A parable is a story with a spiritual
truth. This parable is about the prodigal son. He is so much
like us before out salvation.
Disrespected the father-vs.
12 the son asked his father for his inheritance before
his dad was dead. (Something you get after dad dies) so the son was
basically saying "dad I can't wait for you to croak, so can you just hand over
what's mine". I can think of so many times with my heavenly Father when I've
disrespected Him with the way I act.
Defiant of the rules-vs.13 and
30 once the son got his inheritance he left and went away to a
distant country and "squandered his estate" first of all he should have stayed
and worked for his father until he became of age to leave or until his dad
croaked, that was how it worked back then. Second in verse 30 the older son says
" Your son who has devoured your wealth with prostitutes" understand now
that Jesus was talking to the Jews and this was a HUGE no,no to them.
Disgraced by the way he lived-
vs.15 After the son lost all his inheritance (vs 14) "He
went and hired himself out to one of the citizens of the country and he sent him
into his fields to feed the pigs" I've got to stretch the importance once
again of Jesus telling this parable to Jews because the things the son
had done before were bad to the Jews but now the kid is in with pigs!
To the Jews pigs aren't eaten they aren't touched (that's an order right
from God) they are on the list of Filthy animals, not just kinda bad like
ya they aren't really around pigs but they are one of the "unclean
animals". So the fact that the kid is around pigs, touching pigs. That is a
complete disgrace to this kids life style. Plus don't forget about the
whole prostitute thing in vs.30 this kids whole life has become a disgrace! I
can just see the Pharisees going "oh no you didn't" to this kid and the way he's
living.
Defiled by filth- Again vs. 15
In verse 15 the boy is in touching pigs he's waling in where the pigs
have gone to the bathroom, taken a leak his clothes are covered in all
this pig stuff and the mud that's in the pigs pen. To the Jews because pigs
were "Unclean animals" they were completely and totally defiled animals.
Desired- vs. 20 This is my
favorite part of the whole parable because in the end of verse 20 the father did
two things that our heavenly Father does and because it was such a shocker
to the Jews. Ok so "while the son was a long way off the father saw
him and felt compassion on him" then here's the shocker for the Jews
"He ran and embraced and kissed him."
Back in those days a man DID NOT run but this dad ran and then he
embraced and kissed his disrespectful, pig muck covered son. The word used
in this verse means that he kept kissing him. He kept kissing the smelly,
gross, kid covered in pig yuck ! Wow!!
Ok by now I can see the Jews just shaking their heads going what
an awful kid and an insane father but that's not the point of this parable so
read on and see the point of why Jesus told this story
APPLY
I can really see some similarities between me and the
prodigal. ya that's because the prodigal is me (and you) we are
the prodigal in this parable. It's so awesome because I always thought that
this story was about a lost person coming to Christ, but really it's a child who
has screwed up in some of the worst ways possible coming back to their heavenly
Father.
Jesus is showing us how awful we can be (or in my case have
been) but it's so awesome because the father is God our
heavenly Father. SO when I look at the desire and joy the father had for
his awful son I'm so excited because the spiritual truth of the story is that's
how God does desire me. Even when I screw up royally.
You may have Disrespected the Father, Defiant of His
rules Disgraced
yourself by the way you act,
and Defiled
yourself by the way you live.
BUT you're still
DESIRED.
Follow the prodigals actions in this
story
Realize you've messed up vs. 17
"But when he came to his senses"
Repent
vs. 21 " And he said to his father, I have sinned against heaven
and in your sight"
Change vs. 32 " This
brother of yours that was dead is alive he was lost but now is found'
Mary
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