Sunday, May 29, 2011

The Non-Prodigal Son

“‘My son,’ the father said, ‘you are always with me, and everything I have is yours."" Luke 15:31


Hello readers.  Welcome to my heart.  Let's begin.  

Now we all have heard about the famous prodigal son story correct? Well, in case you haven't, here's a quick summary.   

Man has two sons, one decides to get his inheritance early and go away to Las Vegas and do what people do there. (Seriously, that's what it says.) Ok, let me stop.  It does say "he set off for a distant country and squandered his wealth in wild living" (Luke 15:13)  So after he blows all his money, a famine hits the country and he finds a job feeding pigs.  And after he starts to get hungry for the pigs food, something clicks in him and he notices that he has hit rock bottom.  The son then decides within himself and rationalizes and figures out a plan and a speech to convince his father to accept him.  He creates conditions that he's going to bring up to his father in exchange for his being able to return home.  This could be an example of, "God if you get me out of this I promise I'll get my life right." And then, strangely enough, the bible says, “But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him." Luke 15:20. 

Wait a minute? No, "I told you so's?"  No, "Oh, I knew you'd come crawling back."  No conditions? No questions asked? Just love.  WAIT CLAUDE! YOU'RE GETTING OFF TRACK.  

This blog isn't about that son.  It's about the other one.  The over-looked one.  The one that doesn't get talked about.  That jealous and angry one.  The jerk.  Because when his brother comes back and the dad is celebrating, he has something to say about it.  Listen to this.  

 ‘Look! All these years I’ve been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders. Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends.  But when this son of yours who has squandered your property with prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him!’  

Eh, he kind of has a point? Don't you think?  Go on, read how the Father responds.    

“‘My son,’ the father said, ‘you are always with me, and everything I have is yours."" Luke 15:31

Sounds like somebody is missing the point, doesn't it?

Now this story has so much symbolism in it.  Now the first obvious symbol is the lost son being the unbeliever and that God is fully ready to take them at any time.  No conditions, no questions, just repent by turning from your ways and coming to Him.  But who is this other son symbolizing?  


Them rhythmic Christians.  The ones who simply attend church every Sunday just because that's the Lords day.  The ones who simply tithe and pray when things are wrong.  A great example--them Bible Belt children. (Look! All these years I’ve been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders.) 
Sounds like a little bitterness huh?  Apparently this son has only been obeying to please his father, not because he loves him.  This put the son in a position to be able to fix his mouth to complain. 
And then there are the Christians that are still attracted to the world, so they edge close to the line just enough to stay on the "still saved" side because they still desire those youthful lusts. (Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends. But when this son of yours who has squandered your property with prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him!’) Now the obvious translation is just the son is upset because he hasn't gotten any materialistic rewards for his obedience.  But I sense a little bit of jealousy in this statement.  It appears (take it as my opinion) that this son may have been envious that the other son was "bold enough" to disrespect the father and leave and do what he "secretly" wanted to do.  This is again a dangerous area for Christians.  Still being attracted to the world and our bodies fleshly desires can slowly lead us away from God.  Now this son still was in a "better place" because he desired to please the father over rebelling, but his bitterness with his brother returning home shows a deeper problem.  He got offended.  He felt cheated.  If you're a Christian and would be jealous and upset with God when He saves that friend of yours that lived however he wanted to his entire life but accepts God on His deathbed and is standing next to you in heaven, then....you have a problem.  You're missing the point.  The grandest point of all the points.  The father in this story understands it.  

“‘My son,’ the father said, ‘you are always with me, and everything I have is yours."" Luke 15:31

So paraphrased.  The father is like, "Are you kidding me?  You've been here with me.  Have you not being enjoying my presence and love alone?  You've had everything you needed."  

Now lets wrap this up.  

Our Father in heaven desires us.  He desires the ones found and the ones that are lost.  And judging by the story, he loves when the lost come home.  And apparently to him, love means everything.  The father didn't even recognize that he was in debt to the son, because he thought just he alone was enough.  So, I can imagine he was a little broken-hearted by this outburst by the other son.  Because basically the son told him that he deserves all these other things because just being around the father wasn't enough.  And how so often to we treat our heavenly Father like this?  

I know, its convicting to me too.  But we do it so often. We'll put our hearts in all sorts of other things, declaring they'll make us happy.  I remember desiring the love of a woman over the love of my Father, demanding him that I deserved this.  "God, I've worked so hard to be a good guy, why can't I have this? I should be able to blah blah blah." Seriously?  The creator of the Earth has to fight for our attention?  The most wonderful thing in the universe, the most precious thing that promises us an abundant supply of love if we only just dive into His arms has to be jealous of me because I would even dare put anything above Him?  The same hands that holds the world wants to hold mine and nope, God, I'll rather have that fattened calf. 


Let it soak in.  Can we consider not being like one of these two sons?  Lets not be the one that ran off and feel like he has to work for his father's approval, but just ACCEPT God's love.  Hey, I know its hard to figure out, because dude messed up bad in this story.  But for some strange reason, his father decided to love him anyway.  Yes, that's just like our God.  And, let's not be like the other son and only do things because its the right thing to do.  But enjoy God in His reverence and His gentleness that He actually just wants you to love and spend time with Him.  I'm pretty sure He's confident in His love that once you start to get a taste of it, you'll want to do what's pleasing to Him because you'll want more.  That's a natural response to things we enjoy.  So love God, no.....REALLY LOVE HIM.  True love requires a commitment.  He's already committed to His end of it.  


"For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers,  neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God"


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