Let us first look at the parable of the prodigal son. First, let us look at the younger son. Before his father was alive, he asked for a share of the property, took his share and went away to squander, suffered hardships, and finally repented and returned to his father. Just look at the father’s reaction and you will know that the father is ready to rejoice at the younger son’s conversion. Isn’t this the relationship between Heavenly Father and us? Everyone in the world has sinned and fell short of the glory of God. We will not be better than the younger son, but the Father is always ready for us to repent, believe and be baptized, and at the same time see us suffering and let us face our own decisions . Second, let’s look at the elder son. He felt unfair when he saw what happened to the younger son. From the verses, we can only see that he boasted because he obeyed the law and did not disobey his father’s orders. But he forgot his father’s compassion and judged his brothers. Finally, let’s look at the lesson of the unjust steward. What is required of the steward is loyalty. Obviously, this person is not worthy of being a steward. It can be seen that the master disagrees with what he did, but he said that he was indeed wise in doing things on earth. We should focus on the things in heaven, and make good use of the money on earth. The result of being faithful in small things is that others dare to entrust you with real money.
1. The Parable of the Prodigal Son
“And He said, “A man had two sons. The younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the share of the estate that falls to me.’ So he divided his wealth between them. And not many days later, the younger son gathered everything together and went on a journey into a distant country, and there he squandered his estate with loose living. Now when he had spent everything, a severe famine occurred in that country, and he began to be impoverished. So he went and hired himself out to one of the citizens of that country, and he sent him into his fields to feed swine. And he would have gladly filled his stomach with the pods that the swine were eating, and no one was giving anything to him. But when he came to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired men have more than enough bread, but I am dying here with hunger! I will get up and go to my father, and will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in your sight; I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me as one of your hired men.”’ So he got up and came to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion for him, and ran and embraced him and kissed him. And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight; I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ But the father said to his slaves, ‘Quickly 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 fattened calf, kill it, and let us eat and celebrate; for this son of mine was dead and has come to life again; he was lost and has been found.’ And they began to celebrate.”(Luke 15:11-24)
This is what Jesus so said, and according to the consistency in the Bible, He was speaking about salvation. Let us first look at the younger son who is the prodigal son. After dividing the family property, he took away everything and wasted money, and because of this, he was poor and suffered a lot, and finally repented and we went back to his father. Doesn’t this refer to us? In Romans 3:23, it is said clearly, “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” So let us not think that we are much better than the prodigal son! Without the grace of God, the salvation of Jesus, we who are stained by sin can only be worthy to die and pay the wages of sin. This is clearly stated in the scriptures, “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”(Romans 6:23) As said, ““Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”(Matthew 3:2) So repentance is very important. All revivals I know begin with repentance.
It is said in Romans 3:24, “being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus.” It is a free justification. We can see this from the father’s reaction to his repentance. Even if he was far away, the father couldn’t wait to run to welcome him. This means that the father always waits for him. If you don’t see this, then this fine robe is for him, otherwise how could it fit? The size of the ring at that time was fixed, how could it be worn on his hand? How can shoes fit? The father still prepared all this for the lost little son, and hoped for such a day. The joy of the father is that the younger son is dead and resurrected, lost and found. Isn’t that how we believe in the Lord? “So it is not the will of your Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones perish.”(Matthew 18:14) He “…desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.”(1 Timothy 2:4) Not wanting any to perish. And “…there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents …”(Luke 15:7)
Let’s take a look at this father again. Before the father died, the youngest son asked for a share of the property. It really disrespects the father at all, so some people may question whether the father spoils the younger son too much? If it is about the father on earth, it may be true, because he could not agree, but he agreed! The situation would be completely different if the father represented the Heavenly Father. He knew that His children would suffer, but endured the pain for them to face their true selves. People often strengthen what is in line with their own wishes and think it is good, and forget some really good things. If they do not take up their own cross and suffer, they will often think that what is in line with their own mind is good like a prodigal son. , and forget the potential crisis caused by one’s own mind. Heavenly Father is indeed ready to wait for His children to repent and turn to Him. Not every sinner will repent, but one sinner will repent and He’ll rejoice!
2. The Brother of the Prodigal Son
“Now his older son was in the field, and when he came and approached the house, he heard music and dancing. And he summoned one of the servants and began inquiring what these things could be. And he said to him, ‘Your brother has come, and your father has killed the fattened calf because he has received him back safe and sound.’ But he became angry and was not willing to go in; and his father came out and began pleading with him. But he answered and said to his father, ‘Look! For so many years I have been serving you and I have never neglected a command of yours; and yet you have never given me a young goat, so that I might celebrate with my friends; but when this son of yours came, who has devoured your wealth with prostitutes, you killed the fattened calf for him.’ And he said to him, ‘Son, you have always been with me, and all that is mine is yours. But we had to celebrate and rejoice, for this brother of yours was dead and has begun to live, and was lost and has been found.’”(Luke 15:25-32)
The condition of the elder son was very bad. He was very disobedient in this event, since he was angry and refused to go in, apparently saying that he kept the law and never disobeyed his father’s command. But he really forgot that the father who is with love is also gracious and mercy. He rejoiced due to resurrection of the thought death son. For him, the younger is lost and regained. The elder son cannot issue from his heart what he does, who cannot rejoice with his father, and we know “…from it flow the springs of life.”(Proverbs 4:23) According to the law, everything his father owned was his, but “Now that no one is justified by the Law before God is evident; for, “The righteous man shall live by faith.” However, the Law is not of faith; on the contrary, “He who practices them shall live by them.””(Galatians 3:11-12) “For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles in one point, he has become guilty of all.”(James 2:10) “Therefore the Law has become our tutor to lead us to Christ, so that we may be justified by faith.”(Galatians 3:24) The elder son judged the younger son, and the younger son was indeed bad, but the younger son not only “regretted” what he had done, but actually “reformed” and returned to the his father’s side, he was resurrected for his father. Let us not judge others. We know “Who are you to judge the servant of another? To his own master he stands or falls; and he will stand, for the Lord is able to make him stand.”(Romans 14:4)
Let us look at it from the perspective of the father again. From these scriptures, he intends for his sons to inherit the inheritance. Look at the elder son first, “And he (the father) said to him, ‘Son, you have always been with me, and all that is mine is yours.”(Luke 15:31) So this is clear! Looking at the younger son who was lost and found again, some people say that his father prepared a ring representing authority for him. Obviously, his father recognized him as the son who could receive the inheritance. Isn’t this the same as us? We believed and were baptized to be adopted sons of God, inheriting the inheritance that “For in Him all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form.”(Colossians 2:9)
3. Lessons from the Unrighteous Steward
“Now He was also saying to the disciples, “There was a rich man who had a manager (steward), and this manager was reported to him as squandering his possessions. And he called him and said to him, ‘What is this I hear about you? Give an accounting of your management, for you can no longer be manager.’ The manager said to himself, ‘What shall I do, since my master is taking the management away from me? I am not strong enough to dig; I am ashamed to beg. I know what I shall do, so that when I am removed from the management people will welcome me into their homes.’ And he summoned each one of his master’s debtors, and he began saying to the first, ‘How much do you owe my master?’ And he said, ‘A hundred measures of oil.’ And he said to him, ‘Take your bill, and sit down quickly and write fifty.’ Then he said to another, ‘And how much do you owe?’ And he said, ‘A hundred measures of wheat.’ He said to him, ‘Take your bill, and write eighty.’ And his master praised the unrighteous manager because he had acted shrewdly; for the sons of this age are more shrewd in relation to their own kind than the sons of light. And I say to you, make friends for yourselves by means of the wealth of unrighteousness, so that when it fails, they will receive you into the eternal dwellings. “He who is faithful in a very little thing is faithful also in much; and he who is unrighteous in a very little thing is unrighteous also in much. Therefore if you have not been faithful in the use of unrighteous wealth, who will entrust the true riches to you? And if you have not been faithful in the use of that which is another’s, who will give you that which is your own?”(Luke 16:1-12)
The steward obviously did what he was accused of, because such a wise man in the world did not defend himself, and in the end he was dismissed because he did something unrighteous. This is very reasonable, because “In this case, moreover, it is required of stewards that one be found trustworthy.”(1 Corinthians 4:2) Looking at what the steward did after he was dismissed and before he left, we can also see that he was really incessant. Anyway, it was not his own property, so he wasted the owner’s property. The master praised the unrighteous steward for his cleverness. Indeed, he was more clever than the Son of Light. The master did not say that he was right, but only said that he was smart. So the master just tells a fact. Later, it brought out the need to use money properly, because if you don’t bring it with you when you are born, you don’t take it with you when dead. You must consider what can last forever. You must be faithful in small things, faithful in other people’s things, or no one will dare to entrust you things. The verse says, “And if you have not been faithful in the use of that which is another’s, who will give you that which is your own?”(Luke 16:12) We are adopted sons of God and supposed to inherent our own things. If we aren’t faithful, there is no reason to give our inheritance. In the New Testament era, “Let a man regard us in this manner, as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God.”(1 Corinthians 4:1) Therefore, “As each one has received a special gift, employ it in serving one another as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.”(1 Peter 4:10)
(Verses refer to those in NASB unless otherwise specified.)
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