There was a man who had two sons.
1.Younger
son : The younger one said to his father,
”Father, give me my share of the estate.”
So
he (the father) divided his property between
them (two sons).
Not
long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant
country and there squandered his wealth in
wild living. After
he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and
he began to be in need. So
he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him to his
fields to feed pigs. He longed to fill his stomach with
the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything.
When
he came to his senses, he said, “How many of my father’s hired servants have
food to spare, and here I am starving to death! I
will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against
heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be
called your son; make me like one of your hired servants.”
So
he got up and went to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his
father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw
his arms around him and kissed him. The son said to him,
“Father,
I have sinned against heaven and against you. I
am no longer worthy to be called your son.”
But
the father said to his servants, “Quick! Bring the best robe and
put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and
sandals on his feet. Bring
the fattened calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate. For
this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he
was lost and is found.”
So
they began to celebrate. (Luke 15: 11-24) This parable was told by Jesus.
2.
Meanwhile, the older son was in the field. When he came near the house, he
heard music and dancing. So he called one of the
servants and asked him what was going on.
“‘Your
brother has come,” he replied, “and your father has killed the fattened calf
because he has him back safe and sound.”
The
older brother became angry and
refused to go in. So his father went out and pleaded with him. But
he answered his father,
“Look!
All these years I’ve been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders. Yet
you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends. But
when this son of yours who has squandered your property with
prostitutes comes
home, you kill the fattened calf for him!”
“My
son,” the father said, “you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. But
we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is
alive again; he was lost and is found.” (Luke 15: 25-32)
In
the first place, the younger son is the picture of a lost child or non-Christian.
God created us to be with Him. But sin makes man living far away from God and
life without God is miserable. In the second place, the younger son is the
picture of a lost or backsliding Christian, lost in sin but returned to God by
realizing the grave condition and consequences of sin. When one realized the
difficulties of life without God and return to Him, God is very please and
bless the him/her abundantly.
The
second or elder brother is a carnal Christian. He is living in Christian society
with the church. But he is lost in understanding that He is the child of God.
He did not recognize that his father God is with him, helping him and
everything his father God has belongs to him. Therefore, he can not live in
peace and his spiritual life is not growing because of his ignorance. He body
is at home but his spirit is lost and is farther away than his younger brother.
So, he could not realize his grave condition; he did not know that he is lost.
Write
‘Amen’ if you turn to God for His forgiveness and blessing. God bless you.
