The Parable of the Prodigal Son (Luke 15:11-32) by: Jim Bullington So is it The Parable of the Prodigal, or The Parable of the Jubilant Father? The answer is both, but the emphasis is clearly on the attitude displayed by the father upon the return of the lost boy. Contrasted with the attitude of the father is the attitude of the older son. First, consider the attitude of the father. Who had been wronged by the departure and unwise choices of the younger brother? Was it not the father whose word and wise counsel was disregarded by the younger son? Was it not the fathers hard earned fortune that was squandered for momentary pleasures by the younger son? Not that the older son was without concern for his younger sibling, but who was apparently looking and longing for the return of the wayward boy? One does not have to stretch his imagination very far to see the father lamenting over the situation, yearning for the day when the younger son would come to himself and both of their nightmares would come to an end! Then, one day on a day that was just like every day, the fondest hopes of the father were realized; his son came home! Live a part of that day. But when he [the prodigal] was still a great way off, his father saw him and had compassion, and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him. And the son said to him, `Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight, and am no longer worthy to be called your son. But the father said to his servants, `Bring out the best robe and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet. And bring the fatted calf here and kill it, and let us eat and be merry; for this my son was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found. And they began to be merry. (Luke 15:20-24). First, notice that his father saw him when he was a long way off. This indicates that the father was looking for his return. Then, note that the father had compassion on him; literally, he was moved with compassion originating from the innermost part of his being. Next, the father ran! The reluctance in the boys heart to return home must have dissolved instantly in the sea of his fathers love! Now, watch with joy as his father falls on his neck and kisses his long lost son! The verb tenses in this passage literally say that he kissed him and kept on kissing him again and again. Far more than the proverbial yellow ribbon, the jubilant father emotionally demonstrated his joy over the return of his son! To further his joy, the father then asked his servants to join in the festivities. And how fitting. They had known the boy before and surely held some affection for him. Give him the best robe, put a ring on his finger and shoes on his feet. The father owed the son nothing; he had given him everything before that he could rightfully claim as his own, yet the father said give more; give the very best! And they began to be merry! What a delightful picture of a father overwhelmed with the emotions of a son that was dead, but now is alive! This pictures our Father when we return penitently to Him. Just think about it and then say, Thanks! This is the 12/29/02 issue of Todays Little Lift by Jim Bullington, who works with the Wings of Hope ministry in Duluth, Georgia.
Posted on: Tue, 21 Oct 2014 15:29:17 +0000
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