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BlogHere are the thoughts and news of the people in our community. Leave a comment as you wish. If you want to join the blogging ask Mark.
Monday, September 19, 2005The Parable of the Lost Son  [enjoy learning more about the painting here] I preached last week on the parable of the lost son. I have to confess that i thoroughly enjoyed it! I enjoyed what I learnt, and enjoyed delivering it. I wonder if that is ok?!?! I noted at the start that naming a parable is a bad start. It somehow pre-empts what youa re about to here, let's you in on the surprising emphasis, a bit like naming a, Agatha Christie novel "a story of the butler hiding in the dining room with a knife", not a great start! Worse than giving away the story [and this is normally the case], many parable titles actually mislead you, make you think you know what you are reading and therefore miss completely the surprise elements. Clearly this particular parable is more commonly know as "the parable of the prodigal son". I realised though that I did not know what 'prodigal' meant! Fortunately none int e congregation di either, so I didn't feel too stupid. Proprosal were "lost", "returning", "leaving" etc. In fact it means "recklessly wasteful". Is the Parable about a recklessly wasteful son, well yes and no... roughly the parable splits into thirds: the son asking for his inheritance and 'reckelessly wasting' it; the son being welcomed back by the father; the second son grumbling and being talked to by the father. Surprising? I thought so! The parable ends with a hanging ending - what will happen? will there be a reunion, will the older son enter the banquet or leave? This simplicit question reflects, it seems to me, Jesus rather pointed focus in the context of Luke. It is the question tot he Pharisees, who in verse 1 and 2 are said to be grumbling about Jesus apparent welcome of the tax collectors and sinners - those who were the failures, outcasts and no hopers of Israel. Why would this man who claims to be on a mission from God bother about them? If you understood anything about the heart of the father, he seems to be saying, then you wouldn't be scoffing and mumbling fromt he edges of the party, but you would be sharing in the Father's inheritance by helping him celebrate with such lavish grace. It is surely this lavish grace, that of the recklessly wasteful father that remains the heart of the parable: the parable of the prodigal father. Posted by: Mark | 12:28 pm |
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