The Prodigal Son ? Series

Happy Father’s Day!

I was a child of the ‘50’s – it was the golden age of television. And it was television that taught us what fatherhood was all about.

Of course, there was the flagship show “Father Knows Best.” But there were many others that taught us about the ideal father figure. There was Ricky Ricardo in “I Love Lucy”: his favorite toy to give his son, Little Ricky, was drums, which Little Ricky played with day & night, much to the delight of their neighbors in the apartment building…. And who can forget the father in “Lassie”? Every episode, Lassie would run up to him, barking in great agitation. “What’s that, Lassie? Timmy fell down a well? Again? That’s the third time this week!” And my personal favorite, Andy Griffith as the sheriff of Mayberry, whose down-to-earth, common-sense wisdom drove his son, Opie, to run off to Hollywood as soon as he was old enough.

Of course, TV continues to bring us iconic father figures: Fred Sanford, Al Bundy, Homer Simpson - with all these wonderful television examples, what else could there possibly be to know about fatherhood?

Well, it turns out that there is a story that’s almost 2,000 years old, that gives us a different insight into fatherhood.

It’s the parable called “the Prodigal Son.”

It’s always important to put Scripture readings in context. What we call The Parable of the Prodigal Son is the third in a series of stories about finding something that was lost. The first is the Parable of the Lost Sheep, the second is the Parable of the Lost coin, and the third is the Prodigal Son story. All three of these parables focus on the joy of finding what was lost. But the third is about much, much more.

For my thoughts today, I am deeply indebted to a book I read about the Prodigal Son, written by John MacArthur. It’s a real eye-opener, and I highly encourage you to read this book. Because, as the author explains, the entire message of the Scriptures, the entirety of Jesus’ ministry on earth, is all summed up in this one Parable.

Because this Parable is not really about the wayward son.

Jesus never used the term “Prodigal Son.” He simply begins the story with “There was a man who had two sons.” And there was a very good reason for that, but I don’t want to get ahead of myself.

The story starts with the younger son demanding his inheritance – and he wants it now. Do you understand what he was saying to his father? He was telling his father “I wish you were dead! Then I could have my inheritance. But I’m tired of waiting for you to cooperate, so I want it now!”

Now, I must confess, I myself get a little uneasy when, from time to time, my wife asks me if my life insurance is paid up. “Um, yes, dear, it is – [warily] and no-o-o-o, I don’t want a cookie right now…”

But there was nothing subtle in this son’s request. So how did the father react? Not like I would have – I would have said, “I’m gonna live to a hundred just to spite you!” But no, this father did as his son asked.

We need to understand what that cost the father. He was obviously well off – he had flocks and fields, and he had accumulated a fair amount of wealth during his lifetime. And because of this, he was a well-respected member of his community. By selling off half of his possessions, his standing in the community was shattered. Can’t you imagine the gossip? “Why is he selling so much property? He must be in some serious financial trouble – maybe he’s not the success we all thought he was? Maybe he’s fallen out of favor with God?”

Why did the father go along with this? We’ll see as we go further along.

The bottom line is the father was injured, in more ways than one, by his son’s demand. And yet he suffered this, and let his son have his way.

Well, the Scripture tells us how that worked out for the son: he blew through everything he had on pleasures of the moment, and wound up in miserable circumstances of his own making. That forced him to come to his senses. He realized what he had thrown away. And he realized that even his father’s hired hands had it better than he did now. And so he decided to go back home, knowing he could no longer be his father’s son. But he would ask to be hired on to work for his father, so at least he would have something to eat.

And so the son journeyed back home. But this is when the next interesting development occurs. The Parable tells us that “… while he was still a long way off, his father saw him…”