The Prodigal Son

The Prodigal Son

Jesus tells the story of two sons. The younger son asks his father for his inheritance, and then he promptly runs off with it to a distant land. Once he has spent all his money, he takes a job feeding pigs, and soon resorts to eating with them. He eventually realizes that even his father’s servants are treated better than this, so he returns to ask his father for forgiveness and mercy. The father was waiting for him to return, and when he saw him, he ran to him. The father was so overjoyed that he killed his best calf and held a party for his son. The older brother is jealous that his father has let his brother back and thrown him a party. To this the father responds, “But, we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.”

There are three characters in this story. There is the prodigal son, the eager father, and the jealous brother. Which one are you? Are you the son who has run away from your home and your heavenly father? Are you there with the father rejoicing because the son has returned home? Are you the son who thinks that his brother is undeserving of their father’s love?  

Paul was a prodigal son. He was a Jew’s Jew, and by earthly standards, he was flawless. But, he had run so far from God that he was persecuting Christians in the name of the God he claimed to serve. Paul has gone further than you probably have, killing people and saying he was doing it for God. Then, Paul was on the road, much like our prodigal son was on the road, and the Heavenly Father came to him. He gave Paul the wake-up call he needed, and then welcomed him into the family. You could be absolutely horrible, thinking you have gone to far for God to reach you, but you are never too far gone for God.

God is waiting on the front porch, eagerly expecting your arrival at home. The world you are living in may seem wonderful, but it soon won’t be enough. So, come home. Go and be with the father that loves you unconditionally.

If you are the brother that is jealous of the love the father has for the son, remember you were once the prodigal son, too. Your heavenly father has shown you great love by letting you be with him. Don’t think you are better because you have been christian longer or been attending one particular church longer than someone else. God loves both you and your brothers and sisters in Christ equally as much. Go and rejoice with the father that your lost brother has returned home.

If you are there with the father, waiting eagerly for your brother to come home, don’t be disheartened when you cannot see the son coming down the road. Do your best to prepare for him to come home, and be there to comfort those who are also awaiting his arrival at home. The prodigal sons will come home someday, and it may not be today or tomorrow, but they will make it back.