We travel a lot, not as much as we used to but we still find ourselves on the road several times a month.
When we lived in Montana home was at the end of one and a half miles of dirt road. Now that we are in Arizona home is about the same distance from the freeway exit.
Each time we turn off we say, “we’re almost home”. Even Glory, our Australian Shepherd, knows we’re home! What a wonderful place to be!
Today, I’d like to go back to the story of the prodigal son in Luke 15. It’s a marvelous example of a wonderful trip home! This story has such great meaning to me – I desire to emulate the “father” in the story in all I do.
He divided his worth between his two sons. One ran off immediately to spend it in an unwise way. There was no appreciation for his father’s hard work in acquiring so much, just reckless abandon in spending it. The other son really never recognized or appreciated the fact that he had been given such a valuable inheritance.
The younger son finally realized that he had spent everything and was at the end of his rope and went home a broken man, willing to do whatever (work as a slave) just to have enough to keep him out of the pig pen.
The father was moved with compassion, he never really gave the son an opportunity to tell him all the awful things he had done, how rough life had been or to beg with a remorseful soul. The father restored the son to right relationship, forgave him his trespass and from what we can tell never brought it up to him again.
“ The son got up and went to his father. While he was yet a long way off, his father saw him. The father was full of loving-pity for him. He ran and threw his arms around him and kissed him. ” Luke 15:20 NLV
The older brother became resentful. He felt the father should have considered all the younger brother’s awful behavior, “he should have to pay for his behavior” and then got angry because the father was throwing a party. Resentful that the father hadn’t given him a party…
I think the father was a bit bewildered by this. He told the older son, you could have had a party anytime you wanted. You were always here and I gave you your part in the inheritance – you could have done anything you wanted with it.
Now here’s the questions. Do you realize that your heavenly Father welcomes your return with a party? Do you realize that your older brother, Jesus, never acts like this brother? In fact, He’s in there helping with the party…
I think the lesson of this story is three fold – repent and return to the Father, the Father’s love is unconditional love and don’t be jealous like the older brother (act like the Father).
“His father replied, “My son, you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. 32 But we should be glad and celebrate! Your brother was dead, but he is now alive. He was lost and has now been found.” Luke 15:31-32 CEV
Who do you identify with? Are you the son that has run from the father’s home to live life your own way? Are you the resentful older brother who feels the Father favors the younger son or are you like the loving Father who loves each of his children and desires to provide for them no matter the circumstance?
Jesus is never jealous that we share the Father’s love or the inheritance of blessings that He has given us. He loves sharing it with us.
“ God’s Spirit makes us sure that we are his children. 17 His Spirit lets us know that together with Christ we will be given what God has promised. We will also share in the glory of Christ, because we have suffered with him.” Romans 8:16-17 CEV
There have been times in my life that I have been like all three of the characters in the story. I have had my prodigal moments, distancing myself from the Father, doing things my own way, on my own terms.
I have also been jealous when I have seen the Lord blessing people who have been far from God and who I felt didn’t deserve to be blessed.
And as I have grown, I have had times when I have be so glad to see the prodigals come home. Helped with planning the party and loved them back into the family.
“The Father has loved us so much! This shows how much he loved us: We are called children of God. And we really are his children. But the people in the world don’t understand that we are God’s children, because they have not known him. 2 Dear friends, now we are children of God. We have not yet been shown what we will be in the future. But we know that when Christ comes again, we will be like him. We will see him just as he is.” I John 3:1-2 ERV
The Father is excited as He waits to greet those who are on the road home!