[column width=”1/1″ last=”true” title=”” title_type=”single” animation=”none” implicit=”true”]
This week we are continuing our study of Luke Chapter 15. Please read verses 11 to 24 every day this week and, if possible, use a different translation each day, asking God to open your eyes to fresh revelation from His Word.
[/column]
[column width=”1/1″ last=”true” title=”” title_type=”single” animation=”none” implicit=”true”]
[/column]
[divider type=”1″]
[/divider]
[column width=”1/1″ last=”true” title=”” title_type=”single” animation=”none” implicit=”true”]
Luke 15:21-24 (NIV)
‘”The son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ “But the father said to his servants, ‘Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate. For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ So they began to celebrate.”’
To finish our devotions this week, we’re going to spend a few minutes looking at verses that have been preached on thousands of times throughout the world. I have heard so many messages preached on these particular verses contained within this parable. The parable itself has been traditionally called ‘The Prodigal Son’ and the emphasis therefore is on the wayward nature of the son’s actions. However, modern translations title the parable as ‘The Lost Son’ and the focus is in line with the previous two parables. It’s all about that which was lost being found, or in the case of the ‘Lost son’, the relationship that was lost with the father being restored.
I like to focus more on the relationship that is restored and spend less time looking at the wasteful, riotous living that the son was involved in. I think we all know what it’s like to make mistakes and the enemy of our souls will always seek to remind you of every time that you fall short of the mark. This parable gives us light in our darkest moments. It provides hope in the worst of our circumstances. It lavishes grace on our lives when we are most ashamed.
Recently at Oasis Community Church, I talked about ‘planks’ of truth that we need to put in place in order to make our spiritual journey from position ‘A’ to position ‘B’. One of those planks was to acknowledge God as the primary focus in every area of our lives. Everything comes from Him, everything goes to Him and everything in the middle is held together by Him. In order for us to know the proper application of this parable, I believe that there is something fundamental that needs to be grasped from the first sentence of our verse today.
The son acknowledged that he had done wrong. In fact, he recognised that his actions toward his father were actually a sin against God. He uses the words ‘against heaven’, but we must realise that Hebrews frequently used ‘heaven’ when referring to God. The implication of the son’s words is that his dreadful behaviour against his father was first and foremost a sin against God. I’d like to suggest that we need to put this into practice by recognising our own actions as sinning against God and confessing it before Him. This is true and proper repentance. There can be no restoration without repentance. There can be no forgiveness without confession of sin. Some translations minimise the importance of the son’s words and suggest that the father interrupted him or that he wasn’t listening to the words. In my opinion, this is a mistake. Next week we’ll look at the nature of the restoration of sonship but I believe that his words of repentance and confession were key to everything that was to follow.
Psalm 51 says ‘You will not reject a broken and repentant heart, O God.’ My prayer for us today is that we make this our goal. To be truly repentant whenever we sin and to pray heartfelt prayers for forgiveness. Praise God that the result will be that He restores and reconciles.
[/column]