This morning, we continue our series on “The Parables of Jesus.” We will seek to glean “Pearls from the Parables.”
Before we get to the parable, let’s look at a scripture we have been looking at all year. This is something I believe the Lord wants us to meditate on.
(Psalm 126:4 TPT)
Now, Lord, do it again! Restore us to our former glory! May streams of your refreshing flow over us until our dry hearts are drenched again.
This is a season of refreshing and restoring for us.
The Parable of the Prodigal Son: (Luke 15: 11-32 NLT)
11 To illustrate the point further, Jesus told them this story: “A man had two sons.
12 The younger son told his father, ‘I want my share of your estate now before you die.’ So his father agreed to divide his wealth between his sons.
13 “A few days later this younger son packed all his belongings and moved to a distant land, and there he wasted all his money in wild living.
14 About the time his money ran out, a great famine swept over the land, and he began to starve.
15 He persuaded a local farmer to hire him, and the man sent him into his fields to feed the pigs.
16 The young man became so hungry that even the pods he was feeding the pigs looked good to him. But no one gave him anything.
17 “When he finally came to his senses, he said to himself, ‘At home even the hired servants have food enough to spare, and here I am dying of hunger!
18 I will go home to my father and say, “Father, I have sinned against both heaven and you,
19 and I am no longer worthy of being called your son. Please take me on as a hired servant.”’
20 “So he returned home to his father. And while he was still a long way off, his father saw him coming. Filled with love and compassion, he ran to his son, embraced him, and kissed him.
21 His son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against both heaven and you, and I am no longer worthy of being called your son.’
22 “But his father said to the servants, ‘Quick! Bring the finest robe in the house and put it on him. Get a ring for his finger and sandals for his feet.
23 And kill the calf we have been fattening. We must celebrate with a feast,
24 for this son of mine was dead and has now returned to life. He was lost, but now he is found.’ So the party began.
25 “Meanwhile, the older son was in the fields working. When he returned home, he heard music and dancing in the house,
26 and he asked one of the servants what was going on.
27 ‘Your brother is back,’ he was told, ‘and your father has killed the fattened calf. We are celebrating because of his safe return.’
28 “The older brother was angry and wouldn’t go in. His father came out and begged him,
29 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.
30 Yet when this son of yours comes back after squandering your money on prostitutes, you celebrate by killing the fattened calf!’
31 “His father said to him, ‘Look, dear son, you have always stayed by me, and everything I have is yours.
32 We had to celebrate this happy day. For your brother was dead and has come back to life! He was lost, but now he is found!’”
So, what does this mean to you today? A few things.
1. The father celebrated redemption.
(a) As parents, we love all our children.
— While our children may be different, we, as parents, still love them nonetheless.
— To an even greater extent, our Heavenly Father loves all His children. Every soul has value in His eyes.
(b) God does not give up on anyone.
— While the older brother did not like the father’s commitment to the Prodigal Son, the father maintained his commitment, regardless of the feelings of his other son.
— Just like the father in the parable, God doesn’t give up on anyone, even though His other children may think He should.
— God made plans for each of us, and He is tirelessly committed to those plans. God is more committed to us than we sometimes are to ourselves.
(c) Redeeming the lost is God’s top priority.
— Like the father in the parable, our Heavenly Father wants to see His wayward children come home.
— This is why the father reacted the way he did. He kissed him on the neck, he threw his arms around him, he ordered his servants to get the robe, ring, and sandals, and he threw a party.
— He did not have a conversation first about the money because his soul was more important than money.
— He did not have a conversation first about his conduct because his soul was more important than his sin.
(d) Redemption should be celebrated as a community.
— The Bible teaches us that when one person repents of their sin and accepts Jesus as Lord, angels in heaven rejoice! (Luke 15:7). It’s a big deal in heaven, and it should be a big deal down here as well!
— The father didn’t celebrate alone; he invited others to rejoice with him.
— This teaches us about the community the Father wants us to develop in this world. We should support one another so much that a victory for one is a victory for all!
— The Bible teaches us to “Be happy with those who are happy, and weep with those who weep.” (Romans 12:15).
2. The older brother had a problem with the goodness the father was showering his brother with.
(a) Be careful that faithfulness does not lead you into entitlement.
— The older brother was serving his father faithfully, but serving with the right heart is critical.
— In God’s Kingdom, God weighs our intentions, not just our actions.
— Actions performed out of genuine love bring joy, while those done from obligation may lead to bitterness.
(b) Many have a misunderstanding of God’s Grace.
— The older son wanted the father to give his brother what he deserved. However, the father was showering him with grace and mercy. As a result, the older brother was furious.
— If we would be honest, many religious people today operate in the same spirit as the older son. They feel like they are “working hard” to honor God, and they want God to punish those who are not working as hard (in their opinion) or at least withhold His blessings from them.
— The thing about grace is that it is free and underserving. The thing about God is that He is good. Many religious people have a hard time with the goodness of God.
— God’s favor does not operate by our limited understanding or expectations.
— God is a good God, and He goes out of His way to be good to His children.
— Those who do not understand this feel like they are working hard for God’s blessing, and they get upset when they feel like God is blessing someone who is not working as hard as them (in their opinion).
(c) Comparison in Christ is dangerous.
— You have to learn to see yourself the way God sees you. You must get to the point where you believe what God believes about you.
— If you can get to that point, great! But remember, the same goodness and grace God is extending to you, He is extending to others!
— We are all unique, and God deals with us individually. This is why comparisons in Christ don’t work. God is dealing with you based on His relationship WITH YOU, not anyone else, and He is doing the same for them. So, when you start comparing, you are going down a hole that leads to nowhere but frustration.
(d) If you compare yourself too often, your heart may get hard.
— If you go to church and hear a great testimony of God’s goodness, only to think, “Wait a minute, God! I know that person is not living right. Why did you do that for her, when I honor You and pray every day? Why are you not doing it for me?” This is not how God wants you to hear and receive the testimony of His children.
— Or if you have a career and you go to work only to hear the testimony of one of your peers, who is also a Christian. They tell you how good God has been and how they got the promotion, even though they did not meet the minimum requirements. The person is rejoicing over the grace of God, and you are sitting there, thinking, “Wait a minute, God! I am over here busting my rump, and I know he is lazy. I have been asking for a promotion for a while, and this is what you do?” This type of thinking is dangerous.
— One last one: you own a business, and you go to a conference. On stage, you hear testimony after testimony of companies exploding with contracts and success, and instead of being motivated, you get mad at God because your business is not growing. If this is you, I will share two things: 1) Some businesses (and people) are not part of God’s Kingdom, so you must remember that satan blesses his children too. And 2) You must learn to be genuinely happy for your brothers and sisters when God’s goodness is poured over them because your time is coming, too.
— If you don’t learn to rejoice with your brothers and sisters, then your heart will get hurt, and all you will be doing is delaying and blocking your own blessings!
— A hardened heart will block your blessings and blind you to what God wants to do in your life!
— Softening our hearts allows us to be receptive to the divine impulses of the Holy Spirit!
That’s enough for today.
Declaration of Faith:
Father, this is a season of refreshing and restoring for me! I boldly declare:
I am deeply grateful for Your unwavering commitment to every soul, including mine.
I acknowledge that You never give up on any of Your children, no matter how far they may stray. Your plans for each of us are perfect, and Your commitment to those plans is unshakable.
I celebrate the redemption of the lost, understanding that it is Your top priority. I will join in the community celebration every time a lost soul finds its way back to You.
I reject the spirit of entitlement and comparison.
I embrace Your grace, recognizing that it is freely given and not based on our works.
I refuse to let my heart harden through comparison or jealousy. Instead, I will rejoice with my brothers and sisters in their victories, knowing that You have blessings in store for me as well.
I open my heart to the divine impulses of the Holy Spirit, allowing it to guide and mold me daily. I am receptive to Your will and Your ways.
Living with this mindset, I know GREATER IS COMING FOR ME! I declare this by faith. In Jesus’ name, Amen!
This is Today’s Word. Apply it and prosper!
