The Prodigal Son

Today in New Testament we also talked about the story of the Prodigal Son, which is of course very famous. Today however we added some details that really deepened my understanding of the story.

One was that the Prodigal Son basically said "I wish you were dead" to his father when he asked for his inheritance immediately. When he gathered all his things together, he was saying that he wasn't coming back. And when he took his journey to a far country, he was trying to get as far away from his father as possible. Ouch.

One of the best lines of the parable is, "When he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran." His father had been watching for him, waiting for him. He knew his child would return. The image of a father running at breakneck speed toward his child makes me choke up a bit. He had compassion. He ran to his child, and fell on his neck, and kissed him.

The father gives his wayward son three gifts: a robe, a ring, and shoes. All of those have to be fitted. You can't just give someone a random ring or a random pair of shoes and hope that they fit. This shows that the father knew his child would return and was waiting for him. He had forgiven his son long before the son ever returned home and thought to ask forgiveness.

This shows me how my Father in Heaven feels about me, and how He forgives me and loves me even before I repent and return to Him. It also shows me how I ought to forgive others. I don't need them to come to me and ask forgiveness; I can freely forgive them as my Father has forgiven me.

There is more to the story, including the part about the other son who is angry that the Father is making such a big to-do about the wayward sinful son returning home. This is probably the character that I can relate to most often. To this righteous son, the father simply says, "Son, thou art ever with me, and all that I have is thine. It was meet that we should make merry, and be glad: for this thy brother was dead, and is alive again; and was lost, and is found." This is sort of like the parable of the labourers: I shouldn't be angry or jealous of another person's relationship with God, all that matters is my own. And since these other people are truly my brothers and sisters, why shouldn't I be happy that they're back? :)

Hooray for the scriptures! :)