LESSON TWELVE
THE LOVING FATHER

Luke 15:20 And he rose up and came to his own father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was moved with compassion, and he ran and fell on his neck and kissed him affectionately.

21 And the son said to him, Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you; I am no longer worthy to be called your son.

22 But the father said to his slaves, Bring out quickly 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; slaughter it, and let us eat and be merry,

24 Because this son of mine was dead and lives again; he was lost and has been found. And they began to be merry.

MAN DEPARTING AND GOING FAR AWAY FROM GOD

The parable in Luke 15:11-24 likens the relationship between man and God to that of a son and his father. This indicates that man is from God. Man is made by God. Although man did not receive God’s life, man’s life today comes from God. Thus, from the aspect of creation, man is God’s son. One day the younger of two sons took his portion of his father’s substance, left his father, and went to a far country. This is a picture showing that man goes far away from God even after he has received all his natural ability from God. In a country far away from his father, this younger son wasted all his substance with riotous living. As a result he became poor and had to make a living by feeding swine. This shows that when man leaves God, he begins to live a sinful life. Wasting all that he has, he falls into sin. Feeding the swine symbolizes living the sinful life because swine are dirty. When you go to the movie theaters or when you go dancing, you are going to the swine pens.

MAN TURNING TO GOD AND WANTING TO WORK FOR GOD

While he was in his poverty the son woke up. He came to himself and began to remember the goodness of his father’s house. This shows that a man in sin, who is living in sins, remembers God and His blessing when he comes to his end. Poverty helps man to wake up. It is hard for some to wake up until they have sinned to the uttermost. When they have reached the end of dancing or gambling, then they wake up. When the younger son came to himself and remembered his father, he decided to return to him. This shows that when a man wakes up from sin, it is natural for him to remember God and turn to Him.

When the son was about to return, he remembered his sins and felt that he was no more worthy to be his father’s son. He was willing to be a servant instead, and was going to ask his father to hire him. So he prepared four sentences for meeting his father: first, “I have sinned against heaven;” second, “I have sinned…in thy sight;” third, “I am no more worthy to be called thy son;” and fourth, “Make me as one of thy hired servants.” This shows that when a sinner wakes up and turns to God, it is natural for him to feel that he has sinned against God and is unworthy of God’s blessing. In other words, he feels unworthy of receiving anything from God freely. Because of this, he depends upon trading his work and good behavior for God’s goodness. He thus hopes to improve himself before God. This is the wrong concept of every repenting sinner, to think he should be a servant instead of a son. Because of this concept, man always tries to establish his own merit in order to exchange it for God’s goodness.

MAN NOT REALIZING THE HEART OF GOD

Although the younger son had a humble heart in feeling unworthy to be a son and in wanting to be a servant, he did not realize the heart of his father. In his father’s heart was the longing for his son. Many sinners may have such a humble heart, but they do not realize the heart of God. God’s heart is not that repenting sinners would work for Him, but that they would be His sons. While a hired servant must earn what he gets and must work for what he receives, a son receives everything from his father freely.

GOD RECEIVING MAN

As the younger son was returning to his father, it was far from his realization that his father would be waiting to receive him. He was expecting that he would have to knock many times, and that his father would eventually send someone else to open the door. Yet even while the son was returning and was still afar off, his father saw him coming and ran out to meet him. While the son thought it was a matter of his returning to his father, even the more it was a matter of his father’s waiting to receive him.

When he saw the son, the father was moved with compassion. Because his heart was moved, it caused him to run and fall on his son’s neck, and to kiss him. This running shortened the time and the distance between them. Running involves the feet; falling on the son’s neck involves the hands; kissing involves the mouth, which is able to express emotion. So we can see that the father’s whole being was moved for his son. This signifies that when God in heaven sees a sinner repenting. He is moved with compassion, and runs to meet him. With His whole heart He embraces the repenting sinner. Before repenting, many think that God is terrible and fearful, but after repenting they discover that God is so dear and so near.

GOD JUSTIFYING MAN

After the father kissed him, the son immediately began his prepared speech. But when he had just finished his first three sentences, the father interrupted him. The son had just said, “I am no more worthy to he called thy son,” but the father said to the servants, “Bring forth quickly the best robe, and put it on him.” The heart of the father could not stand the son saying that he was unworthy to be called his son. So he commanded his servants to bring forth the best robe. The word the is an important word. The best robe was the robe that had been prepared a long time ago. When the father spoke, the servants knew which one it was. The father only had to say “the best robe,” and the servants understood right away. The father also put a ring on the son’s hand and shoes on his feet and killed the fatted calf. All of these were beyond the son’s expectation.

Just as the son did, we prepare a speech, but God brings forth the best robe. The word BUT should be stressed. It is a big word in the New Testament. This but makes us saved. We should be condemned, but God justified us; we should be going to hell, but we go to the heavens instead. Putting on the robe signifies Christ as our righteousness. When a sinner puts on Christ, he matches God and is justified.

The father also put shoes on the son. Shoes separate man from the earth. When a man returns to God and is justified and sealed by the Holy Spirit, he is able to be separated from the earth. After putting the shoes on his feet, the father killed the fatted calf. Killing the fatted calf signifies Christ prepared for us as our life and enjoyment. Only when Christ comes into us can we be filled and happy.

GOD AND MAN MAKING MERRY TOGETHER

It was at this time that the father and the son ate and drank and were happy together. Before the son came back, the father had no joy. While the son was away from home, wandering and suffering, the father was also suffering at home. When sinners are away from God, wandering and suffering, God is unhappy. Only when sinners are at home with God, eating and making merry, is God joyful. When a sinner returns to God, he is received and justified by Him. In other words, he is found and he is alive. (Gospel Outlines, pp. 189-193)

References: Gospel Outlines, Subject 91; Life-study of Luke, msg. 34.