Prodigal son and father(Luk15:11~24)

Prodigal son and father(Luk15:11~24)

 

 ¹¹ Jesus continued: “There was a man who had two sons. ¹² The younger one said to his father, ‘Father, give me my share of the estate.’ So he divided his property between them.

¹³ “Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living. ¹⁴ After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he began to be in need. ¹⁵ So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs. ¹⁶ He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything.

¹⁷ “When he came to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! ¹⁸ I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. ¹⁹ I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired servants.’ ²⁰ So he got up and went to his father.

“But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.

²¹ “The son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’

²² “But the father said to his servants, ‘Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. ²³ Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate. ²⁴ For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ So they began to celebrate.

 

Intro)

1. Since few years back Korean people started to use word healing. This word started to spread and used since early 2000. This spread in business and society. Healing started to used on lots of things such as healing travel, healing food, Healing tracking, healing sports, and dance etc.

 

2. In the past we are just been busy living our lives in fast pace as in driving through empty highway, but this result in focusing in only one thing. We moving in fast pace make us forget lots of good things, like beautiful sunset, flying bird, flowers, tree, and people. We always focused on moving forward so much we often forgot what was really there. We are exhausted for doing that. Now we need true healing, which is God, and church.  

 

 

 

 Body)

A) Father’s love towards second son

1. First, bible is God’s word and healing story. A parable of the prodigal son is one of representative story. When we read today’s verse it is focused on second son, but if we focus on father we can see how healing really coming out from the father.

 

 2. Father saw some helplessness to sons. Both disappointed in him, but it was bigger to second son.

Second son told father ¹² The younger one said to his father, ‘Father, give me my share of the estate.’ So he divided his property between them.

It is never right to ask father who is still alive for inheritance.

This shows selfish behavior of second son.

¹³ “Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living.

 

3. Second son took father’s inheritance and blow it off within few days. Second son was feeling miserable. Later on he decide to come back home and what happened?

²⁰ So he got up and went to his father. “But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.

 He had heavy steps he probably wanted to hide somewhere, but father welcomes second son with love.

 

4. Second son took all the money and left to other country that means he left everything behind like he won’t come back. This behavior is hard to be forgiven, but his father was beyond that level and welcomed his son. This is healing that father gave it to his second son

 5. ²² “But the father said to his servants, ‘Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. ²³ Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate.

  Father put best cloth on and feed him a fattened calf to son who left. This is like what God does to children who repent their sin and comes back to him. Second son truly repents. 

 

In fact, second son said ¹⁹ I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired servants.’ Whatever he did in the past he is still a son to his father.

 

B) Father’s love towards first son

1. Second son wasn’t the only one who ignored father’s authority. Son had short thinking and rude. ²⁹ But he answered his father, ‘Look! All these years I’ve been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders. Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends. ³⁰ But when this son of yours who has squandered your property with prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him!’

In here it looks like father is weak and helpless because he won’t punish his son when he is rude. The father is like our God he is powerful but sometimes why he endures so much? It is because of patience love.

 ³¹ “‘My son,’ the father said, ‘you are always with me, and everything I have is yours.

 

3. Problem in this era in church is that there are many people go to church but not many really love God. So, people do their own way.

Father tells his first son ³² But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’”

4. There is a thing called Good child syndrome. 1. Want to be loved so control their emption. 2. Just be obedient 3. No opinion just to keep peace. 4. Act 5. Doesn’t talk much and just live it in their world. 6. Hard to recover from the heart breaking moment.

 But thing is they usually end up exploding their emotion at some point. In today’s verse we can see first son burst his anger at the end, but father didn’t punish him he just go along and show more love to him.

 

Con)

1. Second son wasn’t rude and arrogant. He was a smart kid. We can see it like this, second son’s desire was like mankind’s developing desire. We can see why father accept second son’s request. Father wanted his son to do what he wants and come back for good experience. Which was Father’s healing, ‘acceptance’

 

2. How about first son? Father used patience healing method. Father didn’t give away first son’s faith and expectation. Father waited for his first son to comeback and forgives his brother.

 

  This is true healer’s aspect and God is biggest example being to us. Why? It is because, he loves us. Then, what should we do? We should accept our family and wait. Furthermore we can do that to our neighbors, so we can experience God’s healing and used as a tool of God.

 

062318. Ik Sun Ahn