Wednesday, May 22, 2013

Are you a Prodigal No More?


 ”For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found. And they began to be merry.” – Luke 15:24

In the fifteenth chapter of the Gospel as recorded by St. Luke, we find the parable of the prodigal son.  This parable within a parable is one of my favorite passages of scripture in all of the Word of God, because is so rightly encapsulates the entire plan of salvation.
The parable of the prodigal son tells of a boy who received a certain sum of money from his wealthy father.  Upon the receiving of the money he went into a “far country” to spend his cash on whatever pleased him.  He soon was broke and hungry, and then sought employment feeding pigs.  He was so hungry and improvised that he “fain to fill himself with husk that the swine did eat.”  I can just picture this young man dropping to his knees and staring into the trough, his belly contracted to his backbone from lack of sustenance, and his body, bony and battered from lack of nutrients, and hard living.  There while staring into the slop the thought finally comes to him “how many of my father’s servants have bread enough to eat and I parish with hunger?”  The scriptures say that he “came to himself” he realized that his own pride was all that was holding him in this life of sin and poverty, and quickly arose turning his back on his riotous living and hasting towards fathers house.  Finally, the parable concludes with the warm reception of the lost boy back into his father’s house, thereby the implied forgiveness of his past transgressions, and the witness of reconciliation from the father by these simple words: “ for this my son was dead and is alive again and was lost but now is found.” 
            If you read your Bibles carefully you will find that this much is certain.  If we, as men and women, expect to find a warm reception into the kingdom of heaven we must: 1) recognize our lost condition, subsequently turn our backs on all our wicked ways and walk towards father’s house.  2) After the Father forgives us for sinning against heaven and in his sight we must then accept the free gift of being restored to the status of being called His son.  This restoration comes not by wealth or merit, but by the grace of God, and through the blood Christ.  The boy came back hoping for forgiveness and longing to be only a servant; the father forgave all past transgressions and restored him back to his fallen estate calling him “son”.  “My son”, furthermore he killed the best calf, and put a ring on his hand (most likely the signet ring, which was in that day a symbol of authority over all that fell under what it signifies i.e. the fathers estate.  In essence, the wearer of the signet ring owned what the giver of the ring owned.); moreover he called the whole company to rejoice that his “son” was alive again and found. 
           The prodigal son is an allegory to the path our soul must trod if we to find fellowship with the Father.  If you are hungry and famished, if the effects of living how you want to live have taken its toll on your soul; then arise, turn your back on your way and walk towards God.  He will forgive, and moreover, he will give you the gift of the Spirit of adoption this signifying that you are a child of a king (Romans 8:15).  You must but forsake your sins, self, anything else, and believe he has forgiven, for he will forgive (1 John 1:9).  You must then call upon Jesus to send the Holy Ghost in his name.  This Holy Ghost will testify of Christ and come and dwell in your life; let him (Jesus) be the captain of your soul.  Then accept the gift of reconciliation, by faith knowing the work is done.  Be a Prodigal no more.

Any: Questions, Comments, Thoughts?  I can be reached at pgcollins65@gmail.com  

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