May 6th, 2020
by Jason Huckabee
by Jason Huckabee
by Paul Cypert
Quickly down the road, feet light as if walking on air, money in his pocket, ready to get some real life behind him, a young man hurried on his way.
He had just asked for and received his inheritance.
Several life times of effort, including some of his own, gave this Hebrew man every right to claim from his father the inheritance owed, for he had reached the age of bestowal.
That was their custom. At thirty years, the boy became a man and earned the right to receive the inheritance that was due him.
And he did so, he rejects the family business. He now walks away with one third of the family wealth. And he becomes one of the most identified with notorious sinners of the Bible.
He is known to us as the prodigal.
And all of us to one degree or another identify with this young man.
You can find his story in the book of Luke. Luke 15 is the chapter of loss: a lost coin, a lost sheep and a lost son. More later!
What does “prodigal” mean?
The word “prodigal” scarcely used in scripture gives us a real clue into what has actually transpired.
Its basic meaning is “wasteful” and it comes from Latin roots that mean “forth” (pro-) and “to drive” (agere). It indicates the characteristic of a person who drives forth his own agenda.
In our story, the prodigal needs his inheritance to fulfill his will. That’s what the prodigal son does in this story.
In the process of rejecting the family vision and accomplishing his own, in a land far away he squanders hard earned family wealth on, as scripture describes, riotous living. You got it, sex, drugs, and rock and roll.
In the course of time and tremendous loss, he finds himself feeding and living with pigs, by the way an unkosher animal not suitable for Hebrew consumption, whom of all things, are better off than himself, but alas an aha moment occurs in that pig pen! He desires to fill himself with the pods of corn that he is feeding to the pigs.
He comes to his ‘senses’. All alone, resources exhausted, hungry, in a moment of unadulterated clarity he realizes, ‘Even the servants in my father’s house are well fed and taken care of’.
He then declares that, “I will return to my father’s house and beg of him to be one of his servants”.
Awaiting him though is not more servitude but a robe, a ring, a fatted calf (West Texas Barbeque) and a father that pulled up his robe and ran to him to embrace and return him to a place of honor.
The antagonist, awaiting back home, is an angry elder brother full of contempt of a father’s love for a fool who has depleted the family legacy. Whom believes that his right actions have been ignored and unappreciated.
His disdain leaves him outside the celebration seething over his father’s actions.
His Father reaches out to him with the plea that this son who was lost is now found to which the elder brother responds, ”You never gave to me what you have given to him.” His father’s response; ”You have always been with me, and if you would have asked I would have responded in kind.”
Take away:
Jesus, You said that in Your house are many mansions and that You go and prepare a place for me. How inviting, how welcoming, how Fatherly You are to us. Thank You! Amen
Quickly down the road, feet light as if walking on air, money in his pocket, ready to get some real life behind him, a young man hurried on his way.
He had just asked for and received his inheritance.
Several life times of effort, including some of his own, gave this Hebrew man every right to claim from his father the inheritance owed, for he had reached the age of bestowal.
That was their custom. At thirty years, the boy became a man and earned the right to receive the inheritance that was due him.
And he did so, he rejects the family business. He now walks away with one third of the family wealth. And he becomes one of the most identified with notorious sinners of the Bible.
He is known to us as the prodigal.
And all of us to one degree or another identify with this young man.
You can find his story in the book of Luke. Luke 15 is the chapter of loss: a lost coin, a lost sheep and a lost son. More later!
What does “prodigal” mean?
The word “prodigal” scarcely used in scripture gives us a real clue into what has actually transpired.
Its basic meaning is “wasteful” and it comes from Latin roots that mean “forth” (pro-) and “to drive” (agere). It indicates the characteristic of a person who drives forth his own agenda.
In our story, the prodigal needs his inheritance to fulfill his will. That’s what the prodigal son does in this story.
In the process of rejecting the family vision and accomplishing his own, in a land far away he squanders hard earned family wealth on, as scripture describes, riotous living. You got it, sex, drugs, and rock and roll.
In the course of time and tremendous loss, he finds himself feeding and living with pigs, by the way an unkosher animal not suitable for Hebrew consumption, whom of all things, are better off than himself, but alas an aha moment occurs in that pig pen! He desires to fill himself with the pods of corn that he is feeding to the pigs.
He comes to his ‘senses’. All alone, resources exhausted, hungry, in a moment of unadulterated clarity he realizes, ‘Even the servants in my father’s house are well fed and taken care of’.
He then declares that, “I will return to my father’s house and beg of him to be one of his servants”.
Awaiting him though is not more servitude but a robe, a ring, a fatted calf (West Texas Barbeque) and a father that pulled up his robe and ran to him to embrace and return him to a place of honor.
The antagonist, awaiting back home, is an angry elder brother full of contempt of a father’s love for a fool who has depleted the family legacy. Whom believes that his right actions have been ignored and unappreciated.
His disdain leaves him outside the celebration seething over his father’s actions.
His Father reaches out to him with the plea that this son who was lost is now found to which the elder brother responds, ”You never gave to me what you have given to him.” His father’s response; ”You have always been with me, and if you would have asked I would have responded in kind.”
Take away:
- Sadly, it is never mentioned that either son loved their father, obviously both were driven by their own agenda. Perhaps, it is the fate of fathers to have their actions misunderstood.
- The parable tells best the story of the Father’s love, ever watching, continual, steadfast, waiting for us to clearly see our true condition. His gaze is down the road looking intently for those who have come to their senses, and He is ready to seize that moment to demonstrate His love.
- That our Father God sincerely desires restoration of all to a true sense of their dignity and worth. He’s not looking for hired help but sons.
- Need is a great motivator but not a great sustainer, because when the need is met, there is no longer neediness nor urgency. For many, their initial step back to God is often driven by their circumstances, but that must quickly be replaced by thanksgiving and gratefulness.
- The father in the story willingly gave the younger son his inheritance fully realizing it would be squandered. This story is affirming the free will of men and women. In the human story, willfulness is an essential component. And God has honored the component of choice, a right bestowed upon men and women.
- In Adam, we were lost souls in a faraway land having squandered our birthright while in Christ we are found. God has His eye on that which has been lost. Three stories or parables illustrate to us this truth: The lost coin, the lost sheep, and the prodigal son. Find them in Luke chapter 15.
Jesus, You said that in Your house are many mansions and that You go and prepare a place for me. How inviting, how welcoming, how Fatherly You are to us. Thank You! Amen
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