4/9/12
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New View of the Prodigal Son
I invite you to look again at the parable of the Prodigal Son, found in Luke 15:11-32; and this time let’s try to view it from a new angle. At one point in the story the father says to the older son, the one that stayed home, “You are with me always … Everything I have is yours.” There is a very significant principle in this statement; if we will but carefully consider its meaning and ramifications. Usually when we study this parable we think in negative terms — what did each son do wrong. But if we look at it with a new positive perspective, we can find a lot of valuable spiritual lessons which can be applied to our situation today.
The younger son knew what his inheritance was to be, but he got tired of waiting for it. So he said, “Let me have my inheritance NOW!” We usually view this as being disrespectful to his father. But, this doesn’t necessarily have to be bad. It can be said that He knew what was to be his and he desired to have it more quickly. In fact, this is the same position that many Christians are taking today. They know what they have been promised to receive in the future; so they’re trying to gain access to it now.
The older son likewise knew what was to be his; but he chose to wait on the Father’s timing for giving it to him. As a result, there came a time when the Father said to him, “You are with me always, so everything I have is yours.” This declaration acknowledged that he now had full authority as a son. Again, looking at Christians today, although we may believe that we are to receive much of our inheritance and glory while still on Earth, and not have to wait until we get to Heaven; we still would be well-served to follow God’s plan for the timing.
At one point in the story the older son states that he has been working as a “servant”; and we typically view this as him having a bad attitude. But consider that maybe this was a good thing; maybe this was the intended plan, and part of his maturing process. In a different Bible passage it is said of Jesus, “Though He was a Son, yet He learned obedience by the things which He suffered.” (He 5:8). And in Ml 3:17 Jehovah says, “I will spare them, even as a man spareth his son that serves him.” So the older son of the parable served his Father, learning and maturing, until the Father finally made the pronouncement, “You have been with me always, serving faithfully, so now everything I have is yours.”
As for the younger son, although he demanded and received his inheritance early, he hadn’t yet finished maturing; so he didn’t use what he had wisely and he lost it all. At that point he had to become a servant again; but now it was in service to a stranger. Eventually he recognized what his impatience had cost him and he came to the realization, “My Father is a much better master than anyone else. I’ll return to Him.”
Through this experience he learned the difference between serving as a son and serving as a slave. When he was with his Father, although he was expected to work according to his Father’s will, yet he was still treated as a son. But when put in the situation of serving as a slave, he saw how hard it could be; his new master didn’t care for him and he was on the verge of starving to death. So at last he recognized that service to his Father was to be desired.
When the younger son got back home he told his Father that he was willing to be submissive and serve him, but the Father lifted him up and said, “No”. He had already learned what he needed to know while serving others, and he didn’t have to start over again. So the Father then declared, “You are now a son with full rights.”
When the older son learned of what was happening, he became angry. We usually criticize him for this; but maybe he wasn’t sinning. He was mad because he felt the younger one had been disrespectful to their Father and careless with the Father’s treasures. This attitude doesn’t have to be wrong. Jesus himself felt this same way when He saw the priests desecrating His Father’s temple; Jesus became upset over the insult and disrespect being shown to One He loved. Thus in the parable, the older son’s feelings toward the younger are understandable. So the Father taught the older son one more family principle — the importance of forgiveness and receiving back those who repent.
This parable shows that, both sons knew what they were meant to inherit, and in the end each one received it. We cannot say either way is wrong because both wound up in their proper place. But we see the two of them getting their desires through different means and with different results. They each chose the path suited to their individual personality. Finally, they each learned: When you are with the Father, everything He has is yours.
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