We must celebrate with a feast, for this son of mine was dead and has now returned to life. He was lost, but now he is found.
Luke 15:23,24
So, when the lost son returns home, his father declares a family holiday and celebrates the lost son’s return from the dead. Luke emphasizes that this is a story designed to reinforce the idea that Jesus is associating with sinners in order to encourage them to return to God. The lost son came to his senses and returned to his father as we should come to our senses in the world and come back to God. But is this the only lesson for us here in the parable of the lost son?
The elder son is probably a better challenge for us as modern-day Christians trying to live a Godly life. We toil in God’s vineyard day after day while the erring are out having a good time until the money runs out, so to speak. When the lost return to God, are we able to welcome them with open arms or are we angry and jealous that God loves them as much as He loves us? Jesus tells another parable that relates to this one in Matthew 20. Here Jesus teaches that anyone who serves in God’s Kingdom, no matter how long or short of a time, will receive a full reward. The bottom line for us is that God can save anyone He wants to, and we should not be jealous of any of the saved. In fact, the real challenge seems to be celebrating the return of the lost.
So, as we consider this parable of the lost son, we should be challenged to not only return to God from lost living, but also to welcome back those who actually return to God’s Kingdom. In fact, in this parable there is no looking for the lost which I consider strange based on the first two stories. The father does not leave home to look for his lost son who he loves very much. Why? Perhaps there are two main reasons. First, the son makes a decision to leave his home. He is not technically lost. He knows where he is and what he is doing. God does not drag people back into His Kingdom kicking and screaming. Each of us must want to work in God’s Kingdom. Secondly, in this story the father actually assists the younger son in leaving. He did not run away from home in the dead of night. He asked for his inheritance and left home. I want to think the father let his son leave to let him make a choice about good or evil. The older son never had to make that choice, but the younger one did. The father enabled the younger son to choose.
Parables are designed to engage and challenge the hearers. We may be able to relate to the father who loves both his sons, the younger son who returns to his home, and the older son who is upset dad loves both sons equally. The story should challenge us to become better lovers of the lost, repenters, and celebrate when anyone, no matter their history, returns to God.
Scripture: Luke 15:11-32
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