Spiritual Survival Guide
8: Bible Studies for Inside and Out
Alive Again: Prodigal Son, Prodigal Love
wasteful – and it’s a good description of the younger son’s wasteful life- style. But the word also beautifully describes the father’s enduring love for his son – lavish, extravagant, knowing no bounds. The son’s prodigal desires led to his ruin. But the father’s prodigal love led to his restora- tion and new life.
LISTEN
READ
Bitter experience teaches one big truth: we’re great at screwing up our lives. An even bigger truth comes straight from Jesus: God’s love for screw-ups like us goes beyond anything we could have guessed or imag- ined. This truth is unforgettably captured in Jesus’ parable of the Prodi- gal. Jesus often taught in parables – short, deceptively simple stories “with intent.” Jesus intention is that we might see ourselves, others and the world around us, and God himself in a new and true light – and then respond with a transformed life. This story has layer after layer of meaning, and it rewards those who come back to it again and again. In many ways, it captures the great drama of our salvation: selfishness and imposed isolation, rupturing of relationships, desperation, bargaining, surprising and amazing grace, unbridled celebration, lingering resentment, unfinished business, the journey from wasted life to alive again. The story meets us where we are. It comes as comforting good news when we find ourselves falling and hitting bottom. It comes as challeng- ing good news when we find ourselves falling into resentment and judg- mentalism. And it comes as inspiring good news when we find ourselves running to help other screw-ups like ourselves to encounter the depths of our heavenly Father’s love. The word “prodigal” has often been applied to this story that Jesus told. Prodigal means extravagant, lavish, excessive, even to the point of being
11 Jesus said: “There was a man who had two sons. 12 The younger one said to his father, ‘Father, give me my share of the estate.’ So he divided his property between them. 13 “Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living. 14 After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he began to be in need. 15 So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs. 16 He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything. 17 “When he came to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! 18 I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. 19 I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired servants.’ 20 So he got up and went to his father. “But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him. 21 “The son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ 22 “But the father said to his servants, ‘Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on
224
225
Made with FlippingBook - Share PDF online