What I mean by this is, I don't want to hear the story told to me, again, in a laymens terms, but rather I want to hear the underlining meaning of the parable.
Or should I say, what do YOU believe Jesus was trying to teach when he told this story?
((Note:: There are no wrong answers. I just want to hear the differences in opinions))
2007-03-20 07:44:22 · 19 answers · asked by Anonymous in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
Jesus was showing how God is a forgiving father.
God always rejoices when his loyal servants repent and turn aside from their bad ways and return to him. He is happy to have those that have never left him, but he is overjoyed when the ones who have left, realized what they did and came back.
In Jesus' parable of the prodigal son, when the son returned home and offered a heartfelt apology, the father was more than ready to receive him back into the household. (Luke 15:17-24) Yes, a person should never be too proud to swallow his pride, apologize, and seek forgiveness.
2007-03-20 07:48:43 · answer #1 · answered by ♥LadyC♥ 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
The Ancient Middle East was (and still is) a very communal society. So when a son asked for his inheritance early (couldn't even wait for his dad to pass), and then went wasted what his entire family had worked for generations to build, the son was a cast-off, not to be accepted again by the family, nor the community as a whole. He had shamed the family, and relinquished his place.
This is not all the uncommon a story in the Ancient Middle East. What is uncommon about the parable is that after the son shamed the family by squandering a genration of hard work (on hookers, no less!), that the father chose to take on the shame of the son, after his son came back. By running to the son, hugging him, throwing a party, and re-instating him to the family, the father incurred the shame of the community that had once been directed to his son.
Because a parable is an earthly story designed to illustrate a deeper spiritual truth, I take this story to mean that the Father is willing to forgive me, even though I ignored him for a good part of my life and "wasted" the blessings that were mine as his child. While the rest of "community" see the Father as week for taking back a wayward child, the Father is just happy another of His children has returned home.
2007-03-20 07:55:29 · answer #2 · answered by dansweaza 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Who is the prodigal? The story appears in Luke after two short parables about a lost coin and a lost lamb. In both cases, when that which was lost, was found, a celebration was had. The crowd still didn't get it - so Jesus related the story -
Father - God
Young son - the lost who return
Older son - the religious leaders of Jesus' day
The young son has been found again, he is no longer wayward. But the older son, he is angry - he is at odds with his Father, and he is the real prodigal in the story.
An underlying truth often missed is that we are not to judge anyone. The older brother sulked, even refusing to go in to see his brother - even refusing to refer to him as a brother.
Each individual has a relationship of some sort with God. It is not our place to judge that relationship in others, it is ours to work out OUR relationship daily.
2007-03-20 08:28:11 · answer #3 · answered by awayforabit 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
i believe that the story was to illuminate the idea of grace. The prodigal son obviously (according to the parable) did not "deserve" a party in his honor with respect to how he conducted his life. However, the "father" said "it is right" (or something like that) that we do this. moral of the story to me: it is not for us to decide who is worthy of gods grace - he has already decided - and everybody is worthy that seeks it - regardless of how they live their life. as a side - i love the way the "pious" son is portrayed (self righteous......) i think a lot of people end up acting like that - as if they deserve god's grace more than others...........
2007-03-20 08:05:19 · answer #4 · answered by outside 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The moral is that no matter how far out into sin, no matter how degenerate our lives have become, God can renew make us whole (spiritually) again.
There is also a moral in the Prodigal son's brother. He, like many Christians, do not accept that others can be saved (say on their deathbed) and can become disgruntled, or as my preacher once said, "mad at grace". They become disgruntled when they themselves have remained faithful to God, but others who have not, return, and receive the same blessings. Not all Christians have this unholy attitude, but I have heard it expressed in church.
2007-03-20 07:52:43 · answer #5 · answered by Prof Fruitcake 6 · 3⤊ 0⤋
In short, we all sin (Romans 3:23) and stray away from our Father (God) but it's never too late to ask Him for forgiveness (1 John 1:9), and when we do He rejoices that we've returned home to Him (Luke 15:10).
2007-03-20 07:53:30 · answer #6 · answered by attacksheep74 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Doesn't matter what I believe.What the object lesson is in that parable is simply that as a Christian one should do their duty without expecting special dispensations from God as well as not putting others on a lower spiritual rung on the ladder because they backslide in life.Rejoice over a penitent soul,and let God deal with his or her transgressions.
2007-03-20 07:54:42 · answer #7 · answered by kitz 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I believe in this parable God is showing His love, His grace, His mercy, even though the son wished the father dead he still loved him, and when he returned he actually ran to meet him, such was the joy over one repentant sinner.
JB
2007-03-20 07:51:51 · answer #8 · answered by J B 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
There are two purposes to the story. The first is to show that no matter how far we stray from God, no matter what sin we choose, when we return, He will welcome us with open arms.
The second message, and the one more often overlooked, is a rebuke to those of us who are unwilling to reach out to those who have been lost, have wandered away from God, but now repent.
2007-03-20 08:01:32 · answer #9 · answered by cmw 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Good. Since it shows your keenness to see the different, I must tell you of my surprise to read a book written to say the devil could be Jesus' naughty brother. This parable is to inform his disciples about this. Say, why should the devil be kept to wrack the world until now? Why should he know about his eventual defeat and yet he keeps struggling or fighting against God?
2007-03-20 07:51:27 · answer #10 · answered by Ptuan 3 · 1⤊ 1⤋