Friday, August 3, 2012

WHO IS THE PRODIGAL?

Photo courtesy of www.chinaoilpaintinggallery...

Just like you, I have heard a lot of sermons on the "Prodigal Son".
But were they correct?

Remember, every one is not a child of God.
Even Jesus talking to the religious people of his 
day said they were children of the devil.
(John 8:44)

Now where in the story of the prodigal son do we find the
boy lost his sonship.  He was a son and the older brother was a son.

The difference was,
the younger brother wanted his inheritance, and wanted it NOW.
But the older brother was waiting for the proper time .

Does that not sound like a lot of the teaching and 
preaching we are hearing today.
God, give me my inheritance here and NOW on earth.
I'm a child of yours, give it to me NOW.

This parable has a message that the "Church" badly needs today.


Photo courtesy of www.textweek.com

There came a day when it was all spent.
Nothing was left.  And he was in the pig pen.
But he was welcomed home because he was still a son.

Everything left now belonged to the older brother,
who would receive it in the proper time.

Photo courtesy of rinaperu.com

Are we squandering our inheritance here on earth?
A lot of preaching today is telling us to ask for it -
NOW.

But the father, with open arms, is wanting us to return home
before we die in a far country.





2 comments:

Kathleen said...

Great point, Luther!

I have often thought the prodigal's older brother was a good object-lesson, too. He quickly reveals his sense of entitlement; his "good works" rendering him more worthy than the the younger brother.

One thing's certain: living for the Lord can be messy.

http://bitsandpieces-sonja.blogspot.com/ said...

Excellent Luther! I couldn't agree more!