“The older brother was angry and wouldn’t go in. His father came out and begged him, but he replied, ‘All these years I’ve slaved for you and never once refused to do a single thing you told me to. And in all that time you never gave me even one young goat for a feast with my friends. Yet when this son of yours comes back after squandering your money on prostitutes, you celebrate by killing the fattened calf!’ – Luke 15:28-30 NLT

While speaking at a women’s retreat in Virginia, I had an interesting experience that I had never had before then, and I have not had since then.

I spoke five times that weekend and started with the story of God finding me as a poverty-stricken, abused little girl. When sharing my story, I do not spend much time on the abuse, but a lot of time on the healing journey God brought to my life.

After sharing my story of God’s grace, healing, and goodness to me, I shared a bit of follow up to the story. I told of how my biological father was led to Jesus by my husband. Unexpectedly, my father died the next day. I talked about God’s grace even to the evilest among us.

At lunch time, a woman came up to me and asked if I would be willing to stop by for just a few minutes to chat with her and her three roommates. She shared that one of her friends had come out of a similar situation and just wanted a few minutes to talk with me.

I stopped by the room to chat with the women. The woman who had a similar childhood as I did, proceeded to thank me for modeling that one can be healed from childhood trauma. She then stated that she did not like the part of my father being accepted by Jesus. That was totally unfair after the life he lived. She actually hoped he would not be in heaven after all the pain and trauma he had inflicted on his children. She sure hoped he would not be in heaven.

The above story is a perfect example of the elder brother in the story of the prodigal.

Jesus told the story of the reckless, selfish son who took his inheritance, left to live his own life, and squandered all of his money. He came to his senses and headed home determined to ask for the job of a servant. At least he would have food in his belly. Jesus then proceeded to tell of a loving, welcoming father who rejoiced and threw a party to celebrate that his son had returned. It seems that it should be the end of the story. The son is home. The father rejoices.

But Jesus does not end the story there. There is another son in this family who was working in the field. As he heads home, he hears music and dancing. He asks one of the servants to tell him what is going on. The servant responds, “Well, your brother is back, so your father is throwing a party, fatted calf and all, to welcome him and celebrate.”

The elder son is not at all interested in attending such a party. If he were a teenager, he would stomp up the stairs to his room and slam the door, making sure everyone in the house could hear every stomp as well as the slam.

The father is not happy about this. He goes to the older son and pleads with him. “Come on, it is right that we celebrate! Please join us!” And the older son gives his father a little speech too – more like a piece of his mind. “Dude, I have been working like a slave for you for years. I have never disobeyed you. You have never even given me a young goat so I could throw a party for my friends.” The older brother is resentful, and also more than a little envious that his brother got to go off and have a good time and does not even get punished for it.

Notice the elder brother talks about all of his work for the father, not his love for the father and his father’s desires. Perhaps his relationship with the father is that of works for acceptance, not of love. Perhaps he feels a bit self-righteous. “Why are you celebrating him? I am the one who lived the right way and did the right things. He should not be celebrated.”

This blog was a little hard to write because I see myself as I used to be. I know all too well the attitude of self-righteousness the older brother demonstrated. I know what it is to live a graceless life toward those who did not meet my standard. I know what it is to labor for God but have little joy. I was the self-righteous older brother. I know personally how self-righteousness robs the soul of joy. I had to be delivered from a works-oriented relationship with God and let Him guide me into a love relationship with Him. I finally understood that Jesus on the cross was dying not for the righteous but for sinners. Jesus loved all people.

The Church is comprised of both kinds of sons and daughters. There are the ones who “stayed home” and “did what was right” but did not always love their father or their brothers and sisters in Christ.  There are also those who have claimed the Name of Jesus but went far away from their relationship with the Father but found their way back to Him. God loves all His children.

Christian author James Breech says of this story, “When there is no ending, there is no final judgment.” Jesus leaves the judgment up to his listeners – the publicans and sinners who might’ve had a hard time believing in the unconditional, generous, and welcoming love of God, and the Pharisees and scribes who didn’t want to believe in it, because they would rather limit God’s mercy to those whom they felt had “earned” it. We get to imagine the ending.

Hundreds of years later, the ending of the story is still left up to the reader. Where do we see ourselves in this story – the passionate but rebellious younger son, the “obedient” but resentful older son, or the unconditionally loving, generous, and welcoming father? And what does God want us to see in the story? Are we being called to move to a grace-filled place in our own stories? I want to be more like the Father.  That will take care of everything else.

If you are like me, you have never taken time to find the true meaning of the word prodigal. One of the most well-known parables in scripture is found in Luke fifteen, and it is usually referred to as the prodigal son. I thought that was to be interpreted the sinful son. Actually, the word prodigal means wastefully extravagant, over-the-top extravagant.

Let’s take a close look at the father in the story. Isn’t he also a prodigal?

When the son comes to his senses and begins the journey back to his father, we see just how prodigal the father is. If we could see the conversation the son is rehearsing, I feel sure we would hear something like this: “Hi, Father. It is I, your younger son. Just hear me out. I have been a fool. I lost everything you gave me. I am not going to lie. I wasted it while living a foolish life. Now, I cannot even afford a piece of bread. I am not asking you to give me anything but a job. I will take the hardest, dirtiest job. I will start at the bottom. I am very experienced at pig feeding. I ask your forgiveness, and I am prepared to work for it.” 

Most likely the son thought he would be walking up to the house before he would see his father. As he turns down the last dusty trail that leads to his father’s house, he sees someone coming in the distance. As he gets closer, he recognizes it as his father. Did the son wonder if the father was coming to tell him to go back where he came from? “Do not set foot in my fields! You are a disgrace and an embarrassment!”

As he gets closer, he sees tears streaming down his father’s face. He sees white shining teeth as the father breaks into an enormous smile. He embraces the lost son. He rejoices, “You have come home. I have longed for this moment.”

The father turns around and shouts to his servant, “Quick! Bring him one of my best robes. Put a ring on his finger. He needs a new pair of sandals.” The father sees the son looking like a new creation after being clothed in the garments given by the father.

The father shouts again. “Quick! Go pick out a fatted calf and cook it with all the trimmings. We are going to celebrate that my son was dead but now is alive. My son was lost but is now found!”

The son is standing there and cannot believe the lavish, extravagant grace of his father. After all the wallowing in the mud of the world, the father did not disown him. The father hugged him, then cleaned him up the way only his father could. He restored him to his place in the father’s house.

Lavish grace. Extraordinary grace. Prodigal grace.

Those listening to Jesus tell this story would have been shocked. How could you allow that disrespectful son to come back? How could you allow him to sit at your table after what he has done? What wasted grace!

I have asked that question about myself. How could You allow me back at Your table after what I have done? The answer is that God is a prodigal father who gives lavish grace. Some probably think it is wasted on the wrong people. The Father never thinks that. He gives lavish grace! Grace that is greater than all my sin.

The prodigal Father has a beautifully generous heart. He runs to meet us when we head towards him. There is great rejoicing over each person who repents. It is Father’s favorite celebration! He throws a party when a son or daughter comes home.

Won’t you come home today? You are not too dirty. You have not gone too far. The Father is already running down the road to meet you. He offers over-the-top grace. The prodigal Father awaits you. Come on home.

“For you are recognizing more clearly the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ [His astonishing kindness, His generosity, His gracious favor], that though He was rich, yet for your sake He became poor, so that by His poverty you might become rich (abundantly blessed). – 2 Corinthians 8:9 AMP

– Photo credit Christian Union

When reading scripture, I love to stop and really ponder all the characters, the emotions they might be experiencing, their decisions, the consequences they faced, and many other things. It helps the scripture to come alive to me. I see myself over and over in the stories.

As I read the story of the prodigal son recently, many thoughts began to buzz about in my mind. Most of us know the basic story and the thoughts that are often shared. As I pondered the story, I realized that, at times, I have been every character in the story. This will be the first of three blogs I will publish discussing each character.

Ready? Let’s dissect character number one.

THE PRODIGAL

We call the younger son the prodigal. We are told that he was tired of being at home. Was he tired of being told what to do? Was he tired of the work expected of him? Was he just greedy? Was he a party boy and did not feel he had the freedom to party? Was he tired of living in his one-horse town? We don’t know why. What we do know is that he thought he could live independent of his father and be much happier. The father could have said to the son, “Boy, who do you think you are? You will stay here and serve and do what I say? You are an ungrateful son.”  No, the father did not demand obedience from the son, but instead the father allowed him to use his free choice.

The son set out to do life independent of his father. He found so many friends, and he threw lots of parties. Doing life the way he wanted was great! Then, one morning he dipped into the money bag, and it was empty. He was broke and the cupboards were bare. His friends apparently did not help him. On top of not having money, a famine came over the land and food was scarce.

The prodigal had to find a job, and the pig farm was hiring. He took the job. Pig feeding didn’t pay so well, and the young man became hungry. As he watched those dirty pigs, he thought even the pig food looked appetizing. The Bible says that he longed to eat what the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything.

At that moment of longing for pig food, the prodigal remembered what it was like to eat at his father’s table. The Bible says he came to his senses. He pondered, “Why did I think life without my father was better than life with my father?”

Feeling unworthy to ever sit at his father’s table again, he remembered watching the servants on the farm eat until they were filled. Perhaps, I can just ask my father to let me be a servant working for him. At least I will not have to go hungry. It was a life-changing moment for the son. He quit his job in the pig sty and ran to his father.

Of all the parables that Jesus spoke, this one featuring the prodigal son may be the most touching and best remembered. It has been described as perhaps the crown and flower of all the parables. This story appears only once in the Bible in Luke chapter fifteen. As we read the account, we cannot help but be captured by the story of a father’s love for his wayward son.

One key thing we must see where the son is concerned, is that the son repented and turned from the way he was living. Repentance is not a bad word. It is a necessary word. It is a hope-filled word.

The son did not come back asking for the father to bless his wayward lifestyle. He did not ask the father for more money, so he could live independently of his father. He did not expect the father to bless his wayward lifestyle. The son returned with a heart of repentance and was instantly met with a father offering love and forgiveness.

Where are you today? Are you dining with the Father or have you left His table? Come on back. Come now. He longs for your return.

The life-changing core of the gospel is that when we feel far from God, He is never far from us. The moment we turn back toward Him, He runs out to meet us. The moment we repent and turn from sin, He exalts us, calls us His child, and throws a party in our honor. My prayer for you today is that you get lost in the profound grace of God. His grace is greater than ALL our sin.

Grace, grace, God’s grace
Grace that will pardon and cleanse within
Grace, grace, God’s grace
Grace that is greater than all our sin

^“Now repent of your sins and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped away. Then times of refreshment will come from the presence of the Lord.” – Acts 3:19-20 (NLT)

When my children were young, they gave me a wealth of material to use in illustrating truths from scripture. As they grew older, they left for college, got married, and started their own families. I wondered what I would do for stories now! Never fear, grandchildren are here!

While in Baton Rouge, one of the things Gaylon and I helped with was transporting kids to school early each morning. As I was driving one of my granddaughters to school, we were chatting about all kinds of things. We drove through a really nice neighborhood where I am sure the home prices were exorbitant.

My granddaughter began to talk about those homes and being rich. That was her goal some day. As she gave me her eleven-year-old opinion about money, I thought I would share my thoughts with her about not making the goal in life about money, a big house, name brand clothes, or rich friends. She listened but made me chuckle at what she said next. My granddaughter said, “Yeah, but grandparents never run out of money. They always give us gifts or money. They never run out of money.”

At eleven years old, my granddaughter had an immature mind about money and grandparents. We can all get a chuckle from that because she is just a child. However, when she reaches adulthood, we expect a more mature conversation about money and life. We expect growth to take place in her life.

If growth and maturity are expected in our children, why would we think it would be any different as God’s children? As believers, we should not be in the same place we were when we first believed. Growth and maturity are expected. Each of us has room to grow.

The Bible says it this way in one passage, “So let us stop going over the basic teachings about Christ again and again. Let us go on instead and become mature in our understanding. Surely, we don’t need to start again with the fundamental importance of repenting from evil deedsand placing our faith in God.” – Hebrews 6:1 (NLT)

I could write pages on attributes of maturity, but I shall only look at a few examples. Hopefully, this will help each of us to ask, “Do I think as a spiritual child or a mature believer?”

1. We see that trials can bring growth even though they are painful. (Hate it? Me too!) If I must face problems and challenges in this life, then I do not want to waste them. I do pray for deliverance, but sometimes God brings me through something instead of out of it. I want to pause and let the Holy Spirit teach me to trust God and know that God is working in my behalf. What can I learn from this?
2. Prayer becomes much broader. We should feel the freedom to bring to God all of our personal cares and situations. Thanks be to God that I can bring everything to Him, but we should grow beyond praying for just our personal needs. I encourage you to take time to go through the prayer life of the Apostle Paul. Even in the midst of his pain and imprisonment, Paul prayed for an open door that he might share the Gospel. He was concerned that the lost would find Christ, that the Gospel was preached in power. He constantly peppered his prayers with thanksgiving. Do the study! It will teach you so much.
3. A teachable spirit is important in my life. Sometimes our immaturity rears its ugly head when a trusted believer points out our need for repentance or our need for growth in an area. I will always remember the time when my friend Vicki told me that I was gifted, but I was destroying the usefulness of that gifting by letting my past dictate my attitude. At first, she made me mad. Then, the Holy Spirit began to show me that He was speaking to me through her words. I want to always have a teachable spirit.
4. Habitual sins are fading. I have been walking with God for over fifty years. When Jesus found me, I had a foul mouth and hateful spirit. If fifty years later, I still have a foul mouth and hateful spirit, it shows a lack of growth in my spiritual life.
5. We quickly shake off ungodly things that try to attach themselves to us. There is a story in Acts twenty-eight that illustrates this beautifully. Paul was helping to gather sticks for a fire. As he reached down to pick up a stick, a snake attached itself to his hand. Paul did not spend the next hours talking about the snake, showing the snake to others, or playing around with the snake. Paul quickly shook the snake off as if to say, “No, you will not be a part of me.”  Paul had a snake handling ministry and so must we! Shake off a negative attitude. Shake off a gossiping tongue. Shake off offense. Shake off immorality. The snake (Satan) will try to attach to you. Do not allow it.

Growth should not be considered optional in a believer’s life. God has greater plans for our relationship with Him. To grow, we must have nourishment from God’s Word, and to become strong, we need the exercise of obedience. 

Spiritual maturity does not happen automatically as we grow older. Growth is not measured by a calendar or grey hairs. Spiritual growth is not instantaneous. Don’t compare yourself to someone else. God works in each individual. Some people grow rapidly, while others grow slowly, but steadily. Day by day, walk with Him, obey Him, worship Him. Spiritual growth is possible for every believer, and it can start today. Come grow with me!