Returning Home: The Heart of God's Love

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But eventually the party's over. And there's an old saying that says sin will take you farther than you want to go, keep you longer than you want to stay, and cost you more than you want to pay. It's a fool's temptation. It's bringing you down this road that will actually destroy you. It's fun for a while. [00:07:17] (19 seconds) Edit Clip


We might say he had a come to Jesus moment. A lot of us who are praying for a prodigal, this is the prayer we're praying for. This is the moment we want to see. That person who's wandered off and they're far from the Lord, what we're praying is, Lord, wake them up. Take the blinders off their eyes. They are deceived right now. They think the direction they're going is the path to life, but we know it's a path to death. Lord, would you take the blinders off their eyes and help this person see how much they need you? [00:09:34] (33 seconds) Edit Clip


And it would be better to be a servant in my father's house. It would be better to be the lowest of the low in my father's house than to be in charge of my life outside of my father's house. [00:10:34] (15 seconds) Edit Clip


But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion and ran and embraced him and kissed him. Wow. There's so much vivid detail in this verse. It says the father saw him a long way off. [00:13:09] (17 seconds) Edit Clip


And so it says he's waiting. And then it says the father saw him and felt compassion, ran to him and embraced him. Now, some scholars have said that this would actually be very unusual for a father to take off running. And in this context, you could see, right, the son is supposed to be coming home groveling. So even if the father is going to receive him, you would expect the father to stand there very dignified, waiting for him to come and grovel at his feet. But it says the father runs to him, embraces him, kisses him. This is so undignified. The father should be standing his ground. He should be waiting for the disgraced son to come and grovel. The religious elites who are here, they're offended that Jesus would even eat with sinners. But here the father isn't just eating, he's embracing them, he's kissing them. [00:14:21] (68 seconds) Edit Clip


God's love is poured out to whosoever will. God's love and his mercy is so great that Paul and James and Jesus. They have to remind us, hey, don't keep on sinning because you know how good God is, right? Don't take advantage of this. But God's love and his mercy is so great. It's just like reckless. [00:17:26] (26 seconds) Edit Clip


He's given him the checkbook. Look, the shoes would have been, the sandals that they call for would have been the footwear of a free person. He's saying, take off those slave shoes and give him proper sandals. He's not a slave, but he's a son. And that's not enough. Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let us eat and celebrate. In Jewish culture, it's all about the feast. Remember, this whole story started with a meal. Jesus is sitting down and he's eating with sinners and tax collectors. The Pharisees are muttering about this. They're not at all happy about this. How dare you eat with this? And so Jesus tells three stories. And in the climax of this story, we arrive at another meal. He says, kill the fattened calf. Let us eat and celebrate. [00:21:17] (53 seconds) Edit Clip


The Pharisees, they were so put off by Jesus eating with sinners and in his story, the father isn't just eating with the sinner, but they're throwing a feast in their honor. Because verse 24, this is the punchline, for this, my son was dead and is alive again. He was lost and is found and they began to celebrate. [00:23:20] (24 seconds) Edit Clip


So the son heads home. He's hoping for a job. He goes, I know I blew it. I know I don't deserve to be called your son, but man, if I could just be your servant, because I know it's better in your household than it is out here. That would be enough. But he's surprised to find out. Number three, you belong at home. You belong at home. That's what you were made for. You were designed to be in the house of your father. And look at the heart of the father. There's no condemnation. He doesn't even let him finish his apology, his speech. He calls the servants, bring the robe, get the ring, put shoes on his feet, kill the fattened calf. We're going to celebrate. He is treated as a son and not a servant. [00:31:01] (43 seconds) Edit Clip


In Ephesians 2, Paul says, but God, being rich in mercy because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ. By grace, you have been saved and raised up with him and seated us with him in heavenly places in Christ Jesus. We were dead, no hope, but God, but God. That's beautiful words. But God made us alive together with Christ by grace we share in the resurrection. [00:33:03] (32 seconds) Edit Clip


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