Luk 15:13-20 | KingComments | STEP | The younger son is the picture of the sinner who claims his share of life to live it the way he wants. By asking his share of the estate from his father while the father is still living, the younger son essentially declares his father dead. The father does not try to change his son’s mind, but gives each of his two sons their share. Thus God has given every human being the responsibility to do with his life what he wants. Then it will become clear how someone wants to live his life. There is no clearer way to deny God than to give preference to one’s own will over that of God. This own will makes it clear that someone wants to live apart from God. It reveals the desire to follow one’s own way at a great distance from God. This is without doubt the root of all sins. Sin against men will surely follow, but sin against God is the primary cause. Man is put to the test. He is responsible, but in fact he is not prevented from doing his own will. God maintains control only to carry out His own gracious plans. Yet it seems as if God allows man to do what he wants. Only then will it become clear what sin means, what the heart seeks, what man with all his pretentions is. The younger son is as guilty when he asks the share of his father’s estate as when he sits with the swine. He has already said good-bye to his father in his heart before he actually leaves. Then we see in him, that at the moment man leaves God, he sells himself to satan. Not only do we get a description of a sinful way of life, but we also see the bitter end. Giving in to sin brings misery and distress. A void is created that nothing and nobody can fill. The selfish waste of all his wealth only makes him feel this emptiness all the more. When in extreme despair he goes to one of the citizens of that country to ask for help, we see the degeneration of the sinner. There is no love, but selfishness. The citizen does not treat him as a fellow citizen, but as a slave. There is no slavery as deep and humiliating as being a slave to our own lusts. He is treated accordingly. How must it have sounded in the ears of a Jew that this younger son was sent to the field to feed the swine ? He sinks to the low point of want and misery. Yet nobody gives him anything. The lack does not yet drive him back, but leads him to seek resources in the country of satan, in what that country can give. How many souls feel the famine in which they have brought themselves, the emptiness of all that surrounds them, without any desire for God or holiness. There is a desire in them to degrading things in sin. Satan, however, gives nothing, but takes everything. Only God is the Giver. He has proven this in the greatest Gift, which is the gift of His own Son.

‏ Luke 15:13-20

The Younger Son Leaves His Father

The younger son is the picture of the sinner who claims his share of life to live it the way he wants. By asking his share of the estate from his father while the father is still living, the younger son essentially declares his father dead. The father does not try to change his son’s mind, but gives each of his two sons their share.

Thus God has given every human being the responsibility to do with his life what he wants. Then it will become clear how someone wants to live his life. There is no clearer way to deny God than to give preference to one’s own will over that of God. This own will makes it clear that someone wants to live apart from God. It reveals the desire to follow one’s own way at a great distance from God. This is without doubt the root of all sins. Sin against men will surely follow, but sin against God is the primary cause.

Man is put to the test. He is responsible, but in fact he is not prevented from doing his own will. God maintains control only to carry out His own gracious plans. Yet it seems as if God allows man to do what he wants. Only then will it become clear what sin means, what the heart seeks, what man with all his pretentions is.

The younger son is as guilty when he asks the share of his father’s estate as when he sits with the swine. He has already said good-bye to his father in his heart before he actually leaves. Then we see in him, that at the moment man leaves God, he sells himself to satan. Not only do we get a description of a sinful way of life, but we also see the bitter end. Giving in to sin brings misery and distress. A void is created that nothing and nobody can fill. The selfish waste of all his wealth only makes him feel this emptiness all the more.

When in extreme despair he goes to one of the citizens of that country to ask for help, we see the degeneration of the sinner. There is no love, but selfishness. The citizen does not treat him as a fellow citizen, but as a slave. There is no slavery as deep and humiliating as being a slave to our own lusts. He is treated accordingly. How must it have sounded in the ears of a Jew that this younger son was sent to the field to feed the swine? He sinks to the low point of want and misery. Yet nobody gives him anything.

The lack does not yet drive him back, but leads him to seek resources in the country of satan, in what that country can give. How many souls feel the famine in which they have brought themselves, the emptiness of all that surrounds them, without any desire for God or holiness. There is a desire in them to degrading things in sin. Satan, however, gives nothing, but takes everything. Only God is the Giver. He has proven this in the greatest Gift, which is the gift of His own Son.

The Younger Son Comes to His Senses

At the bottom of his misery he comes to himself. This is the beginning of the return. Around him everything is gone. He only has himself. Now that he no longer has any distractions, he starts thinking about home. He remembers what he has turned his back on. He left his father’s house as a son and now is with the swine in the greatest misery, while his father’s hired men have no shortage of anything.

Where the Spirit of God works, we always find two things: the conscience is convinced of sin and the heart is attracted by God’s love. This is the revelation of God to the heart. God is light and God is love. As light He works in the heart the conviction of his lost condition. As love there is the attraction of His goodness. The result is true confession.

The prodigal son makes a decision: he will go back to his father. He does more than just decide to go back. He sees that he has sinned, both against heaven and Him Who dwells therein and against his father. The life of a sinner is contrary to the life lived in heaven by angels who only do what God says. In his inner being the son is convinced of his sins and is prepared to confess them openly. By his willingness to stand up, he has already acknowledged before God that he has sinned.

He also realizes that he has lost all rights to be still accepted as son. This is the work of God’s Spirit. He is truly broken and contrite of spirit. He wants to take the place of a hired man. If he could take it, he would be satisfied with it. The desire was good, but legalistic because of unfamiliarity with grace. That is how many Christians live. They are only concerned with themselves and still have so little awareness of what lives in the Father’s heart. It is not about what we want, but about what the Father wants. That is so impressive in this part of the parable. It is not about what the son wants, but about what the father does.

The Father proceeds according to the fullness of grace that is in His heart for lost sons. God’s desire is not satisfied by giving lost sons the place of a hired man at the doorstep of His house. He wants sons in the area and atmosphere of His house. Many Christians have no awareness of what sonship to the pleasure of the Father’s will is (Eph 1:5). There is no peace by return alone. True peace comes when we get to know the Father’s thoughts about us.

Return and Acceptance

The younger son adds his deed to his word. He gets up and comes to his father. Many Christians say they have sinned. They also sincerely see that they are not worthy of being accepted by God. However, there is no getting up, but a lingering in the misery. That is a dishonor for the Father. Then there is no confidence that the Father is ready to receive. There may still be so much doubt, but thinking of the Father’s goodness will make someone get up to come to the Father.

The father does not act with his son according to what he deserved, but according to his father heart. The father has never let go of him in his heart. His heart has gone with his son. He stood on the lookout. The word “a long way off” in Lk 15:20 is the same word as “distant country” in Lk 15:13. The father saw his son there and waited until he returned.

When the father sees his son approaching in the distance, he is moved with compassion. Then he runs to go to his son. In the picture we see here that God is in a hurry in a positive sense, which is the only time in the Bible. Without any reproach the father embraces him and kisses him, he covers him with kisses. The father never did that with one of his hired men. This is a welcome that suits a son! Thus is God for every sinner who repents and comes to Him.

The son starts to say what he had intended, but does not go beyond the first words. Further speaking is made impossible by the father because he does not let him speak further. Before the son can say “make me one of your hired men”, the father acts with him according to his father heart. The position of the father determines that of the son. The love that has received him as son, also wants him to enter the house as son and in a way as the son of such a father must be. The father has slaves. The son is not one of them. The father makes his slaves his son’s servants.

The son stands there in his dirty, torn clothes. It is not clothing befitting a son and it is not clothing befitting the father’s house. The father has a robe hanging ready that fits his house. The slaves are ready to put this robe on the prodigal son. The father only has to instruct his slaves to get the best robe and put it on him. The slaves do not have to ask where it hangs. It’s hanging ready for the son.

When we came to God, we also came in our clothes tainted by sin, but God has provided new clothes. For us it was already hanging ready before the foundation of the world. He has clothed us with Christ. He has made us acceptable in the Beloved (Eph 1:6). Clothed with Christ we enter the Father’s house as righteousness of God in Him (2Cor 5:21). That is the best robe, the robe of heaven.

The son also receives a ring on his hand as a sign of a special honor and dignity, as we see with Joseph (Gen 41:42). He also gets sandals on his feet. His feet are shod with the gospel of peace (Eph 6:15). He is in the Father’s house with the perfect peace in his heart that has been brought to him in the gospel to remain there forever as son (Jn 8:35). Sandals characterize our walk as sons of God.

The son receives much more than he had before he left. Thus the New Testament slaves of God tell the converted sinner what he has received in Christ. We see that with Paul who wants to present every man complete in Christ (Col 1:28). He not only preached repentance, but also taught the Word of God to all who repented.

Finally, the father orders to bring the fattened calf to kill it and then eat it and celebrate. He does not say: Let him eat, but: “Let us eat.” A meal is prepared to eat together, to share in all the blessings that the son is now allowed to share with the father. That happens in joy.

The fattened calf is a picture of the Lord Jesus Who was slain for our sins. In this Gospel we see Him as the peace offering. He is the slain Lamb and around Him all believers, all the sons of the Father, may rejoice together with the Father about the blessings of the Father. The Lamb has given the Father the opportunity to show all His benefits, all His pleasures in man, to man. The joy consists of having a common part in the sacrifice of Christ. That gives the bond of fellowship with the Father and the Son and with each other.

The father speaks of his son as “this son of mine”. He does have another son, but “this” son was “dead and has come to live again”. That is presented in the history of the lost and found silver coin. It shows that something has happened in him. “This son” was also “lost and has been found”. That is presented in the history of the lost and found sheep. That shows that something has happened to him. Both aspects are always present at a conversion.

The result is a celebration without end. What gives peace and characterizes our position according to grace are not the feelings that have worked in our hearts, although they are truly present, but the feelings of God Himself. Nor is it written now, as in the other two cases, that there is joy in heaven, but we see what the effect is on earth, both in that one person and in the hearts of others.