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How inconsiderate was this young man! He rebels against the loving discipline of his father in the home. He must be his own man, living as he himself dictates. He therefore decides that he must leave home and strike out on his own. But he would do so at his father's expense, not his own. He therefore has the audacity to demand his future inheritance now. As much as it grieves his father to do so, he complies.
In the spiritual realm, you are this rebellious young man! You have rebelled against the loving discipline of the heavenly Father, and will not abide under His discipline and in His fellowship (Luke 19:14). You live according to your own rebellious will, not according to His law. You left His home to be on your own, but not at your own expense. You still expect Him to bless you with food, shelter, and clothing, and with success to your sinful ventures. It grieves Him for you to live in such rebellion against Himself, but He nevertheless blesses you (Matthew 5:45; Psalm 145:8f).
2. RECKLESSNESS (vv.13-16): "And not many days after, the younger son gathered all together, journeyed to a far country, and there wasted his possession with prodigal living. But when he had spent all, there arose a severe famine in that land, and he began to be in want. Then he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country, and he sent him into his fields to feed swine. And he would gladly have filled his stomach with the pods that the swine ate, and no one gave him anything."
How very sad were the consequences of the rebellion of this young man! Sinful rebels are reckless. This one recklessly runs from home to a far-away place and wastes in prodigality all that his father had given to him. When his money is gone, so are his friends. He is reduced to desiring even what is eaten by swine, an animal considered "unclean" by his native countrymen. But even this is refused to him by those among whom he now lives.
In the spiritual realm, you are this reckless young man! You have wandered far from God, and you are wasting in prodigality — "wine, women, and song" — all His blessings to you. You have friends enough when you have money to spare, but they will leave you when your funds are gone. You are experiencing a spiritual famine in which you are devoid of true and lasting happiness and contentment. Sin at one time was your pleasure, but now it has become your cruel and uncaring master. The days of wine and roses are gone, and you are left with dregs and thorns. You are reduced to groveling among those whom you once scornfully disdained — the "swine" of this world — for the morsels of happiness which may be found among them. Surely "the way of the unfaithful is hard" (Proverbs 13:15). And God says of you, "There is no peace for the wicked" (Isaiah 57:21).
3. REALIZATION (v.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!'"
How blessed was the awakening of this young man! In the providence of God, "he came to himself," having been awakened to realize his deplorable state. He realized that the swine he tended received more attention from his new master than he himself did. He realized that no one cared whether or not he had food, clothing, and shelter. And he remembered the love and care he had enjoyed while in his father's house, and that even his father's lowest servants fared much better than he did.
In the spiritual realm, how blessed would be your own awakening! O! that God would awaken you from your spiritual death (Ephesians 2:1)! Then you would realize that the state of His servants — even those whom you might consider the lowest — is infinitely better than you own. Look at yourself, abased by the cruel master sin and perishing with spiritual hunger. Then consider the testimony of one of God's saints: "I have been young, and now am old; yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his descendants begging bread" (Psalm 37:25).
4. REPENTANCE (vv.18-20a): "'I will arise and go to my father, and will say to him, "Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you, and I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Make me like one of your hired servants."' And he arose and came to his father."
How wise was the repentance of this young man! He will desert his pig sty and return to his father's house. He had left home rebellious and full of demands, but he will return as a penitent begging for mercy. He will confess his sin, acknowledging to his father his own youthful rebellion and consequent recklessness and final degradation. He will furthermore confess his worthlessness as a son, and beg to be but a hired servant in his father's house. And he hopes his father will receive him, unworthy though he be of such a reception.
In the spiritual realm, how wise would be your own repentance! You need to exercise that "godly sorrow [which] produces repentance to salvation" (2 Corinthians 7:10). You need to acknowledge yourself as a rebellious and reckless and depraved sinner. You need to desert your pig sty of sin and return to the house of the heavenly Father. You must confess to Him your spiritual destitution, acknowledging yourself to be devoid of any spiritual virtue of merit. And you must trust in Him alone for your everlasting salvation and happiness. You must be willing to submit to His authority as Lord, and desire that He will permit you to be His servant. Confess now, "I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of My God than dwell in the tents of wickedness" (Psalm 84:10). Pray now with the repentant tax collector, "God be merciful to me a sinner" (Luke 18:13).
5. RESTORATION (vv.20b-24): "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.' And they began to be merry."
How glorious was the restoration of this son! His father saw him returning while he was "still a great way off," because he had often looked down that road hoping to see his son returning. His father "ran and fell on his neck and kissed him," because he was receiving his son in mercy and love. His father did not reprove him for his rebellion and recklessness. Rather, he put a robe on his back to replace his rags, and a ring on his hand as a symbol of his new distinction (Genesis 41:42), and sandals on his feet to indicate he was to be regarded as a son and not as a servant (contrast Isaiah 20:4). And he killed the fatted calf which was reserved for a joyous feast, all in honor of his restored son.
In the spiritual realm, how glorious would be your restoration upon returning to the heavenly Father! "Seek the LORD while He may be found, call upon Him while He is near. Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; let him return to the LORD, and He will have mercy on him; and to our God, for He will abundantly pardon" (Isaiah 55:7). If you will return to the heavenly Father in faith and repentance, He will receive you in love and mercy, not in reproof. He will remove your filthy rags of self-righteousness (Isaiah 64:6) and clothe you instead in the glorious righteousness of Jesus Christ (Philippians 3:9). He will put the signet of heaven on your finger. He will put shoes on your feet, thereby acknowledging you as His son, not as a servant. He will declare you "once dead, but now alive"; and "once lost, but now found." He will kill the fatted calf in your honor and all heaven will rejoice. He declares, "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" (Luke 15:7).
Such was the conversion of the Prodigal Son.
Have we here described your own?
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