The Parable of Prodigal Son
11. Then he said, " A man had two sons,
12. and the younger son said to his father, "Father, give me the share of your estate that should come to me. ' So the father divided the property between them.
13. After a few days, the younger son collected all his belongings and set off to a distant country where he squandered his inheritance on a life of dissipation.
14. When he had freely spent everything, a servere famine struck that country, and he found himself in dire need.
15. So he hired himself out to one of the local citizens who sent him to his farm to tend the swine.
16. And he longed to eat his fill of the pods on which the swine fed, but nobody gave him any.
17. Coming to his senses he thought, "How many of my father's hired workers have more than enough food to eat, but here am I, dying from hunger.
18. I shall get up and go to my father and I shall say to him, "Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you.
19. I no longer deserve to be called your son ; treat me as you would treat one of your hired workers."
20. So he got up and went back to his father. While he was still a long way off, his father caught sight of him and was filled with compassion. He ran to his son, embraced him and kissed him.
21. His son said to him, "Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you ; I no longer deserve to be called your son."
22. But his father ordered his servants, "Quickly bring the finest robe and put it on him ; put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet.
23. Take the fattened calf and slaughter it. Then let us celebrate with feast,
24. because this son of mine was dead and has come to life again ; he was lost and has been found. ' Then the celebration began.
25. Now the older son had been out in the field and on his way back, as he neared the house, he heard the sound of music and dancing.
26. He called one of the servants and asked what this might mean.
27. The servant said to him, your brother has returned and your father has slaughtered the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound.
28. He became angry, and when he refused to enter the house, his father came out and pleaded with him.
29. He said to his father in reply, "Look, all these years I served you and not once did I disobey your orders ; yet you never gave me even a young goat to feast on with my friends.
30. But when your son returns who swallowed up your property with prostitutes, for him you slaughter the fattened calf.
31. He said to him, "My son, you are here with me always everything I have is yours."
32. But now we must celebrate and rejoice, because your brother was dead and has come to life again ; he was lost and has been found.
Reflection
There are many insights that I could obtain from this story.
11. Then he said, " A man had two sons,
First, we are born as God's children and if we stay faithfully in God's kingdom, we always have fullness in life.
12. and the younger son said to his father, "Father, give me the share of your estate that should come to me. ' So the father divided the property between them.
Like this younger son, sometimes we are too captivated with what the world offer, we ask our Father to give us whatever we need and want, material blessings, talents, gifts etc and God as a generous God, He always provide whatever we need.
13. After a few days, the younger son collected all his belongings and set off to a distant country where he squandered his inheritance on a life of dissipation.
God never ask us to go or walk away from Him neither leave us alone, it's our own choice because we have a free will to choose to part from God. We thought we have enough to be independent from God and slowly we walk out from God's kingdom.
14. When he had freely spent everything, a servere famine struck that country, and he found himself in dire need.
As we thought that we already had everything that God has entrusted to us, we depend on ourselves.
We chase for worldly achievements, we may abuse our talents and gifts to achieve our temporary happiness. Or the other opposite, we live in the laziness and complacency.
We may even success in our life, gain fame, power or in the opposite, we may go into darkness with addiction of drugs, alcohol, pornography, social media etc.
Whatever our conditions are there's one situation when we walk out from God, Emptiness.
15. So he hired himself out to one of the local citizens who sent him to his farm to tend the swine.
16. And he longed to eat his fill of the pods on which the swine fed, but nobody gave him any.
This is what we usually call sufferings, sometimes we blamed God, blamed others, blamed ourselves. This "sufferings" is the consequences of sins. Nobody punish us but this is the nature of the sins.
There's nothing free in the sin's world, there's always payback time.
17. Coming to his senses he thought, "How many of my father's hired workers have more than enough food to eat, but here am I, dying from hunger.
We are born as God's children and inherit God's heart therefore God able to call us back. When we have nothing left in our heart, this is usually the time that we hear God's gentle calling, and it's called God's grace.
18. I shall get up and go to my father and I shall say to him, "Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you.
19. I no longer deserve to be called your son ; treat me as you would treat one of your hired workers."
And with our own freewill, we return back to God. With humble heart, we come back and repent to God
20. So he got up and went back to his father. While he was still a long way off, his father caught sight of him and was filled with compassion. He ran to his son, embraced him and kissed him.
What God does when He sees us get up and return to him ?
Did he tell his son, now you know right, if you walk away from me, what had happened ?
Or did he tell his son, ok, now you are sorry, you can't go in yet because you have spent my assets, you need to work for me to repay all
No.... God never do that
HE NEVER PUNISH US.
He patiently waiting for us and even reaching us out when we have no more strength to go on.
He loves us unconditionally and by Jesus's sacrifices He has redeemed us.
Therefore even though we are sinner, evil can't own us.
It's our own freewill to choose the evil or God but evil can't chain us forever.
Every sinful acts we do, there's always consequences. If we do sinful acts, there's always something that need to be returned back to where it belongs.
But it never bind us forever because Jesus has paid the ransom fully for each of our soul.
21. His son said to him, "Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you ; I no longer deserve to be called your son."
What God sees in us is not our wrong doings, but our heart. The humble and repentant heart that's all He needs
22. But his father ordered his servants, "Quickly bring the finest robe and put it on him ; put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet.
23. Take the fattened calf and slaughter it. Then let us celebrate with feast,
24. because this son of mine was dead and has come to life again ; he was lost and has been found. ' Then the celebration began.
Our God never blame and punish us, instead He happily welcomes us, puts our status back as His children, celebrate the life again
25. Now the older son had been out in the field and on his way back, as he neared the house, he heard the sound of music and dancing.
26. He called one of the servants and asked what this might mean.
27. The servant said to him, your brother has returned and your father has slaughtered the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound.
28. He became angry, and when he refused to enter the house, his father came out and pleaded with him.
29. He said to his father in reply, "Look, all these years I served you and not once did I disobey your orders ; yet you never gave me even a young goat to feast on with my friends.
30. But when your son returns who swallowed up your property with prostitutes, for him you slaughter the fattened calf.
For those who have been staying faithfully with God, sometimes we are like the older son.
We have misperception about God, our definition of justice is God will punish the sinners and their wrong doings.
But unfortunately, that's not justice in God's eyes.
God is justice meaning, whatever sinful acts we do, there are always consequences and it need to be paid back and returned back to where it belong. But once we are fully paying back those things, we are free.
When we are in the process of paying back time which is called suffering time, God never forsake us, He is with us, together with us he experiences those sufferings because He is a compassionate and loving father.
31. He said to him, "My son, you are here with me always everything I have is yours."
32. But now we must celebrate and rejoice, because your brother was dead and has come to life again ; he was lost and has been found.
Without knowing, when we are faithful in God's kingdom we have the power not to worry about future, power to change ourselves to be better, power to serve others but more than often we forget that we actually able to claim what God's has promised to us and have fullness and limitless life.
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