Prodigal son story

When you think about a homecoming in the Bible one story comes to mind. The parable that we refer to as the prodigal son. from Luke 15

There was a man who had two sons. These two sons were very different. as most siblings are. One day the younger son decided that what was in the far off country was better than what he had at home.

The thing that we skim over in this story is that there is no way this was an impulsive decision. There is no way he woke up one day and said I am going to my father ask for my inhertance which basically means dad I wish you were dead and split.

At some point in the middle of the mundane. probably while he was out plowing the fields a question popped into his head which will eventually be planted in every one of our heads. Am I missing out on life’s best by being at home with my father? Does the hope that the world is offering me outshine the hope that comes with being at home with my father?

It probably popped into his head one day while plowing the fields and he shook it off, Then it probably popped into his head again a few months later while he was sheering the sheep and he shook it off, then a few weeks later it popped up again while herding the cattle, and maybe it was the smell of the manure but this time he couldnt shake the idea of what if the hope of a better, more exciting life is worth leaving home. is worth leaving my father for.

and finally he goes to father and says give my inheretance now so I can go and see whats out there. By doing this he recieved one third of all the father had at that moment. Probably way less than it would have been if he had actually waited till his father passed. He looked at his own father and said what you can give me in this moment is worth more to be than a relationship with you. He gave up his future for what he wanted in the moment, and he took his inheretance and he left. Because he was hoping that what the world was offering would give him everything he thought he was lacking, and he would truly be fulfilled if he could just live how he wanted to live. If he could just be himself then all his hopes would be realized.

So he goes and the hope that the world offered of a good time seemed to be realized. He was eating at Ruths Chris every night, he had the money to buy whatever he wanted, Which brought him all the friends that he wanted, all the pleasure he wanted. It seemed like he made the right choice.

Until the money ran out. and all the places that he was welcome before he was no longer welcome. All the friends that he had no longer wanted to spend time with him, all dates he was getting before were leaving him on read. The hope that the world offered was a hope that was always going die because it was built on a lie. The lie That the hope of being temporarily happy was better than the hope of the joy of being with his father.

Believing the lie that life was better away from home ruined his life. He had to take a Job feeding pigs. It was a job so deeming if he had been in Judah no Jew even Jewish servants wouldnt have done it because it was so demeaning. and it was there sitting in the slop of his deeming dead end job. that the same question that led him away came back.

Was I missing out on life’s best by being at home with my father? Except this time the answer was a resounding no. And instead of thinking about the hope the world had offered him he began to think of the hope that comes with being home with the father.

And he started his journey home. A journey the whole way he’s rehearsing this speech of what he’s going to say. Just hoping that his father would take him back as a servant. Hoping there would still be a place for him.

He finally makes it to his hometown, and his stomach must have been in knots thinking about getting home, then he gets to neighborhood, and the knots get tighter and he starts rethinking the whole thing, but he keeps going, and then he gets to his street just out of sight of the house. and He is more nervous than he his ever been in his life. But he’s just hoping that maybe the reception wont be intense and he can just go straight to the servants quarters without his father yelling at him.

But as soon as he crests the hill and can see the same porch he told his dad I wish you were dead on. He sees his father looking his direction. and though they are several hundred yards apart he can see his father rise to his feet. and realize who he is, even though he looks way worse than when he left. and start doing something no jewish man did because it was considered shameful, he started running. He ran toward him threw his arms around him, kissed him. and before the son could finish the speech that he had rehearsed a million times. The father had already planned a party to celebrate his return.

In that moment everything that the son was hoping for was fulfilled. and everything he hadn’t even dared to hope for had been fulfilled. And he realized what we pray everyone one of you realizes this Advent season. If you base your hope in what the world offers you. that hope will eventually die. but if you put your hope in the father. You’re hope will never die because he will never die