Most people who have any knowledge of the Holy Bible have heard the story about the riotous son found in Luke 15:11-32. Most people call him the prodigal son, but God calls him the riotous son. Prodigal means lavish and wasteful spending. Many people do not realize that this story is a perfect Father’s Day story as the father here is a type of God the Father who loves all people and wishes that none should perish. (II Peter 3:9 The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.) God the Father will do what is necessary to bring his wayward and wandering children back to him, even if it means that they must be brought down low and almost to the bottom of the barrel in order to wake them up. God does not do these things to be mean, but rather out of love as he does not want anyone to spend eternity in the lake of fire.
Jesus gave this parable right after he told the parables about the 99 sheep and one that wondered off followed by a woman who had ten pieces of silver and lost one. In both cases the shepherd and the woman do whatever it takes to find the lost sheep and the lost piece of silver, even leaving the 99 sheep that did not wander. They both rejoice at finding the lost sheep and lost piece of silver. Jesus said that in heaven there is joy in heaven more over one sinner that repents than over 99 persons who need no repentance. These two parables set the tone for this third parable about the riotous son. The whole point of this story is that God the Father rejoices over those who repent and get right with him. This pleases God more than those who need no repentance as the older son in this story as he is already pleasing God.
(Luke 15:11-12 11 ¶ And he said, A certain man had two sons:
12 And the younger of them said to his father, Father, give me the portion of goods that falleth to me. And he divided unto them his living.) The parable starts off with a certain man who had two sons. This man or father is a type or reference of God the Father. The two sons in this parable are both representative of Christians with the older son being faithful to God the Father and the younger son as a rebellious wandering backslidden milk Christian. They both have to be saved or they would not be sons of God as the unsaved are not God’s children. We only become a child of God when we are saved. (Galatians 3:26 For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.) A person can become very backslidden as this younger son became, but they do not lose their salvation, but always remain saved. Their way of living may not please God, but they will remain saved. In verse 12 we see that the younger son says to the father to give him his portion of goods. This is not like how Jesus said that we were to pray to God the Father and ask for our daily bread that we need to survive. This son was demanding that he get his inheritance which is really a gift. An inheritance is given to the children after the death of the father, yet this son demanded it now. This son was basically saying he wished his father was dead or at least he had no use for him and did not need him. He figured as long as he had goods from the father then he could survive on his own. He wanted the gifts from the father, but not the father in his life. This is what happens to Christians who have backslidden and especially as bad as this son as they feel that God owes them because they are his son, yet they do not want God the Father in their lives and always telling them how to live their lives. They want to stay living in sin and do not want God the Father interfering. The end of the verse shows that the father granted his sons wish and divided the inheritance between the two sons. God will let you wander from him and live in sin for a while, but there will be consequences for that rebellion and the riotous son was about to find out.
(Luke 15:13 And not many days after the younger son gathered all together, and took his journey into a far country, and there wasted his substance with riotous living.) Not long after the younger son was given his portion of the inheritance then he gathered his goods together and journeyed to a far country. The son was trying to get as far from his father as he could so the father would not see how he was living. Backsliding Christians do the same as they try to get as far from God as they can, not realizing that God is everywhere and you cannot escape from him. The only reason any Christian would want to is if they are living a life of sin. This younger son soon wasted his substance on riotous living. This is why I call him the riotous son as he was being more than extravagant and lavish as prodigal means, he was being riotous in the way he lived including his rebellion against his father. A person can be lavish in buying many homes, a boat, an airplane, and fancy cars, but here the son was spending the money on sinful things such as harlots. Notice that the older son who represents a son or Christian that is walking with God continued to stay with his father even though he was also given his share of the inheritance early. Obedient Christians will always remain close to God as it is only God who can keep you walking righteously and can keep you safe.
(Luke 15:14 And when he had spent all, there arose a mighty famine in that land; and he began to be in want.) Not long after he had spent all of his money, then there came a famine in the land and he was lacking or in want of what he needed to survive. There is always a famine in lands that reject God, both physical famine and famine of his word. God will always bring famine into the lives of his wandering children so that he can make them realize that they can only survive because of him as only God supplies our needs. All that a Christian has comes from God and none because of ourselves. (Philippians 4:19 But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.)
(Luke 15:15 And he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country; and he sent him into his fields to feed swine.) The riotous son was desperate for food and so he went to work for a man in his fields to feed swine. For a Jewish man this was about as low as you could get as swine were an unclean animal and a Jew was not to eat their flesh or even touch a dead swine. Most likely this is what he would have to do as some may have died in the fields. (Deuteronomy 14:8 And the swine, because it divideth the hoof, yet cheweth not the cud, it is unclean unto you: ye shall not eat of their flesh, nor touch their dead carcase.)
(Luke 15:16 And he would fain have filled his belly with the husks that the swine did eat: and no man gave unto him.) The son was so hungry that he would have fain filled his belly with the husks that the swine ate. The word fain means gladly or with joy. The husks were the dry outer covering that is discarded and not eaten by man, just the swine, yet he was so hungry he would gladly have eaten even that. The end of the verse says no man gave unto him. He was not given any food to eat, yet the swine were fed. Here was a rich man who squandered his wealth on riotous living and now the swine were fed better than him who had no feed. This is what happens when Christians try to do things on their own and do not want God in their lives. We also see how his “friends” he probably had while he was rich have long forgotten him since his money ran out. Even they will not give him any food. Scripture says everyone loves rich people and he would have been no different as he probably foolishly spent great wealth on them trying to impress them, but when the money is gone so are your “friends”. (Proverbs 14:20 The poor is hated even of his own neighbour: but the rich hath many friends.)
(Luke 15:17 And when he came to himself, he said, How many hired servants of my father’s have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger!) The riotous son finally realizes what a fool he has been as he realizes that his father has many hired servants who have plenty of food to eat and some to spare and yet he was dying of hunger. The son has ended his backsliding and is starting to repent of his sins. God took him to a very low point in life in order to get him to repent. He brought the son close to death in order to do so, but because he was his son never gave up on him.
(Luke 15:18 I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before thee,) The son has come to repentance and says that he will go back to his father and tell him that he has sinned against heaven and his father. The son realizes that he has sinned against God. That is the sign of true repentance and then as this son he wants to do something about it. God says if we confess our sins before him then he will forgive them and this son realized his father would as well. (I 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.)
(Luke 15:19 And am no more worthy to be called thy son: make me as one of thy hired servants.) The son continues to show true repentance as he feels he is not even worthy to be called a son of his father due to his sins. He says he will tell his father to make him one of his hired servants instead. The psalmist realized that it was better to be a servant of God than to be in rebellion and sin as this son had been. (Psalm 84:10 For a day in thy courts is better than a thousand. I had rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God, than to dwell in the tents of wickedness.)
(Luke 15:20 And he arose, and came to his father. But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him.) The son left his wondering and the sin of the far country and came back home to his father. When he was still a great distance away, his father saw him and had compassion and ran to him and fell on his neck and kissed him. The fact that the father saw him shows that the father was always looking for his son, just as God the Father is always watching his children just waiting for the rebellious ones to return. The father had compassion on him. God the Father always has compassion on his children, especially for those who were lost and have repented and returned to him. The father ran to him. The father ran to him and did not even wait for his son to get there. The father here as a type of God the Father shows God running to retrieve one of his lost children who has repented and is returning back to him. This is the only place in scripture where we see God running and when he does it is for a repentant soul. God loves us so much that he wants to bring us home. When the father reaches his son, he falls on his neck and kisses him. The son would have been filthy with no shower in a long time and remember he just came from the fields feeding swine an unclean animal, yet the father only cares that his son has repented and returned home. God the Father also is the same as he will clean us up and wants us to come to us with our filth and let him do the cleaning.
(Luke 15:21 And the son said unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in thy sight, and am no more worthy to be called thy son.) The son tells his father that he has sinned against heaven and him and that he was no longer worthy to be called his son. The son is admitting his sins to God the Father here showing true repentance. He realizes that he is not even worthy to still be called his son.
(Luke 15:22 But the father said to his servants, Bring forth the best robe, and put it on him; and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet:) The son never has a chance to tell his father that he wants to be one of his hired servants as the father tells his servants to bring forth the best robe and put it on him and put a ring on his hand and shoes on his feet. The father does not even have his son get cleaned up first before clothing him with his best robe and shoes. The father knows he can always buy new clothes, but his son returning is far more important than these material items. This is a sign of not only God the Father clothing his children and providing for them and in essence covering up their filth and sin, but also how God the Father has unlimited wealth and can easily replace these items later. The fact that the father placed a ring on his son shows that the father’s wealth was once again the sons. The shoes show that the father thought he was still worthy to be called his son and normally servants did not wear shoes, but the son of a wealthy father would.
(Luke 15:23 And bring hither the fatted calf, and kill it; and let us eat, and be merry:) The father says to bring a fatted calf, kill it, and let them eat and for all to be happy. The father would have brought his best. God only always gives us his best.
(Luke 15:24 For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found. And they began to be merry.) The father says his son was dead, but is alive again. The son was lost, but is found. The son had repented and so was once again alive and has returned to the father. He is no longer lost. They all began to be merry as they rejoiced at the return of the son. You can only be merry when walking with God. This is the same as the first two parables I mentioned in this chapter as heaven rejoices over just one lost sinner who repents and is found. This parable consists of 22 verses with 22 meaning light. It is God alone who brings us true light and the son has finally realized this. This parable is found in chapter 15 and 15 means rest. An unrepentant Christian will only have rest when they repent and return to God the Father who gives us our rest.
(Luke 15:25 Now his elder son was in the field: and as he came and drew nigh to the house, he heard musick and dancing.) The elder son was in the field and came to the house and heard musick and dancing.
(Luke 15:26 And he called one of the servants, and asked what these things meant.) He asked one of the servants what these things meant with all of the musick and dancing. Notice that this father has many servants. Only the rich have servants. God the Father also has many servants as Christians that are walking with him will willingly serve God the Father and God owns all.
(Luke 15:27 And he said unto him, Thy brother is come; and thy father hath killed the fatted calf, because he hath received him safe and sound.) The servant tells the elder son that the music and dancing is because his brother has come home and is safe and sound and so his father had killed a fatted calf for him.
(Luke 15:28 And he was angry, and would not go in: therefore came his father out, and intreated him.) The elder son was angry and would not go in to enjoy the festivities. The son was jealous and sin was showing here. As Christians we should never be jealous of another Christian, but should always rejoice when a brother in Christ repents of their sins and returns to walking with the Lord. Since the son would not go in then the father came out to him and intreated or asked urgently what was the son’s problem. God always is urgent in asking us to tell us what is wrong. He wants to know what he can do to make it better just like this father with his son.
(Luke 15:29 And he answering said to his father, Lo, these many years do I serve thee, neither transgressed I at any time thy commandment: and yet thou never gavest me a kid, that I might make merry with my friends:) The son tells his father that he had served him all these years and had never sinned and obeyed his commandments and yet his father had never given him a kid so that he could be merry with his friends. Here the son is sinning by being jealous of his brother.
(Luke 15:30 But as soon as this thy son was come, which hath devoured thy living with harlots, thou hast killed for him the fatted calf.) The son continues to tell the father that he had never given him a kid, yet his brother who had spent all of his money on harlots returns and he kills a fatted calf for him. The elder son was saying I never even got a kid which is a baby goat, yet his brother who lived a life of sin got a fatted calf which is worth much more.
(Luke 15:31 And he said unto him, Son, thou art ever with me, and all that I have is thine.) The father told his son that he was forever with him and all that he had was his sons as well. God the Father also shares his riches with us. This verse shows that those of us who are saved will forever be with God the Father.
(Luke 15:32 It was meet that we should make merry, and be glad: for this thy brother was dead, and is alive again; and was lost, and is found.) The father says that it was meet or worthy to make merry and be glad because his brother had been dead, but was alive again and had been lost, but was now found. The father was saying that the riotous son had been dead to them as he chose to abandon the father and live a life of sin, but now he had repented and so was alive again and was found as he returned home to his father. We are all lost and dead without God the Father in our lives. The father was trying to teach the elder son to learn that we all must rejoice when a Christian repents and turns back to God the Father in righteousness. Those who are already walking with God must never feel neglected by God the Father because he is focused on a wandering son.
For those who are saved this Father’s Day then rejoice that you are and let us pray for those brothers and sisters in Christ that are wandering and rejoice when they return. This parable by Jesus clearly shows how God the Father loves all of his children and no matter how much we may wander from him, he will never give up on us, stop looking for us, or be thankful when we return to us. For those wandering Christians, today is the day to repent and return to God the Father. He will receive you with open arms and has the best he has to offer waiting for you with him in heaven. Let us thank God that we have a loving father like God the Father that we can call Father and he will take us back no matter what we have done. God never disowns his children. He will discipline them, but he will never forsake them. Remember this and call upon the Father in repentance now. For those Christians who are walking with God, continue to walk with God and stay on the path of righteousness. Do not become like the riotous son and rebel. If you do, then become like the repentant son. For those who are not saved, please repent and admit you are a sinner and need the Son Jesus Christ as your Saviour and that he died for you, was buried, and rose again on that third day. Call upon Jesus today as your Saviour so that God the Father will be your Father too. There is no better Father’s Day gift that a son can give their father today than to be saved.
