The Prodigal Son

 The Prodigal Son (Luke 15: 11-32) is one of the most famous of all Jesus' parables. It is one that has touched me personally.  At various times I have felt like the prodigal, the father, and the older brother.  One of the podcasters I listened to this week (I think it was Michael Wilcox on Follow Him) pointed out that both the older brother and the young brother are the same in one respect. Both of them think their value is based on what they do.  The younger brother, at the end, feels useless because he has chosen to do bad things. The older brother feels like he should be valued because he has chosen to do good things.  But the father loves both children not for what they do, but because they are his children. This was a powerful insight to me and I began recognizing that principal in other places. 

I think it is in play in the parable of the hired laborers (Matthew 20:1-16).  This parable has bothered people before because it seems unfair that those who worked all day should receive the same reward as those who only worked one hour. Again, we are valuing people for what they do--the ones that do more should be valued higher. The parable seems to be trying be saying they are valued, not for how much they do, but for their willingness to do work. I think the line in the parable is significant when the lord says, "Why stand ye here all the day idle?" and they answered, "Because no man hath hired us." They were willing to work but were kept from it because circumstances beyond their control.  We could say the lord values them the same because they all have the same willingness.  But maybe that isn't even quite true.  Maybe the Lord values them because he values all his children, regardless of what they do or do not do. Maybe he is just generous, and would give a denarius to any in need.

My mind bounces to the sermon on the mount.  "Consider the lilies of the field..." (Matthew 6:28).  They don't work for their blessings.  God just blesses them. 

I guess this was impactful because deep down I have felt that I must do XY and Z so that when the time comes when I really need the Lord, he will be there for me.  If I do everything I possibly can to be the kind of servant God needs, I can rely on him in my time of need.  Maybe I need to rethink my motivations. Maybe I am trying too hard to earn God's love, sometimes to the point of making myself miserable because I always feel like I am falling short. But if that is not what God wants, for me to be as righteous and diligent as I can, then what does he want?  He certainly condemned those who are "wicked and slothful" servants (Matthew 25: 26).   

This, I guess, is the old works vs grace argument that theologians have debated for centuries.  I say I believe in grace, but I think part of me is still clinging to works.