Prodigal.

Luke 15: The audience of his story is not church members, but the worse of worse, but think they are the best of the best.

     In the stories of Luke chapter 15, Jesus is telling 3 stories: the story of the lost coin, the lost sheep, and the lost son. In each story there is something that launches a search party and something that launches a celebration, but what we sometimes don't realize there is a party/celebration in every story Jesus tells. The most popular of the 3 stories, is the lost son, otherwise known as the "prodigal son."  But what most don't know that the word prodigal actually means "extravagant" or "lavish" and nothing about either of the sons in this story are that, but the father is the extravagant one, the father is the one who lavishly loves and forgives. 

     For me, this story shouldn't even be called the "lost son" but instead the "lost sons" because in this story there are two sons that are lost, but one might just not realize it. One son, goes out and had to come to point of admitting he was at rock bottom, but admitting was nothing more than getting up and and simply going home to where his father was. The son left and ended up in disaster, but today we are all in the same boat one choice away from finding ourself in a disaster. It comes down to one word; temptation. Temptation comes from the fact we are insecure of who we are and whose we are. The enemy is continuously cropping out the disaster that some choices will lead to and all you see is the paradise that he tricks you into thinking you are going to find. You have to widened your view. You might ask now, "well how do I widened my view without having to find disaster first?" in other words how can I find out who I am by not leaving the house first like the son did in Luke 15. There is an answer, shocking I know. It was to me at first as well. But you say no to temptation, but at the same time you say yes to God. If you just say no to temptation, that wont cut it. You have to to say no and say yes to God, by doing that you are bringing the power or the Holy Spirit into your life. The response to temptation isn't no, it's throwing your arms out and letting your father hold you. 

     In this story, the son's journey started in the house, but he wandered off. But what I have come to realize, My God will come and run to me wherever I am. You don't have to leave the house for Him to come and meet you. He will come and meet you where you are right now. I think the picture of the son returning home and the father literally sprinting to meet him is a beautiful illustration of what our heavenly father does for us. I imagine God sitting up in heaven looking and waiting for His children to come home, and when they do, He runs and rejoices and says, "My child has returned." I have a father that loves me so much that He will run to meet me if I leave the house, and He will run to meet me if I am in the house. You can always, just go home.  

     He doesn't give up on us, He gives up for us. The 2 sons represent two groups, but they both get the same message, the same gospel. One group is the people who thing they are way to far out, way to far from home, and the other is those of us who think we are already close enough, and have it all figured out.  In reality we are all woven out of a broken humanity. Both sons were in the same situation, they needed an unconditional love from their father, and neither of them were finding it. While one son went out and looked for it, the other stayed home and tried to work for it. Both sons were missing the reality of who they were and whose they were. Both sons had a speech the tried to give to their father. The first one being an apology by the son who wandered off. The other being the son who stayed at home and didn't understand why his father was rejoicing so much over the his brother who had wrecked his life. Luke 15:29 "Look what I have done" the son pleads to the fact that he has never messed up, he has been nothing but loyal to his father and he gets nothing in return. This is a prime example that it is NEVER about what you have or haven't done, but it's all about what God has done. 

     I was the second son. I was the one who didn't understand how my brothers and sisters could go so far gone and come back and get so much praise. I didn't understand why no one was praising me when I never left. I never did anything wrong. I stayed at home. I didn't leave. But what I have come to realized I can't live my life on a "do" basis but a "whose" basis. I can't live my life in the attitude of I did this and not that, because it isn't about that. Because at the end of the day, wether I left the house or I am still here, I am no different. Titus 3:3-5, "At one time we too were foolish, disobedient, deceived and enslaved by all kinds of passions and pleasures. We lived in malice and envy, being hated and hating one another. But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, He saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy." In the end of this story the father runs out to meet both of his sons, just as our heavenly father does and continues to do. I shouldn't have been caught up in myself and worrying about what I wasn't receiving, I should have been running along side the father and going out to those who have gone astray and and reminding them who they are; loved children of God. 

     So yes, I was the second son. I might not have wandered off, but I wasn't any better than the one who did because I was living in selfish attitude, and wasn't rejoicing when someone returned, and I wasn't realizing who I was. But God has humbled my heart. I now realize I am in just as much need for someone to run and meet me when I am in the house, as the person who isn't in the house. 

     You don't have to know how to make it back, you just have to know how to look up. Your father will come and meet you wherever you are. You can never be to far gone, and you can never be close enough to where He can't come meet you. He will come, and He will sprint to you and rejoice in your return. You are His child, and He wants to come meet you, and He wants you to come home. Don't just keep running, don't just keep wandering, don't keep thinking you are close enough. Go home, and let your Father take you in His arms and show you who you are and whose you are. You are God-designed, purpose intended, significant, lavishly loved, princess/prince, son/daughter of the King of the Universe.