God's Lavish Love for Repentant Sinners

Introduction

By way of introduction this morning, I want to remind you that a couple of weeks ago we started looking at this account of Jesus confronting the Pharisees and the teachers of the law when they witness Jesus being surrounded by tax collectors and sinners. As the Pharisees and the teachers of the law witness Jesus engaging with and even eating with the tax collectors and sinners, they became indignant because in their minds this was something that was not to be done. Jesus was making himself unclean by doing what he was doing.

Jesus immediately saw this and he confronted them on their own failure to understand and realize the mission for which he had come. Jesus had not come into the world in order to help and save the righteous people. Yes certainly, if they were repented of their sin and they trusted in him, then he would be more than willing and pleased to bring salvation to them as well. However, the Pharisees and the teachers of the law were so confident in their own self-righteousness that they believed that they were in no need of any saviour to deliver them from the consequences of sin.

As such, Jesus confronted them by speaking to them through three parables. At least that is the way Luke structures his gospel message here as he outlines these three parables that Jesus spoke. The last time we were in Luke’s gospel we considered the parable of the lost sheep along with the parable of the lost coin. In those parables we looked at how God and the heavenly hosts would rejoice and celebrate when that which was lost became found.

The third parable is what we turn our attention to this morning. The parable is a very well-known parable. It is the one of the lost son, or the prodigal son as it’s often referred to. But keep in mind the context is the Pharisees and religious leaders that were confident of their own self-righteousness. Through this parable, Jesus will demonstrate to these Pharisees and tax collectors not only the fact that he came to seek and to save those who are utterly unworthy, but rather that it is those who are utterly unworthy that will end up delighting in and celebrating in the wedding feast between Christ and his bride when He returns to bring all things to fulfilment.

Due to the length of this parable, we will not consider every verse in minute detail, but rather will look at the parable in broad strokes and explain the implications of the sections and then draw some points of application throughout the course of the text.

As we begin our consideration of this text then, notice firstly with me…

1. A Squandered Life (vv.11-13)

We read in verses eleven through thirteen:

Luke 15:11–13 NIV84

11 Jesus continued: “There was a man who had two sons. 12 The younger one said to his father, ‘Father, give me my share of the estate.’ So he divided his property between them. 13 “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.

Jesus conveys this parable of an exceedingly wealthy man who has two sons, each of them act in a very different way in terms of their relation with their father. Both of these sons would have been entitled to a portion of their fathers inheritance under the Jewish law. The older son would have had a double portion. But either way, the younger son is not prepared to wait for his inheritance. He has no interest in continuing to work with the family as was customary in those days. Rather, is only concern is in taking his future inheritance now so that he can go and spend it on himself.

We see in this picture is that the son who takes his inheritance has little interest in anybody but himself. He has little respect for his father’s labours and accumulated wealth. All he wants is to go and enjoy himself and enjoy his life.

Now, immediately we must recognise that this is a very apt picture of the condition of sinful humanity in their own sin. A person who is in bondage to sin has a natural inclination toward self-centered living. Even the very fall of man into sin in the garden of Eden was marked by Eve eating of the fruit in the garden because she believed that it would make her wise, even like God. In essence, she wanted to be God. The natural man is in sinful rebellion against God. There continues to be a demonstration of this self-centredness in our day. There is a rebellion within man against the thought of humbling oneself under the wise and good instructions and commands of God. Rather, man seeks to walk in the ways that he chooses and sees fit. This is the natural state of man.

Look with me at the way that some Scriptures speak to this truth.

When Paul writes to the believers in Ephesus and compares their former manner of life with their new life in Christ, he speaks of the former manner of life with these words:

Ephesians 2:3 NIV84

3 All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature objects of wrath.

Paul speaks here in terms of the cravings of the sinful nature that mocks humanity. And the natural inclination of man is to gratify those cravings of the sinful nature. He also says that by nature we follow those desires and thoughts that are within us. The unregenerate state of man is such that we do not want to follow the ways of God, but rather we want to follow the cravings of our sinful nature.

We must see over here that this is not merely a matter of external actions that makes a sinful. Rather, though sinful actions are merely expressions of the sinful nature that is within us.

When Paul writes to Titus he explains that this former manner of life was due to our enslavement to this human nature.

Titus 3:3 NIV84

3 At one time we too were foolish, disobedient, deceived and enslaved by all kinds of passions and pleasures. We lived in malice and envy, being hated and hating one another.

Now, there are all kinds of ways that this is borne out in our lives. Every one of us is different in terms of how this is expressed in our own lives. In areas where others are struggling and sin easily, we might find that this is not even a challenge to us. But in the areas where they are strong, will find that those areas that we are weak. The bottom line is that all of us are tempted and enslaved to the sinful human nature, irrespective of what that particular struggle is that we have.

What is it is present into these Pharisees and teachers of the law through the picture of the son that leaves the father is a picture of the natural state of man rebelling against a good and gracious God.

I would say to you that unless you recognize yourself as being that son who is wayward, and unless you see that you too have strayed away from God and so to rather walk in your own ways in your natural state, you will not really understand the gospel. We will see why as we go on in this passage.

Notice secondly with me…

2. A Significant Longing (vv.14-16)

Luke 15:14–16 NIV84

14 After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he began to be in need. 15 So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs. 16 He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything.

In this next portion of the passage we suddenly find that the son who had everything and was living a life of selfishness and self-centered pleasures comes to a place where he is absolutely nothing. In this parable, there is a severe famine in the whole country, and he becomes a person in a place of deep need, so he goes to the place to find work. Notice in this parable that the work that he goes to find is to work in the fields feeding pigs.

Now, we need to understand that pigs were filthy animals in the eyes of the Jews. These religious leaders and teachers of the law they would be horrified at the idea of a person working to feed filthy animals such as these. Here was a man who is unclean. According to the Jewish law he would’ve been considered to be actively unclean and unable to engage in the worship of God with his people.

As Jesus conveys this parable even speaks about this son longing to fill his stomach with the food of the pigs. What Jesus is doing here is he is painting a repulsive picture of this son. He is painting the worst kind of picture you could paint for the religious leaders and the Pharisees in order to show them the extent of the filthiness of a person who in due course will be shown the grace and mercy of a loving father.

What is being conveyed through this is not only that man is self-centered and seeks to indulge in selfish living, but rather that man is utterly filthy. There is a vileness and a filthiness and a polluted state to the human nature that has wandered away from God.

Isaiah 64:6 NIV84

6 All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags; we all shrivel up like a leaf, and like the wind our sins sweep us away.

Romans 3:10–12 NIV84

10 As it is written: “There is no one righteous, not even one; 11 there is no one who understands, no one who seeks God. 12 All have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one.”

Isaiah 6:5 NIV84

5 “Woe to me!” I cried. “I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the Lord Almighty.”

When we see this polluted state of ourselves before our Holy God, we’ll see that we are in essence like this polluted young man, who squandered everything, and is not filthy and dirty and smelly.

However, we must also see that Jesus conveys the sense of the hunger of this younger son. He is hungry and desperate. All of the lascivious living has done nothing for him ultimately. It’s left him destitute, and now he finds himself starving. There is a very important spiritual picture portrayed in this scenario.

The fact is that all of us are spiritually craving fulfilling. Every single person is built with a longing after something that can fill them and bring them satisfaction and contentment. Man was made to worship. When we worship that which is right and true, we will find that our lives are filled with contentment and satisfaction. When we worship that which is created, and seek to find our fullness in the things of this world, it is then that will find will craving. And nothing in this world can satisfy this craving.

In my mind the best passage of Scripture to bring this truth to the fore is that picture in John 4 where Jesus is speaking with the Samaritan woman. In that passage, Jesus is telling this Samaritan woman about living water that can give to her so that she will never thirst again. And what he points out to her in that passage is has had five husbands in the past, and the man that is currently living with this is not a husband. There was a woman who was searching for satisfaction and contentment through the relationships with men and yet was not finding that. Jesus promises her that there is a way that you can find something to quench your inner thirst for meaning.

The son in this parable was hungry for that which would fill him. There are those who are hungry to be filled with the fruit of God’s word and the Holy Spirit in order to bring that fulfillment and that there is no longer a longing after things. The reality is that until we find that Jesus Christ will continue to be hungry.

Notice thirdly with me …

3. A Sobering Realization (vv.17-19)

Luke 15:17–19 NIV84

17 “When he came to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired men have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! 18 I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. 19 I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired men.’

At this point this young man comes to a very important realization. He comes to see his desperate situation. He understands that he is a man who is in desperate need of help. We need to understand that an awareness of one’s desperate position, and also a humility to acknowledge and confess that desperate situation is what is so essential for a person in these circumstances.

In terms of spiritual realities, this is really no different. If anyone would have hope of being restored been regenerated been reconciled to God the father, it is essential that they come to the realization of where they are spiritually, dead in the trespasses and sins, and then also have the humility to acknowledge that and confess that. Without this humility and coming to one’s senses a person will not be driven to the cross of Christ in order to be saved.

Further to this, we find this son realizes that there are storehouses of riches, there is a plentiful abundance at his father’s home. There is no lack or want or need of anything at his father’s home, even with his father’s servants. His come to the place where he realizes that he’s abandoned that which was good and beneficial and helpful to him. His come to the place where he recognizes that is living in foolishness in his current state when even those who are servants at home have life better than what he does.

In the context of the world and their relation with God, we need to recognize that humanity has drifted away from God and had forsaken him. They end up in this place of destitute suffering, because they have departed from God. Within the context of living under the care of God the father there is an abundance. There is no lack.

Deuteronomy 10:14 NIV84

14 To the Lord your God belong the heavens, even the highest heavens, the earth and everything in it.

Nehemiah 9:6 NIV84

6 You alone are the Lord. You made the heavens, even the highest heavens, and all their starry host, the earth and all that is on it, the seas and all that is in them. You give life to everything, and the multitudes of heaven worship you.

But if that is true in the physical world, then so too in the spiritual world. So too, we will find that God is the provider, the abundant provider, or every spiritual good. Everything needed to live a life of satisfaction and purpose and joy in this world is to be found in the Father through Christ.

2 Corinthians 9:8 NIV84

8 And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.

Ephesians 2:4–7 NIV84

4 But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, 5 made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. 6 And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, 7 in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus.

The riches of God are available in the Lord Jesus Christ. There is an abundance of supply of all things good in all things that can bring joy and satisfaction and meaning and contentment. All of these things are available in abundance from God through Jesus Christ. However, in order for us to receive that we need to first come to the realization that it is available and that our current present situation is dire indeed and that we ought not to stay in that condition. But dear friends there is an abundance of supply in Christ.

That leads us to consider fourthly…

4. A Sorrowful Repentance (v.21)

Luke 15:20–21 NIV84

20 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. 21 “The son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’

This young man has come to the place where he sees his pitiful condition, and so gets up and he goes to his father in order to bow before his father in repentance. A particular focus here is on verse twenty-one, and particularly what the son says when it comes to the father. He says to his father, “I have sinned against heaven and against you, and I am no longer worthy to be called your son.”

Here is a beautiful picture of godly repentance. Here is a beautiful picture of a man who truly has come to see his unworthy state before his father, and so he comes in this humility and confesses before the father the sin that he has committed against him.

Psalm 51, which was read this morning, contains many of these elements so critical to godly repentance.

There is a recognition and confession of sin.

Psalm 51:2–3 NIV84

2 Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin. 3 For I know my transgressions, and my sin is always before me.

There is a sense of brokenness over sin.

Psalm 51:17 NIV84

17 The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.

There is a genuine desire for a transformed life, and living in a way that is in accordance with the God’s will and purposes…

Psalm 51:10 NIV84

10 Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.

In all of these (and others) we find a genuine transformation in the life of the Psalmist. And the same is true of this son. He has come to the recognition of his sin. Not only making a mistake. Not only sorrow over losing all the money he had. But he comes to a place where he recognises the foolishness of his ways, and he recognises this foolishness as sin. He has a broken spirit within him. He goes to the father, not to reclaim his position as a son, but to plead to be hired as a servant. There is beautiful evidence of godly sorrow that leads to repentance.

Within the context of the Christian life, this is the kind of sorrow and repentance that leads to salvation. According to Acts 11:18, this is the repentance that leads to life. When a sinner becomes aware of the extent of their sin against God and against others, their deep need of a Saviour, and it drives them to confess this sin, and to live in a manner that is transformed according to the ways and will of God, then you find life in a person.

But we need to keep in mind the importance of this transformation. There is a kind of conviction of sin that doesn’t lead to change. It’s only a conviction in the moment, and with the hope of getting something that you want… for example, you want the consequences of your sin to be minimized. An example of this is Pharaoh in the book of Exodus, after the plague of hail was sent.

Exodus 9:27 NIV84

27 Then Pharaoh summoned Moses and Aaron. “This time I have sinned,” he said to them. “The Lord is in the right, and I and my people are in the wrong.

Sounds convincing… but it didn’t really lead to any genuine change in accordance with the ways of God. Instead, Pharaoh continued to rebel against God and his people.

There are many examples in Scripture, but the point is clear from this passage. The son had a genuine change of heart following his examination of his own ways, which led him to a genuine repentance, and returning to the father, seeking forgiveness and reconciliation.

Such is essential in the Christian life.

Fifthly, notice with me…

5. A Celebratory Reception (vv.20,22-24)

Luke 15:20 NIV84

20 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.

Luke 15:22–24 NIV84

22 “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. 23 Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate. 24 For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ So they began to celebrate.

The response of the father in this parable is one of great celebration and joy. He sees his son coming, and his responses and reactions in seeing his son demonstrate the depths of his love for his son. Notice what Jesus says concerning the response of the father…

He was filled with compassion. The father’s heart is moved within him as he sees his son approaching. There is no evidence of anger. There is no attitude of waiting for the son to come home so that he can hear how wisely or unwisely the son has acted with the inheritance received. There is no sense that the father is going to give some rebuke to the son for his conduct. The father’s heart is one of compassion!

And so, he runs to his son. He was probably not the youngest of men, but seeing his son coming moves him to run towards him with delight. In that day, in that part of the world, it was generally considered undignified for a man to run in this way. Nonetheless, the father ran to his son, motivated by the love and joy of his heart to see his son returning.

Thirdly, after running to the son, he arrives at him and wraps his arms around him. He embraces him. Even before the son has said a word, the father is lovingly embracing him.

And then, as if that didn’t show sufficiently his love, he kissed him. Every action of the father is an expression of his love for his son, and his joy at seeing his son.

There are two very important things that we need to understand from this response of the Father (before we get to the celebration feast). The first is our understanding of the nature and character of God.

Many people have this view that God is generally an angry God, or that He’s short-tempered. Or that he holds a stick over the heads of people because of the sins they’ve committed.

Christians will often live like this. They say they’ve confessed their sin and repented of their sin. But their lives are filled with the marks of a person that is weighed down with a sense of guilt, or a sense of unworthiness, or a sense that they’ve got to keep on proving themselves.

This will come out in the way that they respond to what happens in their life – if they believe that they’re a failure, for example. They’ll be very hard on themselves. Achieving their goals becomes so important that they’re devastated when they fail, or when they don’t achieve. Why? Because they live under this continual sense that they need to prove themselves to God and to others.

When people around them criticize them for mistakes or for the way they’ve done something, and it leads to a strong self-defence and anger and rage that this person dare say this about them. Why do they respond in these ways? Very often it’s because they have this sense within them that they need to prove themselves.

But God is not interested in you proving yourself to him. You can’t. You’re broken. You’re fallen. You’re a sinner. God’s heart is towards even these who are broken and unworthy. He simply calls them to come to him, to humbly acknowledge their brokenness and sin, and to call upon him, and he will lovingly embrace them.

Now, the second side of this (and in one sense I’m getting ahead of myself) but there’s this sense of impatience with others around us who are imperfect. We ourselves can place a burden on others to achieve in order to be accepted. In other words, if I’m going to express my love and care towards you, you need to make sure that you achieve certain things, or live in a certain way, or behave yourself in accordance with the very reasonable standards that I set.

But the picture of God over here is so humbling and encouraging. Yes, of course the son is repentant, acknowledging his shortcomings. Yes, he’s coming to the father in this repentant state, seeking forgiveness. But the heart of the father is one of immediate compassion and love and tenderness. The son doesn’t need to come back and prove himself, and if he keeps up the standards for a period of time, or proves himself better, then we’ll think about loving him. The love is powerful and immediate. The acceptance and expression of love is clear.

Now, notice further that the father calls for celebration. He calls for this wayward, unwise, squandering son to be clothed with garments of status and honour.

Luke 15:22 NIV84

22 “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.

The best robe was a status symbol. It was reserved for those of importance and significance.

The ring on the finger was probably a signet ring, a symbol of authority.

Genesis 41:42 NIV84

42 Then Pharaoh took his signet ring from his finger and put it on Joseph’s finger. He dressed him in robes of fine linen and put a gold chain around his neck.

Here, the father is bestowing this son with honour and privileges.

Further to this, he calls for sandals to be put on his feet. The implication here is that this son is a son indeed! He is not to be treated as a slave. He is to be welcomed home as a son, as a freedman, rather than one under a yoke of slavery.

The son, having squandered everything that had been given to him, all his fathers inheritance, had come back hoping for just some food to be provided, and to be treated as a slave in the house. The father says, “NO!!!” You’re my son and must be treated with honour!

This is seen further in verse 23…

Luke 15:23 NIV84

23 Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate.

The fattened calf was that reserved for special occassions, or for honoured guests arriving. Meat was not typically eaten at meals in those days. And so, the fattened calf was kept for special occassions. In the father’s eyes, this is such an occasion. A celebration feast is to be enjoyed.

And notice the words of the father in this parable.

Luke 15:24 NIV84

24 For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ So they began to celebrate.

Jesus conveys this father as describing the son’s condition with striking contrasts.

My son was dead… but now he is alive.

My son was lost… but now he is found.

The picture of the lost and the found was the emphasis of the last two parables that we considered. We saw in those parables the great celebration that took place when something was lost and found, and how that relates to God’s rejoicing, with the heavenly hosts, at a wayward person returning to God.

But notice that Jesus includes the words here relating to being dead and alive. The father describes the son as having been dead, but now, having returned to him, being alive.

The clear connection here is to spiritual life. This picture is clearly portrayed in Paul’s letter to the Ephesian believers:

Ephesians 2:1–5 NIV84

1 As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, 2 in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. 3 All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature objects of wrath. 4 But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, 5 made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved.

Keep in mind that this is the goal of salvation history. Spiritual death came about as man fell into sin in the Garden. Man was separated from God. The sin of man brought separation between God and man.

Romans 5:12 NIV84

12 Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all men, because all sinned—

But the Gospel is that Christ came into the world in order to save sinners. Christ came in order to redeem those who were lost and without hope in the world. Death does not have the final say. There is spiritual life for all those who confess their sin, repent and place their trust in the Saviour.

Romans 5:15–16 NIV84

15 But the gift is not like the trespass. For if the many died by the trespass of the one man, how much more did God’s grace and the gift that came by the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ, overflow to the many! 16 Again, the gift of God is not like the result of the one man’s sin: The judgment followed one sin and brought condemnation, but the gift followed many trespasses and brought justification.

This is the justification that is available to all who would return to the Father.

Some points of Application, by way of reminder.

1. A Squandered Life

2. A Significant Longing

3. A Sobering Realization

4. A Sorrowful Repentance

5. A Celebratory Reception

Closing Words:

2 Corinthians 5:17–21 NIV84

17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! 18 All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: 19 that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. 20 We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God. 21 God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

Till next week…

6. A Sullen Response (vv.25-28)

25“Meanwhile, the older son was in the field. When he came near the house, he heard music and dancing.

26So he called one of the servants and asked him what was going on.

27‘Your brother has come,’ he replied, ‘and your father has killed the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound.’

28“The older brother became angry and refused to go in. So his father went out and pleaded with him.

7. A Self-Righteous Defense (vv.29-30)

29But he answered his father, ‘Look! All these years I’ve been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders. Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends.

30But when this son of yours who has squandered your property with prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him!’

8. A Sobering Reminder (vv.31-32)

31“ ‘My son,’ the father said, ‘you are always with me, and everything I have is yours.

32But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ ”