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Copyright © 2012 J. Neely. All rights reserved.
Chapter 14 - Lost (Prodigal) Son
Luke 15:20-23
20 And [kai] he arose [anistemi] , and came [erchomai] to [pros] his [heautou] father [pater] . But [de] when he [autos] was yet [eti] a great way [makran] off [apecho] , his [autos] father [pater] saw [eido] him [autos] , and [kai] had compassion [splagchnizomai] , and [kai] ran [trecho] , and fell [epipipto] on [epi] his [autos] neck [trachelos] , and [kai] kissed [kataphileo] him [autos] .
21 And [de] the son [huios] said [epo] unto him [autos] , Father [pater] , I have sinned [hamartano] against [eis] heaven [ouranos] , and [kai] in [enopion] thy [sou] sight [enopion] , and [kai] am [eimi] no more [ouketi] worthy [axios] to be called [kaleo] thy [sou] son [huios] .
22 But [de] the father [pater] said [epo] to [pros] his [autos] servants [doulos] , Bring forth [ekphero] the best [protos] robe [stole] , and [kai] put it on [enduo] him [autos] ; and [kai] put [didomi] a ring [daktulios] on [eis] his [autos] hand [cheir] , and [kai] shoes [hupodema] on [eis] his feet [pous] :
23 And [kai] bring hither [phero] the fatted [siteutos] calf [moschos] , and kill [thuo] it; and [kai] let us eat [phago] , and be merry [euphraino] : KJV-Interlinear
20 'And he got up and came to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him, and felt compassion for him, and ran and embraced him, and kissed him. 21 'And the son said to him, 'Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight; I am no longer worthy to be called your son.' 22 'But the father said to his slaves, 'Quickly bring out the best robe and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet; 23 and bring the fattened calf, kill it, and let us eat and be merry; NASB
Thee are many states of death. Physical death is the most commonly known. Where the soul (and spirit too if the person is a believer) leaves the body and departs from this world. The body is left behind to decay. Recovery from this death comes only in the form of a resurrection.
Then there is spiritual death whereby the person is separated from God by means of sin. All people are born physically alive, but spiritually dead. Recovery from this death comes only from salvation, whereby the person believes in Christ and thus receives a human spirit along with the life which is imputed into that spirit - eternal life. This process is commonly called being reborn, or being born again.
There is fellowship death which applies to believers only. Anytime a believer commits a sin then he is out of fellowship with God. Recovery from this death is through the confession process whereby the believer confesses his sins to God the Father (there is no one else to whom one can confess). The spiritual life is lived inside the fellowship sphere only. The spiritual life does not function outside the fellowship sphere.
These three deaths are in view here.
The younger son left the Father just as Adam left the Garden when the first sin was committed. In spiritual death, the prodigal son felt no remorse, no error on his own part. But leaving the Father and home, the younger son discovered that his own resources (which he did not provide for himself by the way) proved to be short lived. Outside the power sphere of the Father there is no one to help - no one. In vain any cry to the world around us will go unheard and for which there will be no response.
The state of sin is a lost state, a state of death. Death is a separation from life. There is no control when in a state of death. It is a state of madness and frenzy and chaos over which no human being has any control. It is far better to understand this while one is alive, than to discover it after one has died. After death you have no chance to recover from your mistakes.
Sin is the rejection and a contempt of Gods authority.
Psa. 84:10
10 For a day in Thy courts is better than a thousand outside. I would rather stand at the threshold of the house of my God, Than dwell in the tents of wickedness. NASB
God has no desire for anyone to suffer or to be lost to Him forever. The younger son recovered from his arrogance and he repented (changed his attitude) while still in with he pigs. He went home. But even before he got home, the Father saw him coming home from afar and came out to meet him. The Father was happy, more than happy to see the son return.
God can see into the future and see us coming even before we know ourselves that we will return to Him.
The Father clothed and shoed the son - a picture of salvation and a rebirth into the spiritual life - a life with God.
Ezek. 18:22-23
22 'All his transgressions which he has committed will not be remembered against him; because of his righteousness which he has practiced, he will live. 23 'Do I have any pleasure in the death of the wicked,' declares the Lord GOD, 'rather than that he should turn from his ways and live? NASB
Isa. 61:10
10 I will rejoice greatly in the LORD, My soul will exult in my God; For He has clothed me with garments of salvation, He has wrapped me with a robe of righteousness, NASB
The sons confession is tantamount to recovery of fellowship.
Eph. 6:15-16
15 and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; 16 in addition to all, taking up the shield of faith with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming missiles of the evil one. NASB
The Father expressed only kindness and blessing toward the son. There was no rebuke.
The son came back in rags - the life of spiritual death and was given the robes of salvation. He came back bare footed - the life which belongs to the jungle and was given the shoes of a daily walk in the spiritual life.
He came back hungry and starving as the jungle of this world cannot provide the proper nourishment, and was given a feast.
The Father expressed his kindness before the son expressed his repentance. The Father 'ran' to meet the returning sinner. He embraced the son with open and strong arms. He gave the son a hug and big kiss (on the cheek of course) with the deepest expression of love that a parent has for his long lost child now returned.
The son returned home with the anxiety of not finding what he was looking for in the world. He returned with a fear of not being able to return home. And he returned with hope that despite his past life that he would be accepted.
But the Father, by placing the ring on the hand, the ring of family rights canceled out all of those doubts, and sealed the sons admission into the family, never to be lost again.
For the first son, the youngest, the one who is portrayed as the sinner, the one of whom the Pharisees had expressed their disgust that Jesus would even dare to associate, Jesus teaches that even 'sinners,' those folks who reject authority, those who reject the morals of society, those who seem less than honorable or ethical, or honest in life. Even to those, a reasonable parent would not reject their own who returns home.
The prejudice of the Pharisees was out of line in being judgmental of those whom they categorized as sinners.
But that is only one side of the coin. Go to the web site index page and print off the image chart covering the Human Nature. This first part of this parable covers the lascivious side of humanity. There is also the ascetic side to be dealt with. Both are equally evil and unworthy of entrance in to Gods plan. Yet both have available to them, the same opportunity of access into Gods plan through faith in Christ. And we'll resume that study tomorrow.
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