On one of the walls of our counseling office is a 24’’x 36’ copy of Rembrandt’s famous painting, The Return of the Lost Son. Unbeknown to many, the painting is a self-portrait painted by Rembrandt at the end of his life. Rembrandt paints himself as all three main characters in Jesus’ parable in Luke 15: the lost son, the older brother, and the joyful father. He did this because he saw himself in all three characters at different stages in his life. As a young man, Rembrandt was the lost son, the rebel, who partied hard and squandered his talent and money. As a middle-aged man, Rembrandt saw himself as the religious but judgmental older brother who publicly condemned others. Finally, Rembrandt, in his last years, saw himself as the forgiving father filled with compassion for repentant sinners who return to him. It reminds me and all who see it that God forgives and receives repentant sinners who return to Him.
The key word I want to focus on in this short article is repentant. God forgives and receives repentant sinners, those who come to Him broken and honest. The story of the lost son in Luke 15 is one of the best illustrations of true repentance found anywhere in the Bible. Let me focus on the first half of the story and explain why repentance must be preceded by brokenness. Jesus tells this parable as one of three illustrations to answer the Pharisees and scribes complaint that “This man receives sinners and eats with them” (Luke 15:2). Each of the three parables features an owner losing something (a sheep, a coin, a son), finding it, and urging everyone to rejoice with him at the discovery. There are differences in the three parables and one of the main differences is that in the first two parables the owner goes after the lost object (sheep, coin) to search for it. That is not the case in the parable of the lost son. The father does not go after the son to search for him and try to rescue him. I’ll explain why that is so later in this article.
In Luke 15:11-15, the parable begins by describing the story of two sons of a wealthy farmer. The younger son, evidently sick of the daily grind of life on the farm, demands his share of his inheritance from his father. That’s odd, isn’t it? What wrong with this picture? Several things: a) he demands his inheritance (Father, give me the share of property coming to me). Based upon his choice of words and how he phrases his request, it is clear that his relationship with his father is strained at best. b) Inheritances in that day and this are distributed after death not before. This is a slap in the face to the father. It’s equivalent to saying, “I can’t wait for you to die so I can have your money.” Shockingly, the father complies and gives it to him. c) Finally, under Jewish law the older son would receive 2/3 of the inheritance and the younger son 1/3. The thinking was that the older son would need more income to care for his mother and sisters who received no share in the inheritance. Inheritances were traditionally distributed only to sons and so, both sons received their inheritance early.
The younger son takes his share, gathers everything he owns, leaves the farm, and heads for the far country, presumably where Gentiles live. What does he do in the far country? He squanders all he has on reckless living. The King James Version says he wasted his substance on riotous living. What is reckless or riotous living? The Greek word used here means, “dissolute, loose, debauched, or profligate living.” His older brother thinks he blew it on prostitutes (15:30). Whatever he spent it on, it clearly is unrestrained spending for in short order he is broke. Not coincidentally a severe famine hits the far country at the same time that he is broke and unemployed. This famine is used of God to bring him to true repentance. In the face of the famine, the son began to be in need. The former farmer now seeks employment as a farmer again. He finds himself feeding pigs in the field and longing for pig food because he is starving. The Bible says no one gave him anything. As we shall see, like the famine, that is a significant statement.
In the midst of dire circumstances, the prodigal comes to himself. The New International Version says he came to his senses. He is now thinking clearly, seeing things as they really are. No more self-deception or lying to himself. No more blaming his father or his circumstance or his God. The fog is gone and the light of truth has illuminated the darkness of his thoughts. He reasons to himself that even his father’s hired men on the farm have plenty to eat yet he, a son, is starving. In a flash of humility and repentance, he tells himself that he will return to his father, admit his sinfulness and unworthiness, and beg him to take him back as a hired worker on the farm. And then he did it.
What can we learn from this first half of the story? Brokenness must precede repentance for repentance to be genuine. No brokenness, no true repentance. Three factors contribute to brokenness: a) dire circumstances. In the case of the lost son, the severe famine helped to break his rebellious, defiant spirit. Dire circumstances such as loss of job, health crisis, financial bankruptcy, and divorce can be used of God to break our rebellious, defiant spirits. b) Foolish decisions. The lost son squandered his inheritance and all he had on reckless living. Our foolish decisions contribute to brokenness. c) Finally, no rescuers. No one, not his father, not his brother, not his friends, no one rescued the lost son. To rescue someone only harms them by delaying their brokenness. They do not become broken or repentant and do not learn the lesson God wants them to learn.
Once broken by dire circumstances, foolish decisions, and no rescuers, the lost son comes to his senses. Brokenness has caused him to repent. Coming to one’s senses is the same thing as repenting. To repent in Greek means “to change one’s mind or thinking.” That changed thinking only comes when one is broken. Sexual sinners must repent of their sins but before they can do that they must first be broken. They must hit the bottom, feel the pain, and become desperate for purity. Only then will they come to their senses, begin to think clearly, and make the changes necessary to live in sexual purity.
Praying for a broken, repentant Church,
Irv