OceanSide church of Christ

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THE PRODIGAL SON (2)

Luke 15:11-32

 

The Realization and The Return

Luke 15:17-21

Victor M. Eskew

 

INTRODUCTION

 

A.    In our last lesson, we began a study of the Prodigal Son.

 

B.      We looked at verses 11-16, a section entitled, “The Rebellion.”

 

And he said, A certain man had two sons:  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.  And not many days after the younger son gathered all together, and took his journey into a far country, and there wasted his substance on riotous living.  And when had had spent all, there arose a mighty famine in the land; and he began to be in want.  And he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country; and he sent him into his fields to feed swine.  And he would fain have filled his belly with the husks that the swine did eat:  and no man gave unto him.

 

C.     We ended our study wondering what would happen to this young man.

1.      Would he continue to fellowship the swine?

2.      Or, would something happen to radically alter his life?

 

D.    In this lesson, will learn of the fate of this young prodigal son.

1.      Something very interesting happens to this man.

2.      We will be examining two sections of the parable in this lesson: 

 

I.                   THE REALIZATION (Luke 15:17-19)

 

And when he came to himself, he said, How many hired servants of my father’s house have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger!  I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before thee, and am no more worthy to be called thy son:  make me as one of thy hired servants.

 

A.    The return of sound consciousness (Luke 15:17a):  “And when he came to himself”

1.      The term used here involves a person coming to his sanity.

2.      The thoughts, visions, and dreams of the “far country” had caused this young man to go mad. 

3.      Up to this point in time, the prodigal son was not himself.

4.      LESSON:  It is possible for all individuals to change and become different people.  

a.      All of us have experienced this with people. 

b.      Other people, experiences in life, unsound information, and sin can radically alter the individual. 

c.       Many of us have said of others:  “He/she is not the person he/she used to be.”

 

B.      The remembrance of home (Luke 15:17b):  “How many hired servants of my father’s house have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger!”

1.      The prodigal knew how his home would be operating at this time.

2.      Even the hired servants would have enough to eat on a daily basis.

3.      Here he was, the son of his father, and he was perishing with hunger. 

a.      The pods of the carob tree he took for himself were not enough to sustain him.

b.      He needed other nutritious foods that he could not have because he had wasted his money on foolish, earthly, sinful things.

4.      LESSON:  We need to realize the blessings we have while we possess them instead of realizing them after they are gone.

 

C.     The resolve of the son (Luke 15:18a):  “I will arise, and to go my father”

1.      The young son’s plans have now changed.

2.      He is ready to leave the far country and go back home.

3.      This is a move of honesty

This is a move of humility.

This is a move of courage.

This is a move of wisdom.

This is a move of submission.

4.      LESSON:  The young man knew he could go home. 

a.      How did his know this?

b.      He knew his father.

He knew his father’s heart.

He knew his father’s love.

He knew his father’s forgiveness.

 

D.    The repentance of the prodigal (Luke 15:18b).

1.      Admission of sin:  “and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before thee.”

a.      The son is now willing to confess his transgressions.

1)      He takes personal responsibility:  “I have sinned.”

2)      There is no blame cast upon anyone else for what he has done.

b.      He realizes that his actions have been, first and foremost, against God.  He says:  “I have sinned against heaven.”

c.       He also acknowledges the iniquity committed against His father.  “And before thee.”

d.      NOTE:  The son was not going to try and slip in the side door and hope that no one would say a word to him.  He would boldly stand in the presence of his father and confess his errors.

1)      Proverbs 28:13

 

He that covereth his sins shall not prosper:  but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy.

 

2)      I John 1:9

 

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

 

2.      Acceptance of consequences:  “And am no more worthy to be called thy son:  make me as one of thy hired servants”

a.      The son realized that sin has consequences.

b.      Instead of a position of sonship, he would be willing to be in his father’s house as a hired servant.

c.       LESSON:  There are times when the consequences of sin cannot be reversed.  We can repent of our sins, but the consequences remain. 

 

 

 

II.                HE RETURN (Luke 15:20-21)

 

And he arose, and came to his father.  But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him.  And the son said unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in thy sight, and am no more worthy to be called thy son.

 

A.    The road home (Luke 15:20a):  “And he arose, and came to his father”

1.      There is nothing said about the feelings the son must have experienced as he drew near to this father’s house.

2.      Fear, anticipation, hope, shame, happiness.  It must have been a mixed bag of emotions.

3.      LESSONS

a.      Once there has been a resolution in the mind of the individual, there is no turning back to the world.

b.      Yes, the prodigals can return home.  Children who have left the faith can return to the Father’s house once again.

 

B.      The relief of a father (Luke 15:20b)

1.      The watchful eyes:  “But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him”

a.      How many times had the father looked this direction hoping to see his son?

b.      How many prayers had been prayed by the father hoping to see his son again?

c.       The son was a great way off and the father recognized him.  There are so many things that alert a parent to his/her child:  a cry, a laugh, the gait of the child’s walk, one or two mannerisms.

2.      The warmth of heart:  “and had compassion”

a.      Compassion is the ability to suffer with another.

1)      The father knew this was a difficult return.

2)      He could see the toll the far country had taken on his son.

3)      He understood the shame and guilt his child was experiencing.

4)      He could tell he was hungry, thirsty, and tired from the journey.

b.      Compassion is the key to all mercy. 

1)      It moved Jesus to feed the multitudes.

2)      It moved the Good Samaritan to assist the man on the road to Jericho.

3)      It moved the feet of theis father to race to his son.

3.      The welcoming embrace:  “and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him”

a.      The son made the move toward home.  When the father saw him, he immediately made the move toward his son. (James 4:8a)

 

Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you.

 

b.      The father embraced his son with both hugs and kisses. 

c.       The father had received a gift.  His son was now home. 

1.      There is no anger.

There is no “I told you so.”

There is no 100 questions.

This is no shame cast on the son.

There is no payment demanded.

2.      There are just firm hugs and loving kisses bestowed upon his son.

d.      LESSON:  This is the picture of God’s reception of His prodigal children who come back to Him (II Chron. 30:9).

 

…for the Lord your God is gracious and merciful, and will not turn away his face from you, if ye return unto him.

 

C.     The remorse of a son (Luke 15:21):  “I have sinned against heaven, and in thy sight, and am no more worthy to be called thy son”

1.      The son is brave enough to admit his sins to his father.

2.      The thoughts he had in the far country are now spoken into the ears of his father.

3.      They were hard to say. 

4.      Most likely, they were difficult for the father to hear.

5.      But, they had to be spoken.

6.      They were essential for forgiveness (Luke 17:3).

 

Take heed to yourselves:  If thy brother trespass against thee, rebuke him; and if he repent, forgive him.

 

CONCLUSION

 

A.    The son had done two of the most difficult things in the world to do.

1.      Leave home and experience the far country.

2.      Return home, and admit one’s faults to family.

 

B.      It is interesting that there are some words that the son did not say to his father.

1.      As he rehearsed what he would say when he got home, one of his statements was:  “…make me as one of thy hired servants” (v. 19).

2.      There is a reason he did not speak these words.  We will take that up in our next lesson.

 

C.     Something wonderful and something horrible still await us as we study “The Prodigal Son.”