God the Father has a mission.

I would be willing to bet that almost everyone reading this loves a good rags to riches story. The underdog, down and beaten, left for not, rising from the ashes of defeat to embrace the kind of glory that only those who truly don’t deserve it can actually enjoy. It’s no surprise then that an ancient story about a lost and broken child hitting rock bottom, finally coming to his senses and returning home has been told for generations. The story Jesus made famous, found in Luke 15: 11-22, has been empowering millions of people, for thousands of years, to return home to a loving Father that embraces them with open arms. 

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The Prodigal Son

The famous prodigal son story has had great significance for me in my life. I genuinely believe the loving embrace of the Father has changed me forever, “I was lost but now I am found, was blind, but now I see”. But sometimes I feel like something is still missing. 

In the story of the prodigal son we see a rebellious son wish his father was dead, demand his privileged inheritance, only to waste it all on parties, sex and rock-n-roll. He finds himself in the most shameful position anyone in his culture can be in. A shameful unclean Jewish man, eating the unclean food—reserved for the unclean animals. This isn’t the golden child, having an off day. This is someone who hated his father so much he wanted him dead so he could take the money and live his life. Someone who everyone ends up turning their collective back on. This is someone truly alone with nothing to offer. Something is missing.

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There’s more to the story

The famous prodigal son story has had great significance for me in my life. I genuinely believe the loving embrace of the Father has changed me forever, “I was lost but now I am found, was blind, but now I see”. But sometimes I feel like something is still missing. 

In the story of the prodigal son we see a rebellious son wish his father was dead, demand his privileged inheritance, only to waste it all on parties, sex and rock-n-roll. He finds himself in the most shameful position anyone in his culture can be in. A shameful unclean Jewish man, eating the unclean food—reserved for the unclean animals. This isn’t the golden child, having an off day. This is someone who hated his father so much he wanted him dead so he could take the money and live his life. Someone who everyone ends up turning their collective back on. This is someone truly alone with nothing to offer.

Something is Still Missing

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"I genuinely believe the loving embrace of the Father has changed me forever."

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Empowered for the Father's business

In verse 22, the father “...put[s] a ring on [the sons] hand and sandals on his feet”. Jesus is actually revealing to us that God the Father is the kind of Father that doesn’t just forgive, isn’t just merciful, but actually empowers his sinful, forgotten children to do business on his behalf. Our perfect Father doesn’t just save us from our past, he saves us for the present, and invites us to join him in his mission. Still, something is missing.

If you know the story we find out at the end that the older brother was all too happy to stay at home in comfort while his younger brother destroyed his life. Jesus paints the picture of an older brother not interested in what the Father wants, but rather trapped in the comfort of what he already has. It’s only when the older brothers comfort, status, identity is shared with the younger that we see the older brother exposed, bitter and angry as the Father offers the prodigal son grace, empowerment, status.

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What Jesus really reveals

Still, even as Jesus ends the story someone is still missing and that is actually Jesus’ main point. We can’t understand the heavenly Father without looking at the Son and in the Son seeing the best kind of brother anyone could ever have. Jesus is revealing through this story that He is actually the kind of brother who would stop at nothing to seek and save the lost. Jesus does what the older brother wasn’t willing to do, he goes to the ends of the earth to bring home lost sons and daughters. Why? Because that’s what the Father wants. 

"Jesus is revealing through this story that He is actually the kind of brother who would stop at nothing to seek and save the lost."

Through this story Jesus is providing an invitation to all those who are willing to accept it, to follow him, and join him in our Fathers mission to seek and save the lost. We have been given the ring and sandals, are we willing to leave the comfort of the church, to be the church?

“Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you.” And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit” John 20:21-22 ESV.

-Michael Wall