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Welcome Back! Today, we’ll be looking at the Gospel of Luke to see how Jesus describes our Father.
So let’s dive in.
Luke 15:11-32
Then Jesus said, “There was a man who had two sons. The younger son said to him, ‘Father, give me my share of the estate.’ So he divided his property between them. After a few days, the younger son got everything together and journeyed to a distant country, where he squandered his wealth in wild living. After he had spent all he had, a severe famine swept through that country, and he began to be in need. So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him into his fields to feed the pigs. He longed to fill his belly with the pods the pigs were eating, but no one would give him a thing. Finally he came to his senses and said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have plenty of food? But here I am, starving to death! I will get up and go back to my father and say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Make me like one of your hired servants.”’ So he got up and went to his father.
But while he was still in the distance, his father saw him and was filled with compassion. He ran to his son, embraced him, and kissed him. The son declared, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ 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. Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let us feast and celebrate. For this son of mine was dead and is alive again! He was lost and is found!’ So they began to celebrate.
Meanwhile the older son was in the field, and as he approached the house, he heard music and dancing. So he called one of the servants and asked what was going on. ‘Your brother has returned,’ he said, ‘and your father has killed the fattened calf, because he has him back safe and sound.’ The older son became angry and refused to go in. So his father came out and pleaded with him. But he answered his father, ‘Look, all these years I have served you and never disobeyed a commandment of yours. Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends. But when this son of yours returns from squandering your wealth with prostitutes, you kill the fattened calf for him!’ ‘Son, you are always with me,’ the father said, ‘and all that is mine is yours. But it was fitting to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’”
My Thoughts
Jesus is telling this story to some judgmental religious people in order to paint a picture of what God is looking for; lost people who will repent. He is chiding them because they are like the older brother who throws a pity party instead of joining in on the real party.
But I think most of the time we hear the story, the focus is on the younger brother slinging slop to the pigs. It’s used as an evangelistic approach to either get the attention of lost people or to motivate the save to share with lost people.
Obviously, both approaches are instructive and valuable but I want to zero in on a third character; the father. I can only imagine what Jesus’ disciples were thinking when they heard this for the first time. “Oh boy, Jesus is givin’ it to ‘em now. Sic those mean ol’ Pharisees, Jesus, sic ‘em!” However, when they got away and started the debrief, I can just hear Jesus saying, “And what about you guys? Where do you fit in the story?”
Here’s how I might answer this question – – – I think we should be acting more like the father (who represents The Father). There are several lessons to be had as disciple makers. The father honored the son’s request by giving his inheritance early (even though he knew the son may not be wise enough to handle it). The father didn’t make him stay at home and monitor his spending habits (it was time for the son to make his own decisions). The father waited for his son to “come to his senses” (instead of rescuing him prematurely). The father was expectant and ran to meet his son when he returned (I can only imagine God, the Omnipotent Eternal One, running to meet me when I repent). And then he throws a lavish party when the son returns.
Let me translate this into disciplemakereeze.
- The Father is willing to take risks in giving away responsibility to those who may not be quite ready. Are we? (Luke 9:1–2)
- The father doesn’t become a “helicopter parent” to make sure the son does everything right. Are we “helicopter disciple makers?” (John 4:1–2)
- The father doesn’t prematurely rescue the son from very poor decisions and lets him go through a process of “self discovery”. Do we allow disciples to experience the consequences of their poor decisions? (Mark 9:18, 9:38–39)
- The father is rooting for the son by expectantly waiting on his return. Do we allow for mistakes and wait with a positive expectation that God is working out things in their lives for good? (Philippians 1:6)
- The father celebrates the son’s repentance. Do we celebrate when a mentee makes things right or do we play the “I told you so” game? (3 John 1:4)
BTW – The father’s example is great instruction for parenting teenagers as well! 🙂
My Story
I have to bite my tongue…a lot. There are times…a lot of times where young disciples and even disciple makers are saying and doing things where I just need to be silent.
Just the other day one of my friends broke down a “brilliant strategy” for ministry, and I told myself, “Don’t say a word Chuck.” I wouldn’t do things the way he was suggesting but then again how many times am I doing things the “way” Jesus wouldn’t do them. Besides, maybe it is “brilliant” and I’m just an old fuddyduddy!
Now, if the guy was going to blow off a leg or ruin his marriage, you can bet your boots I would say something. But when you look at the story of the prodigal son, it seems like a lot was at stake and the father let him go anyway.
I think as disciple makers we can swing too far to one side of the pendulum or the other. We can over protect or, for education sake, we let the kid run into the street and get hit by a car. Yikes! The key is to balance our advice and realize that we are not the Holy Spirit and sometimes those “bad decisions” are very instructive even though they are painful. Or they just might be good ones we are too proud to admit we didn’t think of first.
Our Action Plan
Now it’s time for application. Here’s some questions and ideas:
- When discipling others, do you tend to be over protective or totally hands off?
- Next time you meet with a mentee, ask them how they perceive your “guidance.”
- Go through the gospels and count the number of mistakes the disciples made under Jesus’ tutelage.
A good disciple maker knows when to “let go” and when to “step in.” But we learn what to do in particular situations and usually it’s by over doing one or another. We have to get our reps in as mentors and it takes time and experience. As we improve our skills, let’s act like the father in Jesus’ story and pray that the Holy Spirit gives us great discernment on how to be a good “spiritual parent.”
Organic Writing – No Artificial Intelligence or Sweeteners Added
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