3 Characters, 3 Lessons From the Parable of the Prodigal Son
If you are at a very low point in your life today, don't despair. Jesus told this parable to encourage you to "come home" and find relief and forgiveness from the God who loves you, and the Father who sent His only son to die on the cross for all of your sins. You really can come home, and you really will be accepted by the Father through faith in the Son.
If you have been chasing the pleasures of the world in an effort to find satisfaction, just remember this: Real peace is not found in possessions, wild living, or money. It is found in meaningful relationships with our Creator and with our loved ones. So why chase after the counterfeit when the real thing is right in front of you?
The third character in the parable is the older brother.
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He represents the family member or Christian who hasn't wandered off the reservation in search of greener pastures. But that doesn't mean the older brother didn't have his own issues. And those issues came to light the moment his younger brother returned home.
While the father was busy throwing a huge party for his prodigal son, the older brother was fuming because he felt like it wasn't fair. After all, he had stayed home and tended to his duties while the prodigal son was out living it up. So why should the party animal be treated like a guest of honor?
The self-righteousness was pouring out of the older brother when he scolded his father with these words: "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!" (Luke 15:29,30)
No love. No compassion. No thanksgiving. Just anger and selfishness.
Such is the nature of man's heart when it is flowing in pride rather than flowing in gratitude and grace. Each one of us is prone to behaving in a similar way toward those who have strayed from the path and then returned home. If we are not careful, we will respond much more like the older brother and much less like the father.
This is our challenge, whether we are tempted to pursue sin in the world like the prodigal son, or sin while at home like the older brother. If I am running from God, then I can learn much from the prodigal son. If someone needs my forgiveness and acceptance, I can learn much from the father. And if I feel like I am not getting my fair share and that a "big sinner" is being shown too much mercy, I can learn a lot by studying the angry response of the older brother.
This parable speaks to all of us. We all have issues that require attention. We all have sins that need to be brought to the Lord. And we all can learn how to love like the father in this parable, especially when someone needs to hear the message that it's not too late to change and start over with God's help.
Which one of these three characters best describes your life today? Are you chasing sinful fantasies? Or perhaps stewing in self-righteous snootiness? If so, just remember: It's not just a matter of coming home. It's a matter of loving each one of those who are in the home, whether we feel like they deserve it or not.
The fact of the matter is that you and I do not deserve God's grace and mercy. And yet that is exactly what we have been given through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. It's only when we immerse ourselves in the immensity of God's ultimate sacrifice that we begin to experience the compassion and the wisdom of the father in this parable.
Jesus knew just how to address the needs of everyone, and God meets each one of us at our point of need so that we will recognize our need for Him.
