Thanksgiving for Our Restoration

Luke 15:11-32

The Parable of the Lost Son

11 Then He said: "A certain man had two sons. 12 And the younger of them said to his father, 'Father, give me the portion of goods that falls to me.' So he divided to them his livelihood. 13 And not many days after, the younger son gathered all together, journeyed to a far country, and there wasted his possessions with prodigal living. 14 But when he had spent all, there arose a severe famine in that land, and he began to be in want. 15 Then he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country, and he sent him into his fields to feed swine. 16 And he would gladly have filled his stomach with the pods that the swine ate, and no one gave him anything.

17 "But when he came to himself, he said, 'How many of my father's hired servants have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger! 18 I will arise and go to my father, and will say to him, "Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you, 19 and I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Make me like one of your hired servants."'

20 "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. 21 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.'

22 "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. 23 And bring the fatted calf here and kill it, and let us eat and be merry; 24 for this my son was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.' And they began to be merry.

25 "Now his older son was in the field. And as he came and drew near to the house, he heard music and dancing. 26 So he called one of the servants and asked what these things meant. 27 And he said to him, 'Your brother has come, and because he has received him safe and sound, your father has killed the fatted calf.'

28 "But he was angry and would not go in. Therefore his father came out and pleaded with him. 29 So he answered and said to his father, 'Lo, these many years I have been serving you; I never transgressed your commandment at any time; and yet you never gave me a young goat, that I might make merry with my friends. 30 But as soon as this son of yours came, who has devoured your livelihood with harlots, you killed the fatted calf for him.'

31 "And he said to him, 'Son, you are always with me, and all that I have is yours. 32 It was right that we should make merry and be glad, for your brother was dead and is alive again, and was lost and is found.'"

I once was lost but now am found.  These words of Amazing Grace originated in this parable of the lost and wayward prodigal son.  Like the lost sheep and missing wedding garland coin, this man is shown for his value to the earthly father as a picture of how much more God and His angels rejoice over sinners repenting from sin and coming to Him confessing their rebellion od disobedience.  The younger son here demanded his inheritance which would have been one-third of the total his father would bequeath the youngest.  He simply could not wait for his father to grow ol and die because he wanted to go see the world and party away all the money in a whirlwind of sinful debauchery.  His reckless and wasteful lifestyle of foolish spending and an uncontrolled life of dissipation soon left him completely broke.  Skint.  Nothing left.  After lowered to eating the food of pigs, an abominable practice for a son of Isaac, he came to his senses with the realization that he could return in shame to his father with confession and repentance as he admitted to sinning against God and him.  He hoped to then have food and shelter as a servant and no more for he deserved nothing more for wasting the inheritance which his father had toiled for all his life.  He felt his unworthiness and would humble himself.  The prodigal son returned and was seen coming from a distance by the worried father.  That loving man had compassion on the son coming from far away and ran to hug and kiss him with that father’s love.  The son confessed his sinful actions and begged forgiveness from his father and the Heavenly Father at the same time in his humility.  The father wel him back with open arms and threw a huge feast to celebrate his lost son’s return to him.  When a servant told the brother these things about how his lost and wayward brother had come back safe and sound, the brother grew angry at the wasteful living and accused the brother of spending all the money of the inheritance on prostitutes and was envious that he never had such a feast.  The father wisely pointed out that this older brother had everything already, including the portion of the inheritance originally promised to him, and rightly justified the celebration because the younger had been dead and now was alive, he was lost and now was found!  This is a picture of all us sinners in the Heavenly Father’s love and forgiveness with open arms of reconciliation through our confession of sin and repentance to accept what any mere servant can expect.  We also have been dead in sin and given life in Christ as the sons and daughters of the Heavenly Father who celebrates each one delivered from His wrath due our sin.  Just like the lost sheep and coin, He rejoices with the heavenly choir for our restoration from our sin nature of wasteful lives that once pursued the passing pleasures of sin (Hebrews 11:25) instead of serving Him.  May we therefore read this and rest in our acceptance and restoration as His beloved children with thanksgiving and in eternal peace.  Once we were lost, now we are found forevermore!