A Man Had Two Sons
Pastor Aaron has said many times, “church is for you, but not about you.” I would take that a little further to say that the Gospel is for you, but it’s not about you. We are not the center of the Gospel, and too often, we will read the Gospels like it is about us. We read the words of Jesus and lose sight that He is always pointing to the character of His Father, thinking that the words are about us when it is actually the revelation of who God is and His goodness.
READ: Luke 15
In Luke Chapter 15, we see the parable of the prodigal son and often approach this story with our focus on him, the one who went astray. The first line of the parable says, “A man had two sons.” This first line tells us the focus of the story: A man, the father, which in turn is about our Heavenly Father. The parable is actually about the father and his response to his sons.
The goodness of the father toward the son who returned back home is the first expression we see. The son was content to return as a slave in his father’s house and trusted his father’s character enough to believe that, at the very least, he would be treated fairly.
What happened when he returned was not what he expected. When the son was still a “long way off,” his father came out to him. The son had prepared a speech, ready to beg for forgiveness and offer himself as a servant. But before he could even finish, his father interrupted—not with rebuke, but with restoration. Instead of accepting his offer to become a slave, the father called for his servants to bring a robe, sandals, and a ring, each one a symbol of sonship, not servitude.
This parable is an expression of how God responds to us and feels about us. God is so good that He is not looking to condemn us but treats us with love, care, and restoration. In telling this parable, Jesus is giving a correct account of His Heavenly Father.
The older brother was upset that the father would prepare a feast and celebrate the son who had been living a lascivious life, spent all of his inheritance, and had the audacity to come back home. Yet the father’s response to him was also one of compassion and understanding. He told the older son, “All I have is yours, but understand, your brother was dead and NOW he has begun to live, he was lost and now he is found.” How gracious was the father for offering insight to the brother as to why it was important to celebrate the lost son.
Not only did the father extend love and restore identity to the son who was lost, but he extended love and re-enforces identity to the brother. At some point, we can all identify with either of the sons in the parable. We have to deal with the shame of our failure or the pride of our resentment at someone else’s blessing. In each instance, God’s love and favor are evident and available.
JOURNAL: We can trust God’s goodness in all situations. Think about a time where your story took an unexpected turn. Take some time to journal where God intervened and restored or re-enforced your identity in Him. Think about how God was the Hero of your story.
READ: Luke 15
In Luke Chapter 15, we see the parable of the prodigal son and often approach this story with our focus on him, the one who went astray. The first line of the parable says, “A man had two sons.” This first line tells us the focus of the story: A man, the father, which in turn is about our Heavenly Father. The parable is actually about the father and his response to his sons.
The goodness of the father toward the son who returned back home is the first expression we see. The son was content to return as a slave in his father’s house and trusted his father’s character enough to believe that, at the very least, he would be treated fairly.
What happened when he returned was not what he expected. When the son was still a “long way off,” his father came out to him. The son had prepared a speech, ready to beg for forgiveness and offer himself as a servant. But before he could even finish, his father interrupted—not with rebuke, but with restoration. Instead of accepting his offer to become a slave, the father called for his servants to bring a robe, sandals, and a ring, each one a symbol of sonship, not servitude.
This parable is an expression of how God responds to us and feels about us. God is so good that He is not looking to condemn us but treats us with love, care, and restoration. In telling this parable, Jesus is giving a correct account of His Heavenly Father.
The older brother was upset that the father would prepare a feast and celebrate the son who had been living a lascivious life, spent all of his inheritance, and had the audacity to come back home. Yet the father’s response to him was also one of compassion and understanding. He told the older son, “All I have is yours, but understand, your brother was dead and NOW he has begun to live, he was lost and now he is found.” How gracious was the father for offering insight to the brother as to why it was important to celebrate the lost son.
Not only did the father extend love and restore identity to the son who was lost, but he extended love and re-enforces identity to the brother. At some point, we can all identify with either of the sons in the parable. We have to deal with the shame of our failure or the pride of our resentment at someone else’s blessing. In each instance, God’s love and favor are evident and available.
JOURNAL: We can trust God’s goodness in all situations. Think about a time where your story took an unexpected turn. Take some time to journal where God intervened and restored or re-enforced your identity in Him. Think about how God was the Hero of your story.
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1 Comment
So good!