 Welcome everybody if you guys can turn to Luke chapter 15 and we'll be taking a journey through the with the prodigal son a Lot of us already know this story, but I want to give it a different twist to it and really look at the love and compassion of the father As we are looking at this and so it's a blessing to see you know, there's an argument out there right now Especially with the Muslim community There's an argument and even among non-believers that in this passage that Jesus is giving There's no Sign of a cross There's no sign of a Messiah and no sign of redeem redemption But by the time we get through this we would see that in fact there is and So hopefully I want to because we're having communion tonight and I want don't want to keep you guys here four or five hours I want to break this up into two messages. So if if I ever been asked to return to speak again I will finish the sex this part of it if I don't then you guys know that I didn't make it through so But let's look at chapter 15 now the context of this in Luke's gospel Jesus Begins his final journey to Jerusalem in chapter 9 and Then by the time we get to chapter 19 he has arisen he has arrived there and In that section there is simmering conflict with the Pharisees that comes to the complaint in chapter 15 as we see in verse 2 And I'll read it here a little bit But it says in the Pharisees inscribed complaint saying this man receives sinners and eats with them This is the main complaint of all of chapter 15. This is why Jesus gives three parables To expose the heart of the Pharisees by this very complaint He sits with sin. He's this man receives sinners and eats with them This complaint is what Jesus it would drive Jesus to use three powerful parables To expose the corrupted heart of the Pharisees and he illustrates the amazing powerful love of the father So look at the as we look at I'm just gonna give an introduction to this chapter And then we'll move into the parable of the of the prodigal son But he here in verses 1 through 2 to get the context and the background we see here Then all the tax collectors and the sinners drew new drew near to him to hear him And the Pharisees and scribes complained saying this man receives sinners and he eats with them The audience to whom Jesus is speaking to was composed of Pharisees They were composed of scribes writers of the law and they were considered the righteous community But yet their hearts as Jesus exposes them were like whitewashed tombs And once again their complaint their chief complaint against Jesus is found in verse 2 This man receives sinners and eats with them During the time of Jesus tax collectors were naturally seen as sinners and they were despised intensely They were the ones that were considered the traitors of the community. They were especially by the righteous. They were considered repulsive they were considered Sinners of the worst kind and and they were classified with by the Pharisees as adulterers and Gentiles Those are probably one of the two worst words you can be called in that time is either a tax collector or Sinner and very close to that was a Gentile if anybody said them words to somebody them and usually fight in words and so when the Pharisees see Jesus eating with these tax collectors and Sinners it really flared the Pharisees up. They were considered repulsive Verse 1 says that the sinners drew near to him This is interesting Because even though they know where Jesus stood and even though they were in sin They still drew near to Jesus. I thought that was an interesting an interesting verse because Even though it tells about he we don't ever see Jesus ever compromise ethically But these people knew where he stood and they were drawn to him You know, I think about even today as Jesus is in search of those who are considered the tax collectors and and the sinners of Our day the the ones that are considered the adulterers or the ones that are considered repulsive We still see that Jesus reaches out to them and he has a heart for these people And I think a lot of times as being in the church We can also have that type of outreach as Jesus has but then we can become like the righteous We can sit there and say, you know, I serve in men's ministry I serve in women's ministry and all of a sudden we are I can't eat with them. They're tax collectors But we see the amazing model of Jesus Christ reaching out to sinners and in the parable of lost son We're gonna see a father reaching out to a son that has no Right whatsoever to receive what the father gives him and that's a picture of Jesus pursuing us How Jesus pursued you and I think about where you have been before your life came to Christ What your life looked like where you a tax collector Were you a sinner a Gentile and we see the amazing love of the father pursuing us? It's amazing today to see how Jesus is Lovingly and patiently pursuing those who are outside the kingdom Do you have loved ones tonight or or do you have family members that are are not walking with the Lord? Do you have those that tonight if they were to pass away? They would face the depths of all eternity in hell And I think a lot of times we can become like these righteous community And we don't want to pursue anybody because we might be too good for that But what about that family member who's you may be the only Jesus that they see You know, it's interesting to point out in 2nd Peter 3 9 it says the Lord is not slack concerning his promise Some count slackness, but his long suffering toward us and not willing that anyone should perish, but all should come to repentance That's an amazing promise that God is patiently waiting for those as he patiently pursues and Lovingly compassionately for those who are not part of the flock And this is what we see here in chapter 15 with three parables which are pictures of Jesus pursuing the lost He's talking about the found He's including the Pharisees in the scribe and I would like to spend a few moments looking at the parable of the prodigal son Has anybody in here heard of the prodigal son? a lot of us have an In addition to this we many see this parable especially as the Muslims as I mentioned before and A lot of people out in our in our society would see this Relate as this actual case that a relationship of Jesus just loving us or God loving us meriting the favor of Salvation and a relationship with Christ They say we don't need a cross because the one is not shown here We don't need a Messiah because one is not shown here. All we need to do is have the father love us And then we're good and we know that's not the case Because indeed we do need a cross and indeed we do need a Messiah and indeed we do need redemption But yet there are those who take this this passage and say look all that takes is just the love of the father and the son being able To go out there and do what he wants and able to come back in and all we have to do is we don't need repentance We don't need anything. We don't need a cross. We don't need a Messiah and A lot of people are taking this and they're taking out a context But if we look at this through the eyes of a Middle Eastern and we look at this through the Different angles that the Bible gives us we can see most definitely there is a cross And we see most definitely there is a Messiah and a redeemer and a father who's passionate and loving and patiently pursuing a sinner and So we we see here that That when we look closely to this parable we see exactly this we see the work of the cross So what I want to do is introduce us in verse 11 It says and he said and we was talking about Jesus a certain man had two sons Now it's interesting to point out that all major players of this parable are listed here We see in the opening verse that all the major players of this parable the prodigal son are mentioned here We have two sons and a father We cannot neglect any of them the interrelationship between the three are supremely important The older son is clearly as important as the younger brother and we'll take a look at that Perhaps a better name for this parable would be the compassionate father and the two lost sons The climax of this whole story occurs in the courtyard at the end where the father was pleading with the older son His anger at both his father and his brother is a clear picture of the Pharisees It is a clear picture of the world The today we see the world it says hate your brother Just so dishonor your parents and doesn't Paul remind us and Timothy and Remind us when he's speaking to Timothy and second Timothy chapter 2 verse 3 this is but know this in the last days Paralist times will come for men will be lovers of themselves lovers of money boastful proud blasphemers disobedient to parents Ungrateful unholy unliving Unforgiving slanderers without self-control Brutal despisers of good Traders headstrong haughty lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God and having a form of godliness but denying its power We see this back then But let's first take before we jump in to the older son Which may be the next time I come and share I want to take it though I want to take a look closely at the younger son Because I think a lot of us here unless I'm Talking to perfect saints or perfected saints a lot of us here can relate to the son The younger son and look what it says in verse 12 It says and the younger and the younger of them said to his father Father give me the portion of goods that falls to me So he divided to them his livelihood You know, it's an interesting request. It's not even a request. It's a command Which is unspeakable In a Middle Eastern community It is unheard of for a younger son to command his father livelihood What the younger son is pretty much telling the older the father is that you are I'm impatient for your death And so I want what's coming to me now I Don't care about you all I care about is wealth and all I care about is going out and live in my life and For a father to grant this request is unspeakable For the very act of commanding his father to give him his all his livelihood He's pretty much saying dad. You're dead to me And it's an interesting request because you don't see the older brother even coming in and one of the things I'll point out down the road is that we don't see the older brother mediating He is as an older brother in that culture is to be a mediator Between the younger or the family community and the father and he's to mediate for the father yet We don't see any of this here. He remains quiet So we also see the heart of the older brother the division of the father's wealth would naturally come only at the end of his life and Happen as it happened in the story of Abraham in Genesis chapter 25 verses 5 through 8 We see that Isaac receives his blessing from Abraham and in the Middle Eastern culture It's unthinkable for any son to request his apportion of his father's wealth while his father is still alive Every Middle Eastern peasant would understand it understand us instinctively. It's not even a question I read a survey one time just recently of of a man asking Middle Eastern villagers family or fathers If somebody were to request such a thing, what would the natural response be and 100 out of 100 responders said Instinctively no way and for this the son To ask or to command for his father's livelihood was also unthinkable but I think about us and I think about how many times we have made those same commands to Jesus Give me what's oh to me because we live in a world today that demands pleasure Do it yourself do it feels good do whatever you want. You deserve it. You work hard and Finally we find ourselves saying you know what Lord give me what I what I want. Give me what I need I see a lot of prayers that way there become times where people say Lord, just give me what I want and It's unheard of when we walk out of God's grace God's position in our position in Christ And we want to live our own way when you think about it that way. It's an unthinkable thing to do But yet we do it This request in itself is a form of mutiny and the protocol is impatient for his father to die and here Jesus is Affirming that mankind in the rebellion against God really want him dead And it's something to point out notice the young son doesn't ask for his inheritance He commands his inheritance He demands a share of the property that falls to him the Greek word is we saw so interesting word and It's a word that says that really pretty much means that I want all my wealth that comes to me Now we notice that this is not an inheritance because if it was an inheritance he would be Mindful of keeping the family's name He would be mindful to build the family in the community He would be mindful of the livelihood of his father and he would be mindful of maintaining the name of the reputation within the community So this is not an inheritance. He's asking for he's asking for my portion Give me what's mine and doing this a protocol son cut some off from his familial From his family roots as he seizes his share of wealth and in the process He breaks fellowship with the father That is fatal This is a clear picture of those who have done the same thing when choosing to live and love the world and breaking fellowship with the Lord I don't know about you guys, but there's been a time in my life where I have done the same thing Lord, you know it This is getting boring You know what I want to go out there and explore it on my own. I Want to do this all on my own. I want to go out there and you know what? You know just Give me what I want and There's a loving father would he says you want to go out there you go out there And we all know this many of you have gone out there. It's nothing but a life of destruction Nothing but a life of pain and heartache and and turmoil But yet we have we see this in the world today that is its message is just do it yourself Do what makes you feel good Go out there and do as much as you can and there's no trace of Relating to a father at all Jesus reminds us in Mark chapter 8 verses 36 and 37 what profit will it what will it profit a man if he gains the whole World and loses his own soul or what man would give an exchange for his soul It's amazing to see what people are living for today I'm astonished of the things that people are forfeiting the relationships with Jesus for for money For relationships for a position for title and the list goes on and on and on and this is the message of the world today, isn't it? Live for yourself live for your relationships Live for and you can fill in the blanks And we have literally broken off our relationship with the father in hot pursuit of these things that we think may find fulfillment Pursuit a life that is driven by self-centered pride as a prodigal son has cries out and demand give me Doesn't even ask He says give me Father give me the portion and Not considering the hurt and pain that would cause His father that would cause his family Often water why often wonder why does a father actually grant him this request or grant him this command? He grants it this unspeakable Dumb request by the younger son But why does he do this? Because of his outpouring love he has to a son does anybody in here have children you know that love what that love looks like Why does he do it? because he loves You know what eventually the Lord will give those who want to live this lifestyle He'll give it the Lord will give it to you. Why because he loves you and he knows one day You'll probably come back and say I made a mistake If we're commanding the Lord that we're gonna live a specific way without him he'll he'll grant it to us Even if it breaks his heart he will give to us what we're commanding and As a younger son is driven by self-centered pride his relationship with his father is broken. He has no care About how the others in his family see this. He has no care about how his father feels He has no care about this because he is driven by self He is driven by pride. He is driven by a self-driven pride that has allowed him to think only for himself he is serving the American Trinity me myself and I and A lot of times we are also serving that same Trinity And if the Lord it breaks God's heart, but he says John if you want to serve that go ahead Look at verse 13. It says and not many days after The younger son gathered all together Gather all together journeyed to a far country and there he wasted his possessions with protocol living And when he had spent all there was or when he had spent all there arose a severe fear of severe famine in the land And he began to be in want then he realized I'm sorry Then he went and joined himself to be a citizen of that country And when he said when these when he sent him into the fields to feats wine And he would gladly have filled his stomach with the pods that were that the swine ate and no one gave him anything You know, it's interesting that we see that there's a brief timeline mentioned here When he commands the father to give me my portion And then it says not many days later he gathered it all The text tells us that what this is within a matter of days And when you look in the original language of gathered together It carries an interesting meaning it means that everything was turned into cash so more than likely this The livelihood that this man had coming to this younger son was property and Then soon after that property was turned into cash And then the son took his livelihood and took it out for wasteful living The fact is that there was a get out of town hurry mentality Tells us that there was a disrespect for the entire community That the disrespect for the community and the disrespect for the father and for the family was big and the son wanted to get out of town The son leaves and the only thing that follows him is the love of his broken hearted father When we leave the riches of Christ for the temporary thrill of the world we break the father's heart But there's more First century Jewish customs dictate that if a Jewish boy Lost the family inheritance or his livelihood among the Gentiles and Dare to return to his home the the community would take a large pot and they would take it to the gate of the city and they would smash it on the ground and That's called a kezaza. It's a ceremony and when they do that They are diss they are They are removing the person from that community to never be rejoined again It's remember. It's not a law that's broken. It's a broken relationship with the father And so what happens is that they would break this large pot in front of the front of the son It was or the person that has returned and they would cry out so and so is cut off from the community and from his people and the ceremony the kezaza really literally means cutting off and So after the ceremony was performed the entire community and the family would have nothing to do with the wayward person By selling his portion of the goods and taking it with him the protocol takes a huge risk If he loses that money among the Gentiles, he burns his bridge and has no way of coming home He has no more rights to claim. No one will take him in Verse 13 tells us that he wasted his possessions. So there he meets the requirement for the ceremony He wastes it with protocol living He squandered his money. He squandered all his possessions and and he lived a life that was wasteful A man has a single evil quality of that wasting his substance. That's what his protocol living produced. I Don't know about you guys, but there was a time in my life where I did nothing but protocol living And it seemed like I found myself as we will see here that in verse 14 that a severe Famine hits the country that this guy goes to and Anytime that we're outside of the will of the Lord Anytime that we go outside of his will to pursue those things of the world We will find ourselves in a severe famine and in a far country and in verse 14 He tells us that he began to be in want Imagine being in a severe famine and being in want the two most Two of the most destructive things that we could have spiritually in our lives is to be spiritually famished And to be spiritually in want Because we know that anything that we pursue in this world will not fulfill that desire That's why Ecclesiastes tells us that God has placed eternity in our hearts Has anyone ever walked away from the Lord? There will always be a time of severe spiritual famine and we will begin to be in want This is a dark place spiritually Pursuing the things of the world or the desires of the flesh will always bring severe famine in our lives We will always bring a severe famine and to be in want and this what takes place We never would and hear what takes place is something we would never imagine How did I end up here? How did I just end up here? I was just in my father's house and now I'm in a far country and a severe famine and I'm in want That plan backfired on him But look what verses 15 and 16 said then he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country And he sent him into the fields to feed swine And he would gladly have filled the stomach with the pods that the swine ate and no one gave him anything It says that he joined himself to a far country The word join in the original language speaks of being glued together It speaks of dust that clings to feet or it can mean a man the joining of his wife Or it can also mean holding fast to what is good So the picture here is that this man gave and went and gave everything of himself to be a part of this country And the application that can be applied here is that when we have pursued those things of the world When we have pursued the things outside the Lord, we literally become joined within that far country And we see that he sent in the fields to feed the swine In the Middle East to the state people in the Middle East detest pigs and If this young man has any honor he would refuse to feed them For someone in whose culture and tradition despises pigs is difficult to communicate. That's how much they hate pigs It's repulsive notion of feeding pigs How many times do we sell ourselves short when we fall outside God's will and We end up finding ourselves in a place where how did I get here and? We find ourselves feeding the pigs of our lives those things that are repulsive those things that are detestable We we find ourselves now in that place where we're now feeding pigs And it's when we walk outside of the will of the Lord when we walk outside God's love and compassion we will find ourselves in these situations. I've been there many times Yet we can say the same thing the very things that we detest the the things that are so repulsive to us Are the very things that we walk into when we walk away from the Lord, but we see the protocol is desperate and Excepts to do such a horrific task of feeding these pigs The protocol desperately wanted to eat the pods of the owner Throwing to the pigs and his stomach wouldn't even be able to digest them And he would gladly just when it says that he would gladly love to fill his stomach the word gladly Is in the original language speaks of a very strong lust? So not only was he starving, but he was lusting for these pods that these pigs were eating You know when I was a teenager I used to go to that got there for mission trips and whatever food you didn't eat They would put in a big bucket and they would let its milk Surup and then hamburgers for lunch and they would let it sit in a big bucket for like three or four days And it's in the heat and it would get it Of course, you know starting in flies and they would take these buckets and give them to the pigs And it would stink and the pigs are just eating it up You know and and I was thinking about that when I was putting this together how often times that we cast our pearls to the swine Because we want to fulfill the things that we feel that we need to fulfill and Those it was nasty even when you go to Mexico today and some of the areas my wife and I would go through you can smell the pig farm You can smell it a mile away and it's disgusting and I can imagine this man who detests pigs because he's a Jew is in there with the pigs and He's in there. He is so hungry That he's he's lusting for these the verse doesn't say here that he ate the pods but indicates that he earnestly desired to eat them He'd long to eat what the pigs are eating The pigs were better off than he was and he and his despair reached a new depth However, he was not at the end of his rope at least not yet He was a starving and He would and he had to eat somehow But look at verse 17 says but when he came to himself He's go back up here. I Mean I want to say something. I wouldn't have any problem being with the pigs because in my mind That's a plate of carnitas right there Or a chorizo burrito So I wouldn't have an issue with that but imagine that this young man Having to do stuff now Joe. He had to join himself to another citizenship of another country and Then he the man who owned the pigs. He said he sent them out to the swine to feed the pigs and So this man is finding himself progressively spiraling down and In verse 17 it says but when the man when he came to himself He said how many of my father's hired servants have bred enough and to spare and I perish with hunger And I will rise and go to my father and I will say to him father I've sinned against heaven and before you I am no longer worthy to be called your son Make me like one of your hired servants The younger son finally comes to a self and decided to return home For centuries this phrase has been interpreted to mean he repented in Verse 17 he said when he came to himself But did he really Can a single man bring repentance upon himself The Gospel of Mark tells us that repentance comes from the Lord in his self talk And in the far country he expresses no remorse in this in these few verses here Do you see him? Do you see any remorse in his language? Do you see I have shamed my family? I have caused my father deep pain. I caused him anguish He there's not even a voice of regret in these following verses But there's only a desire to eat Only desire to Be hired as a servant that I may work and go pay off this debt that I may owe my father He did not say I shame my family or cause my my family deep anguished He didn't voice any regret here that he squandered the money His problem is that he had lost the money among the Gentiles and he knew he'd be confronted with the Kazaza ceremony And he was thinking of a way that he can father butter up his father that he may be hired as a servant There seems to be an assumption here that on his part of that restoration to the family community was also Was only possible when he paid back his debt He thought if I just could be accepted as a hired servant He would plan to make that humble speech and convince his father to ask him back See the prodigal son has missed the point It's not about the money It's about the relationship he broke with the father It's not about being hired as a servant and there's an assumption on his part that hey if I come up with this speech This humble speech before my father. He will let me back into his graces But look at verses 18 and 19. I will rise And I will go to my father and I will say to him Father I have sinned against heaven and before you and I'm no longer to be worthy I'm no longer worthy to be called your son make me like one of your hired servants We see a prepared speech given by the younger son Sadly the prodigal does not yet know what the nature of his sin. He thinks that the issue here is lost money It isn't it's the father's broken heart and the problem isn't the broken law But the broken relationship and the prodigal's thinking if I could just become a servant and work I can pay this money back He doesn't understand Or he doesn't realize that he is the son of the house and This dilution this solution would never satisfy the the father to be hired as a servant He doesn't realize that he is the son. He doesn't understand any of this thus. He proposes a confession a Confession that is even seem sincere He he figures like if I can just Become a servant, but he doesn't realize that he is a son of the house And I think a lot of times we follow it fall in that same type of thinking we fall into this thinking that we don't understand our position in Christ We don't understand that that we are who we are in Jesus Christ And sometimes I have to remind myself of my position in Christ by reading Ephesians chapter 1 and 2 that will give you an amazing Perspective of your position in Christ Because a lot of times I think we don't understand that position And a lot of times we follow us we sell ourselves short of being a hired servant and really understanding that our heritance from the Lord is As we are if we are the son of the house There are times that we underestimate who we are in Jesus and and we settle to feed pigs and Their opening remark in this in this young man's rehearse speech was carefully selected when he says father I have sinned against you. I have sinned against heaven and before you This is not repentance This is this is not but it's rather a rehearse speech in order that he would get his father to hire him as a servant that He may pay back his debt This isn't sincere Once again the protocol isn't aware of the real issue of a broken relationship with the father He's focused focused on himself He's he's focused and centered on what he can still get Reconciliation is not a part of his immediate plan because he has not faced his own sin He cannot possibly understand what reconciliation means just yet. I Think a lot of times you guys we can also fall into this trap It may not be pursuing the riches of the world, but it's not understanding who we are in Christ We are more than conquerors in Christ Jesus Ephesians chapter 1 and verses of chapter 1 and 2 Tells us that we have been brought near by the blood of Christ that we have every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places with Christ Jesus, I don't know if we understand that or not if we can really wrap our minds around that because a lot of times we settle ourselves in defeating pigs and And we underestimate the power that God has given us as Christians to be Christ's like But yet we sell ourselves to the far country. We become citizens of that land and we sell ourselves short by feeding pigs in verses 20 and 2224 it says and and he arose and came to his father But when he was still a great way off his father saw him and had compassion and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him And 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 But the father said to him Servants bring out the best robe and put it on him put out a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet and bring the Fatty calf here and kill it and let us be merry for this is my son was dead and he is alive again He was lost and is found and they begin to be merry Things didn't work out as a son anticipated He had this rehearsed speech going into his father Saying okay lord, okay father if I come to you with this rehearsed speech Then I can not have that kaza's a break on me or around me and I can join you as a servant But that didn't work out What happens here is a radically untraditional from every perspective As the product returns to the village he expects the father to remain unapproachable He expects him to remain distant and as he's in the house as the protocol makes his way through the village This is what the young the young the young son thought and typically the son would not have would have to wait outside The gate of the family house before being allowed to see his father and a lot of times the father would come and be angry There would be a lot of scorn for the people of the village and and he would be already rejected by the entire community But rather what do we see? We see a waiting father a Father waiting painfully and patiently for his boy The father reacts in a very counter cultural manner He breaks all the rules of a Middle Eastern father and he runs down the road to reconcile his son to himself The word run in the original language as we see here When he said that I have syndicate when these the father sees him and he runs to him That word run in the original language is used the Paul used in the New Testament to describe stadium foot races So this father raced literally sprinted to his son and we have to remember something about the fathers in Middle Eastern culture They're considered very dignified and For them at all any type of running would be disrespectful Any type of running or walking or chasing after something would be really uncultural? And for the fact that this man had to pull his robe up and tuck it in to hold it as a teenager would He ran with his legs showing in a position of humility This father went all across cultural differences all across cultural rules everything that would bring disrespect Humility to his father's name the father did because he went after the son Does that sound familiar? He doesn't wait for the protocol to come to him But rather at the great cost goes down and find to find and resurrect the one who was lost and dead His father had compassion on him and he raced This was considered shameful Because the father is allowed to show his legs He's pulling up his garment as a dignified man. They would not run anywhere for anything The father shamed himself publicly for the love is of his son 2nd Corinthians 519 says that is that God was in Christ reconciling the world To himself not imputing their trespasses to them as he committed us to the word of reconciliation In John's gospel Jesus says I am the father R1 this parable depicts a Father who leaves the comfort and security of his home Humiliates himself before the entire community and entire before the entire population or the entire people and he comes down and goes to a son Which indicates the costly demonstration and the expected love in the village demonstrates the work of the cross the father here publicly shames himself and As he goes and he runs to his son as Any painful parent would lose a child and they wait for him daily The agony and the pain that the the father where the mother would go through waiting for their child to come back would be excruciating not knowing where my son is not knowing where my daughter is and Waiting patiently and finally when they see him at a far distance that the father pulls up his garment Something that older dignified Middle Eastern men do not do and he pulls his garment up And he races in a foot race to a son He publicly humiliates himself Shames himself and before the entire community because he's going against all cultural norms as a Middle Eastern father And yet the father pursues the son and This is a beautiful picture of how Jesus has pursued each and every one of you how he has pursued me You know, it's interesting about verse 21 is That the the son finally sees and recognizes the love and compassion of his father towards His father towards him because his rehearsed speech that he gave earlier is not even close to what he says here Look what he says in verse 21 and the son said to him father I have sinned against heaven and in your sight. I'm no longer the worthy to be called your son He couldn't even give the rehearsed speech he gave because he was so devastated by the love and compassion that his father showed him He couldn't even give his rehearsed speech and This entire parable is about the unconditional love that the father through Jesus Christ has has given for you and I The compassion the father demonstrates here to the son Who in every right should have been cast out Yet instead was greeted with kisses of the father in the original language those kisses are many kisses I think of my daughter when I go home She kisses me all over my face and it's the same thing the father did to the son. Kissed him repeatedly Compassionately isn't our Lord amazing That he has pursued us the same way that he has pursued the father pursued the prodigal son You know at the end of the chapter or at the end of this our passage here. He's greeted with kisses of the father He's given the best robe which is a place of honor He's given a ring which is a trusted signet ring of the family and he's given sandals a symbol of status that because slaves in that time We're barefooted Our Lord is amazing isn't he this is a clear picture At one time we were walking as a prodigal son our hearts were full of self And in every right we should have been cast out But the Lord waited for you the Lord waited for me and He ran in a sprint to come to us and When we received that that was where true repentance is at