Wednesday, November 20, 2013

Parables of Jesus - Parable of the Prodigal Son

Parable of the Prodigal Son


Luke 15:11-32
King James Version (KJV)
11 And he said, A certain man had two sons:
12 And the younger of them said to his father, Father, give me the portion of goods that falleth to me. And he divided unto them his living.
13 And not many days after the younger son gathered all together, and took his journey into a far country, and there wasted his substance with riotous living.
14 And when he had spent all, there arose a mighty famine in that land; and he began to be in want.
15 And he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country; and he sent him into his fields to feed swine.
16 And he would fain have filled his belly with the husks that the swine did eat: and no man gave unto him.
17 And when he came to himself, he said, How many hired servants of my father's have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger!
18 I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before thee,
19 And am no more worthy to be called thy son: make me as one of thy hired servants.
20 And he arose, and came to his father. But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him.
21 And the son said unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in thy sight, and am no more worthy to be called thy son.
22 But the father said to his servants, Bring forth the best robe, and put it on him; and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet:
23 And bring hither the fatted calf, and kill it; and let us eat, and be merry:
24 For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found. And they began to be merry.
25 Now his elder son was in the field: and as he came and drew nigh to the house, he heard musick and dancing.
26 And he called one of the servants, and asked what these things meant.
27 And he said unto him, Thy brother is come; and thy father hath killed the fatted calf, because he hath received him safe and sound.
28 And he was angry, and would not go in: therefore came his father out, and intreated him.
29 And he answering said to his father, Lo, these many years do I serve thee, neither transgressed I at any time thy commandment: and yet thou never gavest me a kid, that I might make merry with my friends:
30 But as soon as this thy son was come, which hath devoured thy living with harlots, thou hast killed for him the fatted calf.
31 And he said unto him, Son, thou art ever with me, and all that I have is thine.
32 It was meet that we should make merry, and be glad: for this thy brother was dead, and is alive again; and was lost, and is found.

The parable of the lost Son is also on the lost. In the old testament in Genesis when Joseph was sold and sent to Egypt to pharaoh, it was involuntary and Joseph through God's Grace and his patience overcame all the problems and become the second most powerful man in that times. 

In the parable of the lost Son. The son took the decision voluntarily to leave his father and went to a distant place, spent all his money and lived a life that he wanted, once all that is done and there arose a severe famine in that land, he came to a situation where he gladly have filled his stomach with the pods that the swine ate, and no one gave him anything. 

Here he first took a decision voluntarily, which is opposed to the will of the father. By going to a far country.

Second he spend all that he had - having no gratitude and planning for is life. Having no clear foundation for his life. He lacked wisdom and knowledge of God.

Thirdly he lacked the basic manner of life itself by filling his stomach with the pods that the swine ate and he then came to his senses and thought How many hired servants of my father's have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger!

Forthly he said. 18"I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before thee,
19 And am no more worthy to be called thy son: make me as one of thy hired servants".

When we look at both the examples of Joseph and this Lost Son. God's mercy was on both. Though the Lost Son had sinned against heaven and before his father. God would still show his Grace and Mercy to him. Because his Love is unconditional, he is compassionate - He is willing to forgive anyone and at anytime. Not only that, the parable continues with saying that when he arose and came to his father. 20 And he arose, and came to his father. But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him.

The father had compassion, the parable continues where the father asks his servants to prepare a feast and he says for the lost son as "he was dead and is alive again, and was lost and is found".

No comments:

Welcome!

More Than 50 Videos of Rev. Fredrick Osborn's Bible Study Playlists https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLgXh_mck7eqpbK4tArpmtZSfF502x...