Today when I was reading the parable of the prodigal son(Luke 15),I was motivated to share wat I'v learnt from this parable.Hope you all understand this.May god bless u!
LUKE 15;11-31"Jesus continued: "There was a man who had two sons.The younger one said to his father, 'Father, give me my share of the estate.' So he divided his property between them......." http://bit.ly/c1Qb4U
This parable is one of the most famous parables told by Jesus.I guess most of you would have read or heard this parable many a times.
When we go through this parable,we can imagine a scene of a family,wer d younger son 'wants'his share of the property,n after having it leaves his place to live life at 'its fullest'!
When I read through this passage,I pictured myself first as the son,'who wants his share' n JESUS,as d Father 'who gives his son the share'.
# So,I went up to the father(JESUS)AND ASKED FOR MY SHARE OF BLESSINGS-My life,my parents,my friends,my job,my spouse,my children,my health,my relatives,my status,my income.........n everything I could ask HIM.I wanted MY SHARE.And being my loving father HE gave me MY SHARE..ie,My life,my parents,my friends,my job,my spouse,my children,my health,my relatives,my status,my income.........n everything.
But wat happened then was a little hardening of my heart;when I got,what I asked for;I forgot about my father and 'set off for a distant country'
ie,I got everything I asked from my father n then left him n went far from him.Just because I thought I have everything in life,n I don't need my father for anything else!
In other words I was trying to find satisfaction in life. I was trying to find love, joy, and peace.Like the young man, I yearned for a feeling of well-being, peace, security, fun, and happiness. Also like him, I pursued after them, attempting to produce them in virtually every way except the Father's way.
But alas,one day it finished.All my attempts to find happiness came to an end.I spent everything I had;ie,the things I had were limited,they wer not everlasting!
I,like him, experienced the same empty, hollow, something-is-missing feelings.
Some may remember a popular song of a few decades ago sung by Peggy Lee titled "Is That All There Is?" The lyrics dealt with this very subject. The singer recounts having tried so many supposedly exciting and fulfilling things in life yet having found no lasting satisfaction in any of them. Following each experience, she concludes by asking the question, "Is that all there is?" The song clearly expresses that such a life is not truly fulfilling.
The far country symbolizes forgetfulness of God (Deuteronomy 8:11, 14, 19), the condition Paul describes as "alienated from the life of God" (Ephesians 4:17-19). All the dissatisfied young man wants to do is to satisfy his senses and desires. After disillusionment, destitution, and degradation, the prodigal, feeling no longer worthy to be called a son, decides to ask his father to make him one of his servants.
The far country is the place people go to remove themselves as far from God the Father as possible. It represents the world, the place where evil flourishes, where it is the norm, popular, and acceptable. In it, the perversions of society—lying, adultery, abortion, homosexuality, and many others—are tolerated and even celebrated (I John 2:15-17).
The far country signifies the abode of the ungodly, those with whom the prodigal son feels most comfortable. The righteous cause him discomfort because he cannot drink, smoke, cuss, or tell dirty jokes when he is with them. The godly stifle him because he feels pressured to produce the fruit of self-control. The far country is the state of mind that is enmity toward God (Romans 8:7).
So wen it was all over,I came to my senses,(verse 17).That means formerly I was not in my sense,but wen the need arises,I remembered my father.But till now I was so much full of guilt n shame that 'I thought',Iam not worthy to be called HIS son,I'll be like one of HIS hired men.
BUT when I was still a long way off,I saw that whatever I had conceived in my mind were of no use.Cz when I saw,my father saw me and was filled with compassion for me; he ran to me, threw his arms around me and kissed me.!!!!!!!!
Dear friends,this is the best part of the parable,whatever I had planned ;to give a big speech in front of my father,to cry,to fall at his feet n beg,to ask him to make me my servant,all were a waste!cz when I was far way off home,my father came running,with his arms open!
Oh!I cant ever measure the love with which he was looking at me!Oh!I cant wonder,How much he must have waited for me,days after days,years after years looking through the door,waiting for me to come home,waiting to hug me,waiting to hear me call him 'ABBA FATHER'!
And then he hugged me,kissed me,dressed me up in the best robe,'the robe of righteousness',discarding the previous robe which i had,the robe full of dirt n filth of this world.
Put a ring on my finger which shows the authority I got from him,n sandals on my feet,so that my feets dont get dirty in the sin again!!!
And then he gave a feast to show me off to others!He made me a testimony for HIM!
'For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found'!!!!
Friends,I hope that I have succeeded in what i wanted to explain to you.If we understand the happiness of our father then only we can value the salvation which we have received!
Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses,let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.Hebrews 12:1
GOD BLESS U ALL!Feel free to contact me for any feedback or queries.
cutecrush2003@yahoo.com
