The Gracious Father

Introduction: Take your Bibles and turn over the the book of Luke. We will be in Chapter 15 this morning.

We have been in past weeks looking at the Parables of the Lord Jesus Christ and this morning we will be taking a break from the Kingdom parables to look at this parable found in Luke Chapter 15.

The setting for this parable is found looking at verse number 1 of this chapter. The Lord in these subsequent three parables is answering the empty comments of those opposing the Lord’s design. Notice with me in verse 1 the Bible says,

“Then drew near unto him all the publicans and sinners for to hear him.”

We can rejoice this morning in just this one verse that the Lord allowed you and I to come to Him. Though I was wretched in my sins and trespasses, though i was vile in my filth, though I was at enmity with God, the Lord found me.

Notice in verse 2 we read, “And the Pharisees and scribes murmured, saying, This man receiveth sinners, and eateth with them.”

Here was the great difficulty being faced, the big problem. “This man receiveth sinners...”

On this Father’s day I would like us to look at this 3rd parable in this set of three and understand and be taught by our Heavenly Father and our Lord Jesus Christ.

Let’s begin reading in verse number 11.

Read 11-13 and 17-19

I like us to meditate on this thought this morning: A Gracious Father.

Let’s pray.

The Lord Jesus Christ was the Master Teacher. He taught like no other man could teach. The Bible tells us

Matthew 7:29 “For he taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.”

When others heard Him teach even His enemies had to comment:

John 7:46 “... Never man spake like this man.”

This parable as mentioned earlier was one of three parables. This parable is often called ‘the parable of the Prodigal Son’ and certainly holds for us an emphasis on the return of a Son who has come to Himself. But two other individuals are in view in this parable as well: the ‘older brother’ as well as the Father.

Just to illustrate this point the Father is mentioned in this parable twelve times in these few short verses.

In the parable of the lost sheep found in verses 1-7, the Son of God is foremost as the Shepherd.

In the second parable, the parable of the Lost coin, found in verses 8-10 the Holy Spirit is first and foremost (represented by the sweeping of the house and the illumination by the candle).

But in this parable the Heavenly Father is in view.

In the context of our passage, the Lord was teaching 3 different groups of people as well that were present to hear this Parable:

To the Publicans and sinners this parable of the Father and Two Sons showed them the Grace of our Heavenly Father.

To the Pharisees this parables showed them God’s wonderful love and their empty hearts.

To the Disciples this parable showed them their need to have stronger Faith in the Lord’s work and that God is not a respecter of Persons.

So, what are we to understand on this Father’s Day concerning this parable?

I. The Father’s Wisdom

As we consider the first of several points in this parable, we are struck immediately by the Father’s wisdom. As these three parables speak of the Lord’s ministry to those that were repugnant to the Jews, Jesus begins to show in this parable the wisdom of our Heavenly Father in dealing with wayward children.

The Bible speaks much about the wisdom of our Father in Heaven.

In Matthew 11:25 and also in Luke 10:25 we find the Lord Jesus Christ commending God the Father’s wisdom. He stated, “I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes.”

We see in this parable that the Father’s Wisdom is seen in the dealings particularly with this impatient and ignorant son who demands His inheritance.

“And the younger of them said to his father, Father, give me the portion of goods that falleth to me. And he divided unto them his living.”

Now from the outside looking in at this seemingly careless act of giving in the Father gives to this Son the license he has been looking for. Perhaps the Son thought if I just had .....you fill in the blank i would be happy.....

You see the Son had reached the age, that he could lawfully ask for his inheritance. And the Father was allowed to either give the inheritance now or not give the inheritance (usually to be received upon His death). We see in this instance that the Father gives the inheritance to this rebellious son.

Why would He do such a thing and how is this showing great wisdom?

A. A Liberty Given to Choose

One Bible Scholar put it this way, “God, when His service no longer appears a perfect freedom, and man promises himself something far better elsewhere, allows him to make the trial; and he shall discover, if need be by saddest proof, that to depart from Him is not to throw off the yoke, but to exchange a light yoke for a heavy one, and one gracious Master for a thousand imperious tyrants and lords”

God over and over again has given man the liberty to choose. He does so as an act of graciousness in our life.

This son, had grown up under the teaching of this household. But there came a time when this son must be given the opportunity to choose.

All throughout Scripture, God has given man choices within the bounds of His love, free will.

We are free to choose the light yoke of the Master or misery of the tyrant.

God in His infinite wisdom has not forced us to love Him but has chosen us, loved us first, and shown us His love in the person of the Lord Jesus Christ.

God’s wisdom here, defies logic to most. But it is God’s wisdom that is to be sought after.

As an earthly Father, I would covet God’s wisdom in the raising of children.

The Father gave the son ‘A Liberty to Choose’ which led to ‘a Liberty Given to Learn’

So of the most dear lessons are only learned in the dismal swamp of despair.

B. A Liberty Given to Learn

This Father in our parable allowed His Son to learn through the school of reality what would take place walking in the ways of the world.

There is a time and a place seeking God, to commend folks to the Lord. I reminded of Paul the Apostle in His widespread church planting and missionary efforts had to come to a place where He commended these spiritual children to the Lord.

Abraham had to allow Issac at some point to step out on his own.

Issac had to at some point allow Jacob to step out on his own.

And the examples could me multiplied ten-fold of Father’s giving their children a liberty to learn. Let me remind you that what is required to make these right choices is godly wisdom

How could this Father know there would be a famine in His son’s future? How could this Father know that this Son would come to himself? How could this Father know that this His Son would come back to Him?

The Bible tells us the responsibility of the parents in the household is to “train up the child...” (Proverbs 22:6)

This training is to take place through all the years that they are under the authority of the home.

Through those formative years the Father patiently should have taught the child the precepts of the Word of God. The Bible gives us plenty of examples and admonishment of the need to train the child through those formative years.

Ephesians 6:4 tells us “And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.”

So we see the Father’s Wisdom in giving this Son a Liberty to Choose and a Liberty to Learn. But secondly, notice:

II. The Father’s Waiting

Imagine for a moment this situation. The Son came to the Father and required his inheritance.

The Son a few short days later leaves the protection and safety of the home.

This Father now has a choice to make, What do I do?

This son is of age and has struck out on his own. He is making his own choices now.

The Bible tells us this Son “took his journey into a far country.” The language here removes no doubt that this son went far away into foreign territory. Away from the Father. Away from the security of home.

The best that we can tell, the Father was in a period of waiting.

This Father’s example could very well be someone’s situation here this morning.

A child that has gone wayward. A son that is of age has drifted off into a far country, where who knows whats going on.

What is the Father to do? What is to be done?

Pray…Pray in waiting.

From verses 13-20 the Lord Jesus Christ did not give us an indication of how long this waiting took. But there is an indication that this did not happen overnight.

The Bible tells us that the Son was away long enough to spend all His inheritance. (v14)

He was away long enough to go through a “mighty famine.” (v14)

He was away long enough to join “himself” as a “citizen of that country...” (v15)

He was away long enough to become destitute having exhausted all of his resources. (v15)

One of the remarkable qualities of our Heavenly Father and that of a godly Father is that of patience.

This Father had a time to wait. What would he do in the absence of His son? Pray for Him.

III. The Father’s Watching

IV. The Father’s Welcoming

V. The Father’s Wisdom