The Prodigal—Not the Parent

Still reflecting on the Parable of the Prodigal Son from Luke 15. How often present day parents of prodigals read this passage and project their feelings and emotions onto the father. The tendency to relate to the father is overwhelming because of the pain of a wandering child. As a pastor I always want to comfort these parents and, where possible, offer as much hope as I can.

However, we must be careful not to miss the point of the parable. This is not a parable about hurting moms and dads. No this trilogy of parables, including the lost sheep and lost coin, is a mural of salvation. If we are to project ourselves into this parable it can never be as the loving, persevering parent who longs for the child to come home. Rather, we are all the prodigal, everyone of us. Until we see ourselves in that light we will never begin to grasp just how ginormous grace is.

We are the lost sheep, the lost coin, the lost son. As we come to the end of ourselves, repent and return to our loving Father we experience His grace, His mercy, His pardon, His eternal life, His certain salvation.

“Oh, to grace how great a debtor,
Daily I’m constrained to be!
Let Thy goodness, like a fetter,
Bind my wandering heart to Thee.”