The Parable of the Prodigal Son

Luke 15:11-32

 It’s not that I am without sin but I am one of those justice-oriented people and I sided with the older son who stayed loyal to the father and never strayed.  From this physical world perspective, I understood his disappointment with the father who would make a big deal over his dead-beat brother when the older son remained loyal and worked his father’s land.  I sided with the loyal son because I have for the most part been a “good” person.  I never did illegal drugs, I rarely ever drank to the point of inebriation, never been arrested, never stole, never cheated on my wife or any girlfriends for that matter.  I am the kind of guy who helped the old ladies across the street and opened doors for women.  By this “world’s” standards, I was a pretty good guy. Unfortunately, I also judged other men who acquiesced to this world’s temptations. So yes, I understood the sentiments of the loyal son and I also sinned with a self-righteous heart.  

From the spiritual perspective I have come to understand Jesus’ message for the older son is that if you have done your best to remain in a relationship with God, then you already have everything you need.  

But are there other lessons to this parable?

Up until now, these were the only lessons I perceived from this parable.  But I recently found another one.  What happens if you are the father in this story?  What happens if you have an adult son or daughter who stray from their upbringing?    What do you do if they choose to stray and become addicted to alcohol and/or drugs?  What if they choose a life of crime and become repeat offenders?  

What do you do if they are actually “good” citizens of society, they obey the laws, have good careers, are productive citizens and yet; they choose to embrace this physical world, turn their back on God, and reject your teachings to honor Him?  What if they choose pro-choice over pro-life, political correctness over truth, or they pursue fame and fortune in lieu of God’s presence?  What do we do as parents when a grown child pursues a life antithetical to the upbringing you worked so hard to afford them?   

In the parable of the prodigal son, there is no mention of the father doing anything to help his wayward adult son other than to rejoice when he returns.  He doesn’t run after him, he doesn’t drag him to church, he does not try to bribe him, he actually allows his son to follow his free will just as God does with us.

Perhaps this parable has nothing to do from a parent’s perspective but I think it does.  We love our children no matter what.  We might not love or approve of the choices they make in life; we might even be ashamed of the things that they do.  But we always love them just like the father of the prodigal son, just like God does with us. 

 I have seen countless parents chase after their wayward adult children.  They promise them money or other rewards if they change their ways.  They pay for expensive rehabs most parents can’t afford.  I know of a family where a father refused to use anymore hard-earned family resources towards helping his grown son’s issues because it was taking away from the needs of the younger children. The distraught mother desperate to help her son, used a fundraising platform to raise tens of thousands of dollars to place her son in a private facility. The non-refundable money had to be paid up front before her son would be admitted into the 6-month program. It took the reluctant son only 2 weeks to figure out the only way out of the institution was violence. So he threw a chair at a counselor, he won his release and the donated funds were forfeited.

 Sometimes exasperated parents just give up. Who could blame them because you can’t help a grown adult who doesn’t want to help themselves.  That’s the key in many cases, sometimes they have to hit rock bottom before they see the “light”.

But giving up is not the answer either.  God never gives up on us so what are we to do as parents of wayward children?  I think I received the answer in an unrelated Bible teaching from Pastor Paul LeBoutillier.  He said, “when your children are grown adults you are left with only one parenting tool, and that is to hit your knees.”  

Perhaps the father of the prodigal son knew that there was nothing he could do to change his son’s heart.  He rightfully knew that only God can change hearts and He also knew that he had to trust in Him.  An absolute trust whereby he prayed that God would change his son’s heart without interfering by chasing after his son.  

How many times do we pray for something and get impatient and try to help God move it along?  How many times has God patiently waited for us to step aside and totally trust Him?  That’s why I think the father rejoiced and celebrated with such passion and zeal. It was not merely that his son returned home, it was because God answered his prayer.  

Only parents know the pain of a wayward adult child. Whether it be drugs, alcohol, sexual deviance, criminal behavior, mental illness or worse, a disbelief in God completely; it grieves our hearts and our souls.

Feel free to ask for prayers for your wayward children and/or share stories of how your prayers were answered.

Your comments are welcome – please review House Rules. 
To protect your anonymity use a pseudo name.
Your email will not be seen, but a fake email is ok too.