Category Archives: Abundant Life

Servant or Son

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In Luke 15:11-24, Jesus tells the story of the Prodigal Son. I’m sure most of us are familiar with the story of the youngest son who demanded to receive his inheritance from his father even though his father is still alive. We know that the young man then took the money, went to a foreign country, and squandered his inheritance, ultimately ending up feeding pigs.

The story goes on to say that the son came to a point where he realized that he would be better off as one of his father’s servants than where he was currently. The son begins the journey home, and when his father sees him, he runs to him, embraces him, and has the servants bring sandals, the best robe, and a ring, indicating that the son is restored to his position as his son. It is a beautiful picture of the love of our heavenly Father towards all who make their way back to His Presence.

However, during my recent studies of this parable, I’ve discovered that there is a lot more depth to the story than we normally see: more than space allows in this blog post. I would like to touch on one area, though, that I believe is significant. That is the area concerning the son’s motive for returning home, and his thought process for making that decision.

 In verses 17-19, the Bible says, “But when he came to himself, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have more than enough bread, but I perish here with hunger! I will arise and go to my father, and I will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Treat me as one of your hired servants.”’ The son did not feel he was worthy of being a son, so he thought he would offer himself as a hired servant to escape his horrible situation.

At the time of Jesus, there were three levels of servants. One was a bondsman who was a servant who was part of the estate, almost part of the family. This would have been the type of servant Joseph was in Potiphar’s house. The second type of servant was a lower-class servant who was subordinate to the bondsman. They usually did most of the menial and undesirable work. The third type of servant is the hired servant, which is the one the son asked to be.

As a hired servant, the son did not belong to the estate and had no vested interest in his father’s business. He was a casual laborer- a day laborer who lived independently in the local village. His social status was not inferior to that of his father or his brother. He could maintain his pride and independence, and he could possibly even save enough money to pay off the debt he owed his father. In other words, the son was not even considering the possibility of being restored as a son—and he may not have even wanted to be restored; he was only seeking to improve his situation.

However, after the son returns home and the father runs to him and embraces him, the son begins his prepared speech (21). He makes it through the first part of the speech but stops at “Treat me as one of your hired servants.” The father cuts him off and tells the servants to bring the sandals, which represent his position as a son, since servants did not wear sandals. They brought out the best robe, which was probably the father’s robe, indicating to everyone that he was not condemning his son, but fully accepting him and covering him with his grace. They also placed a ring on his finger, which was the family seal, giving the son authority to conduct business. The father was making sure that everyone knew he was not a servant, but that he was fully restored to sonship. “This is my beloved son, in whom I am well pleased.”

I don’t believe the son was fully repentant when he first decided to return to his father. Either because he didn’t feel worthy to be considered a son, or he still wanted to maintain his pride and independence, he was only looking to serve his father to improve his current situation. It wasn’t until after he experienced his father’s grace and felt his embrace that he truly surrendered and entered fully into his role as son.

 After studying this, I couldn’t help but consider my own relationship with our Heavenly Father. I had to ask myself, “Have I truly experienced His embrace and responded to His grace by accepting my position of sonship, and I don’t have to walk in shame (Rom. 8:15-17)? Do I understand that I am fully accepted by Him through the blood of Jesus Christ and protected from condemnation because I am clothed with His robe of righteousness (2 Cor. 5:20-21)? And, do I understand that, as His son, I have been given authority to do the works of Jesus through His name (John 14:12-16)? Or, because of feelings of shame, unworthiness, or pride, do I only see myself as a servant who is merely using God to try to improve my current situation while missing out on the blessings and relationship that can come from sonship?”

How about you? Are you a servant or a son/daughter?

NOTE: If you continue reading the parable to the end, you will notice that the eldest son even struggled with his identity as a son (verses 29-32).

Encamped at Gilgal?

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Our church is reading through the Bible together, and as we were reading through the book of Joshua, I noticed something I hadn’t seen before. Joshua 4 and 5 relate the story of Israel crossing the Jordan and camping at Gilgal. Once they made camp three things happened. God instructed Joshua to circumcise all the males who had not been circumcised since they left Egypt (Joshua 5:2-9), they celebrated Passover for the first time since leaving Egypt (Joshua 5:10-12), and Joshua had the encounter with the man with the sword (Joshua 5:13-15).

I had read this passage many times before, but I noticed something this time. When the first generation of Israelites left Mt. Sinai and were about to enter Canaan, the Promised Land, God was leading them from the south from Kadesh Barnea (Num. 13:26) through the Desert of Zin (Num. 13:21) and entering on the west side of the Salt Sea. Now, after forty years and with a new generation, why was God leading them in from the east side where they had to cross the Jordan River?

The reason goes back to the experiences of the first generation. The first generation went through the Red Sea which was symbolic of their dying to their old life of bondage and resurrecting to a new life from God. It was their baptism. They had all been circumcised and entered a covenant relationship with God, and they had demonstrated their faith in God by coming under the blood of the Passover lamb when the death angel passed through the land (Ex. 12:1-13). This generation, however, failed to trust God to enter the Promised Land, and God, therefore, punished them by having them wander in the wilderness for forty years until this entire generation died (Num. 14:20-35).

The second generation, though, who were born during their forty years in the desert had not experienced any of these things mentioned above. Therefore, they could not receive the promise of God through their father’s experience, but they had to have their own encounter with God. They had to cross the Jordan River so they could have their own baptism of dying to the old life and being raised to a new life in God. They also had to be circumcised so they could enter their own personal covenant with God. And, celebrating the Passover reminded them of what God did to deliver them from their bondage in Egypt, but it also connected them by faith to the saving blood of the Passover lamb.

What was necessary for this generation of Israelites is true for us today. Each individual and each generation must have their own encounters with God. They cannot rely on the faith of their parents or grandparents to save them. Everyone must personally apply the blood of the Passover Lamb of God to their own heart to be saved (1 Peter 1:18-21), be baptized into a new life in Christ (Rom. 6:1-7), and put off the old nature by being circumcised in the heart (Col. 2:11). Only then can they experience the promised blessings of God’s salvation.

One other thing. Israel could not just camp at Gilgal and say, “We are in the promised land, so we’ll just stay here. This is enough”. No, Gilgal was only the beginning. God had much more for them, but they had to go further. They had to engage in many battles, drive out the inhabitants, and possess the land God had promised them with God’s help. The promise was theirs, but they had to work to receive it.

Likewise, today I have known many Christians who are content with just camping at Gilgal. They are saved (crossed the Jordan) and committed to the Lord (circumcised in the heart). But, for whatever reason, they have no desire to go any further in their walk with the Lord. We need to understand, though, that Gilgal (salvation) is not the end but only the beginning. God has much more for us than we can possibly imagine. There is a spiritual abundance that He has promised us (John 10:10), however, like Israel, we must fight for it.

Paul says in Phil. 2:12-13 to “work out your own salvation with fear and trembling”.  He is not saying to work for our salvation, but to work out our salvation—to discipline ourselves to grow deeper in our walk with God so we can experience all that He has for us. We must fight the battles against laziness, complacency, distractions, and even attacks from our spiritual enemy that hinder us and entice us to remain in Gilgal. We need a passionate heart that cries out for more of God’s Presence as Moses cried, “Lord, show me your glory” (Ex. 33:18). But we can’t do any of this in our own ability. Paul goes on to say in verse 13 that it is God who works in us to have the desire and the ability to do His will. He has more for us, and He wants to help us possess it. One final question for you to consider. Where are you? Are you passionately seeking God and disciplining yourself to possess all He has for you? Or are you content to remain in Gilgal? Or maybe you haven’t even crossed the Jordan River and entered a salvation experience with the Lord. Regardless of where you are, just keep in mind that God has more for you. It is yours if you want it. All you have to do is ask Him to give you the desire and the ability to receive it.