Homecoming

Good morning Hope Hill! I am so excited to see you all this morning and we have an exciting Word for you today as we continue to explore this 15th chapter of the Gospel according to Luke. As a brief overview, Jesus, at this point, has decided to sit and eat with a group of sinners and tax collectors and as he is mingling and breaking bread, a group of hating Scribes and Pharisees were back in the cut mumbling under their breath. They couldn’t stand the fact that this man, who claimed to be righteous and holy, would sully himself with such deplorable people. I mean, Didn’t Jesus understand that Holy and hurting people shouldn’t commingle?

How many of y’all know some holier than though people? You call them and hear an entire scripture before you can leave a message. They start every speech with “giving honor to God, who is the head of my life...” I’m gonna be honest y’all, those people get on my nerves. They’re always back in the cut judging somebody.

“Some people brag about standing for something so hard and so much, that they do not realize that they are actually sitting.”

- Justin K McFarlane Beau

So Jesus uses this moment to set them straight with a parable. Three parables as a matter of fact that illustrate perfectly God’s divine love for those who are lost.

So we talked about the first two parables detailed in verses 3-10 and two weeks ago we began discussing this third parable: the parable of the lost son. Otherwise known as the Parable of the Prodigal Son.

But however you want to title this section of scripture, we were met in verse 11 by a loving father, who represents the Father God, and his two sons, one ratchet and one righteous. The ratchet son in verse 11 rolls up to his father, like ratchet people tend to do, and started making demands for things that he didn’t earn. In today’s terms we call that “entitled”. Oo he had some kind of nerve right? he said

Luke 15:12 NIV

The younger one said to his father, ‘Father, give me my share of the estate.’ So he divided his property between them.

Let me tell y’all something right now, if I ever fixed my lips to tell me momma “give me” anything growing up, I don’t think I would be here today preaching to you lovely people.

But this ratchet son demanded his share of his fathers estate, he demanded his early inheritance from his father and his loving father gave it to him. No questions asked. And I can see that father now, in my spiritual eye opening up his wallet, writing his son that big check with a grin that only a parent who knows exactly who their dealing with can have.

I’m not sure if this is exactly how it went down, but the I think it went a little like:

“You want me to make this out to you, right?… <chuckles> ok!”

“What’s so funny? I’m a grown man, I know what I’m doing!”

“ok, son.”

Have any of y’all ever gotten that condescending “ok” from your parents? Isn’t it infuriating?

He said I’m gonna show him! I’m going as far away from here as I possibly can and I’m going to live the life that I want to live.

Luke 15:13 NIV

“Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living.

Isn’t it funny how we will distance ourselves from the one who gave us life in order to “live our lives?”

Here’s the thing church. You can’t leave life to live life.

John 14:6 NIV

Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

Now I don’t do this very often, but I need you to \ask your neighbor, where you goin’?

Again, you can’t leave Life to live life. if you’re running away from life then The only thing waiting for you out there is death and misery. And that’s exactly where this ratchet, entitled, son found himself.

Luke 15:14 NIV

After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he began to be in need.

He didn’t save anything for a rainy day. He didn’t see the famine coming. Those of us who have been around for a little while know that there’s always a famine coming. As much as we try to be prepared, there are some things we can’t predict. It’s immaturity that blinds us to the future. When we are young and immature, we think we’re invincible. We assume that everything’s going to be ok and planning ahead seems foolish. Retirement? What’s that? 401K? Silly. Emergency fund? Isn’t that what a credit card is for? (No! it’s not by the way).

So this ratchet, entitled, immature son began to be in need after he had spent all of his money on foolishness. Then the Word says that

Luke 15:15 NIV

So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs.

So here he is, the son of a good father, at some point, comes to himself and says wait a minute, how many of my father’s servants have bread to spare and I’m over here starving to death and begging for the pigs food?

So we now see

The Response

The Scripture says

Luke 15:20 NIV

So he got up and went to his father. “But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.

The son was not content in his situation. He knew that he had a father he could go back to.

It’s a good feeling to know that you can always go back home. Admittedly not everyone has that I know, so I can only speak to my experience. I know that, to this very day, at 34 years old, if worse comes to worse, I could go home to my parents house.

That moments of revelation was also his introduction to repentance.

He said let me get my ratchet, entitled, immature, broke busted and disgusted self up and go back to my father’s house. Let me go back to the one who gave me life. Let me go back to the one who brought me into this world. Let me go back to the one who knows me better than I know myself. I need to return to the father who loved me so much, that he was willing to watch me fall.

Don’t miss that because this father who knew good and doggon well that his son was a knucklehead. He knew as soon as he wrote that check that it would all be gone soon enough.

When I was growing up, my mom used to tell me that whenever I got a little money it would burn a hole in my pocket.

She was right.

Oh, I couldn’t wait to find something to spend my little allowance on when I was a kid. I had absolutely no concept of saving or patience or anything. All I knew was that I had $5 and it needed to be spent on something. My mom knew me. She knew how much I could handle and where my limits were. But every once in a while, she would give me just enough rope to hang myself with.

Story of coming home late from the park

This father knew exactly who his son was. He knew he was ratchet. He knew his son was entitled, he knew he was immature. Therefore, he knew that he would be broke soon enough. How do we know? the Scripture says that while he was still a long way off...

Luke 15:20 NIV

So he got up and went to his father. “But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.

Is anybody here still a long way off? I can’t be the only one.

I may not be where I want to be. I may still be a little rough around the edges, I still cus every once in a while, I still talk about people sometimes Lord, I still need to work on that thing that Paul describes in 2 Corinthians 12 as a thorn sent by Satan to torment me. But!

I get excited when I see “but” in the Bible, because it usually means that God is about to change my situation.

it says

Luke 15:20 NIV

So he got up and went to his father. “But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.

I can rejoice in the mere fact that God sees me, even when I still have some work to do.

You see, as long as the son was facing the right direction, the father was able to see him. it didn’t matter how far he was from the mark, it didn’t matter how dirty he was still, it didn’t matter all of the wrong he had done in his life, it didn’t matter what mistakes where still permeating from his very pores, what mattered is that the son was in a possession and a posture to receive the love of his father.

Church, if we are going to receive the loving embrace of our heavenly father, we have to be in the position and posture of repentance. The Bible says that

Matthew 6:24 NIV

“No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.

The posture of repentance is turning away from death, and turning towards life, turning away from darkness and turning towards the Light of Christ putting down the bottle and picking up the bible. Putting out the cigarette and reading some scripture, laying off the gossip and spreading the gospel. I don’t know what your individual vice is. I promise I don’t know what you are struggling with in your spirit and this message preaches to me just like it preaches to you but at some point we have to do like this ratchet, entitled, immature, broke son did and conduct a little self examination. At some point, we need to look at our situation and say, you know what, I’m better than this!

Luke 15:20 NIV

So he got up and went to his father. “But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.

The Reception

Notice that the father ran to the son. He didn’t do that thing that some parents do where they’re sitting in the recliner in the living room, just waiting for you to get home late. Just waiting to hit you with the “Do you see what time it is?”

No Jesus says that this father ran to the son as soon as he saw him. What a beautiful depiction of a father’s love! Even though this father was humiliated by his son’s actions, he was just happy that he returned home.

Y’all, God knows we’re gonna screw up. He knows we’re going to fall, he knows we’re going to make mistakes. He know’s we’re imperfect but he will always run to embrace when we come home. That’s the definition of Grace and Mercy.

He threw his arms around him and kissed him.

Remember what the son’s occupation was prior to his journey home. When I read this, I thought, “wasn’t he filthy.” wasn’t he stankin? wasn’t he raggedy? Yes he was, and guess what, God could care less.

That ought to give someone joy. That God can see past our filthy past, he can brush aside our stank attitudes, he can ignore our raggedy lives and love us anyways. He can kiss us despite of all our usness.

I’m here to declare to you today that God loves your little raggedy self just as you are. He loves you at your best, and he loves your at your worst.

Martin Luther once had a dream where he was in his house and saw Jesus coming up the walk toward his door. Luther examined his surrounding and realized that everything was an absolute mess. Clothes were thrown over the furniture, old food was sitting out, trash was everywhere. And he thought, "How am I going to let the Lord of Life, Jesus Christ, come in to a mess like this.” He hurriedly tried to straighten up but the more he picked up the greater the mess became. Finally, Jesus was knocking at the door. Luther, resigned himself to the mess and as he opened the door, he said, "Jesus, come on in, if you think that you can come into a place like...” and as he turned he saw that everything had been put into order, everything in it’s proper place. The house was immaculate as Christ entered in.

Luke 15:21–22 NIV

“The son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ “But the father said to his servants, ‘Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet.

He didn’t even let the son finish the speach that he so carefully prepared. God doesn’t need all of that because he knows what’s in our hearts.

Jeremiah 17:10 NIV

“I the Lord search the heart and examine the mind, to reward each person according to their conduct, according to what their deeds deserve.”

Here’s the good part, not only did the father forgive his son for his behavior, but he then transformed him.

He said “bring the best robe and put it on him.” take off those filthy garments and place on him a robe of salvation! Remove those garments of trauma, remove those garments of disappointment, remove those garments of anxiety, of despair, of pain or regret and place on her a ring that symbolizes that she is mine! put some sandals on his feet! Slaves walk around barefoot. You are no longer a slave! You are my child and I love you enough to restore you to where you are meant to be! Hallelujah!

I’m this ratchet son y’all! I don’t deserve his grace, I don’t deserve his mercy, I don’t deserve to be called his son. But God loved my little raggedy self so much that he sent his only son to die on a cross for my sins, for my mistakes, for my transgressions, for my idolatry, for my adultery, for my lies, he died knowing I was imperfect and entitled. knowing that I was immature and poor in spirit. He died and rose on that third day with all power for me and for your. Thank you God for your unending mercy!