Father, give me my share of the estate. Luke 15:12
Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Luke 15:21
We all know the parable of the "prodigal son." It's a great story of a son who squandered his father's wealth....became broke.....and decided to return home to his father. The two verses above reveal a sharp contrast in spirit. Verse 12 is the demand placed upon the father. Let me have all that is rightly mine, now! In contrast, verse 21 reveals the confession of a contrite spirit who acknowledges that he really messed up. We all know folks that are experiencing a "prodigal" stage in life. Or, we know someone, maybe even ourselves, that were "prodigal".....but, came to our senses, and returned back to what we know is good and right. We all can relate in some way.
HOWEVER (and this is unusual for me to write in all caps....this means I am really emphasizing what I am about to say), we miss the whole point of the story. Most folks (obviously none that read this blog....but, you know, other people) probably think that "prodigal" means something like this: a person who was given a lot and who wasted it. Nope, that's not the definition of the word "prodigal." The word means "wastefully extravagant" or "giving lavishly or profusely." This is true.....look it up.
So, who is the character in this story that was wastefully extravagant and gave lavishly and profusely? Hint: It was the father. And since a parable is a kingdom story told in an earthly way.....this parable is relaying a powerful truth about our Heavenly Father. Go back and read the story from beginning to end with this in mind.....Luke 15:11-32. Is this the type of Heavenly Father that you know?
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