In Jesus parable, found in Luke 15:11 – 32, concerning the younger son of the Father, who is commonly known as ‘the Prodigal Son,’ is an amazing word picture for all of us. In verse 12, we find the younger son asking his Father to give to him what ‘belonged to him’. This is the crux of the parable, the taking of the things of God and making them our own for what we perceive as personal gain, and going off in life to use them for our own purposes. We would call this, self ownership and government. The Father let him do it, but with the hope and purpose that he would find all of that absolutely empty, fruitless and barren, which he eventually did. In turning back to go to his Father, a clear type of repentance, he says, in verse 21, “I am an longer worthy to be called your son.” The fact of the matter is that he now saw what had always been true. He was never worthy and never would be, but now he knew it. Then the Father was able to cover him with the robe of righteousness, and to bring him into the fulness of sonship, which we know is found in Jesus Christ alone. What a great picture of the gracious and loving work of the cross in our lives, to bring us to this place of seeing what has always been true of ourselves — that we have no merit of our own. Then He can pour out His grace upon us as we come into a true fellowship and greater oneness with Himself.
Barbara Hemig
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