There was a man who had two sons. He loved them both very much, and did
everything he could to make them happy.
But the younger son was restless, and got tired of being quietly at
home. He had heard something about the world outside, and he thought it
must be a very fine place by all accounts.
So one day he asked his father to divide what he had to leave to him
and his brother, so that he might do as he liked with his share of it.
Not many days after, the younger son took his journey into a far
country, and as he had no one there to guide him, and as he did not
heed the advice of his dear father, he began to waste his money and get
into evil ways.
Very soon he had spent all his father had given him, and had nothing
left in his purse.
Up to this time he had thought he could do very well without his
father, but now he began to be in want. It was so hard to be hungry, to
find his clothes get ragged, and for his companions to forsake him. And
it made him sad and afraid when he remembered that he had no house to
sleep in, and no friends near.
By and by a farmer took pity on him, and hired him to go and feed his
pigs; and he was so hungry that he could almost have eaten the pigs'
food. But no one gave him anything.
At last as he sat dejectedly watching the pigs, he came to himself! He
began to remember his dear home and his father's love. He no longer
prided himself on what he could do, and what he could buy. He saw his
behaviour in its true light. He told himself that he had been very
naughty and very disobedient, and he began to be sorry.
And when he came to himself he said, "How many of my father's hired
servants have bread enough and to spare, and I, his son, am dying of
hunger! I will arise and go to my father, and tell him I have sinned,
and ask him to make me one of his servants."
So he got up to go to his father.
His father had been very sad all the time his boy had been away. His
heart had ached terribly, though his son had never thought of that.
Every day he looked out for his lost one, and watched for him along the
roads and over the mountains till it grew too dark to see.
But one day, when the son was yet a great way off, his father saw him
coming! Then the dear father ran to meet him, and fell on his neck and
kissed him.
And the son said, "Father, I have sinned before Heaven and in thy
sight, and am no more worthy to be called thy son—"
But he could not get any further than that in what he meant to say! For
his father's arms were round him, and his father's voice was saying in
the old familiar tones, "Bring hither the best robe, and put it on him!
And put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet; and bring here the
fatted calf and let us make a feast; for this my son was dead, and is
alive again; he was lost, and is found!"
Children, we have here a picture of the way our loving Heavenly Father
welcomes back those who have wandered from Him.
His heart is full of love; He grieves that we want to take our own way,
and go far-off from Him.
But if we are sorry, and come back to His loving arms, we shall find
that they will open to receive us; He will put the best robe upon us,
and He will prepare a feast for us; and there shall be joy in the
presence of the angels of God over one sinner repenting!
Do you want to know what the "best robe" means?
It is the Robe of Christ's righteousness. For Christ's sake, who has
shed His precious blood to make us clean and white, we can be dressed
in that perfect robe; and then we shall be fit to join in the feast and
the rejoicings, which are coming by and by in heaven.