This parable is a familiar one to many of us. We have possibly connected to this parable in many different, meaningful ways. You may already have spent time reflecting on this parable and resonated with it, allowed it to speak to you. You may feel so familiar with this parable that it can be compared to having a conversation with an old friend.
Memories are evoked and you long to resume the conversation, pick up where you left off.
In this reflection, I hope to offer a newness, to build on the existing resonance you may have and to acknowledge the importance of that. But also to allow you to see the parable in a new light, from a different perspective, so that you may experience the message of this parable even more greatly.
The parable of The Prodigal Son, just like the other two that Jesus tells, involves something lost, something found and the celebration that follows. The difference between this parable and the others is that there is no mention of repentance. This parable also uses the example of a privileged family as opposed to the shepherds and women, invisible members of society, in the other two parables.
Jesus taught these parables to correct the view that the Pharisees had of God’s character and nature; to point out God’s heart for the lost, the needy and the broken of the world.
The meaning of prodigal means to be “rashly or wastefully extravagant”. This parable highlights that the son was wastefully extravagant. We can look at his father too, as being even more wastefully extravagant. He gave finances lavishly to his son but more importantly, he was extravagant with his love, mercy, forgiveness and welcoming grace when his
son arrived back from “being lost”.
This boy has manipulated his father’s love and kindness. He has abused the grace of his father. He was demanding and tactless and lacked the grace that his father had. His father willingly gave him his inheritance knowing that his son would squander the money.
How do we see the nature of God at work here? How is God’s grace demonstrated in this part of the parable?
We are often in a position that we are demanding of God’s grace in prayers, when we are in need and when we are desperate. Most times we don’t think of our lack of grace, we expect God to answer us, that we are entitled to his response and mercy and love. How often do we look upon God’s grace in the same way we look at the father in this parable? We are mostly critical of this father, we can’t
believe that he would just give away money knowing that it will be wasted. Have you ever considered the grace of this father? God is always waiting to welcome us into his love, to forgive us “no matter what” and to lavish his love on us.
Today, think about how you can act in the gracious way of God, extending his love and grace towards others.
