Meditation point
26-07-2020
Luke, 15:11-32
Dear brothers, The parable of the Prodigal Son seems to be the most quoted of all the stories in the gospel. Why so? Because most often in our lives, we can relate to such parable.
CONTEXT: Tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to listen to Jesus, but the Pharisees and scribes began to complain, saying, “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.” So to them Jesus addressed this parable.
CHARACTERS: .
1.The younger son ---the tax collectors and sinners.
2.The Older son --- Self-righteous (Pharisees and scribes).
3.The Father --- God.
1.The younger son:This son was certain he will be better off on his own. Hence after collecting his inheritance, he went to a distant country away from his home. There he wasted his wealth in wild living. The prodigal’s journey to that distant country is a symbol of the modern society which has crossed God’s ethical, moral and religious boundaries and the Christians that are mingled with the world.
His pleasures lasted only for a season because soon he lost everything. There was a severe famine in that land that made the situation worse. Shortly after he found himself with the humiliating job of feeding the pig (unclean animals for the Jews). No one gave him anything even though he starved because he had fallen so low and become very Unimportant . A reminder of the society today and the sorry state it’s in.He returned to his father because he realized the mistakes of his ways after working for the foreigner for some time. This stage of his life reminds us of the unfaithful people who decide to turn from their wicked ways and return to God.
2.The older son:The Older Son was angry with his father for forgiving and receiving the prodigal son into the family again. Here we can see two types of attitude in community. 1.The self deserving believer – the older son accused the father of not rewarding his upright behavior. There are believers who serve God for the wrong reasons. 2.The self-righteous believer – the older son was confident of his own righteousness and held his brother in contempt. Likewise, the self-righteous believer believes in his own righteousness and passes judgment on those that he thinks to be wrong. He often seems to forget he is a sinner himself saved by faith.
3.The father:God is the same. He permits his children to wander away for a season because he is not a cruel slave driver. He doesn’t try to break our will, but puruse us to himself, so that we might offer it freely to him. There’s a saying that the Ox will wonder only to the length of the rope. God has permitted a certain length. He knows we will return to our senses once we reach the end of the rope. But he wanted the prodigal to learn three important lessons.
(I) To be humble.
(II) For him to know that consequences will always follow his actions.
(III) True happiness does not lie in having the things of the world.
Then the father’s reactions to the returning of the prodigal son reveal characteristics of God.
(I) He was filled with compassion. Indicates that our God is compassionate for the lost. (Matthew 9:36)
(II) He ordered the servants to put the best robe on his son. God dresses the sinners that come to him, with the robes of his righteousness. (Isaiah 61:10)
(III) He ordered the servants to put a ring on his son’s finger which was a symbol of acceptance to family. God treats people who return to him as his sons rather than his servants. (1 John 3:1)
(IV) He ordered the servants to put sandals on his son’s feet. Only a free man would wear them. Sinners who come to God find everlasting freedom. (John 8:32)
(V) He ordered the servants to kill the fatted calf. In order to save us, God will not spare anything, not even his son. (John 3:16)
(VI) He celebrated his son’s return. When a sinner repents there’s great joy among the angels of heaven. (Luke 15:10)
Dear friends, as the father loved the son deeply, God the Father loves us. But oftern we fail to recognise the love of the father. We have misused the great treasure the Father has given us. But the merciful Father is ready to receive us when we come back. The prodigal son denied his father only for once. But In our case innumerable times we have left the Father. But still he is waiting for us. Let us rely on the mercy of God. Let us take a firm dicision to be with Jesus always.
Let us think
1. Did we have true repentance when we have sinned. If it was true we would have been taken steps to not to repeat those sins.
2. Do we have the habit of misusing the mercy of God.
3. Are we gained the mind of the merciful Father to accept sinners and failed once with open heart.
4. Whether we are able to forgive and forget to others.
Bro. Jins kolakunnel
Eparchy of Belthangadi
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