This is this a story that Jesus tells in the bible to help illustrate his fathers love and forgiveness towards us. I know reading this you are going to feel like the Prodigal Son. I know reading this you are going to feel convicted and confused and lonely. Don't stop reading when you feel all those things. Just like every story you read as a kid had a happily ever after, this one does too. Jesus tells this story to communicate that there is hope. I encourage you to read, feel, listen to what he is trying to say and reflect.

Parable of the Lost Son:

11 To illustrate the point further, Jesus told them this story: "A man had two sons.12 The younger son told his father, 'I want my share of your estate now before you die.' So his father agreed to divide his wealth among his sons.

13 "A few days later this younger son packed all his belongings and moved to a distant land, and there he wasted all his money in wild living. 14 About the time his money ran out, a great famine swept over the land, and he began to starve. 15 He persuaded a local farmer to hire him, and the man sent him into his fields to feed the pigs. 16 The young man became so hungry that even the pods he was feeding the pigs looked good to him. But no one gave him anything.

17 "When he finally came to his senses, he said to himself, 'At home even the hired servants have food enough to spare, and here I am dying of hunger! 18 I will go home to my father and say, "Father, I have sinned against both heaven and you, 19 and I am no longer worthy of being called your son. Please take me on as a hired servant."'

20 "So he returned home to his father. And while he was still a long way off, his father saw him coming. Filled with love and compassion, HE RAN TO HIS SON embraced him, and kissed him. 21 His son said to him, 'Father, I have sinned against both heaven and you, and I am no longer worthy of being called your son.

22 "But his father said to the servants, 'Quick! Bring the finest robe in the house and put it on him. Get a ring for his finger and sandals for his feet. 23 And kill the calf we have been fattening. We must celebrate with a feast, 24 for this son of mine was dead and has now returned to life. He was lost, but now he is found.' So the party began.

25 "Meanwhile, the older son was in the fields working. When he returned home, he heard music and dancing in the house, 26 and he asked one of the servants what was going on. 27 'Your brother is back,' he was told, 'and your father has killed the fattened calf. We are celebrating because of his safe return.'

28 "The older brother was angry and wouldn't go in. His father came out and begged him, 29 but he replied, 'All these years I've slaved for you and never once refused to do a single thing you told me to. And in all that time you never gave me even one young goat for a feast with my friends. 30 Yet when this son of yours comes back after squandering your money on prostitutes, you celebrate by killing the fattened calf!'

31 "His father said to him, 'Look, dear son, you have always stayed by me, and everything I have is yours. 32 We had to celebrate this happy day. For your brother was dead and has come back to life! He was lost, but now he is found!'"

Summary: 

The son who asked for half of his share of his father's wealth was making a decision that doing life on his own and moving away was going to be the best thing for him. So he literally, took what his father gave him and moved far away. The word says in verse 13 that he wasted all his money on "wild living" and when he realized that he was out of money and when an emergency hit he was starving. Jesus isn't trying to give you a financial lesson here. He is trying to tell you that there have been many instances where you, just like the son, took what he gave you and ran with it.

Once it was gone you were left with nothing. The turning point for the son was in verse 18. He makes the decision to go back home to his father. He doesn't plan to go home to his father expecting him to take him back in as a son but to hire him as a servant. It says that even when he started to journey home and he was still SO FAR AWAY that the father saw him and RAN to him. His father who was filled with compassion and love WELCOMED his son home with open arms. While the son was probably filthy as he was living in poverty the father instructed the servants to put the finest robe on him. The father instructed the servants to prepare a feast and kill the fattened calf for his son to eat.

Picture yourself as the son. Remember that the father never moved in this story, the son was the one who moved and walked away. Know that Jesus didn't go anywhere, he never left you. As much as this might sting, you left him. But, do you see that you were never too far away in the first place? Do you realize that just as the father ran to his son that your father is willing to run to you? The catch here is the father didn't run to his son while he was still wasting his money on wild living. Jesus doesn't run to you when you are far away. He asks you to turn and start on the journey towards him and as soon as you make that decision he RUNS to you to meet you where you are at and walk with you. Despite your filth and the mess you feel like you are in Jesus wants to clothe you in the finest clothing as the father did for his son.

Just as the father says to the son, Jesus is ready to say to you: "Welcome home!"

As I end this letter my hope is that the word "Redemption" has been redefined for you. The redemption that Jesus offers us, the one that comes with grace and forgiveness and everything else we need from God, is NOT for perfect people. Perfect people don't need redemption. Redemption is for you. You who are broken and tired. You who feels alone and scared at times. You who feels that your life is too messy and you do not "qualify."

You see the good news here is the one thing you do qualify for is Redemption.

You were never too far away from God and you never will be. He will always welcome you home with open arms just as the father did in that parable. He will always be willing to meet you where you are. He will never ask you to clean up your life before you come to him. He will never ask you to be perfect before you come to him. His love isn't for people who are perfect. His grace isn't for people who are perfect. His love is for people like me and you. People that mess up. People that don't always do the right thing in every situation. People that are broken and lost at times.

If you think that you are too far away from God and that you've blown God's plan for your life please rest in this: You, my friend, are not that powerful.

If you take anything from this letter that I have written to you take this: You, are not that far away.

Love,

Someone who's felt too far away.