The joy of the Father
Bring out the best robe and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet. And bring the fatted calf here and kill it, and let us eat and be merry; for this my son was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.” And they began to be merry
Luke 15:22-24
The joy of God the Son in the Parable of the Lost Sheep, and the joy of God the Holy Spirit in the Parable of the Lost Coin, are completed by the joy of God the Father in the Parable of the Lost Son.
It is the record of the lives of two sons. One was the prodigal son and the other was the son who stayed at home. The prodigal son makes it very clear what he wanted to do, and to our surprised minds, the father gave him all that he asked for. The prodigal son did not move to a place close by where he could have maintained contact with his father and prospered under his wise guidance. No, he travelled far away, putting a great distance between himself and the father who loved him and provided all he possessed.
We all know how spirit, soul and body the prodigal son descended into utter poverty (vv.13-16). It was only when he was stripped of everything that he remembered his father’s house. I remember a friend who took a similar course and woke in the gutter after another long night of heavy drinking and “came to himself”. He is now a faithful servant of God. Coming to ourselves describes the moment we discover where we are spiritually. This does not only happen before our salvation. It can happen when, as Christians, we take the wrong course. What the prodigal son teaches us is the way back: true repentance,
“Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you, and I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Make me like one of your hired servants” (vv.18-19).
His intention was noble, but its fulfilment is vital: “And he arose and came to his father” (v.20). Many people get to the point of repentance only to turn back, never to discover its blessing.
You have the impression that when the father saw his son “still a great way off”, it was not the first time he had looked on the horizon so much wanting to see his son. When the day did come, it was not the son who ran hesitantly to the father, but the father who ran joyfully to his son, embracing him in compassionate love. The son confessed his failure and unworthiness but was not allowed to determine or describe what should follow. Instead, the father commands that the best robe be put on him. The rags he wore were replaced and, in a wonderful illustration of being clothed in the righteousness of Christ, he is enrobed in the dignity of sonship. His hands and feet indicated his actions and pathway that would henceforth witness to his sonship.
It was a time of joy in the Father's house over true repentance and new life. We learn that heaven rejoices over every sinner who repents and life they recieve. The scene also takes our hearts forward to the day when the Father’s house will be filled with every redeemed soul standing before Him in the righteousness of the work of Christ and displaying the eternal majesty of the grace of God. But now the knowledge of how precious we are to the Shepherd who redeemed us, the Spirit who indwells and the Father who embraces us in divine love should fill our hearts with overflowing joy and empower us to live for the Saviour until He brings us into the Father’s house.