I wonder. Do you think we have mislabeled this familiar story, "The Prodigal Son"? We call it that because this younger son was reckless in spending what he had (Luke 15:13). He got rid ofwhat he had inherited (v. 11 ). He spent his livelihood and came home in repentance. He got a good welcome from his delighted father.
But there is another prodigal figure in this account. Was not the father extravagant in giving away the inheritance? And when the older brother got all bent out of shape, the father still proclaimed, "All that is mine is yours" (v. 31 ). Did the angry-spirited son deserve this? For that matter, did the "crawling back home" younger son deserve the welcome he got? I think this story might well be said to be about the prodigal love of the father. He is the one who gave away out of love and not because gifts were deserved. The Prodigal Father!
In a sense, the father's generosity was poured out on the undeserving son as it was on the repentant son. God's love is like that! God offers "all that is mine" (v. 31) to any who will accept it. (I wish Jesus had made this parable a little longer---what did that older son do with his father's generous (prodigal) spirit? For that matter, what do I do with God's generous (prodigal) offer of grace to me? Is God's grace wasted on me?)
If you had been there when Jesus told this story, when would you have said, "Oh, yeah! Now He is talking about me!"? For some ofus, we might identify with the son who took off on his own only to realize that he had made a mistake. Or, we might even see ourselves as one of the persons who gave the homeless young man a job with the pigs. Many ofus have stayed hard at work in the church and, like the elder brother, never wandered into "never never" land. Maybe you see yourself as one of the bystanders, neighbors who showed up for the big party, but who had no real investment in the matter. Some may even have "forgiveness" times and "I love you" times like the father.
Truth to tell, sometimes I am one of these characters and sometimes I am another. I give thanks for the God who is always the forgiving, generous, grace-pouring parent. I guess I could say that Jesus told a story about me. What about you?
What Someone Else Has Said:
In A Journey of Love and Miracles (iUniverse ), Ken and Pat Birt have written: "As you go through your own journey, remember that other people are also on journeys. Be available, as possible, to others who are in need and offer them your love as you also assure them of God's love."
Prayer:
As you prepare this lesson, let your prayer begin: "Generous God, thank You ... "
