Today’s scripture: Luke 15:11-32 (NRSV) (The Message) (KJV) What might God be saying to me?
My thoughts (John Seksay):
Today’s reading is one of the best known Bible stories: the parable of the prodigal son. It is a story that has captured the imagination ever since it was first spoken by Jesus. It is often the centerpiece for study classes about forgiveness and redemption. The term prodigal is forever identified as a spendthrift, or engaged in extravagant excess.
The essence of the story hinges on the patriarchal nature of traditional Jewish society, a pattern still common in many parts of the world today. The father was head of the household and everything in it was subject to his absolute authority — all the goods, his servants, his wife, and his children were his to command as he wished. Various stories in the Bible record children given to the Temple (Samuel) and sold off into slavery (Joseph). Even when a male child reached maturity, he was subject to his father’s authority until he established his own household, a process that might involve years of apprenticeship or other service on behalf of the family.
I still recall my own family history as immigrants to the United States via the coal mines of Pennsylvania. My father grew up with his mother, his step-father, and all his half-siblings (ultimately 11 of them) while living in a coal town where everyone worked in the mine, shopped at the company-owned store, and lived in company owned houses. The depression era had my dad working in the mines rather than finishing high school. He worked six days a week and never saw his paycheck. Because he lived under his step-father’s roof, all his earnings were directed against the house’s bill at the company store. He only received the fruit of his own efforts when he married and had his own address in a separate house. Then he had his own line of credit to cover. He could still contribute to the other household, but it was voluntary and came after his bills were covered.
This is the first odd point in the story. For a child to insist on, much less receive, an inheritance from a living parent would be most unusual. The patriarch retained control of and managed the family’s wealth until he died. To inherit early was an act of prodigal generosity on the father’s part. But, having been a father myself, I know each child is different and will tackle life differently. Family transitions aren’t always the smooth flow that tradition prefers. Likewise, the return of the son was hardly traditional. He didn’t return with a career, a wife, or any sign of success. But he was no longer the swaggering young buck who had dashed off to seek his fortune either.
This reminds me very much of the pattern called “hitting bottom” in recovery programs. It requires a family to step away from the loved one suffering from addiction until the consequences of the addicted life make the person truly set on abandoning their destructive behavior and building a new life. This is a hard task under the best of circumstances. From my viewpoint, the father was protecting the family by letting the prodigal son sink or swim on his own. The father could have cast the prodigal out without the inheritance, but there was a critical lesson to be learned about how one’s behavior impacts one’s resources. The return was at best uncertain; he might have been losing this son forever. The father had another son that fulfilled the traditional role, but was still willing to bring a truly repentant prodigal back into the family.
The most telling thing I see in this parable is what the father doesn’t do upon the prodigal’s return. The son is welcomed back, but it is clear that he has spent his inheritance and will need to earn his keep moving forward. He will need to do it under the same roof as the obedient son, who will inherit the estate and the authority over all things, including his returning brother’s future in the household. The future of the prodigal will be strongly linked to his behavior after his harsh experience with the world at large. For all to be forgiven, the prodigal will have to show true repentance by not returning to his old ways. He will have to put the good of the family ahead of his own appetites.
Thought for the day: Lord, help me to clearly see the deeper consequences of my choices each day. Which of my attitudes or behaviors do I need to repent rather than repeat?
We encourage you to include a time of prayer with this reading. If you need a place to get started, consider the suggestions on the How to Pray page.