I am always amazed at how much you can glean from a parable. I have read the parable of the prodigal son so many times and each time you can pick up a different meaning and react to it in a different way. You can look from the perspective of the father, the prodigal son and the son who stayed at home and you can even change your opinion over time about how you feel concerning each individual in the story.
One thing that came to me today was how the other son was refused the fattened calf when he asked to have it so that he could have a celebration with his friends. The father was keeping the fatted calf for the return of his other son and would have been looking out for him every day anxious about him and praying for his return. Now thinking about this stay at home son and about this fact that we are given, could it be that although he did his duty as asked, didn’t complain and caused no issues, he bore no love for his father or his brother. His life was about duty, expectation, working so that he would inherit his share rather than thinking about his sibling and his relationship with his father. When he hears that his brother has returned and how happy his father is and how he demonstrates that, he reacts with anger that his brother is back and treated that well. He isn’t relieved and doesn’t care how happy his father is, he just relates everything back to himself, his hard work and how he feels bitter about it.
We can be like that – doing what we think is our duty, but not really engaging our hearts in the work we do. We tick boxes and think that we are doing well and should be rewarded when really there is no love there for God or for others. It is easy to slip into this busy kind of life and put our feelings to one side.
I do this and it isn’t easy to change. I want to do well but need to work on making sure that any kindness I perform is done solely in an unselfish way, with thought for the person I am doing it for rather than improving myself through doing good works. Jesus asks to do these good works in his name and with love for others, as action without love is empty.
One of my favourite quotes from the Bible:
1 Corinthians 13 1
If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing. Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is notproud.
God bless
Widows Mote 