Coming to Sense

Jesus told the parable of the prodigal or the lost son. He was one of two sons for his father, who asked his father to give him his portion of his estate. The father divided the estate in two and gave the son his portion. He took his inheritance, went into a far country and wasted all of it on reckless living. After he spent everything, there was a famine in the country and he became destitute. The son decided to look for work and was hired by one of the citizens. They sent him into the field to feed pigs and he was so hungry, that he would have eaten the pods used to feed the pigs. It was at this time when the son came to his senses. He reflected on the fact that even the servants in his father’s house had enough food to spare. Why then was he living in hunger and desperation?

“I will arise and go to my father, and I will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you” (Luke 15:18). He decided that even if he was no longer accepted as a son to his father, that he was willing to be his servant. While the son was on his way to his father’s home, his father saw him from a far away distance. He ran towards his son, embraced him and kissed him. The son repented and confessed to his father that he was no longer worthy to be called his son. His father gave instructions for him to be dressed in the finest clothing and planned a celebration to mark his return. “For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found.’ And they began to celebrate” (Luke 15:24).

Jesus told this parable in conjunction with the parables of the lost sheep and the lost coin. The point of these parables was to speak of the unconditional love of God. A God who never despises us or turns his back on us, no matter our faults of failures. The parable of the lost sheep illustrated a shepherd with one hundred sheep, who lost one. This shepherd left the ninety nine and went in search of the one, until he was found. After he found the sheep, he celebrated for the one that returned. Similarly, the women who had coins and lost one, swept her house until she found it. Once she found the coin, she called her friends to celebrate with her for finding it. Jesus’s point was that no life was insignificant and the father is not happy unless all his children who are lost, are found.

Of significance was the lost son coming to his senses. Perhaps pride, stubbornness or fear kept him from returning home, once his money was spent. He may have feared rejection, ridicule or being scolded for his sin. He eventually came to his senses or came back in right thinking. Faulty thinking can cause us to stay away from love and safety. What would make the son of a wealthy father want to take a job feeding pigs? He was not in his right mind and for a brief period he was outside of his senses. Once his senses returned, he made a sensible decision and returned to his father. You are never too far gone for God to reach you and he is patiently awaiting your return. God created us, he loves us and no sin or wrongdoing can cause him to stop loving us.

“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9).

A.P.-Y.