“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’s have a 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".
"So he got up and went to his father.
“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.
“The son said to him, ‘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’s have a 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". LK: 15:20-24
One of the best known and loved of all the
parables of Jesus is the Prodigal Son, it has given much encouragement over the
centuries to many who have come to their heavenly Father and found his loving
embrace and his full acceptances of each and all of us his children, and had found
their full sonship restored to them by a loving and gracious Father.
This Parable, is part of the "Parables of the Lost" all found in St. Luke’s Gospel. Lost sheep and lost coin
and lost son, all three ends in great rejoicing at the Lost being found.
In the parable, as the son returns to his Father’s
house, his Father calls for his servants to fetch and to bring three items and
to place each upon his now restored 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."
The Robe
In the ancient cultures, and even in
contemporary culture, robes represented a position of office and authority
within society and in the family as well. One who was adorned in a robe stood
out to those around them. The robe designated that a person occupied a place in
which they were to be heard and regarded.
We can see an example of this in the
Patriarchal household of Israel (Jacob) when he gave
his favorite son Joseph a multi colored robe which set him apart from his
brothers.
"Now Israel loved Joseph more than his
other sons because Joseph was a son born to him in his old age, and he made a
robe of many colors for him" Gen:37:3
This robe, gave Joseph a designation and a
distinction within the household and family which reflected his father's favor
toward Joseph and his unique position.
In the ancient world robes were only worn by
full members of the household and never worn by any household servant.
Robes were also associated with those who held
positions of authority. There were special robes which were worn by the
Priest who ministered at the Temple of God which only they could put on.
"Make sacred garments for your brother
Aaron to give him dignity and honor "Ex: 28:2.
These robes of the Priesthood, these sacred
garments, reflected their position among the people.
Even in the society of Israel the members of
the Sanhedrin were dressed in garments which showed that they were rulers among
the people and part of the governing body of Israel.
The Best Robe
The robe called for by the Father of the
prodigal is referred to as the "best Robe" and
the Father commanded his servants to place it upon the returned son, again
emphasizing that they now served this son and should show him all proper
accord.
“But the father said to his servants, ‘Quick!
Bring the best robe and put it on him."
This Father wanted to make sure that his
son knew that he was received back in full status by he, and the whole
household, and that this son did not return to a diminished status.
A Ring
The Father called for a ring to be
placed upon his son’s hand by the servants.
"Put a ring on his finger"
This ring, the Father's signet,
like the robe before it, reflected the status which the son had been restored
to.
Rings of this type carried the family seal or
crest engraved upon it. Those sons who wore such rings were able to conduct the
Father’s business with his full authority.
These rings were intricate and of great value
and those who wore them were to recognized that they held place of great regard
among the family and society at large, and were expected to uses that authority
wisely and justly within and without the household.
The signet ring represents a place of rulership
and authority within the family household.
"Then Pharaoh took off his signet ring
from his hand and put it on Joseph's hand,"Gen:42:41
This conferring of the signet ring to Joseph
showed that he acted under Pharaoh's authority to rule.
Sandals
The rejoicing Father then commands that his
servants place sandals upon the son's feet.
"and sandals on his feet"
In the ancient world very few slaves or
servants wore sandals. It was rear that a household servant was given sandals
to place then upon his feet, usually only family members were found with them.
Without sandals slaves and servants were
limited to where they could go and gave them few options. Again, the
sandals represented the status of the son as one who had freedom to come and go
as he needed and to conduct their Father’s affairs and walk in authority.
Sandals also represent among the people a
calling of great importance as defend the Father's honor and properties, even
as solders who's feet were shod with special sandals which allowed them to
march and to hold their ground and place in the ranks.
Tokens of Sonship
Jesus gave this parable to illustrate to us all,
about how our Father in Heaven, who stands and watches for us, looking daily
for us, and when he sees us approaching, he runs toward us rejoices when any
and all, who like the lost Prodigal son, comes to see that they have squandered
their inheritance in a far country and have now come home to his loving embrace
and a celebration.
The Fattened Calf
The Father then calls for a fattened calf to
be slaughtered and served as the main course of a celebration in honor of the
return of his son. This is joy which only a Father can know, with the return to
the household of an estranged son, now who is now fully reconciled.
As the Father sacrificed the very best of his
livestock for his son, our God gave the best he could, the life of his own son
Jesus, for each and all of Prodigal humanity.
"for God so loved the world that he gave
his only begotten son" Jhn: 3:16
Celebration of this type were reserved for
members of the family and their family friends; servants seldom received such
honors.
It was an expense, even for the wealthy to
part with a calf of this kind. Calves represented wealth and were the
future of the lives stock properties, yet this Father gave it up joyfully for
his returned son.
The servants assess to celebration would have
been relegated to that of serving the honored guest and the household.
This celebration is to reflect the Heavenly
joy at the return of any and all who return home to their Father from the far
country of "lostness"
"I tell you that in the same way there
will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents" Lk: 15:7
"In the same way, I tell you, there is
rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.” (10)
What the Prodigal son is given upon his return
reflects what our Father in Heaven confers upon each of us when we come home to
his household.
The Robe
We are dressed in the very garment or robe of
our elder brother Jesus Christ.
"for all of you who were baptized into
Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ."Gal:3:27
"Instead, clothe yourselves with the Lord
Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the desires of the flesh."Rm:13:14
We have all , through Jesus been given the
right to be the very Children of God to conduct ourselves as
full members of the household of God with full rights of sonship.
"Yet to all who did receive him, to those
who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of
God--" Jhn:1:12
"Now if we are children, then we are
heirs--heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ" Rm:8:17
As the robes designated the rulers and priest
in the ancient cultures we are now seen as Kings and Priest of our God
"You have made them to be a kingdom and
priests to serve our God, and they will reign on the earth"Rev:5:10
The Signet
We as Children of God, with full rights of the
family, like our older brother Jesus carries the seal of our God; the Holy
Spirit who directs us in living out our sonship. We have been given the very
signet of our Father upon us, his very seal.
"set his seal of ownership on us, and put
his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come." 2Crth:1:22
"And you also were included in Christ
when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you
believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit," Eph:1:13
The Sandal's Upon Our Feet
We then are like the bare foot Prodigal son
have returned home, and have been given the sandals of sonship placed upon our
feet. Showing we can now walk as free sons of the household of the Father
knowing we have entered into his peace.
"and your feet sandaled with readiness
for the gospel of peace" Eph: 6:15.
We can with the sandals of the Gospel walk as
members of the household of God spreading his peace to those around us, and
like the solders, we have been given the traction we need as we walk thru this
like.
As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you
to live a life worthy of the calling you have received."Eph:4:1
The Calf
The great sacrifice which was given so that we
all could rejoice together was the costliest of all that of our Lord Jesus who
died so that our place as rejoiced over sons of God who have returned home to
our Fathers' household.
He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our
behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. 2Crth: 5:22
This great sacrifice of the Son of God has
made possible the celebration which is enacted in the Heavens but
will carry on thru out eternity among us as we come and sit
down together in the household of our Father as he rejoices over
us and with us
The Parable's celebration looks ahead to the
rejoicing which will last for all eternity for the son(s) which were lost has
come home.
For this son of mine was dead and is alive
again; he was lost and is found.’ So, they began to celebrate".
Benediction: May we
each and all rejoice in our Father's household as we walk and adorned with
the tokens of Sonship, today, tomorrow and forevermore. Amen
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Rev. Todd Crouch, Norman, Oklahoma
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