The Father’s Love

As we look at the prodigal (extravagantly wasteful) actions of the younger son in Jesus’ story, we can’t help but also noticing the extravagant wasteful love of the Father. It is relentless and unstoppable. The love God has for us is hard to wrap our minds around. No matter what you have done or where you have been…the warm embrace of the Father’s Love is waiting on you today! It’s time to come back!

Text: Luke 15:11-32, Luke 15

GEN Z BIBLE - LUKE 15

Gen Z: Luke 15

Then all the tax collectors and ‘party animals’ gathered around to listen to him.

So, like, the Pharisees and scribes were all like, whispering and stuff, and saying, You won’t believe it, but this dude actually hangs out with sinners and even grabs a bite with them.

So, he started explaining this story to them, like,

Imagine this, fam: You’re a shepherd chilling with a hundred sheep,right? But then, one of them goes missing. Would you just leave the other ninety-nine alone in the wilderness and not search high and low until you find that lost sheep? Nah, man! You gotta go find your lost homie!

And when he finally finds it, he throws it over his shoulders and starts celebrating like crazy.

And when he gets back home, he gathers all his squad and fam, shouting out to them like, ‘Let’s get lit, y’all! I found my lost sheep!’

Yo, listen up! In heaven, there’s gonna be mad joy when just one sinner comes to the realness and repents. It’s gonna be even more lit than celebrating the ninety-nine righteouspeople who be living right and don’t need no repentance.

Imagine this girl who has like, ten shiny coins. But oh no, she loses one! So what does she do? She grabs a candle, cleans the entire house, and goes on a serious scavenger hunt until she finds that precious coin. She’s determined to find it! You know, just like a drachma is a small part of an ounce, this coin is like worth some serious dough, like Roman penny level. It’s valuable and worth searching for!

And when she finally finds it, she texts her friends and neighbors like, ‘OMG you guys, celebrate with me! I found the thing I lost!’

And I’m like, listen up fam, when just one person decides to turn their life around and repent, it’s a total party up in heaven with all the angels. It’s all about that joy, you know what I’m saying?

So, like, there was this dude who had two sons:

The younger one asks his dad, ‘Yo, Dad! Can I get my share of the loot now?’ So the dad split his stuff and gave it to both of them.

And, like, not long after that, the younger son got all his stuff and went on a trip to a faraway place. He totally blew all his money on wild parties and stuff.

So, like, this dude was spending all his cash, and then BAM! A major famine hit the land, and suddenly he was totally broke.

So he like went and started hanging out with this local guy in town, and this guy was all like, ‘Go take care of my pigs on my land.’

And he was so hungry that he really wanted to eat the pig’s leftovers, but nobody gave him anything.

And like, when he finally woke up and realized what was going on, he was like, ‘OMG, my dad’s workers have so much food to eat, and here I am starving!’

I’m gonna get up and head over to my dad, and I’ll be like, ‘Hey, Dad, I messed up big time, both in the eyes of heaven and in front of you.’

And I don’t even deserve to be called your son anymore: just treat me like one of your workers.

So the guy got up and went to his dad. But from pretty far away, his dad spotted him and felt super sorry, so he sprinted over, hugged him tight, and gave him a big smooch.

And the son was like, ‘Yo, Dad, I messed up big time. I’ve totally disappointed heaven and you, and I don’t even deserve to be called your son anymore.’

Yo, listen up, servants! Grab that sickest robe and hook this dude up with it. Oh, and don’t forget to slide a dope ring on his hand and some fresh kicks on his feet!

Yo, go get that prime chunk of meat, slay it, and let’s grub and throw a lit party!

My dude, just peep this: my son was straight-up gone, like, spiritually dead and all. But now, he’s back in the game, totally alive! He was lost, like, on some next-level level, but we finally found him. And let me tell you, we all started partying like there’s no tomorrow. It was epic!

So the older son was out in the field, and when he came near the house, he heard some lit music and dancing going on.

So he goes up to one of his peeps, a servant, and is like, ‘Yo, what’s the deal with all this?’

And he was like, ‘Yo, guess what? Your bro is here and your dad straight up roasted the best calf because he’s pumped that he came back in one piece.’

But he was so mad, he just couldn’t go inside. So his dad came out and begged him to come in.

And he was like, yo, dad, I’ve been serving you for mad years and I never once broke your commandments. But you never gave me a lit party with my homies, not even a little goat, man!

But once your son came back, who wasted all your money on partying and bad choices, you threw a massive celebration for him.

And he was like, ‘Dude, you’re always here with me, and everything I’ve got is totally yours.’

It was totally lit that we should turn up and be hype, ‘cause your bro was straight up gone, but now he’s back and we found him, no cap. —Gen Z: Luke 15

https://genz.bible/Luke/15

11 And he said, A certain man had two sons:
12 And the younger of them said to his father, Father, give me the portion of goods that falleth to me. And he divided unto them his living.
13 And not many days after the younger son gathered all together, and took his journey into a far country, and there wasted his substance with riotous living.
14 And when he had spent all, there arose a mighty famine in that land; and he began to be in want.
15 And he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country; and he sent him into his fields to feed swine.
16 And he would fain have filled his belly with the husks that the swine did eat: and no man gave unto him.
17 And when he came to himself, he said, How many hired servants of my father’s have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger!
18 I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before thee,
19 And am no more worthy to be called thy son: make me as one of thy hired servants.
20 And he arose, and came to his father. But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him.
21 And the son said unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in thy sight, and am no more worthy to be called thy son.
22 But the father said to his servants, Bring forth the best robe, and put it on him; and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet:
23 And bring hither the fatted calf, and kill it; and let us eat, and be merry:
24 For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found. And they began to be merry.
25 Now his elder son was in the field: and as he came and drew nigh to the house, he heard musick and dancing.
26 And he called one of the servants, and asked what these things meant.
27 And he said unto him, Thy brother is come; and thy father hath killed the fatted calf, because he hath received him safe and sound.
28 And he was angry, and would not go in: therefore came his father out, and intreated him.
29 And he answering said to his father, Lo, these many years do I serve thee, neither transgressed I at any time thy commandment: and yet thou never gavest me a kid, that I might make merry with my friends:
30 But as soon as this thy son was come, which hath devoured thy living with harlots, thou hast killed for him the fatted calf.
31 And he said unto him, Son, thou art ever with me, and all that I have is thine.
32 It was meet that we should make merry, and be glad: for this thy brother was dead, and is alive again; and was lost, and is found. —Luke 15:11-32 (KJV)

Dictionary.com defines prodigal as “wastefully or recklessly extravagant” or “a person who spends, or has spent, his or her money or substance with wasteful extravagance; spendthrift”, which I think pretty much sums up this prodigal son. The other definition of prodigal is: “giving or yielding profusely; lavish” or “lavishly abundant; profuse”.

See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. —1 John 3:1 NIV

7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace
8 that he lavished on us. With all wisdom and understanding, —Ephesians 1:7-8 (NIV)

ILLUSION vs REALITY

The world is the illusion; the Father’s house is reality.

Isn’t it kind of disturbing that God refuses to step in and stop people from doing what is wrong? He has a non-interference policy. “Why doesn’t God do something about the evil in the world? Why doesn’t he stop people from hurting other people or doing evil things?” Because God has given us the awesome gift of free will! If he interfered, it would no longer be free will.

God loves you so much, that He will allow you to make choices in your life that will take you away from the Father’s House. Even when you are away…He never stops loving you. You are always on His mind.

If Heaven had a refrigerator your picture would be on it, if Jesus had a smart-phone – your face would be the background, if Jesus drove a car – your Polaroid or FujiFilm Instax print would be on the dashboard! You might have just been trying to get away and do your own thing and be your own boss, but He never stops loving you!

FAMINE WILL COME

Did you know that the Bible says that storms, famine and troubled circumstances come to both the just and the unjust. It doesn’t matter who you are – the FAMINE WILL FIND YOU!

7 Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, this he will also reap. 8 For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life. —Galatians 6:7-8 (New American Standard Bible 1995)

Even though the Father is grieved that you would leave and waste the blessings, talents and gifts He gives you, He will never stop loving you with an EXTRAVAGANT LOVE, a love that is prodigal by definition. When you have wasted all, and you are completely spent and you hit rock bottom – COME BACK TO THE FATHER = He still loves you more than you can understand!

THE CHOICE IS OURS.

The worst part of the younger son’s life is not that he went away to the far country and wasted his inheritance, but that he never developed a relationship with his father. He would not believe that his father wanted the best for him and had great plans for him. He had lived with him all those years and never knew him!

God’s love and forgiveness are so extravagant that he welcomes back with rejoicing and honor any of his children who have been far away.

We are seeing the LOVE of the GOD through this illustration of the EXTRAVAGANT (Prodigal) FATHER! Jesus told this story to show us that HE loves all of us…and wants all of us to be with HIM in the house…but even though His Love for us is EXTRAVAGANT – ultimately…we CHOOSE whether or not we will be “in the house”!

‘God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself, not reckoning to them their trespasses’ (2 Corinthians 5:19—American Standard Version).

Jesus shows us the image and attributes of a God of Great Expenditure, who is nothing if not prodigal toward us, his children. God’s prodigal love is our greatest hope, and our most life-changing experience. 

ARE YOU HAVING TROUBLE BELIEVING IN A FATHER WHOSE LOVE IS SO EXTRAVAGANT…

What if this is actually true?
What if there is a God who is really like this?
What if God can’t wait to have us around—even with the garbage we keep carrying around and our half-hearted “I’m sorries?”
What if God is glad to see us?
And the much more threatening question,
What difference would really believing all that make in how we look at pretty much everything?
And, what would it look like if I loved the way God loved?

If you have been doing whatever you wanted and not submitting to God in your life, I invite you to come back to God’s forgiving embrace.
His Arms are wide open, no matter what you have done or where you have been! He continues to love you even though you are FAR OFF - make your way back to the Father’s Embrace today!