I’m no longer worthy to be called your son. Make me like one of your hired workers.

Luke 15:19

Though I am sure this young man’s perception still needed to grow, his ideas were changing for the better. He understood that he had fallen from his former state. He realized the meaning of the point that in us no good thing dwells. He saw his own wretchedness.

It is then in this state that his father finds him and welcomes him back home. This is significant. The Lord Jesus does not write into His parables meaningless thoughts. That this man knew his own situation, and understood his position in relation to the Father is a very key point. Had he come home wearing a different attitude and disposition, the father would indeed have had a different response.

Heavenly Father, thank You for the mercies of Your love! You are kindly and affectionate to us. When we understand our position before You, we receive of the manifold riches of Your great grace. In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

I’ll get up, go to my father, and say to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight.’

Luke 15:18

This man really spent some time thinking about what he would say. He took several steps, all necessary for true repentance.

First, he gave up on himself. He recognized his utter failure. To even go back and be accepted as a servant he would have to face up to this.

Second, he saw that he did not deserve forgiveness. He didn’t make the argument that we often do, ‘everybody sins’. He simply stated his personal culpability, and assumed Divine judgement. To be forgiven would be an act of mercy and grace, and have nothing to do with any goodness in himself.

Third, he recognized the extent and impact of his sin. He saw exactly Who he had wronged, God Himself. He had not only wronged his father, or only wronged God, but both. This shows he grasped the true impact that his sin had on others.

Fourth, he recognized judgement was in the hands of others. He had no preconceived notion of what his father must do. He had sinned in his father’s ‘sight’ which indicates he understood his father would have to be the one to determine to forgive. His job was to be truly and totally repentant.

Finally, and this grows out of the others, the man realized that things would be different after being forgiven. He would only be a servant. He could not expect to be fully restored. His relationship with his father would be out of his control.

Heavenly Father, thank You for the mercy and grace that You have shown to us! Without Your choice to justify us by Your Son, we would have no hope. Thank you so much! I will praise You forever! In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

When he came to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired workers have more than enough food, and here I am dying of hunger!

Luke 15:17 CSB

This young man got his mind in gear again. His foolish living had led him down a dark and dangerous road into deep depression. But he drew up short of that because of the upbringing he had. He realized finally what wonderful blessing he had experienced in his father’s house.

Heavenly Father, thank You for loving us even though we have been foolish. You have made it possible for us poverty stricken sinners to become blessed and holy people. What a miracle! What grace! What power! Your steadfast love, wisdom, and holiness are amazing to us. Thank You! In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

He longed to eat his fill from the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one would give him anything.

Luke 15:16 CSB

This man had nobody to turn to. His poverty was profound if the pig food looked like a feast. Nobody cared about his plight.

We have an idea that poverty is a political problem that the government is supposed to solve. But the fact is that poverty exists because of the sinfulness of humanity. Our selfishness and foolishness leads inevitably to some of us being left with nothing.

Heavenly Father, what can we boast? How can we stand? You are above all Holy, Just, and Pure. We can do nothing but prostrate ourselves before You. Whatever we see in our lives that is good, that is Your work. You enable it and You bless it. Without You we could do nothing. In Christ, we can do the impossible. Thank You! In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Then he went to work for one of the citizens of that country, who sent him into his fields to feed pigs.

Luke 15:15 CSB

We don’t immediately think about it, but feeding pigs would be, to Jewish hearers, an even more distasteful task. Pigs were considered unclean. This this job not only reminded the prodigal of his poverty and foolishness, but of his sinfulness. That job would, unlike many others, keep him cut off from participating in the worship of Yahweh. It was for a Jewish crowd not just demeaning, but demoralizing.

Heavenly Father, thank You for Your work in our hearts! You do not leave us alone. You communicate Your truth to us. This is so wonderful! How can we ever thank You or praise You enough? To have truth for life is like a stream in a dry land. In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

After he had spent everything, a severe famine struck that country, and he had nothing.

Luke 15:14 CSB

No foresight and no planning. Adding to the evil of asking for his inheritance prematurely, this young man foolishly failed to use his money well. Thus, brining himself to poverty, he was in a dire situation.

Heavenly Father, thank You for Your provision for us. You have given us all that we need for life. Your care for us is amazing! In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Not many days later, the younger son gathered together all he had and traveled to a distant country, where he squandered his estate in foolish living.

Luke 15:14 CSB

Money gets us into so much trouble! This young fellow wasted no time in getting himself into a bad situation. He could have thought better of his choice and prevented catastrophe. But he wanted to do things his own way.

Heavenly Father, thank You for rescuing us from ourselves. We are so prone to wander! Thank You for Your compassion and unfailing love. In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

The younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the share of the estate I have coming to me.’ So he distributed the assets to them.

Luke 15:12 CSB

One of the things we need not miss in this parable is the sheer evil of this request. It is of comfort to us to see that this young man was guilty of the level of greed and complacency that human beings have been guilty of throughout history. Rather than waiting for the proper time, this son asked his father for any inheritance money in advance.

Heavenly Father, thank You for Your forgiveness in Christ! Without it we would never have any hope at all. The greatness of our sin is only overshadowed by the greatness of Your grace. Thank You! In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

He also said, ‘A man had two sons.’

Luke 15:11 CSB

Here we have the beginning of one of the most beautiful things ever to come from a pen. The parable of the prodigal tells us so much. It stands as a shining testimony to the glory and love of Almighty God.

But, also, never miss the fact that this story is about two sons and their father. It is not just about the prodigal. Jesus is taking His previous teaching a step farther with this one, directly addressing the Jewish elite about their attitude towards sinners.

Heavenly Father, thank You so much for Your love for us! Most of all, thank You for giving us Your Word. It is a source of constant joy to our hearts. You are the rejoicing of our hearts. In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

I tell you, in the same way, there is joy in the presence of God’s angels over one sinner who repents.

Luke 15:10 CSB

Even one conversion is cause for joy, rejoicing and celebration by God Himself. Yes, He knows who will be saved. He isn’t somehow surprised. The celebration is not an expression of surprise or relief. It is an expression of importance, glory, and relationship. Just as we expect the love and care of those close to us, though their actions are no surprise, we rejoice in them nonetheless.

I fear we have prioritized many things over salvation. We celebrate so much in so many ways. Yet we tend to be truly hesitant to be joyful at conversion. We hesitate because we want to be sure the conversion is genuine. Let me suggest that we simply rejoice and celebrate that much more when a person’s conversion is discovered to be false, and is then genuine afterwards.

Heavenly Father, You are glorious, good, and gracious! Thank You for Your wonderful treatment of Your people. You alone are Holy and we will praise You forever! Thank You for Your joy at our conversion. In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

When she finds it, she calls her friends and neighbors together, saying, ‘Rejoice with me, because I have found the silver coin I lost!’

Luke 15:9 CSB

Due to differences in time, this story doesn’t immediately make sense to us. But it would have to the people who were listening to Jesus. We should not think of the silver coin the same way we would a penny. This would be closer in value to one day’s wages. And, it was consistent with the culture that the woman would have a celebratory meal over this event.

Heavenly Father, thank You for Your value of us. We can easily forget it, but You value us more than we value ourselves. You are so Holy and Pure, but You have made us holy. Thank You! In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Or what woman who has ten silver coins, if she loses one coin, does not light a lamp, sweep the house, and search carefully until she finds it?

Luke 15:8

We will go to great lengths to recover things of value. The effort is worth the finding. Notice the word ‘carefully’ here. This woman does not want to miss anything. It would be a waste to put in the effort to make the discovery only to still fail by inches.

This just shows the care and great lengths we are to go to reach a lost soul for Christ. The effort is worth it. We do not have to skimp on the means and methods of getting the gospel message to these individuals.

Heavenly Father, thank You for Your care for us! Just to know that You know each of us and love us so much is a wonderful blessing. You encourage me and cause me to have hope. You are the Rock that we can trust. You know everything that will be done and You have it all planned out. Thank You so much! In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

I tell you, in the same way, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous people who don’t need repentance.

Luke 15:7 CSB

Sometimes Jesus directly spells out exactly what He is saying. He leaves no room for confusion. He wants everyone to immediately understand that the salvation of even one soul is cause for eternal joy.

Here where Jesus mentions joy in heaven, He is employing a Jewish custom that was meant to bring glory to the Father. Rather than directly saying that God will be joyful over one soul saved, He says there will be joy in heaven. This is a way of referring to God without directly saying His Name. It is done to remind the hearers that the LORD is holy.

Heavenly Father, You are indeed holy! You are the Thrice Holy One. You alone know just how significant salvation is. We understand but dimly the glory to You that it brings, and the ultimate joy it causes in our eternal lives. You are the only One Who can help us know what You have in store for those who love You. Thank You! In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

and coming home, he calls his friends and neighbors together, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, because I have found my lost sheep!’

Luke 15:6 CSB

This verse communicates to Christians the kind of joy that Jesus expects to see among us when someone is brought to Christ. This should be something to celebrate. There is nothing more important than the rescue of a lost soul from eternal hell.

Heavenly Father, You are so unique! There is nobody like You. You have done what nobody would have thought possible. Your holy, just, and magnificent plan is the subject of our highest praise. Thank You! In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

When he has found it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders,

Luke 15:5 CSB

Do not for a minute miss the embellishments Jesus adds to His illustration here. The shepherd looking for the sheep, upon finding it, experiences joy. This additional comment is very intentional on the part of the Lord.

Jesus wants for us to imagine a smile on the face of the shepherd. Not a smile because the sheep ran away and needed finding. Not a smile because the sheep was disobedient. A smile because, in spite of the situation, the sheep has been found, rescued, and restored to life among the sheep. A smile because the watchful care of the shepherd has kept this one from the abyss.

Heavenly Father, Your beautiful truth is a balm to our hearts! How can we ever thank You enough for being the beneficent Father that You are? We so easily take it for granted that You are good. But, that fact is the ultimate circumstance of existence. You are not just all-powerful, You are Holy. Your purity and goodness, the extreme perfection of Your love and kindness, are the most amazing thing we can contemplate. It is the only thing that overshadows Your great power and knowledge. You are, in Yourself, the Ultimate Good. Your righteousness is perfectly and completely expressed in Christ. Thank You! In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

What man among you, who has a hundred sheep and loses one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the open field and go after the lost one until he finds it?

Luke 15:4 CSB

Many of the Jews were shepherds. This illustration instantly made sense to them. The question was therefore completely rhetorical.

Jesus often uses simple illustrations that people will immediately understand. This is important for two reasons. First, it shows that the message itself is straightforward. As Paul would say, service to the Lord is ‘reasonable’, and so is everything in Scripture. Second, ignorance is no excuse. The simplicity of the gospel is found difficult for so many not because it is hard to understand. It is just hard for many to accept.

Heavenly Father, thank You for Your will and plan. You know what is best, and You can guide us in the best way. Thank You for all that You do in our lives! In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

So he told them this parable:

Luke 15:3 CSB

This is one of the most beautiful parables of Christ. And, it is one of the most moving passages of Scripture. Jesus speaks of going after the one lost sheep, and highlights the joy in heaven over a single conversion. This is the truth, and love, and power of God in all their glory.

Heavenly Father, thank You for Your wonderful love and truth and power! You are wonderful beyond our wildest imagination. You can see all of our lives in an instant, and know the end from the beginning. Thank You for Your faithful love! In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

And the Pharisees and scribes were complaining, ‘This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.’

Luke 15:2 CSB

The Pharisees were right about some things, but wrong about so much. It was against their sensibilities to countenance speaking with known sinners. Obviously one does have to be careful about getting too friendly with the criminal element, or those who are very morally loose. But the Pharisees took it to an extreme.

Jesus reached many who would otherwise have been left ‘untouchable’ by the religious elite. Why? Because the Lord doesn’t want anyone to die. He wants everyone to repent. Like Him, Christian ministers should also reach to all the lost sheep.

Heavenly Father, thank You for today! Your glory and power are perfect, wonderful, and holy. You alone may know all that can be known. There is so much that we will never know, even once we know so very much more than we do now. You are amazing! In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

All the tax collectors and sinners were approaching to listen to him.

Luke 15:1 CSB

Christians are doing their job right if sinners want to hear the message being taught. See here that they were coming to listen to Him. They may have heard of Him because of His miracles, but they wanted to hear His teaching, and kept listening due to the content of the message.

The Christian message should be of interest to everyone. This does not mean ears should be tickled. The message is not to be changed. But, the audience should be targeted. It is good to teach to a certain crowd or group if that group is in need of truth.

Heavenly Father, You are wise and loving. You know how to get the truth to those who need it. We but need to follow Christ in this. Thank You for loving Your world so much as to send Christ! In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

It isn’t fit for the soil or for the manure pile; they throw it out. Let anyone who has ears to hear listen.

Luke 14:35 CSB

If you have ears, use them! Why does Jesus say something like that? Is He just obnoxious? No. He is alluding to the failure of people to believe what the prophets and the law had taught them. He is saying, if you know the past, apply it to the present. Pay attention to what is going on.

Heavenly Father, thank You for working in this world. Even if we do not see it, Your mercy, grace, and love is constantly at work. I praise You! In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.