About the Father
“It was fitting to celebrate and be glad, for this your brother was dead, and is alive; he was lost, and is found.”—Luke 15:32
The story of the prodigal son is probably the greatest short story ever told. But the story is about more than the prodigal son. It’s also about a loving father and a self-righteous brother.
The details of the story are well known. A young man wants his share of his father’s estate, before his father’s death. This is a highly astonishing request because it basically meant the son wished his father were dead. But his father grants his request and the son goes off to a foreign land and squanders it away in prodigal living. After some time and now without money, a famine breaks out in the land and he gets a job feeding pigs. Hungry, he comes to the realization that the pigs are eating better than he is and wisely decides to return to his father. Journeying home, he rehearses his apology, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Treat me as one of your hired servants.”
While he was still a way off, his father saw him and ran to him. When this passage was being translated in Arabic speaking countries, many other words were used to translate “ran” rather than the word ran. Why? Because it was considered incomprehensible that a man of such stature would run to his son, but that is precisely what he did. And before his son could utter any words of apology, he embraced him and kissed him. As the son uttered his apology, his father called his servants to bring the best robe and put it on him, along with the father’s ring, and shoes for his feet. He then commanded them to bring the fattened calf and kill it, because there was need to celebrate, “…my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found”—Luke 15:24.
Most of us can identify with the prodigal. We know what it’s like to leave our father’s house and pursue the things of this world. And like the prodigal, we have come to our senses, and returned to the father’s house—knowing that we deserve nothing. It is only because of God’s love and grace, exemplified in and through Christ that we can have anything.
But the story doesn’t stop there. The prodigal’s brother shows up in time to see the party in action. Indignant, he refuses to celebrate. Once again the father makes the move. He goes to the brother and entreats him. But the brother stubbornly refuses citing a litany of offenses his brother is guilty of, while puffing up his own righteous behavior. Undeterred, the father says, “Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours. It was fitting to celebrate and be glad, for this your brother was dead, and is alive; he was lost, and is found”—Luke 15:31-32.
The prodigal’s brother is a picture of self-righteousness. He wouldn’t accept his brother’s repentance and won’t even refer to his brother as his brother, but as “this son of yours”—Luke 15:30. He goes on about what he has done, how he has obeyed, and how he has served. He really didn’t care about his father, either. He obeyed in order to get his share in his father’s estate, but with his father spending money on the prodigal brother, it was dipping into his inheritance. He didn’t care anything about his brother or his father. He only cared about himself.
The central figure in the story is the father, however. The father is one who gave the inheritance. He is the one who ran to the son, clothed him, and threw a celebration for him. And he was the one who went out to plea with his other son when he wouldn’t come in. The story ends with his words, “It was fitting to celebrate and be glad, for this your brother was dead, and is alive; he was lost, and is found.” The son is still outside. We don’t know his response, but we are left wondering how he responded. Does he go in? Or does he stay outside?
We are either prodigals or the prodigal’s brother. We either come to the end of ourselves and come to the father, or we become full of ourselves and stay away. Which are you? If you are a prodigal, are you wiling to come home? And if you are the brother, are you willing to come inside? May God help us come to Him no matter what. Amen.
The story of the prodigal son is probably the greatest short story ever told. But the story is about more than the prodigal son. It’s also about a loving father and a self-righteous brother.
The details of the story are well known. A young man wants his share of his father’s estate, before his father’s death. This is a highly astonishing request because it basically meant the son wished his father were dead. But his father grants his request and the son goes off to a foreign land and squanders it away in prodigal living. After some time and now without money, a famine breaks out in the land and he gets a job feeding pigs. Hungry, he comes to the realization that the pigs are eating better than he is and wisely decides to return to his father. Journeying home, he rehearses his apology, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Treat me as one of your hired servants.”
While he was still a way off, his father saw him and ran to him. When this passage was being translated in Arabic speaking countries, many other words were used to translate “ran” rather than the word ran. Why? Because it was considered incomprehensible that a man of such stature would run to his son, but that is precisely what he did. And before his son could utter any words of apology, he embraced him and kissed him. As the son uttered his apology, his father called his servants to bring the best robe and put it on him, along with the father’s ring, and shoes for his feet. He then commanded them to bring the fattened calf and kill it, because there was need to celebrate, “…my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found”—Luke 15:24.
Most of us can identify with the prodigal. We know what it’s like to leave our father’s house and pursue the things of this world. And like the prodigal, we have come to our senses, and returned to the father’s house—knowing that we deserve nothing. It is only because of God’s love and grace, exemplified in and through Christ that we can have anything.
But the story doesn’t stop there. The prodigal’s brother shows up in time to see the party in action. Indignant, he refuses to celebrate. Once again the father makes the move. He goes to the brother and entreats him. But the brother stubbornly refuses citing a litany of offenses his brother is guilty of, while puffing up his own righteous behavior. Undeterred, the father says, “Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours. It was fitting to celebrate and be glad, for this your brother was dead, and is alive; he was lost, and is found”—Luke 15:31-32.
The prodigal’s brother is a picture of self-righteousness. He wouldn’t accept his brother’s repentance and won’t even refer to his brother as his brother, but as “this son of yours”—Luke 15:30. He goes on about what he has done, how he has obeyed, and how he has served. He really didn’t care about his father, either. He obeyed in order to get his share in his father’s estate, but with his father spending money on the prodigal brother, it was dipping into his inheritance. He didn’t care anything about his brother or his father. He only cared about himself.
The central figure in the story is the father, however. The father is one who gave the inheritance. He is the one who ran to the son, clothed him, and threw a celebration for him. And he was the one who went out to plea with his other son when he wouldn’t come in. The story ends with his words, “It was fitting to celebrate and be glad, for this your brother was dead, and is alive; he was lost, and is found.” The son is still outside. We don’t know his response, but we are left wondering how he responded. Does he go in? Or does he stay outside?
We are either prodigals or the prodigal’s brother. We either come to the end of ourselves and come to the father, or we become full of ourselves and stay away. Which are you? If you are a prodigal, are you wiling to come home? And if you are the brother, are you willing to come inside? May God help us come to Him no matter what. Amen.
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