![]() ![]() ![]() How many times had he looked down the very road his son had taken and relived the penetrating loss he had felt as his son walked away? How many prayers had he offered in the deep of night, pleading with God that his son would be safe, that he would discover truth, that he would return?Īnd then one day, the father looks out on that lonely road- the road that leads home-and sees a distant figure walking toward him. How many hundreds, perhaps thousands, of hours had he spent worrying about his son? Now let us go back to the father, the brokenhearted master of the house. ![]() Would he help him after all that had happened? Even the humblest of his father’s servants had food to eat and shelter from the storms.Ĭonfess to his village that he had squandered his inheritance?įace the neighbors who surely had warned him that he was disgracing his family and breaking his parents’ hearts? Return to his old friends after boasting of how he was breaking free?īut the hunger, loneliness, and remorse simply wouldn’t go away-until “he came to himself.” 11 And oh, what a price he had to pay for that knowledge! 10Īs the physical and spiritual hunger grew, his thoughts returned to his father. He had been so sure that giving in to his worldly desires would make him happy, that moral laws were obstacles to that happiness. It wasn’t just an empty stomach that troubled him. 9Įxtremely hungry now, abandoned and alone, the young man must have wondered how things could have gone so terribly, dreadfully wrong. The scriptures tell us, “No man gave unto him.” 8ĭesperate to remain alive, he found a local farmer who hired him to feed swine. He had been generous to his friends-would they help him now? I can see him asking for a little support-just for now-until he got back on his feet. The once unstoppable, jubilant high roller now could not afford a single meal, let alone a place to stay. Two things happened: first, he ran out of money, and second, a famine swept through the land. Had there been social media in that time, surely he would have filled pages with animated photos of laughing friends: #Livingmybestlife! #Neverhappier! #Shouldhavedonethislongago! The Famineīut the party did not last-it rarely does. They celebrated, applauded, and championed his choices. His new friends-beneficiaries of his prodigality-did not judge him. He must have been a favorite of many, for he spent money freely. He could bask in the acceptance of a like-minded community and live life on his own terms.Īrriving in a faraway country, he quickly made new friends and began living the life he had always dreamed of. Free from the principles and rules of the culture of his youth, he could finally make his own choices without being influenced by his parents. The son must have felt a thrill of adventure and excitement. 5Ĭan you imagine what the father felt when he heard this? When he realized that what his son wanted more than anything else was to leave the family and perhaps never return? The Great Adventure He asks for his share of the inheritance-now. He wants to leave behind the culture and teachings of his parents. One son 4 tells his father he is through with life at home. Immediately we learn of a heartbreaking conflict. It was told by Jesus Christ, our Savior and Redeemer, who came to earth “to save that which was lost.” 2 He begins with these simple words: “A certain man had two sons.” 3 1 Since it has been translated into thousands of languages across the world, it is quite possible that during the past two millennia, the sun has not set without the story being referenced somewhere in the world. It has been called by some the greatest short story ever told. ![]()
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