turn around, and seek a restored relationship with our heavenly Father, He is full of mercy and compassion. The story conveys God’s eagerness and intense desire to be reunited with His children. He responds to a humble, repentant state of mind and will seek what is lost in order to restore a relationship. Also, in the reunion of the son and his father there is no mention of the son’s sins because once repented of, they are no longer an issue to God. This is a word picture of the biblical concept of justification. Lastly, the son’s repentance was a significant event. “. . .There is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents” (Luke 15:10).
Bill Welch