Joel M Bradshaw

7The one who keeps the law is a son with understanding, but a companion of gluttons shames his father.–Proverbs 28

It almost seems impossible that Jesus didn’t have this proverb on his mind when he gave his famous parable about the Prodigal Son in Luke 15. Let’s use that passage to illustrate.

A father had two sons and one came and asked for his inheritance. This was the equivalent of, “Dad, I wish you were dead, so I could get what’s mine.” Jesus’ audience would have expected Dad to go scorched earth. But he instead gave the son what he wanted. Jaws would have been dropping out of shock.

And the son went and wasted the money with partiers. He hit rock bottom and humbly returned home. Jesus’ audience, which had just gotten over the initial shock, would be shocked again. The father ran to that son who shamed him and welcomed him home. The other son then confronted his father on all this and made it about himself and the good choices he had made. Dad had words for him as well.

Let’s apply in reverse order:

The son who lived profligately clearly brought shame to his father. The proverb proved right. But there was hope for that son. In his lowest state, he repented. He turned from himself and went back to the father. He had no expectations of closeness, and simply placed himself at his father’s mercy.

The son who stayed home seemed to illustrate the one of wisdom/understanding in the proverb. Until the very end, when he confronted Dad. Let’s hear his words:

“but he answered his father, ‘Look, these many years I have served you, and I never disobeyed your command, yet you never gave me a young goat, that I might celebrate with my friends. But when this son of yours came, who has devoured your property with prostitutes, you killed the fattened calf for him!’” (Luke 15:29-30)

That son understood that he had behaved and never got the kind of joy the father showed to the other. It was a matter of unfairness and injustice.

Now listen to the words in reply:

“And he said to him, ‘Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours. It was fitting to celebrate and be glad, for this your brother was dead, and is alive; he was lost, and is found.’” (Luke 15:31-32)

For all his undertanding, the son missed the point. Every Christian who reads this parable should start to get tears in the eyes. Because, they were the lost one and now they are reconciled. If you are more like that grumbling brother than the repentant brother, YOU MISS THE POINT.

The world thinks Christians are self-righteous hypocrites. And there are some indeed who are. But really, we are people who have been broken by our sinful choices, repented from them, and turned to the only hope of salvation we have, Jesus. Each one of us is the Prodigal Son.

The irony of the proverb when seen through the lens of the parable is that the same son who brought great shame to the father also brought great joy. That is how God views you coming home and turning your life back to Him. And that is the point the other brother missed. Life is about being reconciled with God, and so when that mercy and grace are shown, it is a matter to celebrate.

The repentant son made life all about the father’s mercy and responded with humility. The second son also responded to the father’s mercy, but with selfishness. Which are you?–JMB