Our guest speaker at Crossroads this morning, Guy Andrews, led us into the story of the Prodigal Son. The story is so familiar. I've heard so many sermons and Bible studies on this famous parable. But the story keeps yielding more profound truth.
You probably know the story, and you can find it in Luke 15. Jesus tells three stories there, and the last one is about three men. There's a father, an older son, and a younger son. The younger son wants to cash out of the family, so the father allows him to take his inheritance and walk away. This son has a great time partying, until the money runs out. His life gets pitiful. Then he comes to his senses.
He decides to go back home and beg to be let in the house.
The father sees him coming, and runs out to meet him. The father forgives him and calls for a celebration.
Meanwhile, the older brother has stayed home, slaving away in the family fields. When he hears about his brother's return and the impending party, he can stand it. The father goes to see his older son and tries to explain why they had to celebrate. But older brother will have none of it. It's not fair for him to slave away and not ever have a party. "Everything I have is yours," the father tells him.
The younger brother brought shame to the family and wasted all his wealth. Then he came to his senses. The father rejoiced because this son finally understood the value of relationship.
The older brother apparently brought respect to the family and never wasted wealth. But he never came to his senses. The father was sad because this son thought that honor, wealth, and obedience were more important than relationship.
Here's the point. The father rejoices when his sons come to their senses. Every day I need to come to my senses because every day I get things mixed up.
Coming to my senses brings me life.
