A Father’s Sadness Turned Into Rejoicing!!! - Pastor Caleb Rodriguez
“11 Then He said: “A certain man had two sons. 12 And the younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the portion of goods that falls to me.’ So, he divided to them his livelihood. 13 And not many days after, the younger son gathered all together, journeyed to a far country, and there wasted his possessions with prodigal living. 14 But when he had spent all, there arose a severe famine in that land, and he began to be in want. 15 Then he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country, and he sent him into his fields to feed swine. 16 And he would gladly have filled his stomach with the pods that the swine ate, and no one gave him anything. 17 “But when he came to himself, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger! 18 I will arise and go to my father, and will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you, 19 and I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Make me like one of your hired servants.” 20 “And he arose and came to his father. But when he was still a great way off, his father saw him and had compassion, and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him. 21 And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight, and am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ 22 “But the father said to his servants, ‘Bring out the best robe and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet. 23 And bring the fatted calf here and kill it and let us eat and be merry; 24 for this my son was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ And they began to be merry.”
Although this is a very familiar story, it is very relevant for Father’s Day. You see a Father can do all within his reach to raise his children correctly in the fear and admonition of the Lord and still may experience some sadness and heartbreak when his child or children become adults and desire to leave home, as we see in the story of “The Prodigal or Lost Son.” Prematurely, the younger son asks his father to give him his portion of the inheritance due to him. According to the Law of Moses, the eldest son received a double portion (Deut. 21:17). Since there were two sons, the younger son would receive one-third.
Like so many impatient people today, the younger son desired to be free from parental restraints, desired to have his father's inheritance "now," the father grants him his request, and the younger son soon takes all that he has to a distant country. With "prodigal" (wasteful, extravagant) living, he soon depletes his possessions, his poverty is compounded by a famine (hunger) hitting the country, in desperation he hires himself to another to feed his pigs and this would be most degrading to a Jewish person, for pigs were considered unclean (Lev. 11:7). According to some OT Historians and Bible Scholars, there was a saying among the Jews at that time: "May a curse come upon the man who cares for swine!" With great hunger, he would have gladly eaten what was given to the pigs. This is a picture of just how low a person can go when they break away from all they had learned to be moral, sacred & true.
However, he finally came to his senses...recalling how well fed were his father's hired servants. They had plenty, and there he was, perishing with hunger! In addition to hunger and humiliation, he is now homesick. He resolves to return home, to confess his sin against heaven (i.e., God's will) and his father. To confess his unworthiness to be called his father's son and to be made only like one of his father's hired servants. Acting on his decision, the prodigal son returns home. While still a great way off, the father sees him, the father's great love is immediately evident...he has compassion, he runs to greet his son, he throws his arms around his son's neck and he kisses him.
The son immediately confesses his sin, and his unworthiness to be called a son. But before he could even say "Make me one of your hired servants", the father lovingly & joyfully calls upon his servants to bring out the best robe & put it on him, put a ring on his hand & sandals on his feet and to kill the fatted calf in order to celebrate his return. All of these actions serve to reinstate the son as a person of great importance (sonship) and authority (position)!!!
What this means to the father is compassionately summarized in these words "for this my son was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found." Certainly, any father (or parent) can relate to the joy expressed by this father!
This is a beautiful picture of restoration!!! The father in this story symbolizes our heavenly Father. The prodigal son (coming home) represents the penitent sinner. This clearly demonstrates that our heavenly Father loves His children, even when they turn away from Him; His heart yearns for them in love. Especially when they return with a humble & penitent attitude! There is "joy in heaven" (Lk 15:7) and there is "joy in the presence of the angels of God" (Lk 15:10). When a repentant sinner gives their heart and life to Jesus there is rejoicing in heaven and there should also be rejoicing here on earth as well!!!
Dear friend, if you have left the Lord or drifted away from Him, you too can do like the prodigal son, come to your senses ("But when he came to himself") realize and admit just how far one can fall when we turn away from God! May you be moved to repentance by this story and may you never forget that your heavenly Father anxiously waits for your reconciliation with Him!!!