May we come to know the Father's heart for us!
Luke 15:11 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.
This parable is often called the parable of “The Prodigal Son”. If I could rename it I would call it “The Sons Who Did Not Know Their Father’s Heart”! Note the father divided to them his livelihood! I’ve a hunger to know the Father’s heart and comprehend what He speaks.
Luke 15:13 "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.
A few days after the division of the goods to the sons, the younger son is off. Maybe the younger son wanted to go out and make something of himself. Perhaps he wanted to prove to his father what he could do. One thing I know for certain, he had no intention of ending up in a pig pen! The younger son blew through the money on wasteful living and a deep recession hit the land. On the outskirts of the city he found a pig farmer that would allow him to live with the pigs. No matter what the noble purpose was when he left his father’s house he could have never imagined himself to be living with the pigs.
Being a good Jewish boy living with the pigs was lower than the low! No Jew would consider eating pig much less live with a herd of them.
Luke 15:17 "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."'
In the middle of the pig pen the young son had an epiphany! My father’s servant are better off than me! I know, I sinned against my father but maybe I should go back and face the punishment. If I take his punishment maybe I can repent and my father might possibly receive me in as one of the servants of the house. So the young son began his journey. Along the way he rehearsed his speech to his father over and over. I’m sure he intended to emphasize the phrase “ Make me like one of your hired servants.”
Luke 15:20 "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.
The young son was a long way off and the father saw him. The father’s heart is being revealed. The father was looking and longing for his son. While the son was looking for rebuke the father had compassion, and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him. The son’s expectation was so far from the father's heart. The father only had love to offer.
Luke 15:21 "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.
The son begins to speak his well rehearsed speech “I’m no longer worthy to be called your son… The Father never let the son finish his speech. Instead the father demonstrated his heart to his son. He dressed him with a robe upon his back, a ring upon his son’s finger and sandals upon his feet. Every article the Father put upon him spoke of son-ship! He gave him a robe that spoke he belonged into the house! He gave him a ring that spoke the father was sharing the authority of name of the family. He gave him sandals upon his feet showing him not to be a servant but a son in the house!
Luke 15:23 '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.
The father’s heart was restoration and the joy was so great it was time for celebration! The fatted calf was killed and the feasting began. The young son begin to understand the heart the father had for him!
Luke 15:1 Then all the tax collectors and the sinners drew near to Him to hear Him. 2 And the Pharisees and scribes complained, saying, "This Man receives sinners and eats with them." 3 So He spoke this parable to them, saying: 4 "What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he loses one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness, and go after the one which is lost until he finds it? 5 "And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. 6 "And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and neighbors, saying to them, 'Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost!'
Luke 15:7 "I say to you that likewise there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine just persons who need no repentance.
The Father’s heart is for the one lost hurting sheep! He will leave the ninety and nine and search for the one lost. All heaven begins rejoicing for the one who learns the father’s heart for them.
Luke 15:25 "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.'
Remember the father had two sons. The older sons comes in from working the field and heard the celebration! Confused he stopped one of the servants asking what is going on? Your brother has come home!
Luke 15:28 "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.'
I can imagine the servant went in and told the father, your elder son is angry and refuses to come. Is the father coming out with great rebuke? No, it is time for the elder son to get his own lesson of the father’s heart; the father begins with a plea to come into the house to celebrate. The elder son has a speech for dad! How dare you celebrate this younger son who has ruined our good family name. He has wasted your livelihood with harlotry. I have been your slave and you never gave me a young goat to celebrate with my friends.
Luke 15:31 "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.'"
Still the father has no rebuke for the elder son, instead the father opens his heart to him! He declares “Son you are always with me, and all that I have is yours. The elder although living in the house had a heart of a servant. The prodigal has the heart of the servant and was restored. Two sons who spent a lifetime with the father and never came to know his heart for them.
Luke 15:8 "Or what woman, having ten silver coins, if she loses one coin, does not light a lamp, sweep the house, and search carefully until she finds it? 9 "And when she has found it, she calls her friends and neighbors together, saying, 'Rejoice with me, for I have found the piece which I lost!' 10 "Likewise, I say to you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents."
Remember the shepherd went out to find the sheep. Jesus then spoke of what got lost in the house! One gold coin lost and the woman swept the house until she found the coin. Great joy over finding the lost coin. So is the heart of God and all of heaven when one understands the heart the Father has for them.
I want to end by sharing the anointed musing of Kim Rude:
Son-ship comes from birth or adoption but cannot be earned by behavior .
Bad behavior does not void son-ship but can bear consequences: Inheritance gone...eating with swine, but still a son
The Father continually watches for a lost son to come home.
Whatever our failures, we can come to the Father without fear.
Upon return, the lost son is not met with punishment but with celebration.
Even though the lost son is willing to become a slave upon his return, he is immediately restored to his position as son.
The Father immediately restores....he covers the son, feeds the son and gives him His identity and authority with His ring.
When the Father blesses and restores, it is often met with jealousy within the house.
With son-ship comes responsibility. It is not slavery.
Son-ship is not earned by good behavior or even faithfulness .... Or even time served.
With son-ship comes inheritance, but also access to all the Father has now.
The Father does not owe you for what you have done or what you do, but willing gives access to all that is His - if we operate in son-ship and not by works.
We miss all that is ours when we fail to see ourselves as sons... Including, but not limited to: access, authority, relationship, inheritance and resource. But mostly to abounding love and unbroken fellowship with the Father.
How sweet. Thanks Kim for allowing me to share!
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