The Repentant Prodigal

 And when he came to himself, he said, How many hired servants of my father's 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, Luke 15:17-18

I recently saw an image of the prodigal son wallowing in the mire of the pig pen and it reminded me of our sinful nature.

The prodigal was just your average son. He had a good life full of comfort and care. His father's house had servants and although he may have had to work some, he wanted for nothing. However, this wasn't enough.

He longed for the other side. He wanted to venture out on his own and see the world for himself. He begged his father to give him leave to go and live life on his own accord and to do right by what he saw. Follow his heart, so to speak.

Well, we all know how that turned out.

At first, he lived the good life. The scripture tells us he lived a riotous life. He was extravagant in his spending and enjoyed all he could. Then, the famine came.

Now, don't judge him too harshly. We've all been there.

I see God in the father's actions. Although he could see the outcome of this wasteful life the son wanted, he allowed him to go, nonetheless. He knew this lifestyle would only bring misery and destruction. However, through a heart of love, he gave him leave. God, in His almighty wisdom, sees the destruction we often bring to our lives through a world view life. In God's care, we are blessed. But then, we set our sights on fame, fortune, entertainment, or whatever shiny bauble that Satan dangles in front of us and we long for the lifestyle it will give us, without thought to the pig pen we will end up in.

If you have ever been on a farm, you know what the pen smells and looks like. It's not a fun place to be but it provides the perfect example of how we allow sin to drag us away from God to the muck of the world. It puts us in a place that a Christian should never be in. For this Jewish son, it put him in the pen with unclean animals.

However, this fall from grace brought his mind back to reality. Gone was the lure of the high life. All he thought about now was returning to his father. Rather than focus on the misery he brought to his life, he focused on the one who could make it better. He didn't focus on the home, the village, his friends, or even the comforts of being the son, he focused on his father.

He didn't desire to come back as a respected son. No, he knew that ship sailed when he left. He was happy going back as a servant, one who would work to prove himself worthy of food and shelter. This shows me he understood his mistake and the consequences that come from bad choices.

He arose and went back. He had to make things right with his father above anything else. He knew his choices reflected poorly on him and his new way of thinking provided clarity as to how unworthy he really was.

Just as God welcomes a repentant child, this father welcomed him with open arms and the whole house rejoiced. He ran to his returned child and showered him with gifts. No longer was he a prodigal, but a son who returned from the dead. 

Heaven rejoices when we, as prodigals, return from our wayward lives. Just as this father welcomed his son home, God will welcome those who are truly repentant of their sinful lives and return to Him.

If you are a prodigal, today is a good day to come home. If you are praying for one, please keep praying.

Come home, Come home
you who are weary come home;
earnestly, tenderly, Jesus is calling,
calling, O sinner, come home!

C