Fulton County tribune. (Wauseon, Ohio) 1883-1925, 1914-05-01
Like a Lost Sheep.

II. The Home Coming, w. 1924.
The first step was for the son to stop
and really think. That is where sal
walton always begiEs-in thinking. He
knew he was lost, e. e., out of ADJUST
ment, in the wrong place, out of his
element and like the lost sheep,
ready to die" He saw his condi-
ton, money gone, friends gone, hogs
for companions, no food for his sus-
tenance. He saw his value. He was
more important than the servants OF
his fathers home. He saw his faith
er's love, already manifested in what
had been given him and we fain would
believe that when he left home he
had the fathers urgent plea to re-
turn He saw way to escape from
his present position. All of this after
he "came to himself" Before that,
impenitent, he was morally insane,
now he has reasoned, Isa. 1:1S. With
his reasoning also came the deter
mination to make full confession.
81 will say unto him." not alone con-
fess his need but the fact that he had
sinned This is the only way for a
sinner to come to God, Ps. 32:3-5;
l John 1:9; Luke 1S:11-14. He did
not stop with resolving but "he arose
and came to his father " 20. He ex-
pected to apply for servants posi-
ton, but never had the opportunity
for the father saw him "a great way
off" and ran and fell on his neck and
kissed him" Notice the kiss of recon
ciliation was given before he even had
a chance to confess. In his confes-
sion his first thought is that he had
sinned against God and then against
his earthly father. The father had
rot once forgotten him; he had COM
passion" even though the son was un-
merciful to himself and to all of his
loved ones. The father kissed him
before he was washed or otherwise
made presentable. His real need was
paramount to that evidenced by his
rags, hunger, or the ravages of his
dissipation. When he did make his
confession (vv. 20, 21), we note no
reference to the matter of his be-
coming a servant. 1t is doubtful If
the father gave him an opportunity
to state that part of his resolve. Then
there came forth the best robe lisa.
e1:1O; Phil. 3:9 r. W. And a ring"
the pledge of his sonship, Eph. 1:13,
IA: Gal. AS. and shoes also, Eph.
6:15. Then there was the fatted calf.
feasting and merriment, of which
there was no end. OF his temporal
blessings there was an end, not so of
the spiritual blessings of reconcilia-
ton and communion with his father.
We see that it is the father whose
character is emphasized. This is
Christ's great word picture of the
father, his father. 1t explains, SO
far as it is possible for US, all the
suffering he endured, the compass
sion of his heart and the resolute,
yet profuse, manner wherein he gave
himself to those who were most in
need.
Neither of the sons are perfect but
he who uttered the parable was him
self the true son of the father. He
never departed from his father,
wasted his fathers substance, nor
brought discredit upon his name.
Jesus was in full sympathy with his
fathers heart for he welcomed the
wandering publicans and sinners to
himself, took the journey into the far
country to find the wanderers and to
bring them home. Christ's mission
was to bring many ''sons to glory
(Heb. 2:10), which means restoring
the wanderer and fulfilling In him the
perfectness of sonship.