The Prodigal Son: a word by Jessica O.

The prodigal son is one of my favorite stories. It highlights the Father’s heart in such a powerful way. It is a story of two sons. They both are learning to discover who they really are and learning to accept their position in the Fathers love. 

One decides to take his inheritance early, on his own terms, and go into the world. He squanders it. In the end he is brought to a place of shame and brokenness. He limps back home figuring at least at home he can be a slave and earn his keep. He has rehearsed a speech to say to his father, about how he messed up, and he wants to make it up to the father. This is all from a place of not knowing who he is as a son. He thinks he must earn love and that a position of sonship is something that can be earned or lost.  As he comes around the bend the Father sees him at a distance and runs to Him. He throws himself at him, covering him with kisses and hugs. He interrupts the son as he speaks and adorns him with a robe, ring, and sandals.

 This shows that from the moment the son left, the longing heart of the father was always looking out for his return and his love never ceased to call for his return. Then when the son returns, he runs out to meet him and finishes the rest of the journey with him. The father does not hold back his love until after he hears the apology. In fact, he won’t even let the son get those words out of his mouth. He will not hear of the failure, or any words associated with loss of sonship. He gives the son back everything and more than what was squandered in the first place. He is immediately restored into his full position and a huge party is thrown holding nothing back. This was all done before the son did anything to earn his keep or make anything up to the father. It was fully and freely given. 

 Unfortunately not everyone shares in the celebration. The other son who stayed the whole time is working in the field, and is upset that this son does not have to prove his worth first before getting his position back. This comes from his place of not understanding the depth of the fathers love and his own sonship. He is like the equivalent of the Pharisee religious nature that is at odds within us telling us we have to earn our position and what we get is in direct correlation to how much we work. To make matters worse he sees his own inheritance being shared with his brother. He is struggling with insecurities in his own sonship. 

There are so many gems to be found in this story. I love how the father says at the end what was lost is now found. You can’t be lost if you never belonged in the first place. It is echoing the cry of our heavenly Father for all his children to return to their first love. The Father is longingly calling back all his sons, and they will respond and be restored to their original position. There is no shame or guilt in their process. It is also through their story of redemption that the other brothers are also able to realize the depth of their sonship.