The Flavors of Lostness
And he said, "There was a man who had two sons; and the younger of them said to his father, 'Father, give me the share of property that falls to me.' And he divided his living between them. Not many days later, the younger son gathered all he had and took his journey into a far country, and there he squandered his property in loose living." Luke 15:11-13, RSV.
Not the kind of kid I would have wanted. Couldn't even wait for the old boy to die, but demanded his share while his father still lived.
While the older son as the firstborn would have received a double portion, the younger's portion was apparently quite a nest egg. And he knew exactly what he was going to do with it. For one thing there would be wine and dancing. There would be freedom to do what he wanted, whenever he wanted. He would never have to work with the kind of bankroll he had. And then there were the ladies. Don't forget them. Lots of them for his every need.
Only one problem. He couldn't do the things he had in mind too close to home. No, he would have to go to a "far country." After all, he knew his father's principles.
The interesting thing about this third parable of lostness in Luke 15 is that it presents no search. Why? is the question that faces us, especially since a son is more valuable than a sheep or a coin. And there were searches for them.
The answer is in his type of lostness. A coin has no spiritual sense at all. Such people don't even know they are lost. Thus the search. A sheep has some spiritual sense, enough to know it is lost, even if it doesn't have the foggiest notion how to get home. Thus the search.
But the son had a lot of spiritual sense. He knew he was lost and he knew how to get home. But the last thing he wanted was to go there. In a state of rebellion, he is glad to be lost and planned to live it up. A search would have been useless.
In his wisdom the father knows that love cannot be forced. It was such in my own case. I still remember the day the Marine Corps recruiter phoned and my father discovered I was quitting college. It was quite a scene, but what can you do with a know-it-all 18-year-old.
The father in the parable did the only thing he could do. In his love he let the boy go, realizing in his heart that his son would have to learn through the hard knocks of life.
Meanwhile, God the prodigal Father is waiting for His chance. He never gives up on us, even as He watches us blow our inheritance.
Never!
And he said, "There was a man who had two sons; and the younger of them said to his father, 'Father, give me the share of property that falls to me.' And he divided his living between them. Not many days later, the younger son gathered all he had and took his journey into a far country, and there he squandered his property in loose living." Luke 15:11-13, RSV.
Not the kind of kid I would have wanted. Couldn't even wait for the old boy to die, but demanded his share while his father still lived.
While the older son as the firstborn would have received a double portion, the younger's portion was apparently quite a nest egg. And he knew exactly what he was going to do with it. For one thing there would be wine and dancing. There would be freedom to do what he wanted, whenever he wanted. He would never have to work with the kind of bankroll he had. And then there were the ladies. Don't forget them. Lots of them for his every need.
Only one problem. He couldn't do the things he had in mind too close to home. No, he would have to go to a "far country." After all, he knew his father's principles.
The interesting thing about this third parable of lostness in Luke 15 is that it presents no search. Why? is the question that faces us, especially since a son is more valuable than a sheep or a coin. And there were searches for them.
The answer is in his type of lostness. A coin has no spiritual sense at all. Such people don't even know they are lost. Thus the search. A sheep has some spiritual sense, enough to know it is lost, even if it doesn't have the foggiest notion how to get home. Thus the search.
But the son had a lot of spiritual sense. He knew he was lost and he knew how to get home. But the last thing he wanted was to go there. In a state of rebellion, he is glad to be lost and planned to live it up. A search would have been useless.
In his wisdom the father knows that love cannot be forced. It was such in my own case. I still remember the day the Marine Corps recruiter phoned and my father discovered I was quitting college. It was quite a scene, but what can you do with a know-it-all 18-year-old.
The father in the parable did the only thing he could do. In his love he let the boy go, realizing in his heart that his son would have to learn through the hard knocks of life.
Meanwhile, God the prodigal Father is waiting for His chance. He never gives up on us, even as He watches us blow our inheritance.
Never!
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