On Line Bible Study - For the Week Mardh 21-27, 2011
Lesson 485
Luke 15: 11 Jesus continued: “There was a man who had two sons. 12 The younger one said to his father, ‘Father, give me my share of the estate.’ So he divided his property between them."
Luke 15: 11 Jesus continued: “There was a man who had two sons. 12 The younger one said to his father, ‘Father, give me my share of the estate.’ So he divided his property between them."
Click on the above text for the full story of 'The Prodigal Son' - or, as Darrell Bock prefers, 'The Parable of the Forgiving Father'.
Pharisees and teachers of the law have been grousing again - This man welcomes sinners and eats with them, they note. (See Luke 15:1.) The thing is, these religious folk were not far from God; but they were light years away from understanding God's blessings, intended for all the world.
To recap - the younger of two sons asks his father for his inheritance; he takes the money and squanders it, ending up impoverished and friendless. Heading home, he is ready to do whatever menial task his father might offer him so that he might have room and board. His father is looking for him, sees him coming in the distance, and orders the fatted calf prepared for a feast. The older son sees the preparations for a party, inquires as to the purpose of the celebration, and is informed that his brother has come home. Incredulous, the older son complains that he has slaved for his father and never so much as gotten a goat to share with his friends. The father explains that all he has belongs to his son - he could have had a party any time he wanted ... but your brother was dead and is alive, and was lost and is found...
Remember that this story follows on the parables of the lost sheep and the lost coin. This parable of the prodigal, or the 'forgiving father', is a story about reversal. The only one who gets what he hopes for is the father, and that is because he is willing to forgive.
In Rob Bells' recent (and for some, somewhat controversial) book called Love Wins, he points out some interesting characteristics in this parable of Jesus.
First, the youngest son comes home ready to repent, and prepared for whatever punishment his father might dole out to him. "I am no longer worthy to be called your son," he is prepared to say. The contrast between this young, repentant son and his father is significant. What if the youngest son had insisted on HIS interpretation of things? He never would have entered his father's house. He would have embarked on a life of chores and hard labor.
Jesus is making an important point here. We have read elsewhere that we are to seek; but this story suggests God is seeking after us as well.
The older son hears the festivities, and finding out what has happened he refuses to go into the party. This is a boy who has lived under the roof of his father's love and protection, with all the family wealth available to him. His take on the situation is also very different from his father's, for he harbors resentment. Apparently it never occurred to him to fully appreciate or enjoy what his father had to offer.
Bell suggests that we consider the proximity to the father of both these sons. Now, both are once again living under their father's roof. One of the sons has stepped into heaven; the other is determined to live in hell. Proximity to their father and all the family wealth has nothing to do with their capacity to enjoy the blessings of their situation. Their attitude is the key factor.
Perhaps the question we might ponder is not whether we have found God, but whether we are willing to let God find us.
Remember that this story follows on the parables of the lost sheep and the lost coin. This parable of the prodigal, or the 'forgiving father', is a story about reversal. The only one who gets what he hopes for is the father, and that is because he is willing to forgive.
In Rob Bells' recent (and for some, somewhat controversial) book called Love Wins, he points out some interesting characteristics in this parable of Jesus.
First, the youngest son comes home ready to repent, and prepared for whatever punishment his father might dole out to him. "I am no longer worthy to be called your son," he is prepared to say. The contrast between this young, repentant son and his father is significant. What if the youngest son had insisted on HIS interpretation of things? He never would have entered his father's house. He would have embarked on a life of chores and hard labor.
Jesus is making an important point here. We have read elsewhere that we are to seek; but this story suggests God is seeking after us as well.
The older son hears the festivities, and finding out what has happened he refuses to go into the party. This is a boy who has lived under the roof of his father's love and protection, with all the family wealth available to him. His take on the situation is also very different from his father's, for he harbors resentment. Apparently it never occurred to him to fully appreciate or enjoy what his father had to offer.
Bell suggests that we consider the proximity to the father of both these sons. Now, both are once again living under their father's roof. One of the sons has stepped into heaven; the other is determined to live in hell. Proximity to their father and all the family wealth has nothing to do with their capacity to enjoy the blessings of their situation. Their attitude is the key factor.
Perhaps the question we might ponder is not whether we have found God, but whether we are willing to let God find us.
posted by Mark D at 8:21 AM
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