Today I was sitting at home....listening to my podcast of Rockhabor, Church in California, and he told the story of "The Lost Son" and he told the story like I have never heard it before...
Most of us who have grown up in the church know this story. The story of the boy who went up to his pops and said, "Hey, so, I would really like to have the money that is going to be mine after your dead early, if you don't mind". Then the dad's like,"yea son here you go, its yours." Then he sells everything and heads off to a foreign country to have fun. Now, if fun is like anything it is these days (which I am sure it was not very far) he went out and drank,gambled and spent his money on women....which lead to be broke when this huge famine came and knocked everything out. So he became homeless got a job and began to starve to death. Then he realized, I know I can go work for my father, tell him I am so sorry and hope he will forgive me. He goes back the father welcomes him in and they party.
Then the other son comes, the oldest, with more to lose and is angry because of the father's celebration for his stupid brother. The dad talks to him and ask him to come the party and be happy.
Although that is a warm touching story and that is how its read...most of the time, that is not fully how the story is meant:
There was a young boy who walked up to his Father and said, "Hey dad, I wish you were dead, can I have all the estate that is meant to be mine after you cross over to the other side?" The Father should have this point taken his son somewhere and beat him senseless and gone on with his day...Not how it worked however, The Dad said fine and divided the estate between him and his older brother.
After this the son went off and spent all his money on foolish "fun" and then a famine came and he was dead broke. After he lost all his money, having being a rich mans son he didnt have a trade so he needed to find a way to get a job. So he became a beggar who attached himself to some man who wanted to get rid of him. Knowing he was Jewish and Jews would never work with pigs, he gave him a job working with Pigs (the dirties animal in all of Jewish culture, you wouldn't even eat a pig if you were starving to death. Well, surprisingly the son took the job and feed the pigs and was so hungry he almost reached the point where he wanted to eat the pigs food.
Jesus,who was telling this story to the Pharisees, was painting a picture of how bad the gentiles where in their eyes.
Soon the boys realized he could go back and tell his Father,Father, i have sinned against you and against heaven. Please take me in as a working hand, so that I may pay you back. It is important to know that the son was not sorry, he never said I was so dumb for doing this I should ask for forgiveness... He just wanted to eat and to do that he had to learn a trade,which a man who worked for his father could teach him.
So started on his way back to his home town and his Father sees him from a distance,long before his son ever reaches the in-shirts of town. At this time His Father runs to greet him.... This is a big deal:1. Fathers don't run...slaves and servants ran 2. Jewish people do not show there legs, it is shameful to the whole family and the culture.
He runs to him kisses him (not just a kiss on the forehead, this meant that he smothered him in kisses) and gives him His robe, one only used for special occasions and he bought him sandals (sandals of honor, not shoes of a slave) and the ring of the family. This was the ring that sealed all the letters of the family, which meant he was trusted with the family business again. Then He told his servants to kill the fatten calf (which feeds 200 people, meaning he was ready for a party the fatten calf took years to feed and prepare,it was for weddings...this also meant he was going to publicly celebrate the reconciliation with his son who shamed him).
As the party is going the other son appears and ask one of the servants whats going on. As he finds out whats going one he gets angry and refuses to come in. This is totally bad...its just as bad as the son wishing the dad was dead and selling the estate while he was alive.
Then the father comes out and PLEADS WITH HIM... yes, another big deal. Fathers dont run and they dont plead. What should have happen in this history, the son would have been taken to a room to be beaten later (yes, parents were very violent during this time) But instead he pleads with the son to come in and welcome his brother, "Who once was lost and now is found."
These sons are showing two different sets of people the Sinners and the Pharisee...
Sinners are lost, they sin against the church and everything that it stands for, but when they come back, Jesus doesn't even wait for them to reach Him before He is welcoming them home. When the son was coming back and the father welcomed him home he didnt even get a chance to tell his Father how he planned to pay him back...all he could say was "Father for give me for I have sinned against you and heaven" He was over taken by the unfailing grace of God that he couldnt even try to make up for what he had done.
The other brother is the church. We think that are so much better than the one who sins that when they come back to Christ we don't even rejoice with them. We just remember that things that have done in the past and judge them for the rest of their lives. What Jesus is doing here is asking us if we are going to stand outside and be angry because they have been forgiven or are we going to join Him in welcoming them back into His family, where there is enough inheritance for all people.
Which are you?? I find myself being both. Sometimes I am the one that Jesus has to run to and remind me that He will love me no matter what...and sometimes I get upset about the people who are sinning, drinking, having sex or whatever that I forget to love them and join God in giving the grace that can only be given through me from Him...
So I bet your wondering what the meaning behind the party was? About the Father for You, Me...the Father was excited about welcoming the son back home and even more excited to have the son who was faithful there. Reconciliation, this was the meaning of the celebration, Want to come?
Luke 15
Chaarity
Live A life that demands an explanation
Mike Erre
