Luke 15: 11 - 32 Parable of the Prodigal Son Continued 10th Post.
We left last post talking about agape love, better known as unconditional love. We will try to contrast agape love with human love. If you are honest with your feelings, you probably feel the father has been too nice to this son upon his return. If you feel this way, it is because you love with conditions. Do not feel bad, this is a normal way for us to think. This is why Jesus told this parable, to show us that we understand love one way and God, in another. The father restored his son to the same position he held before going on his journey. This is very hard for us to understand, because it goes against our feelings of fair. God as Creator, can set the standard for His behavior, and does not need to do what we are comfortable with. This is what makes God, God! Praise the Lord for this difference, it is this difference, that proves that we need a Savior! Jesus is waiting and willing for us to come to Him and turn our lives over to Him. The Bible teaches that we all are sinners, and as sinners we will go to hell without help. Only Jesus can forgive us of our sin. This is why Jesus alone can say "I am the Resurrection and the Life, no one comes to the Father, except through Me." This may sound very narrow minded, however which other gods do you know, who died, so that you might live?? The Only One is Jesus! This is the truth!
Monday, October 22, 2012
Saturday, October 20, 2012
582nd Post Jesus Said Concerning Parables Con't. - Parables on Forgiveness Con't. - Parable of the Prodigal Son Con't. 9th Post - Luke 15: 11 - 31, Con't.
Luke 15: 11 - 31 Continued 9th Post Parable of the Prodigal Son.
We left last post talking about the love the father showed his son. The father in this parable loves his son with agape love. What is agape love? Agape love is unconditional love, this is the way God loves us. Only God is capable of this type of love. St. Paul gives a definition of this love in 1 Corinthians 13: 4 - 8a. God is infinite, we are finite. It is because God is so much greater than our ability to understand; this is why Jesus told this parable, to try to explain how much different God's love is from ours. I have been trying to show in this blog the difference between how God thinks how and we think. When the father in this story asks his servants to put a robe on his son, sandals on his feet, and a ring on his finger, the father is restoring his son to his previous position before he set out on his own. This goes against our feelings of fair play. This is why I keep reminding us that God's ways are not ours, and He holds to a higher standard than us. We as God's children must try to strive to achieve this standard of love. God created us and knows that we are not capable of this quality of love. This is our goal to try to achieve this. I will contrast human view of love and God's in next post.
We left last post talking about the love the father showed his son. The father in this parable loves his son with agape love. What is agape love? Agape love is unconditional love, this is the way God loves us. Only God is capable of this type of love. St. Paul gives a definition of this love in 1 Corinthians 13: 4 - 8a. God is infinite, we are finite. It is because God is so much greater than our ability to understand; this is why Jesus told this parable, to try to explain how much different God's love is from ours. I have been trying to show in this blog the difference between how God thinks how and we think. When the father in this story asks his servants to put a robe on his son, sandals on his feet, and a ring on his finger, the father is restoring his son to his previous position before he set out on his own. This goes against our feelings of fair play. This is why I keep reminding us that God's ways are not ours, and He holds to a higher standard than us. We as God's children must try to strive to achieve this standard of love. God created us and knows that we are not capable of this quality of love. This is our goal to try to achieve this. I will contrast human view of love and God's in next post.
581st Post Jesus Said Concerning Parables Con't. - Parables on Forgiveness Con't. - Parable of the Prodigal Son Con't. 8th Post - Luke 15: 11 - 32.
Parable of the Prodigal Son Continued 8th Post. Luke 15: 11 - 32.
Last Post we were talking about the father and watching his actions as he approached his son. When the father reached his son, he fell on his son's neck and kissed him. Remember this son had been feeding pigs, and had traveled a great distance to get home. This was before the time of public showers, I don't think the Roman baths would have let him enter the way he was, and not having any money, I don't think they would have had compassion on him and let him use their facilities for free. The father falls on the son's neck and kissed him. This shows the love of his father, even in the condition his son was in, his father hangs on his neck. Hangs on his neck, is a phrase we don't use often in the west, but it means, the father hugged his son deeply, and spent some time in this position. Hugging is something we have lost in the west, we don't show outward signs of affection in public, like the people did in this story. The son confesses that "he had sinned before his father and God." The father then tells his servants to bring him a robe and put a ring on his finger, put sandals on his feet, and kill the fatted calf. By asking the servants to do this the father was showing that he was restoring this son to his rightful place he had enjoyed before he sinned. This love the father showed is agape love. I am running out of space here will post more on agape love in next post.
Last Post we were talking about the father and watching his actions as he approached his son. When the father reached his son, he fell on his son's neck and kissed him. Remember this son had been feeding pigs, and had traveled a great distance to get home. This was before the time of public showers, I don't think the Roman baths would have let him enter the way he was, and not having any money, I don't think they would have had compassion on him and let him use their facilities for free. The father falls on the son's neck and kissed him. This shows the love of his father, even in the condition his son was in, his father hangs on his neck. Hangs on his neck, is a phrase we don't use often in the west, but it means, the father hugged his son deeply, and spent some time in this position. Hugging is something we have lost in the west, we don't show outward signs of affection in public, like the people did in this story. The son confesses that "he had sinned before his father and God." The father then tells his servants to bring him a robe and put a ring on his finger, put sandals on his feet, and kill the fatted calf. By asking the servants to do this the father was showing that he was restoring this son to his rightful place he had enjoyed before he sinned. This love the father showed is agape love. I am running out of space here will post more on agape love in next post.
Thursday, October 11, 2012
580th Post Jesus Said Concerning Parables Con't. - Parable on Forgiveness Con't. - Parable of the Produgal Son Con't. - Luke 15: 11 - 31 Con't. 7th Post.
Luke 15: 11 - 31 Continued Parable of the Prodigal Son Con't. 7th post.
We left off last post with the Father seeing his son in the distance and goes running out to greet him. Lets put this scene into the context of the time of Jesus during His earthly Ministry. If a Jewish Father gave his son his inheritance before he was dead, in his father's eyes, that son was dead! The father would not scan the horizon looking for his son. Then when he sees his son a long way off, goes off to meet him. Remember in the times of Jesus, mature men wore long robes. It would be hard for us to understand what the father had to do before he could run. The father would have gathered his robe up and tucked it into his belt, so as not to trip on it as he ran. Think of this scene, this older man is running through the land, and the people would be watching this scene as it was not a common occurrence. Even here, the father would be sheltering his son from the on lookers. The father is still trying to protect his son. If an earthly father would go to these lengths to save his son, how much further would your Heavenly Father go, to save you?? This is the point Jesus was making here. Our Heavenly Father loved us so much, that He offered His Son as payment for all who believe in Jesus Christ. That is the ultimate of grace and mercy! Now the father not only forgave his son, but he restored him as well! I am running out of space here so will continue next post.
We left off last post with the Father seeing his son in the distance and goes running out to greet him. Lets put this scene into the context of the time of Jesus during His earthly Ministry. If a Jewish Father gave his son his inheritance before he was dead, in his father's eyes, that son was dead! The father would not scan the horizon looking for his son. Then when he sees his son a long way off, goes off to meet him. Remember in the times of Jesus, mature men wore long robes. It would be hard for us to understand what the father had to do before he could run. The father would have gathered his robe up and tucked it into his belt, so as not to trip on it as he ran. Think of this scene, this older man is running through the land, and the people would be watching this scene as it was not a common occurrence. Even here, the father would be sheltering his son from the on lookers. The father is still trying to protect his son. If an earthly father would go to these lengths to save his son, how much further would your Heavenly Father go, to save you?? This is the point Jesus was making here. Our Heavenly Father loved us so much, that He offered His Son as payment for all who believe in Jesus Christ. That is the ultimate of grace and mercy! Now the father not only forgave his son, but he restored him as well! I am running out of space here so will continue next post.
Saturday, October 6, 2012
579th Post Jesus Said Concerning Parables Con't. - Parables on Forgiveness Con't. - Parable of the Prodigal Son Con't. 6th Post - Luke 15: 11 - 32 Con't.
Luke 15: 11 - 32 Parable of the Prodigal Son Continued - 6th Post.
We will be looking at this parable and the character of the father in the parable. The father in this parable did not act like a normal father in Israel at the time of Jesus. Israel was a patriarchal society, where the father is the head of the family. Now consider all the fathers you know, and if you are one, would you act like this father? Your youngest son comes up to you and asks for his inheritance early, would you give it to him?? Probably not! You would think that if you gave him his money, he would spend it on wild living, until he was broke. If you were foolish enough to give this son what he asked for, you certainly would not let him come home. In this parable, we father's, would be wrong on both counts. The father not only gives the younger son what he wants, but takes him back after he had lost all the money. Unbelievable! This is exactly why Jesus told this parable! Our Heavenly Father lets us have free choice. Sometimes, if we choose the wrong thing, it can get us into deep trouble. This is what happened here. The young man was on the right path, but chose not to follow his father's teaching and struck out on his own. His Heavenly Father knew the young man had made a wrong choice, but let him go anyway. When we find ourselves separated from God, we have only ourselves to blame for God being distant from us. God did not move, we did! Sometimes when we find ourselves here, we want to blame God for letting us go so far wrong. You ended up in this situation, because you were leaning on your own understanding and not God's. I will be continuing next post.
We will be looking at this parable and the character of the father in the parable. The father in this parable did not act like a normal father in Israel at the time of Jesus. Israel was a patriarchal society, where the father is the head of the family. Now consider all the fathers you know, and if you are one, would you act like this father? Your youngest son comes up to you and asks for his inheritance early, would you give it to him?? Probably not! You would think that if you gave him his money, he would spend it on wild living, until he was broke. If you were foolish enough to give this son what he asked for, you certainly would not let him come home. In this parable, we father's, would be wrong on both counts. The father not only gives the younger son what he wants, but takes him back after he had lost all the money. Unbelievable! This is exactly why Jesus told this parable! Our Heavenly Father lets us have free choice. Sometimes, if we choose the wrong thing, it can get us into deep trouble. This is what happened here. The young man was on the right path, but chose not to follow his father's teaching and struck out on his own. His Heavenly Father knew the young man had made a wrong choice, but let him go anyway. When we find ourselves separated from God, we have only ourselves to blame for God being distant from us. God did not move, we did! Sometimes when we find ourselves here, we want to blame God for letting us go so far wrong. You ended up in this situation, because you were leaning on your own understanding and not God's. I will be continuing next post.
578th Post Jesus Said Concerning Parables Con't. - Parables on Forgiveness Con't. - Parable of the Prodigal Son Con't. 5th Post - Luke 15: 11 - 32.
Luke 15: 11 - 32 Parable of the Prodigal Son Continued - 5th Post.
We left last post with the son coming to himself and deciding that a servant in his father's house was a step above where he is now. What did Jesus mean by coming to himself? The young man did not think he was hurting anyone, when he was spending his inheritance on high living. The problem is you have to be rich, to live like the rich. This means you have a continual source of income. If you are acting, it is only a matter of time before you are found out. In the young man's case, he ran out of money. The young man came to himself, when he came to the realization that he was better off living at his father's house, than where he is now. The point Jesus was making was the young man understood, that the way he is going now was leading nowhere, and the only way was to go back to his father. When we as sinners come to ourselves, we know that the road we are on leads nowhere, and the only road that leads to salvation is through Jesus Christ. We all have to come to ourselves, that without Jesus we are headed for hell. Jesus is the only way to eternal life. We will be looking at the role off the father in this parable in the next post.
We left last post with the son coming to himself and deciding that a servant in his father's house was a step above where he is now. What did Jesus mean by coming to himself? The young man did not think he was hurting anyone, when he was spending his inheritance on high living. The problem is you have to be rich, to live like the rich. This means you have a continual source of income. If you are acting, it is only a matter of time before you are found out. In the young man's case, he ran out of money. The young man came to himself, when he came to the realization that he was better off living at his father's house, than where he is now. The point Jesus was making was the young man understood, that the way he is going now was leading nowhere, and the only way was to go back to his father. When we as sinners come to ourselves, we know that the road we are on leads nowhere, and the only road that leads to salvation is through Jesus Christ. We all have to come to ourselves, that without Jesus we are headed for hell. Jesus is the only way to eternal life. We will be looking at the role off the father in this parable in the next post.
Wednesday, October 3, 2012
577th Post Jesus Said Concerning Parables Con't. - Parables on Forgiveness Con't. - Parable of the Prodigal Son Con't. - 4th Post Luke 15: 11 - 32 Con't.
Luke 15: 11 - 32 Parable of the Prodigal Son Con't. 4th Post.
Last post we were talking about the younger son living in a strange land. This son spent all of his inheritance just before the famine came in the land. When the young son had money, he did not worry about anything. Then when the famine came and what he thought were friends deserted him, when they found out he was broke. It is when you are down that you will find out who are your true friends. After looking for work, the young man takes a job from the compassion of a friend who was a citizen of this country. The only job he could get was feeding the pigs. To a Jew, pigs are considered unclean. He not only had to feed them, no one would feed him; so as his hunger increased, the food he was feeding the pigs started to look good to him. This young man had sunk pretty low since his arrival. The young man had an inheritance, he lost it. It is when he was feeding the pigs, that he realized that when he was living at home his father treated his servants, better than he was being treated here. The son knew that when he asked for his inheritance early, he could never go back as being his father's son. That is why he will ask that his father take him back as a servant in his house. It is interesting that Jesus used this example of inheritance. When you decide to accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior, your inheritance starts in His Heavenly Kingdom.
Last post we were talking about the younger son living in a strange land. This son spent all of his inheritance just before the famine came in the land. When the young son had money, he did not worry about anything. Then when the famine came and what he thought were friends deserted him, when they found out he was broke. It is when you are down that you will find out who are your true friends. After looking for work, the young man takes a job from the compassion of a friend who was a citizen of this country. The only job he could get was feeding the pigs. To a Jew, pigs are considered unclean. He not only had to feed them, no one would feed him; so as his hunger increased, the food he was feeding the pigs started to look good to him. This young man had sunk pretty low since his arrival. The young man had an inheritance, he lost it. It is when he was feeding the pigs, that he realized that when he was living at home his father treated his servants, better than he was being treated here. The son knew that when he asked for his inheritance early, he could never go back as being his father's son. That is why he will ask that his father take him back as a servant in his house. It is interesting that Jesus used this example of inheritance. When you decide to accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior, your inheritance starts in His Heavenly Kingdom.
576th Post Jesus Said Concerning Parables Con't. - Parables on Forgiveness Con't. - Parable of the Prodigal Son Con't. - Luke 15: 11 - 32 Con't. 3rd. Post.
Luke 15: 11 - 32 Parable of the Prodigal Son Continued 3rd. Post.
Definition of Prodigal: One that expends money extravagantly or without necessity; one that is profuse or lavish; a waster; a spendthrift. Source American Dictionary of the English Language, by Noah Webster 1828.
We will be looking at the cast of characters in this parable as we meet them in the story. This parable starts out with the father of two sons, we will start with him. Jesus used parables to make a point, and to use situations that normally would never take place, to show the difference between our Heavenly Father, and our earthly fathers. In the ancient world, fathers would pass their inheritance down at the time of the father's death through their oldest son, and upon the death of the eldest son, if the younger son was still alive and any of the father's inheritance was left; it would pass to the younger son. The father would never divide his inheritance between his two sons while the father was still in good health. The father in this story is acting according to the Law of God and not the law of man. This father gives his youngest son his share of the inheritance before it was due. We will look at the younger son now, because he appears in the story next. Now the younger son takes his money and moves to a far country, and spends all the money on high living. Jesus did not say anything about a job here, so we can believe he used his inheritance to fund his new lifestyle. Now about the time a famine hits this country, the son is running out of money. Continued next post.
Definition of Prodigal: One that expends money extravagantly or without necessity; one that is profuse or lavish; a waster; a spendthrift. Source American Dictionary of the English Language, by Noah Webster 1828.
We will be looking at the cast of characters in this parable as we meet them in the story. This parable starts out with the father of two sons, we will start with him. Jesus used parables to make a point, and to use situations that normally would never take place, to show the difference between our Heavenly Father, and our earthly fathers. In the ancient world, fathers would pass their inheritance down at the time of the father's death through their oldest son, and upon the death of the eldest son, if the younger son was still alive and any of the father's inheritance was left; it would pass to the younger son. The father would never divide his inheritance between his two sons while the father was still in good health. The father in this story is acting according to the Law of God and not the law of man. This father gives his youngest son his share of the inheritance before it was due. We will look at the younger son now, because he appears in the story next. Now the younger son takes his money and moves to a far country, and spends all the money on high living. Jesus did not say anything about a job here, so we can believe he used his inheritance to fund his new lifestyle. Now about the time a famine hits this country, the son is running out of money. Continued next post.
575th Post Jesus Said Concerning Parables Con't. - Parables on Forgiveness Con't. - Parable of the Prodigal Son Con't. 2nd Post Luke 15: 11 - 32 Con't.
Luke 15: 11 - 32 Parable of the Prodigal Son Continued 2nd Post.
The other posts in this section were spoken by Jesus 1 - 1.1/2 years into Jesus' earthly ministry. You noticed by the length of the previous post, Jesus has packed a lot of detail into this parable. It will take several posts to explain this parable. Jesus waited until His ministry was almost finished before telling this parable. This parable has end times connotations. This is why I believe Jesus waited until the end of His ministry to tell this parable. If you look at your Bible, Luke Chapter 15, is part of a string of parables Jesus taught on the similar subject, "Repent or Perish". All of these parables should be looked at together, because they are linked to each other. It was not done here, but my book will fix this problem. Parables were taught in the past by themselves without looking at the setting in which Jesus told them. This I believe, is why many of the parables were misunderstood. Jesus talks about End Times in His parables and these teachings were not paid attention to. Many of those parables dealt with the master going on a long journey before judgment was rendered. If the early church looked into these correctly, they would not have been looking for a immediate return of Jesus Christ. Jesus told us to watch for the signs, plural, not just look at a few and build a story around that. If this was done, I believe a lot of the false teaching in the Church, would have died out long ago. Due to the length of this parable, I will talk and post on section by section.
The other posts in this section were spoken by Jesus 1 - 1.1/2 years into Jesus' earthly ministry. You noticed by the length of the previous post, Jesus has packed a lot of detail into this parable. It will take several posts to explain this parable. Jesus waited until His ministry was almost finished before telling this parable. This parable has end times connotations. This is why I believe Jesus waited until the end of His ministry to tell this parable. If you look at your Bible, Luke Chapter 15, is part of a string of parables Jesus taught on the similar subject, "Repent or Perish". All of these parables should be looked at together, because they are linked to each other. It was not done here, but my book will fix this problem. Parables were taught in the past by themselves without looking at the setting in which Jesus told them. This I believe, is why many of the parables were misunderstood. Jesus talks about End Times in His parables and these teachings were not paid attention to. Many of those parables dealt with the master going on a long journey before judgment was rendered. If the early church looked into these correctly, they would not have been looking for a immediate return of Jesus Christ. Jesus told us to watch for the signs, plural, not just look at a few and build a story around that. If this was done, I believe a lot of the false teaching in the Church, would have died out long ago. Due to the length of this parable, I will talk and post on section by section.
Tuesday, October 2, 2012
574th Post Jesus Said Concerning Parables Con't. - Parables on Forgiveness Con't. Parable of the Prodigal Son 1st Post Luke 15: 11 - 32.
Luke 15: 11 - 32 Parable of the Prodigal Son 1st Post.
A certain man had two sons. And the younger of them said to his father, "Father, give me the portion of goods that fall to me." So he divided to them his livelihood. And now many days after, the younger son gathered all together, journeyed to 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 field to feed swine. And he would gladly have filled his stomach with 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 too 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, for this my son was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found." And they began to make merry. Now his older brother was in the field. And as he came and drew near to the house, he heard music and dancing. So he called to 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 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 kill the fatted calf for him." And he said to him, "Son, you are always with me, and all that I have is yours. It is right that we should make merry and be glad, for your brother was dead and is alive again, and was lost and is found."
This was spoken by Jesus during His last week of ministry before He was to be crucified. Continued next post.
A certain man had two sons. And the younger of them said to his father, "Father, give me the portion of goods that fall to me." So he divided to them his livelihood. And now many days after, the younger son gathered all together, journeyed to 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 field to feed swine. And he would gladly have filled his stomach with 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 too 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, for this my son was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found." And they began to make merry. Now his older brother was in the field. And as he came and drew near to the house, he heard music and dancing. So he called to 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 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 kill the fatted calf for him." And he said to him, "Son, you are always with me, and all that I have is yours. It is right that we should make merry and be glad, for your brother was dead and is alive again, and was lost and is found."
This was spoken by Jesus during His last week of ministry before He was to be crucified. Continued next post.
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