I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Make me like one of your hired servants.”’I am no more worthy to be called your son. Make me as one of your hired servants.”’And am no more worthy to be called thy son: make me as one of thy hired servants.I am no more worthy to be called thy son: make me as one of thy hired servants.
5 sermons cite this verse
… he resolved, this is what I'm going to do. I will get up and I will go to my father and I will say to him, father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight. I'm no longer worthy to be called your son, make me as one of your hired men. He wrote out his speech. And for the next several days, he rehearsed them to the pigs in the pig pen. Then finally, verse 20 says, and he got up and he came home to his father. The son took the first step back toward his father. But you know what really matters in this story? It's not the return of the son. it's the response of the father what really matters to you and me is if we do take that step back toward God how is God going to respond look at what happens in verse 20 but while the son was still a long way off his father saw him have you ever wondered how is that possible how does it happen that on the day that the son decides to return his father just happens to see him. I'll tell you why. Because that's all the father could think about when his son left home. So every morning, the father would get up and he would think to himself, perhaps today is the day. And all he would do is stand on that front porch, standing the horizon for any sign of his son. He looks out and on the horizon, he sees a tiny dot. As that dot starts …
… father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I'm no longer worthy to be called your son. Make me like one of your hired servants. So he got up and went to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him. He ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him. The son said to him, Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I'm no longer worthy to be called your son. But the father said to his servants, Quick, bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let's have a feast and celebrate. For this son of mine was dead and is alive again. He was lost and is found. So they began to celebrate. Meanwhile, the elder son was in the field. When he came near the house, he heard music and dancing. …
… I will set out and go back to my father and say to him, father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Make me like one of your hired servants. And so he got up and went to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him. He ran to his son, threw his arms around him, and he kissed him. The son said to him, Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son. But the father said to his servants, Quick, bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let's have a feast and celebrate. For the son of mine was dead and is alive again. He was lost and found. And so they begin to celebrate. …
… I mean, he's at the bottom. I am no longer worthy. I'm no longer worthy to be called your son. Just make me like one of your hired servants. I'm willing to work and have a job. And so he got up from where he was, quit what he was doing. and he went to his father and he's rehearsing his speech all along the way and Jesus' audience, they're like, this is gonna be good. We know what's gonna happen because they knew what they would do. They did not know what the father would do because they did not know what God the father is like and this Luke would tell us is why Jesus came. It's what he came to explain. He would say these crazy things like, if you've seen me, you've seen the father. Show us the father. Okay, Jesus would say, look, everything before me, this is so important for somebody today. Jesus would say, everything that came before me was a shadow. Everything that came before me was foreshadowing. …
… starving to death. I will set out and go back to my father and say to him, father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Make me like one of your hired men. So he got up and went to his father. Can you just imagine, picture that for a second. Can you imagine how he smelled? Can you imagine how he looked? Like he's not coming back looking great and full of pride. He's coming back heartbroken and embarrassed and shameful, willing to not even claim to be a son, but just like, let me work here so I can be fed. while there is no sin that is out of reach, there is no sin that is out of reach. While there is no sin that is out of reach, home is never out of reach either. Just want to remind you, home is never out of reach. Let's look at the father. We'll pick up in verse 20. So he got up and went to his father, but while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him. He ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him. …