ALIVE AGAIN
Luke 15:11-24
LK15_11_24_ALIVE AGAIN_PeterLim
Key Verse 15:24
For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ So they began to celebrate.
Today is the second day of our conference. Yesterday, we learned two parables, the teachings about the shepherd who seeks the lost sheep and the woman who searches for the lost coin. These two parables were Jesus’ response to the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, who criticized Him for welcoming sinners and eating with them. Jesus wanted to illustrate to them how precious each soul is before God and how joyful God is when a lost soul repents and returns. Today’s teaching is the third parable of John 15, which is probably the most famous and moving parable in the Luke’s gospel. It also represents the theme of Luke’s Gospel very well, which is “For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save the lost.” While we can explore this parable from various perspectives, this time we will focus on it in the context of our Easter conference, under the theme “Alive Again.” Therefore, we will only cover verses 11-24. Through today’s message, I pray that we may deeply understand how someone can be made “alive again.”
I. When the son left the Father (11-16)
Jesus’ parable begins with a father who had two sons. Look at verse 11. ‘11 Jesus continued: “There was a man who had two sons.’ In Korea, there’s a humorous saying:
“If a first child is a daughter, it’s a gold medal, a second daughter is a silver medal, but having two sons is suicidal.” It seems raising two sons is very difficult. Whether you agree or not, reflecting on my own childhood, I remember often fighting with my brother, which caused our parents much distress. Looking at today’s parable, it seems that the father in the parable indeed suffers greatly because of his two sons.
In today’s lesson, we will focus solely on the issue with the younger son. I am also a second son, but it seems that the second son seems to have a lot of problems. In verse 12, the younger son demanded his share of the estate from his father. Typically, an inheritance is given after the father’s death. However, this son requested it while his father was still very much alive. This request was undoubtedly disrespectful from the father’s perspective. It seems that the younger son had a strong desire for independence. Perhaps he felt that life with his father was boring and thought that he would be able to live better than anyone else if he moved out on his own. Although life in his father’s house lacked nothing, he thought that if he could just receive his inheritance, he could be
successful just like his father.
This story reminds me of the Garden of Eden, where Eve is tempted by the serpent. Eve had everything she needed in Eden. But when the serpent tempted her, she started feeling like something was missing. She thought that eating from the tree of knowledge would make her wise, like God. In the parable, maybe his friends tempted him like the serpent did. They might have said, “Why are you still working for your father all your life and living a boring life? If you just inherit your father’s inheritance and go to a faraway country, you can have fun and live a wonderful life, and your eyes will be opened.” Hearing this, the son might have thought staying with his father was a bad idea. He might have felt his father was limiting his life because he was afraid of losing control. So, he began to dream about living in a faraway county he had never seen. He believed that with his father’s money, he could have a good life. Even though he knew it was wrong, he asked his father for his share of the inheritance.
So we need to think. This is what happens when we listen to Satan. The first things that show up are feelings of discontent and doubt. Even though Eve was able to eat all the fruit of the garden, she became unsatisfied. She doubted God’s intentions for forbidding the fruit of knowledge of good and evil. What follows next? Sin becomes desirable. Eve had never been interested in the forbidden fruit before. However, after hearing Satan’s words, it is said, “When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom.” Now, the forbidden fruit seemed like it could make her like God. In the same way, the younger son probably knew from his father about the dangers of the distant country. His father had likely told him many times not to go there. So, initially, the son had no interest in going. But when he was tempted by his bad friends, it became a place he desperately wanted to visit.
At this point, it would be good for us to reflect on ourselves. Do I feel ungrateful rather than thankful? Do I doubt God’s love? This might be because I’m listening to Satan instead of holding onto the truth. Am I wanting something badly that God has said I shouldn’t have? Am I doing things that make God sad just to get what I want? If so, I’ve already fallen into Satan’s deception. Let us pray that we can discern such schemes of Satan, defeat them with the word of God, and quickly repent and turn back.
How does the father respond to this demand from his son? Let’s look again at verse 12b: “So he divided his property between them.” The father gave in to his son’s request and divided his inheritance. Then it is our question. Why did the father do that? He could have become angry at his son’s outrageous demand, scolded him harshly, or even thrown him out with nothing. But he didn’t. Did he think his son’s plan to move away was a good idea? As we learn later in the parable, the father seemed to know his son would fail. Was it wrong to give him the inheritance, knowing he would fail? Was this a result of poor parenting? We face similar questions in our own lives: why did God allow the serpent to tempt Eve? Why not just avoid creating the tree of the knowledge of good and evil? Why not make it impossible for us to fail? Life is filled with these kinds of questions.
We can’t fully understand all of God’s plans and reasons behind the challenges we face. But the Bible helps us understand some things. It tells us ‘God is love (1 John 4:8)’ and ‘His ways are perfect (Psalm 18:30).’ When God allows things to happen, it’s because He loves us and His ways are perfect. We must remember this truth. There’s a saying in English: ‘You don’t know what you have until it’s gone.’ This means we often realize the importance of what we have only after we lose it. For example, when the air quality severely worsened due to the wildfires in Canada last time, we deeply felt the importance of clean air. To someone who has experienced drought, water is incredibly precious. I think that the father in the parable gave his inheritance with this intention, to help his son realize the true value of his blessings. To achieve this, the father made a big sacrifice by giving away much of his wealth as inheritance. This was a huge act of love, but he did it because he deeply loved his son.
Look at verse 13, “Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living.” When the younger son first received his inheritance, he was full of hope for success as he left for a distant country. But things didn’t go as planned. Instead of succeeding, he wasted all his money on reckless living. Initially, he might have had a plan for success, but the temptations of the world led him to spend his wealth carelessly. And when he had spent everything, a severe famine hit the land. He was now penniless, and there was no one around to help him. He then hired himself out to a citizen of that country and ended up feeding pigs. Pigs are considered unclean animals, and Jews do not associate with them. But now, he had to live and work with these unclean pigs, even to the point of sharing their food because no one gave him anything to eat. In essence, his situation had become as low as that of the pigs he was tending.”
This story is a good example of what happens to people who turn away from God. Living without God leads to foolish decisions, wasting all our resources on worthless things. And when the droughts of life come and life becomes empty, we might turn to idols—things we think will fill the emptiness—but they only enslave us. These idols leave us even hungrier and more miserable than before. It’s like branches cut from a vine. Jesus said in John 15:5-6: “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned.” We need to stay connected to God to bear fruit; otherwise, we wither away. Even though they try hard to find happiness on their own, they end up feeling devastated and empty inside. Romans 1 describes how miserable humans become when we depart from God: “21b but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. 22 Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools 23 and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like mortal human beings and birds and animals and reptiles.” When people turn away from God, they lose His likeness, become corrupted by sin, and act worse than animals.
II. Alive Again (17-24)
At his lowest point, what happened to the younger son? Let’s read verse 17. “When he came to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have food to spare, and here I am starving to death!” At this moment, he came to his senses. What does that mean? It refers to a moment of self-realization. What did he realize? First, he saw how miserable he truly was. He remembered that even the servants at his father’s house had plenty of food. Yet, as a son, he found himself in a situation where he was starving to death after leaving his father. Second, he realized his own foolishness and sinfulness. He understood that demanding his inheritance while his father was still alive was a great sin, and how great a sin it had been to squander it on the desires of his own flesh. He recognized the foolishness and sin of distrusting and leaving his loving father. Third, he realized the wisest decision was to return to his father’s house. He knew he didn’t deserve to be called a son anymore, but realized that even being a hired servant there would be better than his current life. So, the younger son decided to go back and confess his sins to his father.
This son’s decision illustrates very important processes of redemption and reconciliation. The first step is self-discovery. Our lives are miserable due to our sin. Even though many people try to cover their problems with fame, money, and other worldly distractions, deep inside, they are dying from a spiritual thirst. In reality, they are enslaved by the power of death. Self-discovery allows us to recognize this and turn around. The second step is repentance. This means admitting our faults and sins. The Bible teaches that everyone has sinned and falls short of the glory of God. We are sinners who deserve to be judged before Holy God. Acknowledging and repenting our sins opens the way to forgiveness. The third step is returning to God and seeking His forgiveness, which requires faith. We must believe in God’s grace and His willingness to forgive. By trusting in His forgiving love, we need to confess our sins and ask for forgiveness. These steps are essential for redemption and reconciliation, much like what the younger son experienced in the parable.
While the younger son was away, how was the father living? Did he feel relieved that the troublemaker was gone? Was he filled with anger towards the son who took his inheritance? Not at all. The father eagerly waiting for his son to repent and return home. Let’s read together from verse 20b: “But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.” Imagine the appearance of the son who had lost everything and had been feeding pigs. When he first left the house, he had a splendid appearance, but by the time he returned, he likely looked no better than a beggar. His hair was unkempt, his clothes were torn, and he likely had lost a lot of weight because he hadn’t been eating well. Yet, the father recognized his son from a distance. If you look at verse 19, it’s not that someone recognized his son and told the father; it’s that the father himself saw and recognized his son, which tells us that the father had been waiting anxiously for his son every day. Have you ever waited anxiously for someone? Some people eagerly await the arrival of an Amazon package they ordered. When the father saw his son, his heart was full of compassion; he ran to his son, embraced him, and kissed him. The son’s body was dirty and he smelled like pigs, but none of that mattered to the father. He hugged his son tightly and cried. This moment shows the depth of the father’s love and forgiveness.
The son was likely shocked by his father’s unexpected warm welcome. He knew he didn’t deserve such kindness because of his actions. So, he confessed to his father. Look at verse 21. “The son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.'” However, the father, instead of scolding him, was thrilled to have his son back and decided to throw a large celebration. Let’s read verses 22-24: “22 “But the father said to his servants, ‘Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. 23 Bring the fattened calf and kill it. 24 “But the father said to his servants, ‘Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Let’s have a feast and celebrate.”
The robe, usually the best garment in the house, symbolizes honor, righteousness, and restoration to a dignified status. It represents the righteousness and purity that replaces the son’s past sins. Rings often symbolize authority, family membership, and rights within the home. This signifies the restoration of the son’s status and his trusted place in the family. Typically, slaves went without shoes, so giving sandals to the son signifies that he is free and a full member of the family, not just a servant. Thus, the father didn’t just treat him as a mere servant or a disgraceful son but fully welcomed and restored him as his son.
He also slaughtered the fattened calf and held a feast to celebrate the returned son. This celebration was not because the son returned with great success or managed his father’s inheritance well. Instead, it was a joyous occasion because the son, who was thought to be dead, was alive and had returned. It was a celebration of finding the lost son. Let us all read verse 24 together: “For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.” So they began to celebrate.”
God’s heart for us is the same as the father’s heart in the parable. We are all spiritually dead in our sins and transgressions, and God longs for the lost to return to Him. When we repent and come back to Him, He accepts us just as we are and adopts us as His children. He replaces our rags of sin with shining garments of righteousness. 2 Corinthians 5:17 says “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, a new creation has come: The old has passed away, the new is here!” Hallelujah! We praise for God’s great grace in receiving and restoring sinners.
God is still patiently waiting for the lost at this very moment. He is actively searching for us, just as the father in the parable waited for his prodigal son. Through this conference, the Lord embraces us with the love of the cross and invites us to the heavenly feast. We must now stand and return to the Father. No matter where we are, the Lord will not reject us for being impure but will welcome us with the greatest love. He will receive us as princes and princesses of the glorious kingdom of heaven. Praise our Lord of grace and love!
While preparing this message, I was reminded and grateful once again for God’s grace in receiving me as I am, a dirty sinner, and restoring me as His child. I was born into a family of faith, but my heart was tormented by hatred and sin. I used to steal from my parents’ wallets to go to arcades and lived a life filled with lustful and filthy words. I struggled to receive the approval of others and spiritually thirsty. However, during a retreat, I deeply realized how miserable a sinner I was and was able to come to Jesus in repentance. At that time, I deeply experienced the grace of the cross that receives and forgives me just as I am. This allowed me to reclaim my identity as God’s precious child. In my school years, I gained a clear sense of identity and life purpose through Bible study. When I became a college student, I was blessed to live the life of a shepherd serving college students and JBF souls.
Yet, when I listened to the voice of Satan, I was often drawn back to worldly pleasures. Especially during my military service, I saw how miserable life could be when driven by fleshly desires. But by relying on God’s love and turning my heart back to Him, I found restoration. Now I am blessed to come to the United States, establishing a mission house church, and becoming a father of five beautiful daughters.
Reflecting on my past 40+ years, I see clearly that I can bear no fruit unless I remain in Jesus. Being connected to Him allows me to naturally bear fruit. This means more than just going to church; it involves my soul dwelling in Jesus’ words, repenting, and turning from sin to bear the fruit of the Holy Spirit. I pray to always overcome Satan’s whispers with God’s Word and live a fruitful life in God’s presence. Most importantly, I pray to deeply learn God’s heart in seeking the lost. Just as I was miserable when I strayed from God, every soul away from God lives in misery because of sin. I realize my own lack of compassion for these lost souls. Caught up in my busy life, I often focus on my own issues. Yet, God’s primary concern is for the lost souls. I repent for not sharing in God’s heart and living a self-centered life. I pray that I may share in God’s grieving heart and help the lost souls through prayer and the Word.
Today, we learn that a life distant from God’s presence inevitably leads to a miserable end because of sin. So, how can a lost soul be revived? It is only through repentance and reconciliation with God our Father. We pray that by fully acknowledging our sins and repenting, we may draw near to God and be made alive again. God is also eagerly waiting for the lost souls to return. We pray that we can join in od’s compassion to seek out the lost and share in His joy through their restoration. I pray that through this conference, everyone can come to alive again.