Prodigal - 1. recklessly extravagant 2. having spent everything
After reading the book "The Prodigal God" by Timothy Keller, I had a desire to share a heartfelt story about a true older brother and who is our true older brother, which was mentioned in the book.
“The Two Lost Sons” Luke 15:11-32
15:11 And he said, A certain man had two sons:15:12 And the younger of them said to his father, Father, give me the portion of goods that falleth to me. And he divided unto them his living.15:13 And not many days after the younger son gathered all together, and took his journey into a far country, and there wasted his substance with riotous living.15:14 And when he had spent all, there arose a mighty famine in that land; and he began to be in want.15:15 And he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country; and he sent him into his fields to feed swine.15:16 And he would fain have filled his belly with the husks that the swine did eat: and no man gave unto him.15:17 And when he came to himself, he said, How many hired servants of my father's have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger!15:18 I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before thee,15:19 And am no more worthy to be called thy son: make me as one of thy hired servants.15:20 And he arose, and came to his father. But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him.15:21 And the son said unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in thy sight, and am no more worthy to be called thy son.15:22 But the father said to his servants, Bring forth the best robe, and put it on him; and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet:15:23 And bring hither the fatted calf, and kill it; and let us eat, and be merry:15:24 For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found. And they began to be merry.15:25 Now his elder son was in the field: and as he came and drew nigh to the house, he heard musick and dancing.15:26 And he called one of the servants, and asked what these things meant.15:27 And he said unto him, Thy brother is come; and thy father hath killed the fatted calf, because he hath received him safe and sound.15:28 And he was angry, and would not go in: therefore came his father out, and intreated him.15:29 And he answering said to his father, Lo, these many years do I serve thee, neither transgressed I at any time thy commandment: and yet thou never gavest me a kid, that I might make merry with my friends:15:30 But as soon as this thy son was come, which hath devoured thy living with harlots, thou hast killed for him the fatted calf.15:31 And he said unto him, Son, thou art ever with me, and all that I have is thine.15:32 It was meet that we should make merry, and be glad: for this thy brother was dead, and is alive again; and was lost, and is found.
Account of a true older brother during the Vietnam War…
Edmund Clowney recounts the true story of a young man who was a U.S. soldier missing in action during the Vietnam War. When the family could get no word of him through any official channel, the older son flew to Vietnam and, risking is life, searched the jungles and the battlefields for his lost brother. It’s said that despite the danger, he was never hurt, because those on both sides had heard of his dedication and respected his quest. Some of them called him, simply, “the brother.”
We need a true older brother…
Forgiveness is free and unconditional to the perpetrator, but it is costly to the one forgiving. If the wrongdoer has to do something to merit it, then it isn’t mercy, but forgiveness always comes at a cost to the one granting the forgiveness. Jesus leaves out of the parable a true older brother to give us a yearning for a true older brother. But we do have a true older Brother. Our true older Brother paid our debt, on the cross, in our place. Our true older Brother is the Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ, who had all the power in the world, saw us enslaved by the very things we thought would free us. So He emptied Himself of His glory and became a servant. He laid aside the infinities and immensities of His being and, at the cost of His life, paid the debt for our sins, purchasing us the only place our hearts can rest, in His Father’s house.
We are always traveling but never arriving…
That is, we have been living in a world that no longer fits our deepest longings. We may work hard to re-create the home that we have lost, but, says the Bible, it only exists in the presence of the heavenly Father from which we have fled. The message of the Bible is that the human race is a band of exiles trying to come home. This world, as it now exists, is not the home we long for. Jesus took upon Himself the full curse of human rebellion, cosmic homelessness, so that we could be welcomed into our true home. The Father wants you to come home.
For the wages of sin [is] death; but the gift of God [is] eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Romans 6:23
That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.
Romans 10:9
You can find the book in the Tip of the Tongue Theology Bookstore under "Classics, Reformed, etc" or "Theology on Kindle"
