“And he arose, and came to his father. But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him” (Luke 15:20).
This passage reveals a great scene of acceptance and forgiveness. The younger son took the journey “into a far country” (Luke 15:13) which produced a spiritual state of him being “dead” and “lost” (Luke 15:32). This sad account ended with a happy ending upon the young son as he did not stay in such a spiritual condition but by taking the road back home came to be both “alive again” and “found” (Luke 15:32). Would that many who are still away from God would take the road back home. Look at three spiritual traits about that road that are necessary in order for one to have such a spiritual change of greatness in life.
- The Road of Awareness. Jesus said of the mind of this broken young man, “And when he came to himself, he said, How many hired servants of my father’s have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger!” (Luke 15:17). There has to be a spiritual awakening inside for one to go back home. His thoughts turned on himself to take introspection of his situation. There was no lying to himself. There was no looking for excuses. There was no putting the blame on someone else. He was personally aware of what he had done to himself by his choices. While sin has its pleasures for a season (cf. Heb. 11:25; Luke 15:13), it also has its hard ways (cf. Prov. 13:15; Luke 15:14-16). One must become aware of how sin works and what sin does to life (cf. James 1:13-16). While reality can be harsh and painful, reality must be objectively faced.
- The Road of Affirmation. Jesus said of the heart of this broken young man, where he said to himself, “I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before thee, And am no more worthy to be called thy son: make me as one of thy hired servants” (Luke 15:18-19). Pride is gone. Denying self is the new normal. Godly sorrow now works repentance unto salvation (cf. 2 Cor. 7:10). There is no sorrow of the world here. There is no talk of “Well, if I have sinned, then . . .” Sin is the problem and confession and forsaking is the plan. Solomon wrote, “He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy” (Prov. 28:13). There is no cover up here. He will affirm before heaven and his father that he has sinned.
- The Road of Action. Jesus said of the will of this broken young man, “And he arose, and came to his father” (Luke 15:20). It is the power of the will to act that ultimately brought the blessing of acceptance and forgiveness. Many know the way back home and have good intentions to go home but in the end do not act on the intentions. Whether it is pride or fear or bitterness or the like that keeps the feet in “the far country,” the result is still the same: dead and lost. The road back home is one of action. What he affirmed to say to his father, he actually did (cf. Luke 15:21). Grace, therefore, was given to the humble (cf. James 4:6). The road back home is not an easy road to take. If anyone sees himself in a like spiritual situation, let go of the distractions and come home. Your real family and friends are ready to “make merry” (Luke 15:23-24) with you.
Jimmy Clark