Family Matters
for this son of mine was dead, and lived again, and was lost, and was found Luke 15:24
This Son of Mine – What’s the point of the parable of the prodigal son? Did you think that the story was about the son’s folly? Was it about the jealous indignation of the brother? Was it about the father’s forgiveness? All of these things appear in the parable, but perhaps there is something deeper in this little story; something that we all need to grasp.
F. F. Bruce makes this comment about the parable: “God does not put repentant sinners on probation to see how they will turn out.” That’s the point of the parable. The story is about the character of the Father. All the other actors are just bit-players in the real drama.
Luke uses the expression outos ho huios mou. Literally, “this the son of me.” This particular son (notice the definite article “the”) was dead, but now he is alive. “This son is still my son,” says the father, “brought back from the dead. He is my son in all respects. He was my son when he was dead and he is my son now that he is alive again. As far as I am concerned, his family relationship has not changed.”
I can’t quite grasp that kind of fatherhood. I am much more inclined to view those who have rebelled and disobeyed and disappointed as “conditionally” accepted. My welcome is usually restrained by “let’s see if things change.” I don’t know if I can handle forgiveness without probation. I’m not sure I could run to embrace, give out my best and restore without hesitation. I’m likely to expect some penance.
God forgive me! Until I see that the Father treats me like the prodigal, I am hopelessly lost in the disastrous system of earning my way to grace. And as long as I think I am not the prodigal, I will never treat anyone else the way the Father wants to treat me. I cannot forgive lavishly unless I have been forgiven lavishly. My problem is accepting the unrestrained forgiveness of God. I don’t consider myself His particular son. I am not worthy (that is true), but I fail to see that He doesn’t care about my worthiness. He cares only about my being His son. When I put others on probation, I pass my unworthiness on to them. That is not God’s perspective. Jesus died to remove my unworthiness. God’s Son redeemed this particular son.
Can I forgive as the Father forgives? Not without a complete change of mind. Left to myself, probation creeps into every forgiving occasion. That’s when I must be reminded that “this the son of me” is God’s point of view.
