by Dr. Michael Smith

Created on: December 28, 2008

Luke 15: 11-24

What is the greatest story ever told? Should we search the writings of Ernest Hemmingway, or Edgar Allen Poe, Rudyard Kipling, or Jack London? The finest story ever told was written nearly two thousand years ago. It is the story of the prodigal son. Not counting the appendix dealing with his elder brother, the story is told in less than 350 words. Yet this story never grows old, never fails to charm, and never ceases to hammer home the greatness of our God.

Consider with me first something about this great chapter from the inspired writings of Luke. The entire chapter is about lost things. There is the lost sheep in verses 4-7 and there is the lost silver in verses 8-10 and the lost son in verses 11-32. In the account that Jesus gives of these "lost things" there is one commonality. That common thread is the seeking nature of our God. In fact the major theme is not the prodigal, but it is the marvelous Father of the prodigal son.

This parable is one of Jesus' deathless parables. Every one of His parables is a miracle in words. Every parable is an earthly story with a heavenly meaning; each is a matchless, priceless pearl of wisdom. The story of the prodigal son is essentially the story of a father's love.

Jesus came to teach us a new name for God. God had often revealed Himself in the Old Testament by means of His names. He is Elohim, Jehovah, Adonai, El Elyon, and El Shaddai. He was Jehovah Jireh, Jehovah Shalom, and Jehovah Nissi. He was the great I Am. He was the Creator, God Almighty, the Lord who provides, the Lord who is our peace, and the Lord who is our banner. The ages rolled by, and God lived up to the names by which he had progressively revealed Himself. Then Jesus came. He taught men a new name for God. He taught them that God is Father-and nowhere more so than in the story of the prodigal son. This story, together with the companion story of the older brother, is simply the story of God as Father. Jesus speaks of God the Father twelve times in twenty-two short verses. If we miss God the Father, we miss the whole point of the parable.

Yet this parable is not without its detractors. Some carping critics have found fault with this, the sweetest story ever told along two lines. They say first that there is no element of search in the parable. The father did not run after his wayward boy. He did not scour the brothels, the bars, and the bawdy houses of the far-off country. He did not search through the dives and dens of sin. He did not haunt

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