A Different Look at the Prodigal

It seems fitting today that I share some wonderful insight into the parable of the Prodigal Son that was gleaned from the GES conference. The speaker, Jody Dillow, caused us to look at this section of Scripture from the viewpoint of Middle Eastern culture.

Rather than focus on either of the sons, which is what is normally done, we began to look more closely at the father in the parable. By putting this parable into context with "The Lost Sheep" and "The Lost Coin", which occur in verses 1-10 of Luke 15, the emphasis then centers on the price of finding and restoring. What price did the father pay?

When the younger son asked for his inheritance prematurely, in the culture of that day a father would have been expected to refuse the request and perhaps drive him out of the home. This father, however, grants the request, but at great cost to his own personal wealth. He would have had to sell much of his holdings in order to give the son his due. This was the first instance in which he went against tradition and showed his love for his son.

At this point in the lecture we were told about a Middle Eastern ceremony called the "qetsatsah" in which punishment was meted out to any Jewish boy who squandered his money with Gentiles. In this case, if the boy dared to return to his home, he would be met by the villagers who would break an earthenware jar in his presence, and shun him from any association with his people. Consider this as the boy is forced to return home in hunger and humiliation, knowing he will face the villagers' scorn and shame.

But what does the father do? He goes out of the village to meet his son, receiving him in love and reconciliation before the rest of the community can object. Once again he has broken the mold of Middle Eastern patriarchy and opened his heart to his boy. "As the father comes down and out to reconcile his son, he becomes a symbol of God in Christ. Father, a symbol for God, ever so quietly evolves into a symbol for Jesus." The father shows unspeakable grace toward an erring son. Not only that, his grace extends to the older son by his understanding acceptance of the son's wrath and responds to him with an equal measure of love given to the younger.

What a remarkable father! His love for his sons far outweighed his standing the community. He was wise enough to deal with both sons' behaviors and needs. Who among us is not grateful for a heavenly Father who will treat us as graciously as this father treated his sons?