Manor Park Evangelical Church|Serving Christ and the Community in St. John's

Here's a story Jesus told to explain the most important change that can take place in anyone's life. Each part of his story (in italics) is followed by an explanation.

The boy walks out

Jesus said, "A man had two sons. The younger of them said to his father, 'Father, give me the share of the estate that will belong to me.' So he divided his assets between them.

The younger son represents everyone who walks away from God, the father represents God.

Just as a young man may want to walk out on his dad so that he can do his "own thing", so people walk out on God because they want to live as they please without consulting their Creator. But while the son doesn't want his dad's interference, he does want his money!

People are like that too! They want God's gifts of life, marriage, food, money, music, nature and so on, but they don't want him to "interfere" with their lives.

The boy gets into trouble without dad

After a few days, the younger son gathered together all he had and left on a journey to a distant country, and there he squandered his wealth with a wild lifestyle. Then after he had spent everything, a severe famine took place in that country, and he began to be in need. So he went and worked for one of the citizens of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs. He was longing to eat the pods the pigs were eating; but no one gave him anything.

The natural consequence of walking out on God is clear. First, we end up living a self-centred life, seeking only our own pleasure and glory. Second, we encounter problems we cannot solve ourselves. God has designed us to live in relationship with him. We simply don't have the wisdom, strength or resources to solve the many problems of life without God.

To bring us back to himself, God frequently uses one of the many problems of life, whether it be loneliness, emptiness, addiction, financial disaster, ill health, bereavement, disappointment, and so on. Like the son, we may first try to solve this problem by ourselves, but in due time we discover that neither we nor anyone else in the world can help us.

The boy begins to think about his father at last

When he came to his senses he said, 'How many of my father's hired workers have food enough to spare, but here I am dying from hunger! I will get up and go to my father and say to him, "Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son; treat me like one of your hired workers."' So he got up and went to his father.

Eventually we come to realise that the only one who can help us is God. This, of course can take time, as we try out all our own solutions and discover that they fail, one by one!

Many people have begun to return to God when faced with a problem they found humanly impossible to solve.

At this stage the son needs two things. He needs to believe that if he returns, dad will have him back and forgive him. Then he needs a humble heart to realise that he has been wrong to try to go it alone. He can't go back to his dad the way he left him.

It's the same with us. Once we discover we need God we must have the faith to believe that he is rich in mercy and forgiveness so that when we return to him he'll forgive and help. But we also need the humility of heart to say we are sorry to God for living our lives without him. Armed with this new attitude towards dad, the son decides to head back home - it may not be an easy journey because he's so far from home and he is tired, weak and hungry.

Coming home for us means being determined to return to God; it means turning from our sin and selfishness and turning to God; it means asking him to forgive us for living our lives without him.

A fantastic welcome home!

But while he was still a long way from home, his father saw him and felt great compassion for him; he ran and hugged his son and kissed him. Then the son said to him, 'Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you; I am no longer worthy to be called your son........' But the father said to his slaves, 'Hurry! Bring the best robe, and put it on him; put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet! Bring the fattened calf and kill it! Let us eat and celebrate, because this son of mine was dead, and is alive again; he was lost and is found!' So they began to celebrate.

When someone returns to God they receive a welcome beyond their wildest dreams! Every morning the father has been scanning the horizon for his son. And one day he sees a little dot coming in his direction. When he is convinced that it's his son, he abandons all eastern dignity and with a heart filled with compassion he runs (older men in the east didn't run!) to greet his son! And what a greeting! He embraces the smelly pathetic boy and kisses him! His son begins to rehearse his apology, but dad stops him midflow and commands his servants to get him dressed with a robe, a ring and sandals.

Then he commands that a great feast be prepared and a great party begins! Why? Because a lost son - as good as dead - has been found.

This is how God welcomes those who turn to him in true faith and humility. He forgives and forgets and more than that, he restores us to the status of honoured children with a renewed life and future! God changes our lives inside out, he turns them rightside up and fills them with new hope and purpose and meaning.

This story can be found in Luke's Gospel, chapter 15. The Bible in Worldwide English - New Testament. (copyright SOON Educational Publications, England 1996.)

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