Lost and Found – Two Prodigal Sons

Joshua 5:9-12                                                   
Psalm 32                                  
2 Corinthians 5:16-21
Luke 15:1-3, 11b-32

prod·i·gal  [ próddig'l ]

1. extravagantly wasteful: spendthrift or extravagant to a degree bordering on recklessness

2. producing generous amounts: giving or producing something in large amounts

3. wasting parental money: spending parental money wastefully, but returning home to a warm welcome

 

Synonyms: wasteful, reckless, dissolute, profligate, extravagant, uncontrolled

 
Psalm 32 does well in summarizing the all-familiar story of the Prodigal Son: "Happy are those whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered.  Happy are those to whom the Lord imputes no iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no deceit."
 
This well-known story draws attention to a young son who squanders his inheritance in dissolute living. Having lost everything, and now in great need, he finds himself in a worse position than when he was back home, back under his father's wing.  The text goes on to say that eventually "he came to himself," which best means that he came to full realization of what he had done, and was now truly repentant.
 
Returning home, he planned to make a confession in hopes that he could salvage something of his previous place in the family.  But as he approached his home, his father ran to him, and brushed aside the son's confession, just being filled with joy that his son had returned to him.  A celebration ensued, and the younger son was honored.
 
While we are glad that there was this family reunion, we may feel a bit cheated that this prodigal son, who wasted an inheritance, was honored instead of punished for his misdeeds.  "Where is the justice in this?" we may ask.  He was wasteful and reckless, and yet he was honored!
 
But if we look more closely, we see that the instant forgiveness of the father his huge merit.  Did the son really go unpunished?  First of all, he lost all his inheritance.  This would impact his future for quite some time.  Next, he was shamed into doing things that he would normally not have done.  He also feared that his family ties were destroyed; he was out of contact with his family, and didn't know if this could be restored. 

Finally, there was the pain of awakening.  To finally come to the realization that others were harmed, who shouldn't have been, will cut deep into one's soul.  This is a burden on the shoulders that has to be dealt with in some way, or it will never leave.
 
People who do things that hurt others are often suffering and in trouble themselves.  They may have already been punished greatly in ways that we can't see. No, of course, that doesn’t give them the right to hurt others (and it doesn't mean that there should be no restitution, either),  but it does provide a basis for understanding the entirety of the situation.  Knowing what the other person went through might open the door for the possibility of forgiveness.  The father of the prodigal son, like Our Father who made us, could see into the pain and suffering of each person, and is ready to receive anyone who truly wants to come back home.
 
The young prodigal may have been disobedient, but he restored the heart connection to his father.  This was most important to the father, as it is to Our father. The second half of the story deals with the opposite situation, where the older son was strictly obedient to his father's rules and wishes, but never was able to make the heart-to-heart connection.  Pure obedience without love is also a prodigal squandering, not of material wealth, but of spiritual riches. 
 
The father was perhaps strongly hinting to the older brother when he explained why they were celebrating the return of the younger son, "...We had to celebrate and rejoice, because this brother of yours was dead (spiritually disconnected) and has come to life; he was lost and has been found."
 
Paul sums it all up well in his letter to the Corinthians, "So if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; see, everything has become new!"
 
Reflection Questions
 
1. Has someone hurt you in the past that you are having trouble forgiving?  Could you move closer to forgiveness if you gained a deeper understanding of how that person suffered in his/her life, too?
 
2. Do you think the older son understood his father's message?  Do you think he changed his ways, too?
 
3. How has this lesson changed your view of obedience to God?
 
4. Read through the scripture lessons for this Sunday again, and spend some time journaling your thoughts.