The Prodigal Son

[Mr. M]

Luke 15:

22 But the father said to his servants,

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 fatted calf here and kill it, and let us eat and be merry; 

24 for this my son was dead and is alive again;

he was lost and is found. And they began to be merry.

25 Now his older son was in the field. And as he came

and drew near to the house, he heard music and dancing. 

26 So he called one of the servants and asked what these things meant. 

27 And he said to him, ‘Your brother has come, and because he has received him

safe and sound, your father has killed the fatted calf.’

28 But he was angry and would not go in. Therefore his father came out and pleaded with him. 

29 So he answered and said to his father, ‘Lo, these many years I have been serving you;

I never transgressed your commandment at any time; and yet you never gave me

a young goat, that I might make merry with my friends. 

30 But as soon as this son of yours came, who has devoured your livelihood with harlots,

you killed the fatted calf for him.

31 “And he said to him, ‘Son, you are always with me, and all that I have is yours. 

32 It was right that we should make merry and be glad, for your brother was dead and is alive again,

and was lost and is found.

Why does the Lord say that the son

who turned from his father's way

"was dead, but is now alive again"?

Malachi 3:

16 Then those who feared the Lord spoke to one another,
And the Lord listened and heard them;
So a book of Memorial was written before Him
For those who fear the Lord
And who meditate on His name.

17 They shall be Mine, says the Lord of hosts,
On the day that I make them My jewels.
And I will spare them
As a man spares his own son who serves him.
18 Then you shall return and discern
Between the righteous and the wicked,
Between one who serves God
And one who does not serve Him.

Edited June 18, 2024 by Mr. M

[Michael37]

Police and News reports sometimes list people as "missing feared or presumed dead". Not me, I'm still alive.

[Mr. M]

51 minutes ago, Michael37 said:

Police and News reports sometimes list people as "missing feared or presumed dead". Not me, I'm still alive.

Yes, and fathers often speak in anger as a wayward son departs:

"You are dead to me".

Adam departed the garden with a death sentence, and without access to the tree of Life.

Christ has restored that access to Life, and the very Throne of God!

[Michael37]

2 minutes ago, Mr. M said:

Adam departed the garden with a death sentence, and without access to the tree of Life.

Yes, being dead in trespasses and sins necessitates salvation.

[Charlie1988]

7 hours ago, Mr. M said:

Luke 15:

22 But the father said to his servants,

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 fatted calf here and kill it, and let us eat and be merry; 

24 for this my son was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found. And they began to be merry.

25 Now his older son was in the field. And as he came and drew near to the house,

he heard music and dancing. 

26 So he called one of the servants and asked what these things meant. 

27 And he said to him, ‘Your brother has come, and because he has received him safe and sound,

your father has killed the fatted calf.’

28 But he was angry and would not go in. Therefore his father came out and pleaded with him. 

29 So he answered and said to his father, ‘Lo, these many years I have been serving you;

I never transgressed your commandment at any time; and yet you never gave me a young goat,

\that I might make merry with my friends. 

30 But as soon as this son of yours came, who has devoured your livelihood with harlots,

you killed the fatted calf for him.

31 “And he said to him, ‘Son, you are always with me, and all that I have is yours. 

32 It was right that we should make merry and be glad, for your brother was dead and is alive again,

and was lost and is found.

Why does the Lord say that the son who turned from his father's way

"was dead, but is now alive again"?

Malachi 3:

16 Then those who feared the Lord spoke to one another,
And the Lord listened and heard them;
So a book of Memorial was written before Him
For those who fear the Lord
And who meditate on His name.

17 They shall be Mine, says the Lord of hosts,
On the day that I make them My jewels.
And I will spare them
As a man spares his own son who serves him.
18 Then you shall return and discern
Between the righteous and the wicked,
Between one who serves God
And one who does not serve Him.

The story of the Prodigal Son was told in a way that places more emphases on the reaction of the brother, rather than the parodical son's salvation. 

The prodigal son's salvation is a very common story, we're all born as slaves to sin and Satan and unless God saves us out of that slavery we will remain enslaved for our whole lives. 

God opened the spiritual eyes of the prodigal son and allowed him to see his true state, which was enslavement to sin and Satan. When he saw his true state, he was shocked and was willing to do whatever it took to change it. God then granted him repentance, and that led to his salvation. 

Most of us have a similar story to tell about our own salvation, as all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. 

The real tragedy in the whole story was the older brothers jealousy and hatred of him. The older brother was a hypocrite, because he thought he was better than his brother. But we know that all have sinned and God is no respecter of persons, even our best works are as filthy rags in His sight. The brother had no right to judge him, that's Gods job and if God forgives someone who are we to not forgive them as well.

I think the main lesson of this story is "Judge not, or you will be judged with the same measure you use to judge others". 

[Michael37]

1 hour ago, Charlie1988 said:

I think the main lesson of this story is "Judge not, or you will be judged with the same measure you use to judge others". 

For me the principal thing is the Father's forgiveness and fellowship and festivity.

[Charlie1988]

40 minutes ago, Michael37 said:

For me the principal thing is the Father's forgiveness and fellowship and festivity.

I think the overall theme of the story is about how God sometimes saves those which most people think are beyond redemption and not deserving of mercy. From mans perspective the older brother was more worthy to receive salvation that the prodigal son. But it turned out the other way and the older brother was left in his condemned fallen state of sin. 

Every conversion is a cause for forgiveness, fellowship and celebration. Our Church celebrates every baptism, with a great feast. The elders spare no expenses on the quality of the food, it's like 5 star dining. They only do this for baptismal services, all the other fellowship lunches are just ordinary food. 

Being saved is the greatest free gift anyone can receive, so it's only natural that we celebrate it as such

[Mr. M]

1 hour ago, Charlie1988 said:

I think the overall theme of the story is about how God sometimes saves those which most people think are beyond redemption and not deserving of mercy. From mans perspective the older brother was more worthy to receive salvation that the prodigal son. But it turned out the other way and the older brother was left in his condemned fallen state of sin. 

Every conversion is a cause for forgiveness, fellowship and celebration. Our Church celebrates every baptism, with a great feast. The elders spare no expenses on the quality of the food, it's like 5 star dining. They only do this for baptismal services, all the other fellowship lunches are just ordinary food. 

Being saved is the greatest free gift anyone can receive, so it's only natural that we celebrate it as such

When I came back to the Lord in 1990,

a sister told me that the angels were rejoicing.

I was deeply moved by that, and I know it is true.

Luke 15:10 Likewise, I say to you, there is joy in the presence

of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.

[Charlie1988]

3 hours ago, Mr. M said:

When I came back to the Lord in 1990,

a sister told me that the angels were rejoicing.

I was deeply moved by that, and I know it is true.

Luke 15:10 Likewise, I say to you, there is joy in the presence

of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.

I can't remember the exact verse of scripture, which describes a similar joy over the salvation of a lost sinner. I think it was a parable that spoke about a shepherd, leaving 99 sheep to seek out one lost sheep. I think it even says that the shepherd felt more joy in finding that one lost sheep than he felt for the other 99 which were not lost. 

I think that parable describes the joy that God and His Angels feel when God saves a lost sinner, who was written off as a lost cause by his family and friends.  

[FreeGrace]

On 6/12/2024 at 3:55 PM, Mr. M said:

Luke 15:

22 But the father said to his servants,

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 fatted calf here and kill it, and let us eat and be merry; 

24 for this my son was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found. And they began to be merry.

25 Now his older son was in the field. And as he came and drew near to the house,

he heard music and dancing. 

26 So he called one of the servants and asked what these things meant. 

27 And he said to him, ‘Your brother has come, and because he has received him safe and sound,

your father has killed the fatted calf.’

28 But he was angry and would not go in. Therefore his father came out and pleaded with him. 

29 So he answered and said to his father, ‘Lo, these many years I have been serving you;

I never transgressed your commandment at any time; and yet you never gave me a young goat,

\that I might make merry with my friends. 

30 But as soon as this son of yours came, who has devoured your livelihood with harlots,

you killed the fatted calf for him.

31 “And he said to him, ‘Son, you are always with me, and all that I have is yours. 

32 It was right that we should make merry and be glad, for your brother was dead and is alive again,

and was lost and is found.

Why does the Lord say that the son who turned from his father's way

"was dead, but is now alive again"?

Malachi 3:

16 Then those who feared the Lord spoke to one another,
And the Lord listened and heard them;
So a book of Memorial was written before Him
For those who fear the Lord
And who meditate on His name.

17 They shall be Mine, says the Lord of hosts,
On the day that I make them My jewels.
And I will spare them
As a man spares his own son who serves him.
18 Then you shall return and discern
Between the righteous and the wicked,
Between one who serves God
And one who does not serve Him.

There was no resurrection of the prodigal son.  He didn't die  physically in the parable.  The parable is about restoration of fellowship with the Father, and reveals the status of a rebellious son, "dead" to his father".  Being rebellious breaks fellowship.  And King David wrote Psa 66:18 - If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me:

iow, believers out of fellowship with the Lord do not have their prayers heard, unless it is the prayer of confession, per 1 John 1:9 - If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

The subject of chapter 1 is about fellowship with the Lord and between believers.  Only through confession of our sins, does God forgive us and cleanse/purify us from those sins.  This is how fellowship with the Lord is restored.

In the parable, the son confessed his sin in the pig sty and returned (repented) to his father.  The moral of the parable is that our Heavenly Father always stands ready to forgive and cleanse when we confess our sins.

But there was no resurrection in the parable.