Everyone knows the story of the prodigal son. I've heard it countless times, and even those unacquainted with the Bible know a little something about a lost son who comes back home to a father with open arms. Recently, I've heard the story about 4 different times through a variety of avenues.
It wasn't until last night that something new clicked (although each retelling had something special that touched my heart).
So you know that part where the son asks for his inheritance? In those time to make such a request was to say that the father was dead to you. After all, it wasn't until after he passed that one would receive his/her reward. This part wasn't new to me. But then I read the final sentence of the story..
..the part after the son comes back with a repentant heart
..after the other son complains about his father's behavior
..the father says..
"We had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again..."
You catch it?
The father wasn't the dead one. The son was.
While the son tried to tell the father off, he couldn't. The father remains alive and well. By leaving the love of our Father, the only one who dies is us. Apart from Him, we can do nothing.
The story of victory is when we too come to realize that our only life comes through the father, and remaining in Him.
And that's pretty sweet. Chau.
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