Opening Prayer
Lord, bring us lost sinners back to You. Amen.
Text: Luke 15:17–24
“But when he came to himself, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger! I will arise and go to my father, and will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you, and I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Make me like one of your hired servants.”‘ And he arose and came to his father. But when he was still 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 to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight, and am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ But the father said to his servants, ‘Bring out the best robe and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet. And bring the fatted calf here 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.”
Devotion
Worldly people are not really “themselves,” but are asleep and dreaming. When God’s Son conquers the heart and wakes it from the sleep of sin, then a person “comes to himself.” Then he sees himself far from his God and finds himself unhappy. So is a Christian who has fallen far from baptismal grace. He sadly thinks about his former happiness and longs for it again. Here we note especially two things: 1) Whoever is awake and converted knows his sin before God and his unworthiness of being called a child of God; 2) he gets up and goes to the Father, humbles himself and confesses his sin. Where these two things do not happen, there is no true conversion. One can feel unhappy in sin without humbling himself before God. One can see that he is far away, and yet not come back.
But what our Lord Jesus would teach us in this text, above all, is that God receives the sinner again with open heart and open arms, forgives him and rejoices with all the host of heaven over the salvation of the child that was lost. While you are still far away, He sees you. He has long been waiting and watching for you from above. And now He has compassion on you and eagerly runs to meet you. His desire to be gracious to you is infinitely greater than your desire to come and receive His grace. Even before you speak and confess, He has given you His forgiveness and forgotten your lapse. And now when you, with humble heart, speak with your Father, confess and pray, then He clothes you in the perfect righteousness of Christ and gives you the pledge of the Holy Spirit that you are a child and heir, and He gives you grace to guard your feet: to live a holy life and to increase in holiness in the midst of sin and temptations. All this He gives you by the Prophets and Apostles, who have brought us the Word and Sacraments from the Lord, and by the servants of the Word who in every age proclaim the Gospel. For by the Word faith is created, only through the Church’s Means of Grace does the Spirit perform His work of justifying, regenerating, and sanctifying sinners. This is life from death. There is no greater change. Have you experienced this? Do you know the Father’s mercy and grace? Is your soul alive in God? Do you have your home with Him? Don’t stay away. Come and fall into His fatherly arms!
Closing Prayer
Heavenly Father, merciful God, draw to Yourself those who are afar off, and keep with Yourself all those who are found. Amen.
Hymn
O come, if sinner be thy name,
And sin’s sore burden thou art feeling,
To Him who never put to shame
The suppliant at His footstool kneeling.
Why wilt thou gloom for glory choose,
And His free gift of life refuse?
Wilt thou vile bondage love forever,
When He proclaims the word, “Deliver”?
Ah! cease thy dearest Friend to grieve,
My Savior sinners doth receive.
Say not: “My sins are crimson dyed,
I’ve scorned His mercy’s richest treasure,
His call I’ve mocked, His threats defiled,
Now wrath is mine in fullest measure.”
Go seek Him, if thy heart be bent,
And earnestly its sin repent,
His grace o’ersteps guilt’s every mountain,
And opens free the cleansing fountain.
Hope on, – this word can all retrieve;
My Savior sinners doth receive.
Lehr: L 511:1.3 LHy 435:1.3 tr. J. Ker;
tune: O kom dog hver, som Synd (LHy 435); alternate hymn: Come unto Me, ye weary ELH 413