There's No Place Like Home

THERE'S NO PLACE LIKE HOME

“And when he came to himself, he said, How many hired servants of my father's have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger!” - Luke 15:17

Home. Just the mention of the word brings fondness to our hearts and pleasure to our souls. When we find ourselves on a distant trip for several days, we yearn for the comfort of home. The old proverbial saying is true, there's no place like home.

The prodigal son found himself far from home. A series of foolish decisions led him to the pig pen. Pigs are filthy animals, yet this man was jealous of them. The pigs were eating better than he was.

To put it bluntly, his life was a mess and he had no one to blame but himself. He had sown to the wind and was reaping the whirlwind. He had disrespected his father, arrogantly pursued a wicked lifestyle and ultimately faced financial ruin. He had squandered his inheritance and wasted his life. At the pig pen he was enduring the agony of self-inflicted pain. He deserved what he was getting.

Even though the story of the prodigal son was told as a parable, many of us can identify with it. I know I can. You see, once I was a prodigal myself. The Heavenly Father was loving and kind, yet I wanted to live my life my way. I wanted His favor, but not His leadership. I wanted His blessings, but not His fellowship. When Jesus told the story of the prodigal son, He probably had me in mind.

In Jesus' story, the prodigal son finally had a defining moment that changed everything. The Bible says that the prodigal son, “... came to himself.” In other words, an awakening took place. He had an “aha” moment. This comes to different people in different ways. Often it comes when a sinner hears a sermon. It may come while a person is listening to a Gospel song. It may be a word from a Christian friend or relative. In that brief moment, God gets his attention. The Bible refers to it as conviction.

Rather than desiring the pleasures of sin, the sinner now seeks the Father he has mistreated and forsaken. Instead of running away from home, he seeks to return. That's what the prodigal son did. In repentance, he sought the father's house. He was ready to verbalize a long, contrite confession.

He forsook the pig pen and made the humble trip back home. Unworthy and undeserving of acceptance, he came back to his father's house.

The parable of Jesus vividly teaches us about the deceitfulness of sin. The story also shows us the destructive nature of sin. It shows us how undeserving we are of the Father's grace. Thankfully, the story doesn't stop there.

When Jesus shared this story, He said that when the prodigal son neared the father's house, the father saw him and ran to meet him. The father welcomed his son with great love and enthusiasm. The boy was received and presented with the best robe, a ring and shoes. A big feast was held to celebrate the boy's return. He was not received as a servant. He was received as a son. He was home.  He learned that there's no place like home.

The story shows us the depravity of sin and the disgrace of a sinner. Best of all, the story shows us the abundant grace of our Father. His grace is much greater than our sins. Where sin abounded, grace did much more abound. I was a great sinner but He was a greater Savior. Now I can say, like the old song, “Anywhere is home, if Christ, my Lord, is there.”  There's no place like home.

If you are far from the Father, let me remind you of an another old song:

I’ve wandered far away from God,
Now I’m coming home;
The paths of sin too long I’ve trod,
Lord, I’m coming home.

Coming home, coming home,
Nevermore to roam;
Open wide Thine arms of love,
Lord, I’m coming home.

Perhaps you have wasted your life. Maybe you are in the pig pen right now. There's a better life than the life of sin. Come home right now. The Father will welcome you and receive you today. Why wait any longer?

Jesus is coming soon. The family of God will be gathered together on that day. The Father will open up His house to us and will share it with His children forever. We will be home where we belong. Home with the Father.

There's no place like home.