Read Luke 15:11-32.
Here is a story of a bad son turned good and a good son who was truly bad. The former is more familiar, but the latter is also vital. It is a study in contrasts—the prodigal whose sin was overt and the prideful whose sin was covert.
This week we have discussed how important it is in bringing up children that we aim beyond the surface conduct to the sinful core—that the heart of the problem is the problem of the heart. This story illustrates that reality.
If I asked you, “Which of these sons were wicked,” you might respond, “the younger son,” because his sinful actions are clearly seen. Yet, the elder brother was just as wicked—he merely masked it with self-righteousness. That is not to say that conduct is not important. It is just to remind us that if the heart is reached then the conduct will follow. External compliance alone may not lead to the pigpen, but it will lead to hell.
The father in the story was not a “helicopter parent.” You know the type—always hovering over the kids to rescue them from difficulty. There are lessons learned from mistakes that cannot be learned otherwise. It was the pain that turned the prodigal into the penitent. He was the son who experienced new life. Sadly, the other son did not want to come into the father’s house and missed out.
The father in the story represents God, of course. Despite being the only perfect Parent, his sons were rebels—though of a different sort. The reality is that no matter how we lovingly lead, there comes a time when children choose. Yet, a faithful parent never stops praying, hoping, and watching for that prodigal to come home. They also have an open invitation for the prideful to enter in as well!
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