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Prodigal son

Discussion in '2000-02 Archive' started by donnA, Jul 27, 2002.

  1. donnA

    donnA Active Member

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    I'd like to start a discussion on the parable of the prodigal, your thoughts on it, each part of the story.
    I'm just getting this started right now, I'm way too tired to do anything else but this, not to mention emotionally drained for the day(remember Wednesday, please, plus today was visiting). So please forgive me for not adding more to the converstion now.
     
  2. Grasshopper

    Grasshopper Active Member
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  3. latterrain77

    latterrain77 New Member

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    Hi Katie. The prodigal son and his “good guy” brother offer a glimpse into the idea of “law/grace” with a historical angle to it. Mary and Martha also illustrated a similar relationship of "works/grace" (Luke 10: 39-41).

    The “well behaved” brother felt slighted by his dad. After all, he was WORKING WORKING WORKING. This “stay at home” brother worked hard, did all that he was asked to do, and was diligent in honoring his dad.

    Unlike his “well behaved” brother, the “prodigal” did NOT work hard (except at “loose living”), did NOT honor his dad, and wasted his inheritance. This reminds me a little of Jacob/Esau dynamic (Gen. 25: 30-33).

    Yet, the dad embraced his wayward son – seemingly even MORE than his “well behaved” son (similar to the Luke 10:30-41 illustration). All of this is a fantastic picture of how all believers, like the “prodigals” that we all are, were embraced by LORD while we were yet sinners (Rom. 5: 8) and undeserving of such mercy. This is glorious MERCY indeed.

    Latterrain77
     
  4. swaimj

    swaimj <img src=/swaimj.gif>

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    The chapter in Luke in which the story is found is referred to as the "lost chapter" because it also contains the lost sheep and the lost coin. The story has a great plot twist at the end in which Jesus presents an open-ended question to his audience. It is up to them to answer the question. The plot goes like this: First there were 99 sheep + 1 which was lost. The lost one was found and the owner rejoiced. Second, there were 9 coins + 1 which was lost. The lost one was found and the owner rejoiced. Third there were two sons. One was lost and the other...at the end of the story it turns out that he was lost as well! The first was found-he returned home and there was rejoicing. The second...? That is the unanswered question of the story. What was the fate of the older son? The older son represents the listener and the answer is up to the listener. Will you return to a proper relationship with the father or not?
     
  5. Pastor_Bob

    Pastor_Bob Well-Known Member

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    One of the aspects of this parable that stands out to me is the awful consequences of sin. I suppose each of us has a mental picture of what the prodigal son must have looked like. I picture him as a college age young man, a rebel, someone who loves pleasure and a good time, perhaps the "life-of-the-party" kind of guy.

    It is interesting to me that not one sin that this young man committed is named specifically. The elder brother was probably accurate when he made the statement about him devouring his living with harlots, but the Bible doesn't tell us what he did in the far country except that he wasted his substance with riotous living.

    A few thoughts that I have that this parable illustrates concerning the consequences of sin is this:
    1. Sin alienates. Sin build a wall between people. In verse 13, the son left and went to the far country.

    2. Sin disorients. We know that this young man was confused. Look at what he gave up and where he ended up. The statement "when he came to himself" shows that he was disoriented.

    3. Sin causes tremendous loss. This young man spent all, wasted all. He lost his money, his relationship with the elder brother was never the same, he lost because of his sin.
     
  6. Abiyah

    Abiyah <img src =/abiyah.gif>

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    Some of the things about this story are particu-
    larly interesting to me. First, that our Lord
    brought the son in the story to the point of being
    so low that he was feeding pigs, of all things--
    something no good Jewish boy would do unless
    he was totally without choice, and probably not
    even then! 8o)

    The second thing our Lord had done in the story
    was the father running to meet the young man.
    This is something no Jewish man of the time
    would ever do under normal circumstances.
    Jewish men Did Not Run! Not the ones with any
    self respect, anyway.

    First, their clothing was not condusive to run-
    ning. In order to run, they would have had to
    lift their clothing up to their thighs, which was
    unacceptable in normal circumstances. Second,
    if he was where others were, and he lifted his
    clothes, people would have thrown rocks at his
    ankles and derided him mercilessly for doing it.
    This is the action of a thief or someone running
    from some misdeed. Third, people of means,
    which this man appears to have been, wore
    shoes. However, their shoes were not made for
    runnning. He would have had to remove them--
    another self-deprivation of shame for one of
    means.

    Then our Lord has the father go to the older
    son and plead with him. That just would not
    have been done. Rather, the father, if he had
    needed to correct the son, would have sent for
    the son and had him come to the father; he
    would not have sought him out. Orders would
    have been stated, without giving the son
    choice or reasoning with him--simply stated.
    But this father goes to the son and reasons
    with him.

    The younger son surely comes in to the feast,
    because the Scripture says so in verse 24. But
    there is no indication of whether or not the
    older son ever comes.

    Mmy point: how like our God this father was, and
    how like each one of us, at times, these sons
    were. Our God runs toward us everytime we take
    a step toward Him. And He gave up much to run
    to us.

    [ July 31, 2002, 11:18 AM: Message edited by: Abiyah ]
     
  7. donnA

    donnA Active Member

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    Those are excelent. Some I never though of.
    Exactly what order do you see of things having to happen to lead the younger son back to his father? Maybe, how far in going back did he have to in order for the father to meet him? What responsabilities would he have had from that time on? And I'm think in todays terms, people of today, us.
     
  8. Abiyah

    Abiyah <img src =/abiyah.gif>

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    This is mainly mere speculation, which is not
    really kosher when it comes to the Bible, but
    I suspect that had the Savior continued the
    story, we would have found the son fully
    restored to his place as a son.

    However, he had squandered his inheritance.
    This is not speculation: a youngest son had no
    guaranteed inheritance; anything given to him
    was given as a gift. Although this was done
    plenty of times by those who had enough, the
    inheritance he had received was purely from
    the father's generosity, and the son knew it.
    There was nothing more he could expect.

    Back to speculation, the son would have been
    the son, all right, but forever indebted to his
    father and to the one who inherited the estate
    upon his death.

    Not speculation: the only way this could have
    changed would have been, once again, by the
    father's generosity at the expense of the
    elder son
    !

    An unanswered thought on the story: Did the
    son really learn his lesson? Tthat can only be
    left up to conjecture.

    But some have asked, "Was the father too easy
    on the son, thus enabling him to squander his
    inheritance and come to ruin?" My answer to
    that is that the Perfect Story-Teller tells perfect
    stories. Since the father represents our God,
    he did exactly what he needed to do to give
    the young man a chance to come his senses.
    What the young man did with his perfect oppor-
    tunity was up to him.
     
  9. donnA

    donnA Active Member

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    Abiyah,
    I see it as God giving us a chance to obey, with equal chance to disobey, letting us sink to our lowest and always standing ready and waiting to welcome us back in His faithfulness to us.
     
  10. Abiyah

    Abiyah <img src =/abiyah.gif>

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    I like that better.

    Signed
    --Recovering Arminian

    P.S. Arminian theology still gets in the way at
    times, but I am getting well! 8o)

    [ July 31, 2002, 10:27 PM: Message edited by: Abiyah ]
     
  11. Dr. Bob

    Dr. Bob Administrator
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    Remember a few salient facts -

    The prodigal son was still a son BEFORE he went into the world, while he was sinning his hardest, and when he returned. NOTHING to do with salvation (or losing it - hey, if ANYONE lost it, it would have been that bad boy)

    The prodigal was forgiven, feasted and declared a son. But no more reward. No money. No inheritance. There is a lesson on sowing-and-reaping that is still in effect for Christians.

    More to come.

    p.s. - What was the name of the calf that was killed for the celebration party?
     
  12. Son of Coffee Man

    Son of Coffee Man New Member

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    pastor Bob,

    Thanks for the three points....do you have a poem to go with it?

    8oP

    SoCM
     
  13. jdw274

    jdw274 Guest

    this was the last thing my dad taught on before he was killed in a wreck 3/17/2002
     
  14. David Cooke Jr

    David Cooke Jr New Member

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    Doesn't the ring on his finger signify that he has returned to his stature as heir?
     
  15. Abiyah

    Abiyah <img src =/abiyah.gif>

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    Hi, David!

    As far as I know, the ring meant only that he had
    full authority for the family business as a son,
    but he had already spent his inheritance. If he
    received anything more as an inheritance, it
    would have been at the expense of the other
    son, and this was not his right; however, such
    an inheritance was totally at the father's discre-
    tion.

    I like seeing your name; it helps me remember to
    pray.
     
  16. Bro. Curtis

    Bro. Curtis <img src =/curtis.gif>
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    OK, I give up!!! Please, take the suspense away, for I am staying awake looking for this answer!

    I can just picture the doctor, with his maniacal laughter, knowing we struggle with this question. I'll be this one really got that bow tie spinning.
     
  17. Baptist Believer

    Baptist Believer Well-Known Member
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    Tyrone, of course. :D
     
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