the Prodigal Son
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And he said, A certain man had two sons: And the younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the portion of goods that falls to me.’ And he divided to them his livelihood. And not many days after the younger son gathered all together, and took his journey into a far country, and there wasted his possessions with prodigal living. But when he had spent all, there arose a severe famine in that land; and he began to be in want. Then he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country; and he sent him into his fields to feed swine. And he would gladly have filled his stomach with the pods that the swine ate: and no one gave him anything. But when he came to himself, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger! I will arise and go to my father, and will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before you, and I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Make me like one of your hired servants.”’ And he arose and came to his father. But when he was still a great way off, his father saw him and had compassion, and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him. And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight, and am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ But the father said to his servants, ‘Bring out the best robe and put it on him; and put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet. And bring the fatted calf here and kill it, and let us eat, and be merry: for this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found.’ And they began to be merry. Now his older son was in the field. And as he came and drew near to the house, he heard music and dancing. So he called one of the servants, and asked what these things meant. And he said to him, ‘Your brother has come; and because he has received him safe and sound, your father has killed the fatted calf.’ But he was angry, and would not go in. Therefore his father came out and pleaded with him. So he answered and said to his father, ‘Lo, these many years I have been serving you; I never transgressed your commandment at any time; and yet you never gave me a young goat, that I might make merry with my friends. ‘But as soon as this son of yours came, who has devoured your livelihood with harlots, you killed the fatted calf for him.’ And he said to him, ‘Son, you are always with me, and all that I have is yours. It was right that we should make merry and be glad, for your brother was dead and is alive again, and was lost and is found. ‘” - Luke 15:11-32
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We live in a prodigal world, and these are the times and lands of the prodigal sons. And it is not given for us to know the duration of each’s prodigal journey into the world, and when each one of our brothers and sisters will again desire and make their way back to the kingdom of the Father. For some, the journey into the prodigal world is short, while for others it is long and difficult, and covers many lifetimes. Yet it is a principle of life that each person must walk their own journey of truth, and it is not possible for any person to walk the journey of truth for. But ultimately, every person will find that there is little lasting fulfillment in the prodigal world, and ultimately they will seek the eternal light of the way, the truth, and the life. Humankind will turn away from establishing kingdoms in the world, and begin desiring to establish kingdoms of heaven inside their hearts. Such was the destiny of the prodigal son, who had to go through and live in the world and experience all of its pleasures, to discover that no permanent fulfillment, happiness, or even sustenance could be found in it.
I know this, because I was a prodigal son once. And once I had believed there was only the world and Man, and that if God had created the world, He had abandoned it and us a long time ago. But I do not regret my journey into the prodigal world or my lack of faith in things unseen, for it was what I learned in the world that led me back to the path of heaven.
The elder son is like some who choose to follow the way of the Christ, and believe that they are higher than those who do not follow the way of the Christ. They may believe they are closer to God, because they feel they love God more, and so are more beloved by God. They obey God and the letters of the law, and see their brothers who do not love or obey God and the letters of the law, and so think them as lower, lost, and less worthy.
But I say, obedience is not the hallmark of love. People obey tyrants and bosses, but it is not because of love, but because of fear. And if one loves another for a reward, that too is not love of another, but love of reward. If you love the Lord from fear, then your master is not the Lord, but fear and self, because you fear for your own self. If you love the Lord because of gain, then your master is not the Lord, but gain and self, because you seek gain for your own self. And these are not the pure and higher forms of true love, nor are they the highest ways that men can love the Lord.
For if a wife obeys her husband because she fears that her husband will beat her and throw her out of his mansion, is that true love? And if a woman obeys a rich man so that she can one day marry him and partake of his riches, is that true love? These are the loves that are born from fear and gain, and I believe that neither of these is the love that the Lord wishes us to have for Him. And who among us as men, desires to hear the words, “I love you because I’m afraid of you,” or “I love you because I want something from you,” or “I love you because I want you to save me.” If we truly love another, we would not wish our beloved to love us for these reasons. Given the choice, all of us desire to be freely and willingly loved for ourselves.
So if you love the Lord because you choose to love the Lord for no other reason than love, then your master is love. Love given freely without fear of reprisal or expectation of reward, is love. But if you love the Lord for fear or greed, then I believe it may be better not to love the Lord at all. I would say, Go then into the prodigal world and stay awhile. Seek to satisfy the desires of your self, who is your master. Seek your own happiness in the world. For when you choose to return, if you choose to do so, do so of your own free will, without motive of fear or gain, and the love that you bring will be pure.
And the place that is waiting for you in the kingdom of heaven, was never really lost. For the Father loves both His sons and keeps them equally within His heart, whether they reside in the prodigal world or by His side in the kingdom of heaven. For the love of the Father falls equally on both the older son and the younger son, like rain, as does the mercy of God fall on both the just and the unjust alike. At no time did the Father say to either of His sons, either the one who stayed or the one who left, “I love you no longer,” or “I love you more and the other less.”
Therefore we should not condemn others if they choose to live in a prodigal world, lead prodigal lives, or hold prodigal beliefs. Because for many, the prodigal life is their path back to heaven. Do not judge the prodigal sons of the world, for there may be many among them who are closer to heaven than we may think – closer maybe, than us. We must remember that a twist of fate, an accident, a crisis, a tragedy, a sudden change of heart, or even a miracle, may befall a person at any time and cause them to desire to return once again to the kingdom of heaven. There are those who, when they find themselves too long in war, will yearn for peace. There are those who, losing themselves in complete darkness, will seek the light. There are those who, having falling to the bottom, will lift themselves up. There are those who, exhausted, burnt out, and unfulfilled in the prodigal world, will seek a way out. And the moment they turn back towards the kingdom of heaven, the Father sees and knows. And it is often these who have endured prolonged war and darkness who become the greatest champions of peace and light.
But no one knows the time of that turning – perhaps that turning will take place in 50 years, perhaps the turning will take place tomorrow, or even now as you are reading this. For a person’s transformation can occur over a period of years and lifetimes – or even in an instant. So it is impossible for us to judge any given person, and I believe it is neither our place nor our responsibility to do so. Let each person walk their own path, and bid them well on their journey, for they are your brother just as I share this with you because you are my brother. And whether a man appears to be an older brother who stays with God or a younger brother who lives in the prodigal world, we are all brothers & sisters in life. Think not less nor lower of your brother, even though it appears his path is taking him further into the prodigal world - for though we see it not, it may actually be taking him back to the kingdom of heaven. For in the end, I believe all paths lead to God. This is the understanding I have come to in my life, but it is the responsibility of each person to come to their own understanding – even if it disagrees with mine. Yet even in disagreement, let there be peace and respect. For we are only human, and so can only see so far – which is why we all rely on faith to walk our chosen paths in life.
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