The Road Home

I’m sure that at least sometime in our younger lives we had thoughts like the youngest son of a man and the story of his journey that’s told in the 15th chapter of the Gospel of Luke. As the story starts the young man probably tired of what he considerd a very mundane life and was ready to leave home and see what the world, just across the horizon, held for him. As you have read I’m sure, he approaches his Father with his request for his portion of the goods and was more than likely shocked when his father granted the request. Not only did the father grant his youngest sons request but also granted his oldest son his portion of the goods.
So many times in our younger days I’m quite certain that the desire to leave home and the limits placed on us by our godly fathers became quite a hindrance if not a nuisance to us and the desire for our freedom just cried out from within our souls. If I could just be freed from the rule of my Father and see what’s out there in the rest of the world was upon our minds daily. Now the youngest son is not only freed from the restrictions of home but he has ample resources and the journey begins.
And it doesn’t take long for the journey to take a dramatic twist. Through bad lifestyles, riotous living the young nameless lad finds his dreams are shattered and the reality of a life away from his Father’s love and kindness brings the young man literally to his knees. Money all spent he joins himself to a citizen of the country and has the worst job one could probably have, feeding the swine. Caring for the stinking, nasty creatures that he never had to care for in his Fathers house. As he realizes he’s at the lowest position and stature in his life he considers fighting the pigs for the husks and corn that they are dining upon.
Then something marvelous happens. The scripture says “And when he came to himself”…. This story in my opinion is not about regeneration or not about we as God’s people making good choices. It’s about repentance and restoration and the realization that when we make terrible choices it does not remove us from the love of God. When the moment came along with the realization that back home his Fathers servants dine far better than he was about to dine something wonderful occurred. And along with the God sent realization of his current situation from His heavenly Fathers throne room came the strong desire “I will arise and go to my father and will say unto Him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before thee, And am not worthy to be called thy son: make me as one of thy hired servants.
When we truly repent with a Godly repentance the knowledge of our current situation truly comes to our mind and God sends us a way out. So it was with the young man….I won’t come back as your son, but as one of your hired servants. I’m not worthy of the close relationship that I had, but if I could just serve you as your hired servants do, I will be satisfied.
But unknown to the young man, someone had been searching the horizon for months looking for a shadow or an image of someone, that might just be his son. Can you imagine the joy that must have filled the Fathers bosom with the growing image of someone that continued to look a lot like his youngest son. I would not be surprised if shouts of joy filled the air when the son came into full view and that his Fathers loving instructions rang through out the camp.”Bring forth the best robe, and put it on him; and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet: And Bring forth the fatted calf and kill it; and let us eat, and be merry: For this my my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found. And they began to be merry.”
The youngest son’s prepared speech to his father regarding a servants position was not heard but only the shouts of joy in the camp rang forth. But there were shouts being heard in a place far above the camp of the father and son. Luke also wrote in the 15th chapter “Likewise, I say unto you there is joy in the presence of God over one sinner that repenteth.” Repentance is so very important in our lives that when repentance truly comes the Angels in heaven around the throne of God shout praises for one of God’s children that turn from great error and basks in the forgiving love of our Almighty Father. So then if the Angels are filled with joy should we not also be filled with joy and love for one of our brothers and sisters that have turned their face from error and bask again in the light of the love of God.
Joy in the camp, joy in heaven and joy in our lives by repenting from the things that hold us back from worshipping our Father in heaven….