REPENTANCE – SUCH A CELEBRATION – BUT WHY? Part 7
We concluded our last blog noting the surpassing value of a lost son who was found! When the shepherd returned with his lost sheep and the woman found her lost coin, they both called their friends and neighbors together to celebrate. But this time, it was the entire village who was invited to the celebration. But everyone in the crowd who had witnessed the reunion and reconciliation between the father and his son must have asked, “Why are we celebrating the return of this worthless son?”
The Father provided two explanations for the celebration. First, “My son was once dead, but has come to life again.” Of course, Jesus understood what had actually happened to His son, that is, he was spiritually dead, void of any spiritual life. There was no vitality, no joy, no peace, no confidence, no assurance. Separated from his Father, he had no relationship with the One whose love for him was beyond measure. Like so many today, people have wandered far from God, trying to find their own path to fulfillment and meaning in life, but to no avail. Desperate in their search, they try to fill the emptiness in their souls with dutiful acts of “religion,” as well as in what I call “a bowl full of “P’s”, namely, possessions, pleasure, popularity, prestige, and power. Discovering that “LIFE” cannot be found in religious devotion or in the quest for personal satisfaction or gain, they find themselves spiritually starved, longing to be filled with something that has life and purpose.
When the Father said that His son had “come to life again,” the word used in the text is zoe, or “LIFE.” In the New Testament, we find that there are two primary Greek words used for the single word that we translate as “LIFE.” The first is bios, and refers to the physical life that we all receive by virtue of our physical birth. The second is zoe, which refers primarily, though not exclusively, to the extraordinary life that one receives by virtue of his spiritual birth, or “re-birth.” Bios is the life that we inherit from our parents, the life we all have in our physical bodies. Zoe, on the other hand, is the life that is given as a gift in response repentance.
For the prodigal, it was an unexpected gift received when he “came to his senses” and admitted to himself that he had “sinned against heaven and in the sight of his father,” and that he was “no longer worthy to be called His son.” He recognized these obvious facts in his mind and then responded by admitting these same facts to himself. Realizing that this “self-admission” was just the first step, he knew that he needed to go home in order to admit it (confess it) to His father. And when he did, the Father told His son, as well as the crowd who had gathered, that His son had “come to life again.” He had received the gift of zoe, a gift that changes the heart, mind, and soul of the individual who possesses it. Thus, the son who was once spiritually dead, had come to life. He received the gift of zoe, a gift that is available to everyone who “comes to his senses” in repentance, and comes to the Father in humble and heartfelt confession of sin.
We can think of the “sins” that the boy was guilty of, that is, all the various aspects of his “wild living” in the distant land, but the greatest of all his “sins” was actually just one sin, namely his desire to live a life independent from his Father. The “sins” committed during his season of “wild living” were just the result of his greatest sin of desiring to be independent from God, accountable to no one but himself. And what was true for the lost son, is true for us today.
And then, the Father provided this additional detail: “My son was once lost, and has been found.” Although the Father never went to look for His son, like the shepherd and the lost sheep and the woman and the lost coin, He still considered His son to be “found.” How can this be? Well, this time, the Father did not actually “find” the son, but the son “found himself,” and as a result, he sought and “found his Father.” When the young lad came to his senses in the pig pen, he said to himself, “I need to find my Father. I need to tell him that “I have sinned against heaven and in his sight,” and that “I’m no longer worthy to be called his son.” And so, “I’m going home to tell him.”
Once again, no need to limit these words to the first century, as this is the cry of everyone who “comes to his senses” and realizes their need for their heavenly Father. And when this occurs, they find that the Father had been waiting for them all along; waiting for their simple, heartfelt confession of not only their actions, but more importantly, of their desire to live a life independent of God. This simple confession is the product of repentance, and results in receiving the gift of zoe, (LIFE), a gift that extends into eternity. This amazing gift of “LIFE” is given to every repentant sinner who comes home!
With the Father’s explanation of the reason for the party, the celebration would soon begin. As the fattened calf was being prepared, the musicians were setting up to play, and the tables were being set for the guests. Of course, the guest of honor would be the youngest son who had “been found,” and in the process, discovered “LIFE.” As the party began, the older son, who had been working hard all day in the field, heard the music in the distance and quickly headed toward home. Curious about the cause for the celebration, he was not prepared for the news awaited him.
But that will have to wait until next week. Hope to see you then.
