Luke 15:31: "And he said unto him, Son, thou art ever with me, and all that I have is thine."

I once asked a congregation who the most foolish man in the Bible was telling them that I would be preaching about that man in the evening service. I received several differents answers, the most common being "Judas Iscariot". Well even as foolish as Judas was, yet I believe that there is one that was even more foolish than he. I would like to tell you about that man, but first let's read the entire story.

Luke 15:11: "And he said, A certain man had two sons:
12: "And the younger of them said to his father, Father, give me the portion of goods that falleth to me. And he divided unto them his living.
13: "And not many days after the younger son gathered all together, and took his journey into a far country, and there wasted his substance with riotous living.
14: "And when he had spent all, there arose a mighty famine in that land; and he began to be in want.
15: "And he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country; and he sent him into his fields to feed swine.
16" "And he would fain have filled his belly with the husks that the swine did eat: and no man gave unto him.
17: "And when he came to himself, he said, How many hired servants of my father's have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger!
18: "I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before thee,
19: "And am no more worthy to be called thy son: make me as one of thy hired servants.
20: "And he arose, and came to his father. But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him.
21: "And the son said unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in thy sight, and am no more worthy to be called thy son.
22: "But the father said to his servants, Bring forth the best robe, and put it on him; and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet:
23: "And bring hither the fatted calf, and kill it; and let us eat, and be merry:
24: "For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found. And they began to be merry.
25: "Now his elder son was in the field: and as he came and drew nigh to the house, he heard music and dancing.
26: "And he called one of the servants, and asked what these things meant.
27: "And he said unto him, Thy brother is come; and thy father hath killed the fatted calf, because he hath received him safe and sound.
28: "And he was angry, and would not go in: therefore came his father out, and entreated him.
29: "And he answering said to his father, Lo, these many years do I serve thee, neither transgressed I at any time thy commandment: and yet thou never gavest me a kid, that I might make merry with my friends:
30: "But as soon as this thy son was come, which hath devoured thy living with harlots, thou hast killed for him the fatted calf.
31: "And he said unto him, Son, thou art ever with me, and all that I have is thine.
32: "It was meet that we should make merry, and be glad: for this thy brother was dead, and is alive again; and was lost, and is found."

Now there are several things that I would like to point out in this story.

In verse 11: There was this man and his two sons. At this time everything that they had belonged to the Father. If you were to asked the sons for anything, they would have had to go to the Father. The sons had nothing, yet they shared in everything that the Father had.

But there came a day when all this changed.

Verse 12: The younger son came to his Father asking that he might receive the portion of goods that were to fall to him. The elder son asked for nothing, yet he also received his portion at the same time. Notice: "And he divided unto THEM his living." Everything that there was is now in the hands of the two sons. Nothing in the hands of the Father. He is now sharing in what they have as they had shared in what he had.

Verse 13: The younger son quickly realized that half of everything now belonged to him and he was quick to gather together his portion and depart from the Father's house.

The elder son did not realize that he was the owner of the other half as you will see as we go on in this.

While the younger son wasted all that he had on riotous living, the elder son stayed home and done nothing but work. He never enjoyed anything that belonged to him.

When this younger son came back home and began to gnaw on that fatted calf leg, the elder son got angry.

Did you ever stop to think about WHO that fatted calf leg that the younger son was gnawing on really belonged to? Why, it belonged to the elder son!!!! It had always belonged to that elder son but he never used it.

When this elder son got angry, he began to lay some facts before his Father which the Father never refuted. I would to God that we could say the same thing that this elder son did without God rebuking us for saying something that is not true.

Verse 29: "And he answering said to his father, Lo, THESE MANY YEARS DO I SERVE THEE, NEITHER TRANSGRESSED I AT ANY TIME THY COMMANDMENT: and yet thou never gavest me a kid, that I might make merry with my friends:

(Can we make a statement like that? I can not.)

Notice, I told you that this elder son did not realize that everything that was left belonged to him.

Notice the rest of that scripture: (and yet thou never gavest me a kid, that I might make merry with my friends:

Remember Verse 12? "He divided unto THEM" Also in verse 31, the Father told him that ALL that he had belonged to him.

Today we are in the same position that this elder son was in. Every good thing in the Word of God belongs to us as the children of God, yet how many of us realize this fact and use the things that our God has given us to gain the end that He intented for us to gain, mainly the "Kingdom of Heaven".

So many that do realize what our God has given us use those things not to gain Heaven but waste them on riotous living laying up treasures on earth instead of Heaven.

May our God help us as His Children to realize what he has ALREADY given us and use it for the Glory of our Lord.

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