He Was Lost and Is Found (2)

Hallelujah! Last week, we explored how the Prodigal Son remembered his identity through suffering and returned to his father. Today, we focus on the father’s overwhelming grace and the older brother’s resentful reaction.

First, consider the father’s love. Imagine the son’s appearance: emaciated, dressed in rags, and barefoot. Who would recognize him? But the father never forgot him. He watched the horizon every day, yearning for this moment. The father recognized him while the son was still a long way off. Instead of anger, he felt only compassion. He ran to his son, threw his arms around him, and kissed him. This is the heart of our Father.

Second, the father restores the son’s status immediately. The son begins a tearful apology: “I am no longer worthy to be called your son.” But the father doesn’t wait for a formal confession. He commands his servants: “Quick! Bring the best robe… Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet.”

These gifts are deeply symbolic:

• The Robe: Signifies righteousness. The father replaces the rags of sin with the “robe of Christ,” uniting the son with himself.

• The Ring: Signifies authority. Like Joseph in Egypt, the son is restored as an heir with the power to act in the father’s name.

• The Sandals: Signify freedom. In that era, only servants went barefoot. By giving him shoes, the father declares him a free man.

The son is not just forgiven; he is fully restored by grace. The father then orders a great feast, killing the fattened calf—an honor reserved for the highest occasions. This shows that a soul returning to God is the greatest cause for celebration. As the father declares, “This son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.”

Third, let’s look at the older brother. Despite his brother’s return, he is not happy. He refuses to enter the house, complaining that he has “slaved” for years without even receiving a young goat to celebrate with friends. Human nature often resents grace when it is given to those we deem “undeserving.”

The father’s response is profound: “My son, you are always with me, and everything I have is yours.” He reminds the older brother that he is an heir, not a slave. He shouldn’t be working to earn what is already his. He then explains the priority of heaven: “We had to celebrate… because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again.”

This parable was originally a lesson for the Pharisees. Like the older brother, they performed religious acts with the hearts of grumbling servants rather than loving sons. They were physically close to the Temple but spiritually far from the Father—making them “prodigals” in their own right.

What is our takeaway? Before knowing Christ, we were all the younger son. Through repentance, we received the robe of righteousness. However, as we grow in faith, we often risk becoming the “older brother”—judging others and boasting of our own religious merits.

God loves both types of prodigals. He calls us to embrace His heart of compassion. We are called as a “royal priesthood” to forgive and love those who have wandered, helping them reconcile with the Father. May we always remember the Father’s great love, loving one another and enjoying the true rest and life-giving power of the Holy Spirit. Amen.