Text:         LUKE 15: 11-24

By:            OWAROTAH, VINCENT

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This lesson is not new to  us, is only a way of reminder of what we have  been hearing.

This is a parable of a man who has two children, as the younger of them seek for freedom from home, by requesting for his own inheritance.

For us to understand the lesson proper let us go on memory lane Deuteronomy 21:15-17, 1 Samuel 8:5-7.

A point of Note:

This distribution did not follow the laid down tradition.  This distribution should have happened when the father was ready to and no longer desired to manage his estate or when he was nearing death. Aside this two criteria, children were not entitled  to anything ( their inheritance). The fact that this child asked for his share was extremely disrespectful, this kind of request suggests he wish the father were dead. But with all this, his father did not get mad at him, but went ahead and gave him what he wanted. And left to a far country as we read in the story.

Lessons

• God does not always get in the way of our sinful desires – Luke 15 : 12 – 13 – Man is a free moral agent, having power to make his own decisions, God will never get on our way, but remember that whatever choices we made there’s reward. In Eccl 11:9, the words of the wisest man Solomon . This brings us to next lesson.

• Desire The Father’s Will, Not Your Own Will – Isaiah 55:8-9.

The lost son desired his own will, not his father’s will. It was not his father’s will to give him his inheritance when he asked for it, but he granted  his request. Notice that because of him, his father divided his property between his two sons. Luke 15:12b says, “So he divided to them his livelihood” (New King James Version). In other words, the elder brother, who did not ask for his share of his father’s estate, also got his share, but, maybe, not yet handed over to him. Because his father told him later, “Son, you are always with me, and all that I have is yours” Luke 15:31. By giving the younger son his share of his property, the father allowed the will of the lost son to be done! 

Do not let God grant your will above His will for you. The will of God is already blessed. Like the father of the lost son, God, sometimes, allows us to have our way and our will! This is dangerous.

The Bible says about the Israelites that God gave them their request, we know what later happened (Psalm 106:15). Don’t let God give you what may not do you good. Go for the will of God. Jesus said His food was to do the will of Him who sent Him and to finish His work (John 4:34). In the Garden of Gethsemane, He prayed, “Father, if it is Your will, take this cup away from Me; nevertheless not My will, but Yours, be done” (Luke 22:42 New King James Version). Earlier, Jesus taught us to pray that God’s will be done on earth as it is in heaven (Matthew 6:10; Luke 11:2). Do not promote your will above the will of God.

• The World Does Not Satisfy – Vs 14 – 17

The things of the world can never satisfy our longings. For instance, lust cannot be filled by gaining what you desire. Instead, the emptiness within your soul can only be filled with a relationship with God.

Similarly, In the story of the lost son, the son believed that the pleasures and treasures of the world would fulfill him more than his father’s provision. He left his home and wasted his inheritance on worldly pursuits, only to find himself empty and longing for what he once had.

The Truth Will Set You Free – Luke 15 : 17

The story of the Prodigal Son highlights important truths we need to face. Often, when we avoid dealing with these truths, they resurface and create problems in our lives. Ignoring or avoiding these truths can lead to ongoing conflict, personal dissatisfaction, and spiritual stagnation.

The lost Son had to accept the truth about himself before he was ready to return home: he had lived recklessly, caused his own troubles, and needed forgiveness. He recognized that he was not a perfect son and had to face his mistakes. If he had continued to ignore these truths, he would have remained lost and distant from his  family, unable to heal or grow. 

God Have All That We Need

When the son left his father’s house, he lived on his riches for a while, but then he ran out. Then, “after he had spent everything, there was a severe  famine in that whole country, and he began to be in need.” However, despite the famine, the father still had riches despite giving the sons  their inheritance.

Similarly, when we stray from the Bible and God’s voice we enter into a spiritual drought. Our souls are in constant need, and without God, we will become empty Without God, our thirst will cause us to seek people, activities, and money, but these will never truly satisfy us. When we recognize that only God can quench our spiritual thirst, He will be waiting with open arms. Remember, God never runs out of what we need.

• God’s Character And Love Is Consistent

God’s love is evident throughout the the entire Bible, and this parable highlights it beautifully through the father’s unconditional love. The father eagerly embraces his son upon his return, because he has been waiting, hoping for him to return to him, despite the son’s wayward journey into sin and worldly pursuits. This story reflects God’s unwavering love and forgiveness, showing us that He extends the same love to all.

Despite our sins, He still gave us His Son as a way to purify us. He does not take away the promise or punish us out of anger; instead, He pursues us with the hope of granting us eternal life. As John 3:16 says, ‘For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life’. In the same way Christians has been charged to embrace a repentant fellow with the same love as the father has shown, because he God is not willing that any should perish but all to come to repentance

The father did not belittle his son or try to shame him even though he deserves it the same way we are to treat another in such a situation. 

Conclusion

No matter how far we drift or how lost we feel, God is ever-ready to welcome us back and shower us with His unconditional love. We simply need to be open to receiving it. Let us rejoice in the goodness of God, knowing that His love is always available and that He never runs out of what we need.

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