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Friday, September 03, 2004
(Take some time and review parts 1 & 2 below to get the context of today's blog)
After the Prodigal Son took his father's money (wishing him "dead") and then came to his senses, he actually had to go home and humble himself, and...well...actually ask for forgiveness. He's going to ask his father if he would just take him in as a hired hand. That's all. Just a servant. They ate way better than he was when he was eating pig slop, right?
In verses 20 & 21 we see that when the father saw his long lost son walking down the road to his home, he ran to greet him. It doesn't seem like much. A father running. But in that culture, in that time, it was considered highly undignified for a grown man to run.
Then the son went into his speech, and notice the order of his confession, too. He did it. He humbled himself. Told his dad that he had sinned against God. That he had sinned against him (all too often, when we sin, we don't really worry about it's effect with God...just try to cover our bases in the relationships we goofed up because of it, don't we? Or is it just me?).
He thought he understood the rules of his father's home.
What he didn't understand was his father's heart. The father didn't respond to his son's speech. Servants were summoned. New clothes were provided. Signet ring placed on his finger. New shoes. Party planned. Huge party planned. The dead son has come back to life. Celebration in order.
Can you imagine what must've been going on in the son's heart and mind? In fact, let's make that today's mind vitamin. Spend some time thinking about what the son was thinking while this was going on. What do you think he was thinking when he saw his father running? When the servants brought his new clothes and shoes? When the party was being planned? When the party was taking place? What do you think he was feeling during these times?
Journal prompt: A time in my life that reminds me of this story was when...
& the emotions I experienced and the thoughts I had when that happened were...
Tomorrow: The older brother's reaction.
Brent 4:15 AM
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