Your Father's Heart (Part 2)—Luke 15

This story you know so well that I don't need to quote from it much. It's been mis-titled The Parable of the Prodigal Son in most Bibles. I say mis-titled because it's not really about that son. It's far more about the Father's heart, and it's told by Jesus, who knows the Father's Heart better than any, since it's His heart, too. (So in your own Bible, feel free to scratch out the prodigal son part and retitle it, The Father's Heart. Yes, you can do this, the little headings are not holy writ, merely something put there by people like us.)

Remember who's telling this story: Jesus Himself. We need not wonder whether He's got it right or what He means. He opens the story by talking about a father with two sons. Luke 15:12: And the younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the share of property that is coming to me.’ And he divided his property between them. First off, we have this lunatic son who has the audacity to approach his father and basically say, "I can't wait until you're dead...I'm outta here now, give me my share." I wonder, how would you respond to your child coming to you like that? Right. Not well. It's crazy on so many levels. That a son would act like that, and would say it OUT LOUD! It really is crazy. But what's crazier is the next part of that verse. Dad gave it to him. Stop there a second and let that in. Dad didn't kill him. Or laugh at him. Or just brush him off. Or beat him up. Any one of which would have been appropriate. 


So here's our question again, Is the Father holding out? You have to say, NO. There's no other right answer since He in fact gives the son his inheritance, right then. But there's more....after the son blows it and is heading home....


In verse 20, it says, But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion, and ran and embraced him and kissed him. Here's the twist, and an important one, to me. Scholars have usually maintained that the son was gone for a long time, and point to the long-suffering patience of the Father. Which is ok, really. But it's got a logic problem. Answer this: Did the Father expect things to go well for the son? Or badly? (I'll wait for your answer.........................) OK, here's the clue: if He expected things to go well, why would He await the son's return? If He figures the son will go set up a business or buy some property or cattle, get married and settle down, there's no reason to sit on the porch awaiting the return. Note that. The Father KNOWS that this is going to go very badly. Because He's waiting. He knows. And remember, it's Jesus telling the story. Now let's pause before we get to the next point. What do you think of the Father's Heart now when you realize that not only did He hand over the inheritance to an ungrateful son, but that the son would blow it all? It's even crazier than we imagined, isn't it? If you knew your child would blow the money, you surely would never hand it over. Never. Yet the Father does.


Now, back to the time issue. Is it a long time or a short one? I've always heard that it was long, but I don't think so. Let me ask you, if you've been insane before, ready to do something stupid, and got the cash to go do it as our prodigal did, how long would it take to burn through the money? I'm not thinking it's years! Maybe a month or two. More likely, a week or two. And maybe even one weekend would do it! Seriously. Because when you're going to go 'to Vegas' so to speak, you're moving at high speed, and you'll have a lot of friends until the cash is gone. Not that it matters much, but I just think it fits better logically. 


So the Father gives the money away, to a rebellious son, knowing that it will be blown, and quickly. How do you react to that? And haven't many of us acted the same way as that son? Now, when the son has blown it, horribly, embarrassingly, he realizes that there's only one place to go—home. As hard as that is, we've all been there. Most of us came to God at that exact point, when we had no where else to go. And when we return, what would we expect? Judgment, condemnation, "I told you so", or at a bare minimum, reluctant tolerance. We can stay, but barely, and it won't be fun. Right? Yet the Father runs to the son and hugs and kisses him and throws a party. Who's telling this story? Jesus. Wow. What is He revealing about our Father's heart?


One final point not to miss. Has there been even one harsh word spoken? No. Not until....the older son protests. And before we condemn him too quickly, how many of us are hard-hearted towards those who have blown up their lives and now want to come to God? Don't we think it's a wee bit unfair to those of us who have NOT blown up our lives, but just did what we were supposed to? Isn't there some part of us that identifies with the older brother? But this is where Jesus puts the harsh word out. Verse 32: ""It was fitting to celebrate and be glad, for this your brother was dead, and is alive; he was lost, and is found.’” You have to listen closely to hear the condemnation, but it's there. He's saying, "You don't get it. I love him, too, and he's back from death now. Check your heart, dude." Ok, so that's a loose paraphrase. But we need to check our own hearts. The Father's heart holds nothing back! Yet ours do, all too often. We need to rejoice with Him when the broken are restored, the captives freed, the blind given sight, and not think it too unfair. After all, we were once broken, captive, and blind, too. Or could have been. Except for a Father whose heart is always for us, no matter how rebellious we are.