The Prodigal Father (God’s Hesed • Lovingkindness – part 7)

JesusThe Hebrew concept of “hesed” is found all throughout the life and ministry of Jesus. He told it in His parables and He lived it in all He did.

In this study, we examine the story of the “prodigal son” and discover that it really is a story of the “prodigal father”—it is a beautiful picture of the mercy and lovingkindness of God.

Listen to or download the episode

Hesed (lovingkindess / mercy / steadfast love)

In the last several episodes, we have talked about the Hebrew word hesed, often translated as:

• love, kindness, grace, mercy, faithfulness, favor, loyalty, goodness, lovingkindness, steadfast love, faithful love, devotion, gracious covenant, covenant loyalty, loving instruction, covenant friendship, beauty
• Or as Michael Card so beautifully defined, “When the person from whom I have a right to expect nothing gives me everything.”⁽¹⁾

Hesed in the New Testament

The Hebrew word “hesed” can be found in the New Testament word “mercy” (for more, listen to the last episode on the “House of Mercy“).

Throughout Jesus’ life, ministry, and teaching, we see that Yahweh God who took on flesh (Jesus) lived a life of hesed, taught on it, and told many of his parables on the theme.

For example, my favorite parable (often called the “Prodigal Son” from Luke 15) is all about hesed.

The Prodigal Father

Though we tend to describe the younger son’s behavior as “prodigal”—the word is actually more fitting for the behavior of the father.

The word “prodigal” means: “wastefully extravagant; having or giving something on a lavish scale.”⁽²⁾

That is exactly what the father does in the story—he is extravagant in his redemption, forgiveness, and mercy of the younger son. The younger son returns home hoping he might be able to become a hired hand, though not expecting anything … but the father runs, showers him with kisses, and restores him as a son with all the rights thereof.

We call that … hesed.

This “prodigal” father goes above and beyond expectation. He gives hesed to his son.

Here’s the account … (note: I’m breaking up the story into bullet points so it follows how I talk about each section in the audio study).

• Luke 15:11–12 – And He said, “A man had two sons. And the younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the share of the estate that falls to me.’ So he divided his wealth between them.”
• Luke 15:13–19 – “And not many days later, the younger son gathered everything together and went on a journey into a distant country, and there he squandered his estate living recklessly. Now when he had spent everything, a severe famine occurred in that country, and he began to be impoverished. So he went and hired himself out to one of the citizens of that country, and he sent him into his fields to feed swine. And he was desiring to be fed with the pods that the swine were eating, and no one was giving anything to him. But when he came to himself, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired men have more than enough bread, but I am dying here with hunger! I will rise up and go to my father, and will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me as one of your hired men.”’”
• Luke 15:20–24 – “So he rose up and came to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion, and ran and embraced him and kissed him. And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ But the father said to his slaves, ‘Quickly 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 fattened calf, slaughter it, and let us eat and celebrate, for this son of mine was dead and has come to life again; he was lost and has been found.’ And they began to celebrate.”
• Luke 15:25–32 – “Now his older son was in the field, and when he came and approached the house, he heard music and dancing. And summoning one of the servants, he began inquiring what these things could be. And he said to him, ‘Your brother has come, and your father has killed the fattened calf because he has received him back safe and sound.’ But he became angry and was not wanting to go in, and his father came out and began pleading with him. But he answered and said to his father, ‘Look! For so many years I have been serving you and never have I neglected a command of yours. And yet never have you given me a young goat, so that I might celebrate with my friends. But when this son of yours came, who has devoured your wealth with prostitutes, you killed the fattened calf for him.’ And he said to him, ‘Child, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours. But we had to celebrate and rejoice, for this brother of yours was dead and is alive, and was lost and has been found.’”

Experiencing the Hesed of our Prodigal God

Have you humbled yourself, repented, and turned back to our God of mercy?—our precious Jesus who loves to show mercy rather than judgment (see James 2:13).

We must become like the younger son who “came to his senses” and returned to the father in humility and repentance. Though he didn’t expect to receive anything, the younger son experienced hesed.

Our God wants relationship with you. Will you experience His prodigal hesed?

Go Deeper

I love the story of the “Prodigal Father” in Luke 15 and I’ve spent 100+ hours studying its beautiful depths. Here are some of my favorite resources on the parable:

• The Cross and the Prodigal: Luke 15 Through the Eyes of Middle Eastern Peasants (Kenneth E. Bailey)
• Jacob and the Prodigal: How Jesus Retold Israel’s Story (Kenneth E. Bailey)
• A Tale of Two Sons: The Inside Story of a Father, His Sons, and a Shocking Murder (John MacArthur)
• Those Prodigal Sons: Two Lost Sons and Their Father’s Heart (Doug Greenwold)
• The Prodigal God: Recovering the Heart of the Christian Fatih (Timothy Keller)

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FOOTNOTES

(1) Michael Card, Inexpressible: Hesed and the Mystery of God’s Lovingkindness (Westmont, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2018), 5
(2) Apple dictionary.
Photo Credit: Kevin Carden

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Join the Conversation

Question: How have you experienced the extravagant (prodigal) mercy (hesed) of our God?