Words to Grow On

Archive Devotions 2005

June 27, 2005

"Recovery"

by

Marcella Carlson

The Prodigal Son is one of the world's best loved stories. It tells us that there is nothing more pleasing to God than the recovery of one who is lost. It also helps us to accept God's kindness to others, something which is not always easy to take.

The parable is made up of verses 11-32 with two very different but connected parts. The first deals with the prodigal son and the second deals with his older brother.

The younger son had completely underestimated his father's love. After wandering and wasting his father's money he came to his senses and returned home. He was fully restored to the family with all its privileges and honors. In fact there was a great feast to celebrate the repentance and recovery of the son. This story beautifully illustrates God's grace.

How did the older brother react? He was so upset with the homecoming feast that he would not go in to join the celebration. He was angry. After all he had never gone astray, he had remained faithful (29-30) and he had never embarrassed the family. He may have been faithful but now he was bitter. His father left the feast to talk with his son.

In this conversation the older son refers to the prodigal not as "my brother" but as "this son of yours." In kindness his father counsels him, "My son, you are always with me and everything I have is yours." (31) How blind he was, complaining about never having been given a small goat, while the truth was that everything his father had was his and his father loved him.

Just as the older son opposed his father and the celebration of the prodigal's return, there are those today who can't accept God being kind to a sinner. Especially a sinner that has hurt them personally.

My brother had lived a hard life and got into some real trouble. It was so serious that he ended up in prison. He was there for 19 years and died recently from a terrible illness without completing his sentence. While in prison he earned his degree in counseling and was used to help many other prisoners. He became a Christian.

When speaking of him going to heaven and being finally free, there were those that thought this was impossible. How could he go to heaven? My reply - true his sins may have been many and grievous but there was forgiveness when he chose to return to his heavenly father in true repentance. God accepted my brother and God's grace blessed me too, with a spirit of forgiveness and the assurance that the lost had been found.

Is your heart full of the brother's bitterness or the father's joy? Remember, there is nothing more pleasing to Him than the recovery of one who was lost!