April 3: Celebrating Another's Fuller Life

Luke 15-16

The Parables of the Lost Sheep and Lost Coin

The Parable of the Prodigal Son

The Parable of the Shrewd Manager

Jesus Tells about the Rich Man and Lazarus

Luke 17:1-19

Jesus Teaches about Forgiveness and Faith

The Parable of the Prodigal Son is one of the more well known stories in Scripture. “The prodigal has returned home” is as recognizable as other often used phrases that find their meaning and beginnings in the Bible (“giant killer” would be another such phrase).

But the Parable isn’t just about the lost son who was found or even about the father who loving received his son back who was assumed dead. Jesus tells us as he introduces the story that it is about the father and his two sons. Of course, the younger son is the main character throughout the first part of the story. Here’s an observation about the prodigal:

He underestimated his father’s love.

While feeding pigs and longing for the slop they ate, he came to his senses – realizing that living life as his father’s servant was better than his current state. He even rehearsed the speech he would give when he returned home: “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.” (Luke 15:18b-19)

But his father never gave him the chance to finish that speech. Before he could even ask to be received as a hired servant, the prodigal was immediately restored to his position as son. The robe, the ring, the sandals, the fattened calf, the party – it was all because the father, “filled with compassion” (verse 20), loved his son despite the hurt he no doubt had caused.

But the last eight verses of this story deal specifically with the older brother, who doesn’t share in his father’s love of and forgiveness for his younger brother. He seems to be jealous of the attention his brother is getting and resentful towards his father for celebrating the prodigal’s return: “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.” (verse 29)

Jesus offered this parable along with the two previous parables of Luke 15 (the Lost Sheep and the Lost Coin) in response to the Pharisees’ criticism of his eating and communing with sinners. But allow me to apply a principle of this story to the discussion of the 40 Days to a Fuller Life. Part of the FULLER LIFE is the privilege we have of celebrating with others when the Lord blesses them. God’s resources are limitless, and his giving to one of his own does not hinder him from blessing others. There is no room in God’s kingdom for jealousy and resentfulness.