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But the father told his servants, ‘Quick! Bring out the best robe and put it on him; put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet.

Luke 15:22 CSB

The father restores the son to his full position as a member of the family. This makes his forgiveness of the prodigal clear to everyone right away.

Heavenly Father, You are so wonderful, powerful, and righteous! Your ways are awesome and your judgements are perfect. I can only sing Your praise and wonder at Your love and wisdom. Thank You for all that You are! In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

The son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight. I’m no longer worthy to be called your son.’

Luke 15:21 CSB

The prodigal did not for any reason think that his admission of guilt was unnecessary, in spite of his father’s warm welcome. True repentance is not grovelling to coerce the mercy of another. Instead, it involves coming to veiw oneself as sinful, and to understand one’s guilt and shame. It means that a person realizes they are not worthy of forgiveness. Then the abundant mercy and grace of God forgives.

Heavenly Father, thank You for Your love, compassion, and forgiveness! You are wise, good, pure, and worthy! I love You! In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

So he got up and went to his father. But while the son was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion. He ran, threw his arms around his neck, and kissed him.

Luke 15:20

Notice that the compassion in the heart of the father was precipitated only by the return of the son. Before the son had made any statements concerning his guilt, the father was ready to receive a repentant prodigal.

This is significant. Were it not for the Heavenly Father’s compassion towards us, no amount of repentance on our part would be sufficient to merit his full and free forgiveness. Do not suffer under the delusion that God ‘must’ forgive sinners. He ‘will’ and shall because that is His desire. And, through His Wonderful Son, He has made it possible to satisfy His own divine justice in our forgiveness.

Heavenly Father, thank You for the beauty of Your plan! You alone are wise! I live in awe of Your care for us. Only by Your grace can we live and make a difference. Thank You! In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

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 15:13 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.