"FIRST MATE BOB" (PAUL MYERS) writes for THE KING'S BUSINESS about: The Prodigal Father
», TQ oets since time immemorial have sung of the prodigal JiT son and how he, remorseful and penitent, returned to the home of his boyhood to receive the parental blessing , and forgiveness. The beautiful parable which Jesus tells, as recorded in the 15th chapter of the Gospel accord ing to Luke, bespeaks the tender mercy and forgiveness of a Heavenly Father for the Prodigal sons of earth. But say, how about the legions of prodigal fathers today? How many times, at the close of a service, have I gazed into the face of some boy or girl, or young man or woman, i and heard this pitiful plea, “ Please, First Mate Bob, pray for my father: he has left mother and us.” And again, “ Please pray for my daddy, he isn’t saved.” Prodigal Fathers! Say, there’s a thought! The parable of the prodigal son in reverse. Still more startling and appalling is this fact, As we have journeyed up and down the land, visiting many different churches, we have, times without number, met young men and women and boys and girls to whom the Bible and things spiritual are entirely foreign. As we have prayed and pulled on the net, in giving an invita- tion and an altar call, they have come forward and knelt and given their hearts to Jesus. When we kneel beside them and begin to deal with them about their souls, we have discovered to our utter astonishment, that they are TWO AND THREE GENERATIONS REMOVED from any spiritual influence whatever. Their fathers and their father’s fathers have been without Christ. These children have never read a Bible; they have never been taught to pray. Many do not even know the gospel hymns. It is pitifully true that they are the product of godless homes. This is a tragedy of national proportions. How many hun dreds of thousands of Prodigal Fathers there must be today! A number of years ago, Dr. Joplin gave this version of the parable of the prodigal son. It should be read by every father today. I quote it for you below: A certain man had two sons and the younger of them said to his father, “Father, give me the portion of thy time, and thy attention, and thy companionship, and thy counsel and guidance which falleth to me.” And he divided unto him his living, in that he paid his boy’s bills, and sent him to a select preparatory school and to dancing schools and to college, and tried to believe that he was doing his full duty by his son. And not many days after, the father gathered all his interests and aspirations and ambitions and took his journeys into a far country, into a land of stocks and bonds and securities and other things which do not in terest a boy, and there he wasted his precious opportunity of being a chum to his son. And when he had spent the very best of his life, and had gained money, but had failed to find any satisfaction, there arose a mighty famine in his heart, and he began to be in want of sympathy and real companionship. And he went and joined himself to one of the clubs of that country and they elected him chairman of the House Committee, and president of the club, and sent him to the <
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"The father to the children shall make known thy truth" legislature. And he fain would have satisfied himself with the husks that other men did eat, and no man gave him any real friendship. But when he came to himself, he said: “How many men of my acquaintance have boys whom they under stand and who understand them, who talk about their boys and associate with their boys and seem perfectly happy in the comradeship of their sons, and I perish here with heart hunger? I will arise and go to my son and will say unto him: “ Son, I have sinned against heaven and in thy sight and am no more worthy to be called thy father. Make me as one of thy acquaintances. And he arose and came to his son. But while he was yet afar off, his son saw him and was moved with astonishment, and instead of running and falling on his neck, he drew back and was ill at ease. And the father said unto him, “ Son, I have sinned against heaven and in thy sight. I have not been a father to you, and I am no more worthy to be called thy father. Forgive me now, and let me be your chum.” But the son said: “Not so, for it is too late. There was a time when I wanted your companionship and advice and counsel, but you were too busy. I got the information and the companionship, but I got the wrong kind, and now, alas, I am wrecked in soul and body. It is too late — too late — too late!” These are the words of admonition which God gave to fathers, concerning His laws and words. “Thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thy house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down and when thou riseth up.” (Deut. 6:7.) “ Only take heed to THY SELF and keep THY soul diligently, lest thou forget the things which thine eyes have seen, and they depart from thine heart all the days of thy life; but teach them to thy sons, and thy son’s sons.” (Deut. 4:9)
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OCTOBER, 1959
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