OPINION —
The story of the prodigal son may be the greatest of all the stories Jesus told. At first reading, it would seem the main point of the story is the extravagant love of the father for his wayward son. However, in his book “The Abiding Companion,” Michael McElroy suggests Jesus has a different objective in telling the story.
McElroy says the primary focus of Jesus is the attitude of the Pharisees: “The Pharisees were the targets of the story, and the older son’s actions and attitudes mirrored theirs toward sinners and Jesus who accepted them. The older brother represents the Pharisees whose duty to God was cold and loveless. They were distanced from their ‘sinner’ brothers, but they were also far from the loving Father. They thought service earned something, that God owed them for obedience. They failed to see what they wanted for their service was theirs to receive as sons. But that would relate them to the brothers who received it by grace, and they could not stand that. They saw their brothers’ sin but denied their own. They resented God’s grace that invites and celebrates our repentance.”
Most of us can identify with the prodigal. As McElroy said, “Every sinner who knows he’s a sinner can see himself in the prodigal form.”
The great contrast in the story is the self-righteous attitude of the Pharisees as compared to the repentant and humble attitude of the prodigal.
The story begins with the arrogant, entitled attitude of the younger son. His demand for his inheritance was the equivalent of wishing his father was dead. He was the epitome of self-centeredness. Family loyalty had long since disappeared from his playbook. With his inheritance in hand, he soon wasted it all living wild in a distant country.
Now destitute, the only job he could find was feeding pigs, a job quite degrading for a Jewish man. He was soon starving, wishing he could eat what the pigs were eating, “but no one gave him anything” (Luke 15:16). Finally desperation overcomes his pride. He has an attitude adjustment.
Jesus describes the change this way: “When he finally came to his senses, he said to himself, ‘At home even the hired servants have food enough to spare, and here I am dying of hunger. I will go home to my father and say, Father, I have sinned against both heaven and you, and I am no longer worthy of being called your son. Please take me on as a hired servant.’ So he returned home to his father” (15:17-20).
Now, Jesus reveals the extravagant love of the father: “And while he was still a long way off, his father saw him coming. Filled with love and compassion, he ran to his son, embraced him and kissed him. His son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against both heaven and you, and I am no longer worthy of being called your son.’ But his father said to the servants, ‘Quick. Bring the finest robe in the house and put it on him. Get a ring for his finger and sandals for his feet. And kill the calf we have been fattening. We must celebrate with a feast, for this son of mine was dead and has now returned to life. He was lost, but now he is found.’ So the party began” (15:20-24).
The attitude of the prodigal has changed dramatically. He admits he has sinned against God as well as his father. His entitled attitude is gone. He believes he deserves nothing more than to be a hired servant. His only hope is that his father will have mercy on him.
The Father’s love is more awesome than anything the son could have imagined. The father calls for a feast to celebrate his son’s return. His son had done more than repent and come home.
The words of Jesus are astounding: “This son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.” That expression of love initiated a celebration.
But not everyone joined in the celebration. The older son was so angry he refused his father’s plea to join the celebration. Here then we see, in the older brother’s attitude, what McElroy says is Jesus’ main focus of the story: the self-righteous attitude of the Pharisees. Wisely, I believe, McElroy offers a different conclusion for this familiar story.
He invites us to dry the tears we have shed for the wasteful, rebellious son and “rejoice in the Father’s willingness to receive us when we return to our senses and come home from the far country. But let’s keep the poisonous plant of self-righteousness from taking root in our hearts. Its ugly fruit is judging our brothers, despising grace and distancing ourselves from the Father’s love.”
The words of John come to mind: “How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God. And that is what we are.” (1 John 3:1).
O Yes, how great the love of our Father for his children, including the wayward ones.
