Prodigal son - running Father

I have a Fob watch that my grandfather bought a long time ago. When he died in 1971 it was in his will that it be given to his son - my father. This watch along with a few other things was his inheritance to my father.
It was in my fathers will that when he died this watch was to be given to me. This watch along with a few other things was his inheritance to me. However I got the watch early, the reason is that when I was in Invercargill a couple of years before his death my father was worried that if anything were to happen to both he and my step-mother, someone else would pick up the watch before I got there and that I would not be given it. He wanted to ensure that I got my inheritance - although not in the normal manner of waiting for him to die first.

In the bible the are a couple of times when this normal manner of the giving of the inheritance as gone awry. The one I will focus on is the story Jesus told. Luke chapter 15:11-32 also known as "the parable of the prodigal Son. Prodigal means wayward and in this story Jesus tells, the son was certainly wayward. Quite an understatement when we look at his behaviour.
This son was in a wealthy family. A family that had servants and had special animals set aside to be killed just for a party. Other poor families had no servants and all they had went to just feeding them day-by-day.
This son goes up to his father and says "Father give me my share of the estate" Correct me if I'm wrong but isn't that rude? "Hey dad I can't wait until you're dead so give me my money now. "I don't care if you are alive or dead Pops - I just want your money."
For reasons we don't know the father give the son his inheritance and watches as the son leaves with it. We see that the son went off and spent it all in decadent living. "Wild Living and prostitutes" is what the text tell us he spent the money on.

Then the money is all gone, and famine also hits the land. The wayward son is in trouble. He gets a job feeding pigs and seeing the food given to the pigs in his hunger he longs to eat the pigs food. Jesus was telling this story to Jews and a quick look through Leviticus and Deuteronomy will see that to the Jews pigs are unclean. Not just icky - don't step in that unclean but - banned and an affront to your holiness and standing before God if you were to touch one - let along eat one. The disgust the Jews would have felt hearing that this son wanted to eat the pigs food would be akin to us hearing of a person who found a half eaten week old banana sandwich in the bottom of a rubbish bag and wanted to eat it. Stomach churningly disgusting.

Anyway he doesn't eat the sandwich he comes to his senses and thinks that if my father doesn't accept me back as his son at least I could be his servant. So he heads back seeking forgiveness and a full stomach.

Years ago, Price Harry, it was revealed, had been going down to the pub for some underage drinking and to smoke marijuana. When the media caught on that he had gone into a hospital they started asking questions - his father, Price Charles, said "This is a family matter and has been dealt with in private".

What a completely different picture we read of the father in Jesus' tale of a wayward son. "When he was still along way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he RAN TO HIS SON, threw his arms around him and kissed him" And then he decided to throw a very public party. This father loved his son so much, that even in his disgrace, the father threw away the social norms and his dignity and RAN to his son - in plain view of all. And then partied.
Can you imagine the shock if we were to see Prince Charles run to Prince Harry kiss him and hug him as he came out of the hospital?

This story ends with a disgruntled brother being told off by his father - but still being loved by his father, for not being happy for what he has and for thinking of himself instead of the joy that the return of the prodigal has brought.

Adrian Plass once wrote that "A parable is a story that keeps your mind busy at the front door while the truth slips in through a side window". So what is the truth in this story?

Looking at who Jesus originally told this story to in Luke 15: 1-2, we can see that in the immediate context the lost son was the tax collectors and sinners. The ungrateful brother would have been the pharisees and the father would have been God - the Father.

But that was then - this is now. Who are we in this eternal drama of love?

We all have been, at some time, or currently are, the prodigal son. Before we gave/give our lives to God and asked forgiveness, we were/are the ones saying "I don't care that Jesus was live or dead, so what about the cross - I'll live my life my way just give me the good things." In our lives of disobedience to God our lives were so unholy that we were the ones wanting to eat the week old rotted banana sandwich. Of course I assume that those of those reading this here have made the journey home. So we, therefore, need to be careful not to become the ungrateful brothers - and sisters. We mustn't look at the "sinners" out there and consider us as superior. "There but the grace of God go I."

The father in this modern story is still God the father. God is still the one who lets us live our lives till we come to our senses. God is the one who looks for us, God is the one who throws away social norms and dignity and runs to us in our depravity.

How does He run to us. He runs to us in the form of Jesus Christ of Nazareth - God The son. Jesus was born, lived his life as an example to us, taught us about the father and how to live and then died. He died in disgrace and humiliation.He died as the atoning sacrifice - to pay for our sins. God the Son died to be the instrument that bridges the gap so we can be forgiven by God the Father.

God runs to us, he kisses us and put the ring on our finger calling us his children. "John 1: 12 Yet all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God."

God runs to us, kisses us, calls us his children and has a party. "Luke 15:10 In the same way, I tell you, there is more rejoicing in the presence of angels of God over one sinner who repents."

Tom Wright once said that this parable should be renamed. Instead of calling it the Parable of the Prodigal Son. It should be called the Parable of the Running Father. and I agree.

Wayward children we see every day,
Ungrateful, jealous siblings we see often as well.
How often do you see the Father throwing away his social status and dignity to love his child? Not as often as God would like I"m sure.
It is up to us sensible siblings to tell and show the love of the father to all those wayward brothers and sisters who are yet, to "come to their senses".