The World Behind

Today I was considering the parable Jesus told of the son who returned to his father, the greedy son who demanded his inheritance only to waste it on prodigal living.  Once the man had money in hand, he went far from his father to a distant land and wasted all by his "riotous" or dissolute lifestyle in pursuit of all pleasures of the flesh.  Luke 15:14 says, "But when he had spent all, there arose a severe famine in that land, and he began to be in want."

The party was over and all his money was spent, but this was not enough to cause him to return to his father who loved and provided everything for him.  He left off the partying and pursuit of pleasure for his survival, but perhaps he held out hope he could earn money and continue in a life of sin.  The man chose to join himself to a citizen of that country hoping to enrich himself.  He was not working to earn money for a return trip home, for as the parable related abject poverty and uncleanness did not prevent him from finding his way home to his father if he wanted.

Luke 15:17-19 says, "But when he came to himself, he said, 'How many of my father's hired servants have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger! ¹⁸ I will arise and go to my father, and will say to him, "Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you, ¹⁹ and I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Make me like one of your hired servants."  It took being destitute for the man to start working, and it was the love of his father which brought him to his senses of how awful life had become away from him.  The fog of folly finally cleared, and the man was determined to go home to his father--not to use him, but to serve him.  All desire to return to the previous life of sin was gone.  He went to his father having left his drunkenness, philandering and scheming behind with a humble heart of repentance and sought to serve.

The father saw his son returning a long way off, had compassion on him and ran to embrace him.  God is also gracious to receive His lost and backslidden children who can only truly return when they have left the old life behind.  Had the man hung onto a hope to return to the old life, he would not have returned to serve but to use:  to use his old man for whatever he could get from him.  It is a scene of great rejoicing and celebration when the lost son returned, for a work was done in his heart through experience which moved him to confess his sin, repent and serve faithfully, expecting nothing in return.  He was then able to receive the grace and love of his father, and a life better than he ever imagined unfolded when he was home at his father's side.

"The cross before me, the world behind me," the song says.  If we will return to God our Father in faith, we must leave the old ways and selfish schemes behind.  We are not worthy to serve the LORD, yet He receives us as sons by grace through faith.  No man can do this for another, and God is faithful to even use our wanderings to prove His worthiness to be sought and served.