The Father Is The Hero, Not The Prodigal Son

Luke 15:20-24, “And he arose, and came to his father. But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him. And the son said unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in thy sight, and am no more worthy to be called thy son. But the father said to his servants, Bring forth the best robe, and put it on him; and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet: And bring hither the fatted calf, and kill it; and let us eat, and be merry: For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found. And they began to be merry.”

This is perhaps the most preached and cherished passage in the Word of God. I was reading a book by one of my favorite preachers today, Dr. Bob Jones Sr. (1883-1968), who said:

“The son is not the hero of the story of the prodigal son. There is a tendency on the part of human nature to make a sinner a hero. A sinner is never the hero. ...I am always a little uneasy when a man with a bad past gives his life's story. It is possible to tell that kind of story for the glory of God, and it is sometimes so told. But it is often told in a spirit of boasting about the sin the man has committed. I don't like to see the sinner made the hero. The sinner is never a hero in any of God's 'dramas.' This prodigal son 'played opposite' the father who was the hero in this drama.” —Dr. Bob Jones Sr., “Things I Have Learned: Chapel Talks,” page 198-199; Bob Jones University Press, ©1945

I had never thought about that, but I agree with Dr. Jones. I have heard many such testimonies of former top mob bosses who came to Christ, or of former drug dealers and gang members who came to Christ, and now they are treated as religious celebrities. As Bob Jones Sr. said, some of the stories can be told for the glory of God. I was humbled by the incredible life's story of former Colombo Family mob boss, Michael Franzese. Michael doesn't brag of his past sinful life. The mob is known for killing anyone who attempts to leave that life. The only reason he lived to tell his story, is because he said all his accomplices were either dead or serving life in prison in New York state. Mr. Franzese is an ecumenical believer, but he goes around the country helping influence young people not to pursue a life of crime, not to get tattoos, and he shares the Gospel with them. 

I praise the Lord for every Christian testimony. But like Dr. Bob Jones Sr. said, I have heard some disturbing testimonies that glorify one's past sins more than the Savior who died for those sins, which is very wrong I think. When one speaks of past sins, it should always be with a humble spirit of shame and regret, and never with a spirit of pride and heroism...

“There has never been one word uttered by Almighty God in defense of the sins that men commit.” —Dr. Bob Jones Sr., “Things I Have Learned: Chapel Talks,” page 199; Bob Jones University Press, ©1945

Dr. Bob further states:

“The prodigal son was a bad boy. Don't you try to make him a good boy. Don't you try to exalt him. Don't you forget his sin. God doesn't want you to forget his sins. Sin is a terrible thing. It has terrible consequences, as I shall show before I finish the message this morning.” —Dr. Bob Jones Sr., “Things I Have Learned: Chapel Talks,” page 200; Bob Jones University Press, ©1945

Pastor Jack Hyles (1926-2001) used to wisely said: “Don't be reluctant to admit to others that you have feet of clay, but don't ever show them your feet.” We should never go into detail about our past sins. In today's age of mass-communication, your sins could be on the internet by sundown. My philosophy is NEVER type, speak or record anything at any time that you wouldn't want the whole world to know. We are all sinners, that is of no surprise; however, our enemies may use our sins to destroy us, if they can. So be careful what you tell people. I have had people confess very ugly sins to me, which I believe was a Satanic attempt to get me to confess my sins to them, so they could parade them to destroy my name as a preacher. I never tell them anything more than that I am a sinner too! I admit that I am a woeful sinner, but my sins are none of anyone's business!

No one can live above sin, but everyone can live above reproach. 1st Timothy 5:24, “Some men's sins are open beforehand, going before to judgment; and some men they follow after.” You are a dirty sinner in God's sight, just as much as the vilest criminal on earth (James 2:10). The only difference between the holiest saint and the unholiest sinner is the precious blood of Jesus that washes our sins away (1st Peter 1:18-19). One of the greatest sermons I have ever heard about our attitude toward sin, and I love Dr. Jack Hyles' Biblical way of thinking, is titled: 'The Good Man Versus The Spiritual Man.' This sermon will change your life if you will take it to heart. This sermon separates the spiritual adults from the babies in our churches. This sermon is truly a masterpiece!

Hooray For The Son Who Never Went Astray

To me, the other hero in the story (besides the forgiving father) is the brother who never went into a life of sin. The other son remained at home and worked the farm, doing his father's will, caring for the land and animals, staying by the stuff! I think he deserves much credit. That son became upset when the prodigal son returning, because the father killed the fatted calf, put a gold ring on the prodigal son's finger, and threw him a party. The faithful son said the father had never done any of that for him! The wise father reminded him that everything he owned was his sons, whereas the prodigal son had wasted his inheritance in sin and shame. 

There are so many spiritual applications that can be made from this tremendous true story. I love listening to Jesus teach in the Bible. He is so wise, brilliant and opens the reader's eyes to the truth. I marvel that anyone could read the words of Jesus and conclude that men authored the Bible. Dear reader, men could write the Bible if they would, and wouldn't of they could! There is no book in the world that can even compare to the inspired King James Bible. When men write books, they flow with logic from beginning to end; but the Bible is not in chronological order, and you must cross-reference and study it as you would solve a puzzle, to make heads or tails out of its wisdom and intended meaning. 

To me that is further evidence of the divine origin of the Bible. God used approximately 40 different men, who lived over a time period of 1,500 years, most of whom never met each other, spoke different languages, came from different backgrounds  of varying wealth, ethnicity, status, education and moral character; yet the 66 books of the Bible perfectly harmonize to teach us prophetic truth. Here is a lengthy but wonderful quote from Dr. Henry Halley of “Halley's Bible Handbook” about our wonderful Redeemer and Savior: 

“God Himself became a Man, to give mankind a concrete, definite, tangible idea of what kind of Person to think of when we think of God. God is like Jesus. Jesus was God incarnate in human form. His appearance on earth is the Central Event of all history. The Old Testament sets the stage for it. The New Testament describes it. As a man, He [Jesus] lived the most strangely Beautiful Life ever known. He was the Kindest, Tenderest, Gentlest, most Patient, most Sympathetic man that ever lived. He Loved people. He hated to see people in trouble. He loved to Forgive. He loved to Help. He wrought marvelous miracles to feed hungry people. For relieving the suffering He forgot to take food for Himself. Multitudes, weary, pain-ridden, and heart-sick, came to Him, and found healing and relief. It is said of Him, and of no other, that if all the deeds of Kindness that He did were written, the world would not contain the books. That is the kind of man Jesus was. That is the kind of Person God is. Then: He Died, on the Cross, to take away the Sin of the world, to become the Redeemer and Saviour of man. Then: He Rose from the Dead: is Alive Now: not merely an historical character, but a Living Person: the Most Important Fact of History, and Most Vital Force in the world today.” —Theologian Henry H. Halley (1874-1965)

We've all heard professed Christians brag of the life of sin they came from. That just shows how carnally-minded they are. A truly spiritual Christian hates their sins, and is ashamed of past sins. Nowadays things have become so bad, that unrepentant sinners are holding positions as deacons and pastors in churches, denying their sins. From the sin of homosexuality to the sin of women preachers, we must not accept sin into the church.

“A Bible that's falling apart usually belongs to someone who isn't.” —Pastor Charles H. Spurgeon