A Father, Two Sons, the Church, and Israel | Part Two
The Younger Son
Key Thought | Independence promises freedom but always leads us away from the heart of the Father.
Key Scripture | “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 between his sons. 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… 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! I will go home to my father…’” —Luke 15:12–19 (NLT)
At one time or another, we have all been the younger son. I think that’s why this story resonates with so many of us. We can see ourselves in it.
There are a few important truths found in this portion of the story.
Our need for independence will destroy us.
The younger son wanted the things of the father, but not a relationship with him. Something had been growing in his heart for quite some time: bitterness, resentment, or both. It became so strong that he boldly asked for his share of the inheritance before his father’s death.
In the culture of that day, this request would have been the equivalent of saying, “Dad, I wish you were dead.”
Imagine how deeply that must have wounded the father. And yet, in an act of astonishing love, the father granted his son’s request. This wise and loving father understood something profound: if he did not have his son’s heart, there was no point in forcing his physical presence. Perfect love allowed the son to wander.
This moment reveals the heart of our God. He has always been after our hearts, not just our behavior. He knows that what must ultimately die in all of us is our desire for independence.
Pride will always land us in a pigpen.
The son’s path was always leading to the lowest of lows. For a Jewish audience, ending up in a pigpen was the ultimate disgrace. Pigs were unclean animals, and Jesus intentionally highlights how far this son had fallen.
Pride does that to us.
Every time I read this story, it leads me to pray and ask the Holy Spirit to reveal where pride still lives in me. It’s not an overstatement to say that many of the broken places in my life can be traced back to the seed of pride.
I don’t know why it sometimes takes the pigpen for us to reach the end of ourselves, but it doesn’t have to. Take time today to ask the Holy Spirit where pride may still be hiding in you.
“I messed up so badly I can’t be a son, only a servant.”
“Father, I have sinned against both heaven and you, and I am no longer worthy of being called your son. Please take me on as a hired servant.”
You can almost see the son rehearsing his speech. It’s painful to realize how deeply he misunderstood his father’s heart. If he had known it, he would have understood that his father was already waiting for him.
I think many of us live this way. We are sons and daughters, yet we struggle to believe God truly sees us that way. Our flesh, our culture, and the voice of the enemy all tell us we are defined by our worst mistakes—that we get one chance, and if we fail, we’re out.
You can usually tell what someone believes by how they treat others who fail. How quickly do we discard people who disappoint us?
Whether you realize it or not, God sees you as a son or a daughter. The real question is not how He sees you, but how you see yourself.
I don’t know where you are today. Maybe your heart is in a distant land. Maybe you’re living in a pigpen created by your own decisions. What I do know is this: you don’t have to stay there.
There is a perfect Father waiting for you to come home. And I can promise you, as someone who has made that journey, He is exactly as wonderful as Scripture says and as gracious and merciful as every testimony declares.
Come home. He is waiting.
Prayer | Father, forgive me for the places where I have chosen independence over relationship. Reveal the pride in my heart and lead me back to You. Help me see myself the way You see me—not as a servant trying to earn love, but as a son or daughter who belongs. Amen.
Reflection
Key Thought | Independence promises freedom but always leads us away from the heart of the Father.
Key Scripture | “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 between his sons. 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… 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! I will go home to my father…’” —Luke 15:12–19 (NLT)
At one time or another, we have all been the younger son. I think that’s why this story resonates with so many of us. We can see ourselves in it.
There are a few important truths found in this portion of the story.
Our need for independence will destroy us.
The younger son wanted the things of the father, but not a relationship with him. Something had been growing in his heart for quite some time: bitterness, resentment, or both. It became so strong that he boldly asked for his share of the inheritance before his father’s death.
In the culture of that day, this request would have been the equivalent of saying, “Dad, I wish you were dead.”
Imagine how deeply that must have wounded the father. And yet, in an act of astonishing love, the father granted his son’s request. This wise and loving father understood something profound: if he did not have his son’s heart, there was no point in forcing his physical presence. Perfect love allowed the son to wander.
This moment reveals the heart of our God. He has always been after our hearts, not just our behavior. He knows that what must ultimately die in all of us is our desire for independence.
Pride will always land us in a pigpen.
The son’s path was always leading to the lowest of lows. For a Jewish audience, ending up in a pigpen was the ultimate disgrace. Pigs were unclean animals, and Jesus intentionally highlights how far this son had fallen.
Pride does that to us.
Every time I read this story, it leads me to pray and ask the Holy Spirit to reveal where pride still lives in me. It’s not an overstatement to say that many of the broken places in my life can be traced back to the seed of pride.
I don’t know why it sometimes takes the pigpen for us to reach the end of ourselves, but it doesn’t have to. Take time today to ask the Holy Spirit where pride may still be hiding in you.
“I messed up so badly I can’t be a son, only a servant.”
“Father, I have sinned against both heaven and you, and I am no longer worthy of being called your son. Please take me on as a hired servant.”
You can almost see the son rehearsing his speech. It’s painful to realize how deeply he misunderstood his father’s heart. If he had known it, he would have understood that his father was already waiting for him.
I think many of us live this way. We are sons and daughters, yet we struggle to believe God truly sees us that way. Our flesh, our culture, and the voice of the enemy all tell us we are defined by our worst mistakes—that we get one chance, and if we fail, we’re out.
You can usually tell what someone believes by how they treat others who fail. How quickly do we discard people who disappoint us?
Whether you realize it or not, God sees you as a son or a daughter. The real question is not how He sees you, but how you see yourself.
I don’t know where you are today. Maybe your heart is in a distant land. Maybe you’re living in a pigpen created by your own decisions. What I do know is this: you don’t have to stay there.
There is a perfect Father waiting for you to come home. And I can promise you, as someone who has made that journey, He is exactly as wonderful as Scripture says and as gracious and merciful as every testimony declares.
Come home. He is waiting.
Prayer | Father, forgive me for the places where I have chosen independence over relationship. Reveal the pride in my heart and lead me back to You. Help me see myself the way You see me—not as a servant trying to earn love, but as a son or daughter who belongs. Amen.
Reflection
- Where have I sought independence instead of intimacy with God?
- Is there a place where pride has quietly led me away from the Father’s heart?
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