Today’s Podcast
Today’s Scriptures
Today’s Bible reading plans include:
Ready – Luke 15:11-32
Set – Zechariah 14; Psalms 147; Luke 15
Go! – Zechariah 13-14; Psalms 147; Luke 15
Luke 15:11-32
11 Once there was this man who had two sons. 12 One day the younger son came to his father and said, “Father, eventually I’m going to inherit my share of your estate. Rather than waiting until you die, I want you to give me my share now.” And so the father liquidated assets and divided them. 13 A few days passed and this younger son gathered all his wealth and set off on a journey to a distant land. Once there he wasted everything he owned on wild living. 14 He was broke, a terrible famine struck that land, and he felt desperately hungry and in need. 15 He got a job with one of the locals, who sent him into the fields to feed the pigs. 16 The young man felt so miserably hungry that he wished he could eat the slop the pigs were eating. Nobody gave him anything.
17 So he had this moment of self-reflection: “What am I doing here? Back home, my father’s hired servants have plenty of food. Why am I here starving to death? 18 I’ll get up and return to my father, and I’ll say, ‘Father, I have done wrong—wrong against God and against you. 19 I have forfeited any right to be treated like your son, but I’m wondering if you’d treat me as one of your hired servants?’” 20 So he got up and returned to his father. The father looked off in the distance and saw the young man returning. He felt compassion for his son and ran out to him, enfolded him in an embrace, and kissed him.
21 The son said, “Father, I have done a terrible wrong in God’s sight and in your sight too. I have forfeited any right to be treated as your son.”
22 But the father turned to his servants and said, “Quick! Bring the best robe we have and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and shoes on his feet. 23 Go get the fattest calf and butcher it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate 24 because my son was dead and is alive again. He was lost and has been found.” So they had this huge party.
25 Now the man’s older son was still out in the fields working. He came home at the end of the day and heard music and dancing. 26 He called one of the servants and asked what was going on. 27 The servant said, “Your brother has returned, and your father has butchered the fattest calf to celebrate his safe return.”
28 The older brother got really angry and refused to come inside, so his father came out and pleaded with him to join the celebration. 29 But he argued back, “Listen, all these years I’ve worked hard for you. I’ve never disobeyed one of your orders. But how many times have you even given me a little goat to roast for a party with my friends? Not once! This is not fair! 30 So this son of yours comes, this wasteful delinquent who has spent your hard-earned wealth on loose women, and what do you do? You butcher the fattest calf from our herd!”
31 The father replied, “My son, you are always with me, and all I have is yours. 32 Isn’t it right to join in the celebration and be happy? This is your brother we’re talking about. He was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found again!”
Today’s Devotional
From today’s background scripture God might say:
Have you ever really looked at what the father did for his son in the story of the prodigal son? Read it again. It gives you a little insight into the choices he allows his sons to make despite the price it might cost him. When his youngest son asks for his inheritance early, that’s a pretty brazen act. In order to give his son his inheritance, it cost the father everything! He had to liquidate his assets to do it.
Remember, an inheritance is supposed to come after a person’s death, but the father liquidated his assets, his ability to make a living for himself, to give his sons their inheritance before his death. Then a third of the value went to his youngest son and two-thirds to his oldest as was the custom. So imagine selling everything you have right now to give a third of its value to your rebellious, troublesome son. Your house is gone, your cars are gone, your furniture goes, everything. The auctioneer comes in and determines the value so your youngest can run away with everything you’ve worked for all your life.
Maybe you have been saving up for retirement and wanted to travel the last few years of your life. Now it’s gone. Maybe you planned to set money aside for your grandkids. Too bad, all whisked away in the auction to settle the inheritances. But the father willingly gave up all he had for the wayward child’s decision. Now for all intents and purposes, he was a hired hand for his oldest son. Fortunately, his son kept him on to manage the rest of the assets and the story implies other two-thirds of the family fortune grew under his father’s management.
The father gave up more than you might initially think when you first read the story. Then look at what he does when the son returns. He welcomes him into the home as a lost son. No recrimination, no criticism. The father just opens his arms and welcomes his lost son with love, mercy and grace.
It’s a good metaphor for how I treat you. I give you a choice as to how you want to live, and it costs Me everything when you tear away from Me. I gave Myself to win you back. I gave up heaven and all its glory and became flesh to be the sacrifice for your sins. And I celebrate when you wake up and discover you can come back to Me. I welcome you home with open arms as the father in the story does when you figure out My plans are best for you.
Wake up. Discover My home is the best place for you.
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