– 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)