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Patti Cullen examines “The Father of Unlimited Grace” through Luke 15, John 10, 1 Peter 5, showing how father, parable, grace shape a believer’s relationship with God, daily choices, and service to others.

النص الكامل

Understanding The Father of Unlimited Grace

Well, hello there. Let’s turn in our Bibles to the Gospel of Luke, chapter 15, specifically, Luke chapter 15. And we’ll start right in verse one.

Then drew near unto him, this is Jesus, all the publicans and sinners for to hear him. But, verse two, the Pharisees and scribes murmured, saying, This man receiveth sinners and eateth with them. Back in verse one, the word here is a great word to tell you the hearts of the publicans and sinners.

They drew near unto him to hear him. It means to give ear. I like to think, give a listen.

They wanted to hear what he had to say. They were interested in what Jesus had to tell them. They wanted his to hear his words.

They wanted his word from God. But the Pharisees and scribes, what did they do? They murmured, because he’s not eating with the right people. I had to laugh.

I thought, well, you’re both in the same meeting here with him. You’re all together. So what’s the big deal here, Pharisees and scribes? You can come to the meeting, but you’re not going to eat with them, I guess.

Whatever. But what I wanted to point out with these first two verses is who’s present, the two groups of people who are present at the same location with our Lord Jesus Christ. Publicans and sinners, scribes and Pharisees.

Pretty interesting. Next question is, what’s the topic? What are they there to hear? That’s verse three. And he spake this parable unto them, saying.

And then he proceeds, actually through the rest of the chapter, to speak three parables to them, but they’re all with the same topic. And the topic is something being lost and being found. The first parable is about a man, a hypothetical man.

He says, which of you, actually, if you have a hundred sheep and lose one, you’ll leave the ninety nine and go find the one that you lost. It’s common sense. They all would agree.

The second parable is about a woman who had ten pieces of silver who are very precious to her and she lost one. She left the other nine and she searched diligently and wouldn’t do anything else until she found that one piece of silver and she found it. The third parable is about a man who had two sons and one of the sons gets lost in life, decides he needs to leave and find his head.

But this father also waits and watches for him to come home and he gets found. So the theme is the lost and the found. And in each of these parables, I like to think of them as the first parable is the one hundred.

The second parable is the ten and the third parable is about the two. So one hundred sheep, ten pieces of silver, two sons. Each of the parables Jesus Christ shares, one is lost.

That same one is sought diligently for, searched for. And that same one is finally found. And the end result in each parable is great joy and rejoicing for what was lost being found.

The one parable I want to focus on is the third parable about the son. This parable has had much publicity over the years, I guess it’s very commonly known parable. It’s been called the parable of the prodigal son.

مؤسسة الكتاب المقدس

It’s been called the parable parable of the lost son. And it’s also been called the parable of the forgiving father. There may be other names, but those were the three that I found.

I’m going to give it a new name for this teaching. And it’s the title of my teaching. It’s the parable of the father of unlimited grace.

He’s our father of unlimited grace. And this parable actually starts in verse 11 of chapter 15. And it goes through the end of the chapter through verse 32.

It takes up the most verses. It’s the longest parable in the chapter. And we’re going to start in verse 11 and see what we can see about a great graceful father.

Verse 11. And he, Jesus said, a certain man had two sons. The word sons throughout this record is the word huyas.

It’s used for the word son every place in this parable except for one place. And I’ll point that out when we get to it. And basically huyas means a mature son, a grown up young man.

It’s used of Jesus Christ as the son of God. But other terms of Jesus Christ as the son, the son of man, the son of the highest, the son of David, all of those uses are this word huyas, and it’s a mature son. So this man had two mature sons.

Verse 12. And the younger of them said to his father, Father, give me the portion of goods that fall to me. And he, the father, divided unto them his living.

So notice that it was the younger son who came to the father and wanted his inheritance, he wanted it early. But the father divided up the inheritance to both of the sons. It’s pretty interesting.

Jewish law allowed in this situation where there’s only two heirs, two sons, that the elder son would get two thirds of the inheritance and the younger son would only get one third. And that kind of made sense under me if there’s only two kids in the family, because if there were a lot of kids, like in my family, we had eight. If we split it up evenly, it’d be one eight, each of us.

So the younger son is going to get a third. And the elder son is going to get two thirds. Another interesting thing I came across was this was not culturally a bad thing that the younger son did.

At age 18, a son, a child had the right to ask for his or her inheritance. So culturally, it was not frowned upon. He was not doing anything that would have been an insult by asking for his inheritance at this point.

Okay. Well, let’s look at verse 13 and see what he did with all of it. Not many days after the younger son gathered all together and took his journey into a far country and there wasted his substance with riotous living.

And when he had spent all he spent all of it, there arose a mighty famine in that land and he began to be in want and went and joined himself to a citizen of that country. And he sent him into his fields to feed swine. And he, the younger son would fade have filled his body with the husks that the swine did eat and no man gave unto him.

Nobody cared about him. He was all on his own. He knew he had.

أمثلة ودروس روحية

Well, we’ll see that he figured out that he had made a mistake. And it was pretty dire. He was totally desolate.

But verse 17. And when he came to himself, the light bulb went on. He said, how many hired servants and my father’s have bred enough and to spare and I perish with hunger.

Good, good thinking he knew he was their servants. I’m a son. Here I am.

I’m I’m perishing with hunger. They have leftovers even the servants of my father. A little side note that blesses me with this phrase enough and to spare.

It’s one Greek word parisuo. And it literally means more than enough that they have more than enough more than their need. I found that my family physician did not name his practice after himself.

He named it Para Sia physicians. And I knew right away when I saw the name at his office, I knew what it meant that it means abundance more than abundant. It’s the word that John 10 10 I am come that they might have life that they might have it more abundantly.

So I’ve stuck with that doctor. He’s it. He believes in abundance.

And so do we. So the light bulb went off for the sun. He came to himself in verse 18.

He says now I’m going to do something about it. I will arise and go to my father and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven and before the end and no more worthy to be called thy son. Make me as one of thy hired servants.

Quite a different tune here. Look back to verse 12. And what did he say to his father.

Father, give me. Give me dad. Give me.

Give me verse 19 total reversal. Father, make me as one of my hired servants. This is the humility that the younger son was manifesting.

He grew to understand and manifested and he was sincere and meant it. Verse 20. And he arose and came to his father.

Once you come to yourself, once we come to ourselves, our next step is to come to our father. And that’s what he did. That’s the true test of the humility.

He wasn’t afraid to go to his father. He wasn’t going to hide in shame. He would be willing.

الإيمان في العمل

If I can just be one of your servants, I want to be around you, Father. So he came to himself and then he did the most important step. He 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. Oh, he was so thrilled. A great way off.

His father saw him yet a great way off. How did he see him a great way off? I looked that up a great way off. You know, how far off is that? It means far, far away.

Far, far off. So I don’t I didn’t have binoculars. You know, he couldn’t how could he see that far? Well, first of all, we know he was looking for him.

Second of all, I thought about he could have been out looking for him, too. He’s seeking him like in the other parables. They lost the sheep.

They went out and looked, lost the piece of silver. She left her work, wait until she got that piece of silver and found it. So he could very well have gone out from time to time or, you know, took little trips to look for his son.

But anyway, he was looking for him and he saw him and he ran to him and he fell on his neck and he kissed him. And the son had this speech ready, right? And the son said to him, Father, I have sinned against heaven and in thy sight and no more worthy to be called thy son. Make no make the father wasn’t even listening.

The father interrupted and said to his servants, hey, hey, Joey, Billy, hey, bring forth the best road and put it on him and put a ring on his hand and shoes on his feet and bring him to 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.

He had these things ready for his son. The best row, the signet ring, the shoes. He had him waiting for his son to come back.

Another great point here is that the signet ring and sandals are not worn by servants. Only a free man wears a signet ring or sandals servants would go barefoot and they would not wear the family crest ring. They’d have more than enough, right? Food and enough to spare.

They’d be taken well care of, but they would not have these items of honor that this father had waiting and ready for his son when he got back. He didn’t even consider what else his son had to say. He never considered anything else except that when he came back, he knew his son would be humble and they knew that they could get on with having a father-son relationship.

Well, doo-doo-doo-doo, the other verse 25 is doo-doo-doo-doo. The other two parables end with the party. They have the big party rejoicing at what they found.

This one throws in a little different perspective. And that’s in verse 25. Now, his elder son was in the field.

And as he came and drew nigh to the house, he heard music and dancing. And he called one of the servants and asked what these things meant. And the service said unto him, Oh, your brother is common.

My father killed a fatted calf because he had received him safe and sound. And the son said, Oh, great. I’ve been waiting for him to come home.

السير في الحب والثقة

I’m so excited. Let me go take a shower and then I’ll get right into the party. Right? I’ve been working.

No, no, no. Unfortunately, he was angry. Verse 28.

He was angry and would not go in. He dug in and would not budge. So what would you do as the father? Oh, just let him stay out there and pop.

That’s where he’s going to be fine. He could just be that way. Or go out there and raise Cain.

Might be a temptation, but I don’t think it was with this father. Therefore, Cain his father out and entreated him. He entreated him.

He did not badger him. He did not scold him. He did not humiliate him.

He entreated him. It means he took him aside and spoke tenderly to him. He comforted him and entreated him.

He didn’t back down on the party. He didn’t back down on being happy that his son was back. He entreated his elder son to join in welcoming his brother back.

So the son, it really hit the son’s heart, the elder son. He goes, Yeah, dad, you’re right. Right? No.

Verse 29. And he answering said, lo, these many years do I serve thee. Neither transgress I at any time thy commandment.

And yet thou never gave us me a kid that I might make merry with my friends. Oh, my goodness. See the word all these years.

Do I serve thee. Neither. The word neither transgress thy that commandment at any time.

And then the word never, thou never gave us me a kid. They’re the same Greek word. Here he’s saying, dad, I never let you down.

I’ve always done what you want. But you never gave me anything for it. So here I am.

I’m great. I’ve never at any time is exactly what that word means is it is an emphatic negative. I have never at any time let you down father or transgressed your commandment.

تطبيق التعاليم في الحياة اليومية

For all my goodness, you never gave me a kid to have a party with my friends. I think his father could have called him on both counts. I’m sure he let his father down and transgress at some time in his life.

And you never gave me anything that you just got your inheritance. You got two thirds. That’s a lot.

He’s not done yet, though, verse 30. But as soon as this thy son was come, which has devoured thy living with harlots, thou has killed for him the fatted calf. I didn’t even get a little goat, but he’s got the fatted calf.

And now it’s the father’s response. And he said unto him, son. And that is the place where this word son is not the Greek word for us.

It’s the Greek word Tefnon. And it literally means my child. Paul used it of Timothy.

It’s a term of endearment. My dear child. And what he says right after that shows the endearment.

Thou art ever with me and all that I have is dying. My dear Tefnon. It was meat that we should make merry and be glad for this thy brother.

Yes, he’s my son, but he’s also your brother was dead and is alive again and was lost and is found. You see, this father in this parable was the father of a limited grace for both sons. The younger son was a sinner and the elder son was a self-righteous legalist.

Let’s turn back to verse one and two of this chapter. And remember who’s listening. The two groups then drew near unto him all the public and some sinners for to hear him.

Remember, they wanted to give ear. They wanted to give a listen to what Jesus had to say. And they drew near.

They wanted to get close to our Lord and Savior. Verse two, but the scribes and Pharisees murmured. They didn’t draw near.

They murmured. They gossiped under their breath. This man receive his sinners and eateth with them.

This parable of the father and the two sons in particular was meant for the second group, the legalists. Jesus Christ is trying to reach them, too. But he was also teaching a bigger principle and a bigger a bigger truth.

And that is that of humility and grace. Let’s turn to James. James chapter four verse five.

Do you think that the scripture set in vain the spirit that dwelleth in us lesseth to envy? God knows our frame. He remembers that we’re dust. He knows we have an old man nature.

حياة تشكلها كلمة الله

So what does he do about it? What does God do about it? Put us under more laws to keep us in control over six. But he giveth more grace. That elder son was jealous of the younger son.

He was envious and it made him angry. God gives more grace. When we get in trouble, the world gets on top of us, the adversary taxes.

God gives more grace. He doesn’t leave us to figure it out alone. It’s a figure speech, I assume, because we already have all the grace that there is available.

He’s not stingy. God does not withhold anything from us. He’s given us everything we need.

He giveth more grace. Wherefore, he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble. Submit yourselves therefore to God.

Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Draw nigh to God like the publicans and sinners did to Jesus Christ. Draw nigh to God and he will draw nigh to you.

Verse 10, humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord and he shall lift you up or exalt you. God’s part is the unlimited grace. Our part is humility.

And when we find ourselves not being humble, we can always be humble again. There’s plenty of grace. What was it? My grace is sufficient for thee.

We have plenty of grace, more than enough grace, to always keep us on the path of righteousness. Look at 1 Peter chapter 5 verse 5. Likewise ye younger, submit yourselves unto the elder. Yea, all ye be subject one to another and be clothed with humility.

For God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace to the humble. Humble yourselves therefore, under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time. That’s the same thing as in James.

He will lift us up. We don’t exalt ourselves. We can’t.

I mean, we don’t have the ability, but we also don’t need to try. God being humble to God, his grace lifts us up. It exalts us.

And, you know, Jesus Christ is exalted at the right hand of God. So we’re right there with him. That’s pretty high.

Humble yourselves therefore, under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time, casting all your care upon him, for he careth for you. You see, God’s grace exalts us. He’s the father of unlimited grace who came looking for us and exalted us with his son, Jesus Christ.

He continues to provide for us during any time of trouble that the enemy throws our way because he cares for us. God bless you. I love you.

الوجبات السريعة الرئيسية

• It’s the parable of the father of unlimited grace.
• And we’re going to start in verse 11 and see what we can see about a great graceful father.
• You see, this father in this parable was the father of a limited grace for both sons.
• And the end result in each parable is great joy and rejoicing for what was lost being found.
• We have plenty of grace, more than enough grace, to always keep us on the path of righteousness.

الأسئلة الشائعة

What is the main message of “The Father of Unlimited Grace”?

Patti Cullen examines “The Father of Unlimited Grace” through Luke 15, John 10, 1 Peter 5, showing how father, parable, grace shape a believer’s relationship with God, daily choices, and service to others.

ما هي النصوص المقدسة التي تُعتبر أساسية في هذا التعليم؟

The teaching draws especially from Luke 15, John 10, 1 Peter 5.

كيف يمكن للمؤمنين تطبيق هذا التعليم؟

And we’re going to start in verse 11 and see what we can see about a great graceful father.

المراجع الكتابية

Luke 15; John 10; 1 Peter 5

تم إعداد هذا النص من التسجيل الصوتي التعليمي أو الوثيقة الأصلية. يرجى التحقق من مراجع الكتاب المقدس بالرجوع إلى نسختك من الكتاب المقدس.