Tuesday, May 27, 2014

The Prodigal Son

Both a blessing and a warning!


Luke 15:11-32

The Prodigal Son is a parable Jesus uses to illustrate God's love for His creation.  It is about a son who gets his father's inheritance, and squanders it on pleasures of the flesh, and then returns destitute to his home and is welcomed with great celebration.  The Prodigal Son parable is actually about two sons.  The elder son respects and loves his father, while the younger thinks he knows what is best for him.

I think most people read this parable and feel that if they were to fall away from God and then repent, they will be welcomed back into God's kingdom and everything will be just as it was before.  While I believe it's true that God will welcome the repentant sinner back into His kingdom, the text suggests the prodigal son would have been better off had he stayed with his Father:

The parable begins with both sons dwelling with the Father.  This parable does not address the person who has yet to find God or accept Jesus.  Both sons have already done so, as evident in the fact that they are dwelling with the Father.

According to the text in verse 12, the younger son asks for his inheritance, but it is given to the elder son as well - Both sons are now in possession of their inheritance.

Verses 13-16 describe how the younger son squanders his inheritance - He willingly left God and lived a life totally opposite of what he was taught.

Verses 17-19 shows the younger son coming to his senses - He hit the bottom of the barrel, so to speak, and had no one left to turn to except God.

Verses 20-24 details the love the Father has for his son - God is overjoyed to see his son return and welcomes him back into His kingdom

In verses 25-32, attention turns to the elder son who shows jealousy toward the attention his younger brother is getting - These verses show that we are all equally important in God's sight.  The fact that one son stayed by God's side and the other drifted is irrelevant in God's eyes.

This is where most people forget about the inheritance at the beginning of the parable.  Keep in mind, the elder son is still in possession of his inheritance, while the younger one no longer has his.  At no point in this parable does the father ask the elder to split his inheritance with the younger.  At the end of the parable, both sons are dwelling with their Father, but the elder still has an inheritance he can spend wisely.  All throughout the gospels, Jesus only promises one thing for his followers: Eternal Life.  Both sons have eternal life.  I believe there will be rewards for us in heaven based on how we live our lives.  This parable should be a warning to the followers of Jesus to live their lives according to His will and not fall into destitute times.  Yes, you will be forgiven.  Yes, you will live with Jesus for eternity.  No, you won't have your inheritance.  What exactly is my inheritance going to be?  No one knows, but you can bet it will be out of this world!!

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