The Great Encourager
In Luke 15:11–32 (please take a moment and read these verses) the parable of the prodigal son, or one might say, the parable of the prodigal sons (plural) is a famous story about a father — a blameless father — and his two sons, who are anything but blameless. Each of the sons are entrapped by their own sin in very different ways. For parents of prodigal sons and daughters, and for the lost, in general, this story resonates deeply in offering hope and encouragement. I know it does for me. This story has so many layers of encouragement in it. I don’t think anybody has ever discovered them all. The Prodigal is an amazing portrait of the gracious, encouraging heart of God. Jesus is the great Encourager! Let’s take a closer look at the parable of the Prodigal. What do we learn about our heavenly Father?
1) God pursues sinners– The father in the parable is a picture of God acting in Christ to save prodigals and lost people. We need to think of Him that way. He’s pursuing sinners!
2) God is glad to have prodigals come home– There’s this jubilant celebration over a single sinner who repents, prodigal or not. “I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance” (Luke 15:7). Notice in The Prodigal, the father says, “Bring quickly the best robe, and put it on him. . . Let us eat and celebrate (Luke 15:22–23). So, God’s heart in this parable is thrilled to have prodigals come home. He’s not begrudging; he’s glad!
3) God can use our suffering to awaken us to His revelation. The prodigal son experiences a change of heart at the lowest point of his miserable life. He’s even ready to share food with the pigs. And finally, during the most dreadful season of his life, “he came to himself” (Luke 15:17), which means he came to his senses. The encouraging thing is that just when it appeared absolutely hopeless is when he experienced his greatest awakening!
4) God’s heart runs toward his children. Perhaps the most tender and powerful moment in the parable is the moment when the father sees the boy a long way off and runs to greet him, not walks. He runs to greet him. “But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion, and ran and embraced him and kissed him” (Luke 15:20). The father saw, he felt, he ran, he embraced, he kissed! Wow… I want that to be me and my heart for the lost who come home. Let us keep that picture in our minds, not only as a picture of God’s heart, but to make our own hearts tender and eager that way.
5) God can raise the dead– The father describes the change in the boy’s life as a change from death to life. “For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found” (Luke 15:24) This is encouraging because the father did not minimize the dreadfulness of his young son’s condition. The young son was dead. From a merely human standpoint, he was hopeless. Yet, we should never look upon the hardness, the indifference, even the bitterness or the cynicism of a person and think, “That can’t change. This is never going to change.” (Ugh! I’m talking to myself right now!) But, my friends, we can’t think that way! People can change! He who was dead lives!
6) God invites both sons to come home– Remember that this father in the parable had two prodigals, not just one. When Jesus was eating with the tax collectors and sinners, there were two groups of lost people he had to deal with. One was the tax collectors and sinners, and the other was the scribes and Pharisees. The tax collectors and sinners are represented in the parable by the prodigal son, and the scribes and Pharisees are represented by the older son who was angry and legalistic. He was angry that the father was celebrating the return of the younger son. It’s as if he was angry about his brother embracing new life and salvation. Was he not glad that his younger brother was alive again? This older brother, like the Pharisees, saw his relationship with the father in terms of earning privileges rather than enjoying a relationship. And how did the father respond to this wayward thinking of the second prodigal son? “… his father went out and pleaded with him” (Luke 15:28). Surprisingly, I’ve always had a compassionate heart for the Pharisees. They wanted to be so right with God that they went overboard and created over 6000 laws to try to help the Hebrew people remain in right standing with God. They became legalistic and lost sight of their true purpose before God. Sometimes people think that Jesus never cared or pursued the Pharisees. They think that Jesus only had negative things to say about them and that he never invited them to believe. And yet, isn’t that what’s going on right here with the older son in the Prodigal parable? In verse 28, the older son was angry, and he refused to go in and be a part of his younger brother’s celebration of life and salvation. Yet, his father, just like he did with the younger son, came out and pleaded with him. He was not angry. Not only did the father come out to meet the younger son, he came out and pleaded with the legalistic older son. The word says (Rom.2:11) “For there is no partiality with God.” All are welcome at the cross who come running home, repent and believe… That includes prodigals, any lost people, and yes, even a Pharisee.” Jesus pursues them all.
Throughout the Bible Jesus stands with us. He picks us up, wipes our noses and sends us forward. In Acts 23:1-11, we read that Jesus stands by the side of Paul in his prison cell and says, “Take courage; for as you have solemnly witnessed to My cause at Jerusalem, so you must witness at Rome also.” Wow! Jesus was and is the great ENCOURAGER. The Lord who is always beside us encouraging says: “Take courage!”
1) To a paralytic, lying on his bed, Jesus said, “Take courage, my son, your sins are forgiven” (Matt. 9:2).
2) To the woman with the hemorrhage who touched the fringe of Jesus’ coat, He said, “Daughter, take courage; your faith has saved you” (Matt. 9:22, lit.).
3) To the disciples, who thought that Jesus walking on the water was a ghost, He said, “Take courage, it is I; do not be afraid” (Matt. 14:27; parallel, Mark 6:50).
4) To the disciples on the night He was betrayed, Jesus said, “These things I have spoken unto you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world” (John 16:33).
Truly, Jesus is the Lord who encourages those who are discouraged and without hope! He commands us to “Take courage.” Do you realize that this is a command? It’s a gentle and gracious command, but it is a command. We are accountable for our part as we partner with our Father. Let’s look at 1 Sam. 30:6, “David was greatly distressed; for the people spoke of stoning him, but David encouraged himself in the Lord his God. My friends let us take heart and remember Jesus’ encouragement to us and may we, in turn, spread that encouraging courage to others for His glory, in Jesus’ name we pray. Amen