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| "And the buttons glow in the dark" |
It
is great to revisit the parable of the prodigal son. A story, amongst
others, spoken by Jesus to the pharisees and teachers of religious law,
and likely in the presence of the tax collectors and other notorious
sinners who often came to listen to him.
The one lost sheep among one hundred. The one lost coin among the ten. The lost son
As
I read this I see parts like the guy being lost, dead, etc... or about
redemption, love, relationship... or attitude of the brother who
stayed..,
Or
when a message is preached from the pulpit I am reminded of how I am
like the lost son or the brother who stayed is like religious people.
Great analogy as it meets the reason why Jesus said it to the Pharisees
etc
But what I am also caused to contemplate is at what point did the lost guy stop being the father's son?
When he left home? When he rejected his father?
Then
why is he always referred to as a son? Could it be that he was the
father's son before he left, while gone, and when he returned? Is there
any part of the father's behaviour which indicates he stopped
considering this guy as part of his family?
The
same is true of the sheep and coins. Being lost, found, reunited did
not mean introducing another species into the flock, or a spoon into the
money bag. They were sheep/coins before they were lost, while lost,
and when found. Those doing the seeking knew this. Do we?
So now I must ask how this revelation applies to me?
How does this look in the context of Jews and Gentiles?
How does it affect my neighbours, colleagues, friends, family, etc in their own right as well as how I view them?
What
if they are protestant, catholic, baptist, liberal, conservative,
hindu, atheist, muslim, pagan, etc? Does God consider all people
regardless of their social or religious background part of his family
even while they are practicing it? If no, then I must reevaluate how he
viewed and even now views me. But if he does, why don't we do the
same? Why do we treat people as if they are family only when they cross
the official line of "being saved"? Let's be honest, even that is
often lacking unless a person meets our own personal preferences.
And
if he has always considered us family, then I must go to him again and
ask what he means by salvation, redemption, and restoration. Is it
about healing and making things right amongst his family, or about
transforming spoons into coins, cows into sheep, people into christians?
