The Lost Son // Part 1
Part 1 of the 6 part series: The Lost Son
The Lost Son is part of the two-week study "The Lost Series"
How many of us have gone to our mother or father and said to them, “Hey mom, you know its inevitable. One day, you’re gonna die, and I am going to get an inheritance from you. Well instead of waiting for that inheritance, I want it now.” I am pretty sure if I said that to my mother or father, I would have a shoe on my toosh booting me out the door. This is exactly what we see in the beginning of the story of the Prodigal Son.
Jesus starts by telling us of a man and his two sons. Then the younger son asks his father for something out of this world, his inheritance.
"Father, give me the share of your estate that should come to me.” (Luke 15:12)
You see in these times, and now, you did not receive your inheritance until the passing of one’s father. Can you imagine the look on this father’s face? Sheer and utter shock I’m sure. But the father obliges and divides the inheritance between the two sons, then the younger son goes on his way.
So how many times have we sat back in our life and said to God, “Listen God, life is really swell but it’s time to just give me my portion of the inheritance.” Did you feel the spiritual 2x4 hit you upside the head as you read those words? The Lord calls us to the beautiful wedding feast he is preparing for us in heaven, he calls us all to be saints and to get those around us to heaven. But in no way are we getting that by just demanding it from Him, just because it is our inheritance.
God is so loving, merciful, tender, and generous I can not even imagine uttering those words. So back to the story, you see the younger son is insulting his father’s generosity that he would even get part of the inheritance. When we receive gifts from the Father, and they are freely offered and given to us then we then gain more and allow ourselves to be filled more with the love, mercy, tenderness and generosity of God.
And the last part when we receive this gift and it is freely offered and given and we accept it, it truly can only be ‘kept’ by us by sharing it with those around us. That way we can get to heaven, we can get others to heaven and so that we are striving to be everyday saints. We have to work for that inheritance…just as you worked at being a part of your family. You weren’t given the 2.5 carat diamond ring just for sitting pretty, you got it because you worked at a relationship. Work at this relationship with the Lord and give what is given to you to gain your inheritance.
