The Rebellion of Man and the Mercy of God

The Mercy of God (2/6/19)

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The prodigal son takes advantage of his father and runs to a faraway land, squandering his wealth.

Often times we, as creatures of God, take advantage of the blessings and grace given to us and try to run away from Him and His will for our lives

When the man reached his ultimate stage of physical and spiritual poverty, he reduces his dignity to eating of the pigs’ food.

For a Jew, this would have been repugnant. Jews of this day (and today) view swine as unclean animals. Thus, the man was in a state of UTTER DEPRAVITY. He was spiritually hopeless and needed the grace of God.

When the man came to himself, his immediate thought was to work his way back to the father. The Gospel, however, demonstrates a radically different picture of God’s mercy.

“How many of my father’s hired servants have more than enough bread, but I perish here with hunger!…Treat me as one of your hired servants.”

We in our own efforts want to do the same: we think we have to work our way to God in order to be right with him.

“But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion, and ran and embraced him and kissed him.”

: “…for all have sinned and fall short of the Glory of God.”

: “…but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

How is it that the father saw his son while he was a long way off? It is because he has been intently waiting for his son’s return.

When the father sees his son from afar, he lifts his robe and runs to him. This would have been culturally incorrect in this time, for older and dignified people were never to run.

“Bring quickly the best robe and put it on him…For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found.”

The father gives the son a distinguished robe, just as Joseph was given the coat of “many colors” by his father Jacob, signifying his approval by his father

The father gives the son a ring to represent his newfound honor, just as Joseph was given a ring by Pharaoh in Genesis.

The father also gives his son shoes for his feet, signifying that he was no longer a slave, but a free member of his father’s family.

In the same way, we are freed from slavery to sin and made free through Christ.

The ring given to the son

The robe, ring, and shoes represent freedom, honor, and perfect approval for the son. Because of the Father’s forgiveness, we too may be saved from sin and restored to this upon our conversion to Christ.

When God sees us as Christians, he sees the perfect righteousness of Christ.

The Angry Brother

Discuss the brother’s disgust by the father’s compassion for the prodigal son

Cite : discuss how Jonah’s reaction to God’s mercy is similar to the way that the brother responds.

How do we, as fully-forgiven Christians, have mercy on others?