Heirs

Luke 15:22
“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.

I’m pretty sure we all know the story and the relative significance of the parable of the Prodigal Son. If not, I’ll sum up for you. A man had two sons. One son decided that he wanted all of his inheritance so that he could go out and live his own life, the way he wanted, without having to answer to his father for everything. The father loved his son very much and decided to give him exactly what he wanted: complete freedom.

The father gave the boy all of his inheritance and sent him out to live his life. The boy was thrilled!! He made friends, had parties, and drove fast cars. He hooked up with the ladies and had his fill of champagne and caviar. He wore the finest suits, Armani no doubt, smoked some fine Cuban cigars, and snorted only the purest Colombian Blow. He stayed at the Palace, took in all the shows, and didn’t have a care in the world.

One day, however, the inheritance money ran out. Slowly and steadily his friends vanished. The lavish parties came to a halt. The cocaine pipeline was shut down, the caviar went sour, and the champagne turned into Mad Dog 20/20. Dinner and a show at the Palace turned into biscuits and gravy at the soup kitchen. The penthouse suite was now nothing more than an old cardboard box in an alley with the cats.

The boy remembered everything he’d had back at home. He remembered how his father always taught him how to work, how to live right, how to earn the things of this world, and he longed to go home. He decided that he would return to his father and beg just to be a lowly servant in his household. He prepared a speech and set off for home.

When the father saw him, he ran out to him, arms open ready for a hug. The boy began to confess his sins and run through his speech, but the father cut him off. He called for his hired hands and ordered that the best robe be placed on his child. He ordered that the ring be placed on his finger. He ordered that sandals be placed on his feet. This boy, who had completely disrespected his father, was not only fully restored as an heir to his father’s household, he didn’t even have to put his own clothes on!

Oh, what a Father we have, who would come, as Christ, with arms stretched wide open to meet us where we are. His grace and compassion is unfathomable. It was Christ who ordered His robe of righteousness be placed on us. It was Christ who ordered His ring be placed on our finger (a symbol of authority and a symbol of marriage). It was Christ who ordered that sandals be placed on our feet (a symbol of ownership of the land). There was no work on our part to get these things. Christ’s desire isn’t for us to be servants in His household, but heirs to His throne.

When God called Moses up the mountain, He ordered him to remove his sandals because the land he was on was God’s land, and it was holy; Moses wasn’t. But when Christ came out to meet us He ordered the sandals put back on our feet. He gave us His land. He made us holy. He gave us His authority, His riches, and His righteousness, all as our possession. We didn’t earn it back, and we don’t have to work to receive it.