“But the father said to his servants, ‘Bring quickly the best robe, and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet. And bring the fattened calf and kill it, and let us eat and celebrate! For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found.’ And they began to celebrate.”
– Jesus, “The Parable of the Prodigal Son” (Luke 15:22-24)
The father, in Jesus’ story, does more than simply accept back his son. With probably the entire community watching the dramatic events, the father orders that a robe, shoes and a signet ring be brought out from the house.
The son has come from the pigs; thus he is smelly and gross. But, the father will not allow his son to walk down Main Street looking so horrid. He demands that robes be brought, as well as the ring that signifies sonship, so that the son will avoid any shame. The father bore the shame when he ran down the street. Now the son will go home, honored with the robe and shoes.
When God runs to us and we fall into His arms with open abandon and surrender, truly repentant, God does the same thing for each of us. He erases our past shame and guilt, putting aside our sinful actions. The past is past. The sins are buried. The shame has been borne by the One who suffered on the cross.
We are given new clothes – the ring of sonship, the robe of Christ’s righteousness! We can enter His house without shame because God is our Father. Jesus is our Savior and Lord. The Holy Spirit is our Guide.
Ephesians 2:13 says: “But now in Christ Jesus you who were once far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.” God has brought us home from the far country! He has taken off our ragged filthy rags of sin and has replaced them with a new robe. We are transformed inside and out. The Holy Spirit comes to live inside us and continue the work that God began on the day we were found. When God saves us, our rags are replaced by robes.
