“The young man felt so miserably hungry that he wished he could eat the slop the pigs were eating. Nobody gave him anything.” (Luke 15:16 ~Voice)
Most everyone is familiar with the ‘prodigal son’ story. In fact, the word “prodigal” has come to symbolize witless insolence. It’s a place where dissenters scoff at authority figures in their misplaced zeal to actualize juvenile fantasies. All prodigals have one thing in common; THEY REJECT CONVENTIONAL WISDOM. They are skeptical of anyone giving instructions to them. They read mischief in the intentions of those who attempt to guide them. They speak ill of their seniors, whether such are their parents, spiritual guides or employers. It never seems to matter to prodigals whether the authority figures they zealously resist are providers of their very basic sustenance.
I woke up today with one line of that passage of Scripture ringing in my heart “nobody gave to him”! Did you hear that? NOBODY GAVE to the prodigal son, N-O-B-O-D-Y!!! But the big question to ask here is, “Nobody gave him WHAT?” What was it that everybody was unable to give to the prodigal son? We’ll get to that, but first, let us lay some groundwork.
Contentious
Today, more than any other time in my past, people are very combative towards authority figures. It’s now common to find folks standing up to their parents, teachers, employers, priests, etc. with brazen discourtesy. The current generation is exceedingly abrasive in word and deed. Folks don’t seem to care any more about respect, order or decorum. Someone insults at his/her employer while asking for favors! A son or daughter badmouths their father or mother to demand favors! Parishioners disparage their ministers to push their own standpoints on issues.
In my experience, contentious Christians have the slowest growth rate in spiritual maturity. Where reverential submission lacks, growth stops! God cannot divinely make a success story of a fellow who demeans authority. No one can grow beyond their level of respect. Honoring authority tells God you are ready for promotion. For how can you rise to a position to receive the respect that you wouldn’t accord someone else? If you contemn your parents, your children will scoff at you. If you scorn your teachers, pastors, or other God appointed leaders, the evil seeds you sow will come back to you in an overflowing harvest.
Before David became king over Israel, his esteem for Saul was thoroughly tested. That’s just how it works. “Slaves, in reverent fear of God submit yourselves to your masters, not only to those who are good and considerate, but also to those who are harsh. For it is commendable if someone bears up under the pain of unjust suffering because they are conscious of God.” (1 Pet 2:18,19 ~NIV).
Making Up for Past Failures
The good news is that you can make up for past failures. Before we discuss that, let’s return to the prodigal son. It says “NOBODY GAVE to him.” At a time of his desperate need, nobody came to his aid. That’s because, nobody attached VALUE to him. Buddies vanished at the end of his money. With his purchasing power gone, he became useless to them.
Remember how he’d treated his father? When he got what he wanted from dad, he was done with him. The old man was of no value to him except to bestow monetary treasure. Eager to be in control of his own destiny, he deserted, so he wouldn’t have to submit to authority. Similarly, when he no longer had what his buddies wanted, they deserted him!
Where is Your Treasure?
The big lesson in this story is VALUE. “Wherever your treasure is, there your heart and thoughts will also be.” (Luke 12:34 ~TLB). The prodigal son’s heart was in fanfare, not family. When he got his share of inheritance, family and home didn’t matter to him anymore. When he ran out of money, he didn’t matter to others. Only one person still valued him; the very person he had wronged—his father! God’s love for sons, even immature sons, is unconditional!
The Day of Reckoning
Easily gotten loot runs out quickly. Always! So does pomposity and fair-weather-friends. Before he knew it, the young man’s flashy world came clashing down. He was now penniless, homeless, friendless and hungry. It was time to wake up to the reality of his situation. A Kiswahili axiom states, “asiyefunzwa na mamaye, hufunzwa na ulimwengu” (he who won’t learn from his mother will learn from the (hostile) world.”
“Finally, he came to his senses and said, “My father’s workers have plenty to eat, and here I am, starving to death! I will go to my father and say to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against God in heaven and against you. I am no longer good enough to be called your son. Treat me like one of your workers” (Luke 15:17-19 ~NLT). A place of lack is the place of surrender. Often! For the prodigal son, it was. That’s where he “came to his senses”, or as the KJV puts it, he “came to himself.” Until then, he was misplaced. Without a father, his life had no bearing. Pretending to be rich, he squandered the sweat of an old man’s long-term investment. Coming to his senses, he put aside showy masks and saw himself for who he truly was—poor, foolish, and lost. To locate himself, he had to first locate his father. “How many of my father’s servants have…while I die…?” The young man’s naughtiness had delinked him from the lifeline to his existence—his father!
What was he going to do now? While daddy still had the ability to provide for his sustenance, he couldn’t just show up and demand it. He’d severed the relationship that made it possible to enjoy his birthright. By sinning against his father, he had sinned against the God of heaven! To make amends, he had to address the root problem! “I will go and say to my father, …I have sinned… I am no longer worthy… please make me…”
You know how the story ends. [If it isn’t familiar, make an effort to read it]. What I’d have us see is how this prodigal regained his blessing. He first recognized his pathetic situation; “…here I die of hunger” (vrs 17). Secondly he acknowledged his role in the mess. “…I have sinned against God and against my father.” Finally, swallowing up his pride, he went home in rags, confessed his sins, and apologize to his father. He’d left home demanding, “Give me my rights!” He returned begging, “Make me as one of the servants.”
Remember I told you there’s an exemption to the rule of reaping evil harvests for bad seeds? There you have it; it’s called REPENTANCE! Go to the authority figures you insulted and seek their forgiveness. However, if you’ve not “come to yourself” but still prefer to rationalize or give excuses for your sins, this prescription is not for you. Just wait until you are ready! The pharaoh of Egypt waited an extra night with frogs while he made up his mind.
“Before destruction the heart of man is haughty, and before honour is humility.” Prov 18:12