The Prodigal Father
Notes
Transcript
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He wasted all of it
He wasted all of it
***Photo: David Lee Edwards & wife Shawna
46 year old from Ashland, KY who never finished high school, unemployed, living is his parents’ house with the water turned off. Borrowed money from a friend to go on a date, bought a lottery ticket, won $73.7m. Could receive that in payments. Could receive that in payments of $2.9m per year over 25 years or a one time lump sum of around $27 million. Began spending at an alarming rate. Bought houses in Florida, a Lamborghini and such a fleet of cars that his neighbors complained he was making the place look like a car lot, and a lear jet. A dozen years later he died penniless.
***Photo of Billy Bob Harrell, Jr. From stocking shelves at Home Depot to millionaire overnight with a $31 million lottery ticked, Billy Bob was a generous man who gave to the church, church members, and soon everyone who could bring some kind of sob story to him realized he’d give them money too. Within two years his winnings were gone, and he died by his own hand.
***Painting: The son leaving home. Murillo (Ma-RIE-oh)
***No/slide. The Bible’s text describes the son’s descent from having 1/3 of his father’s fortune to nothing doesn’t even take 2 verses:
A few days later the younger son gathered all he had and traveled to a distant country, and there he squandered his property in dissolute living.
When he had spent everything, a severe famine took place throughout that country, and he began to be in need.
Rags to riches to rags
Rags to riches to rags
***N/S. It’s a story we know too well, from lottery winners to successful entertainers to retired football or basketball stars. Unless we have some kind of wisdom, we’re often not prepared to get what we want.
***Slide. He’s reduced to feeding pigs. For a man in Jewish culture, it doesn’t get much lower than a pig-feeder, as pigs were considered unclean animals. He knows there’s a problem when he sees pig food and his mouth starts watering
He comes to his senses
He comes to his senses
But when he came to himself he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired hands have bread enough and to spare, but here I am dying of hunger!
I will get up and go to my father, and I will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you;
I am no longer worthy to be called your son; treat me like one of your hired hands.” ’
***N/S he makes the long journey, mumbling to himself the line he’ll use when he reaches home:
Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you; I am no longer worthy to be called your son; treat me like one of your hired hands.”
The wasteful son goes home
The wasteful son goes home
So he set off and went to his father. But while he was still far off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion; he ran and put his arms around him and kissed him.
Then the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you; I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’
But the father said to his slaves, ‘Quickly, bring out a robe—the best one—and put it on him; put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet.
And get the fatted calf and kill it, and let us eat and celebrate;
for this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found!’ And they began to celebrate.
*** Again, Ma-RIE-oh’s figures.
Concise Oxford English Dictionary Prodigal
prodigal
■ adjective
1 wastefully extravagant.
2 lavish.
Who is prodigal, wasteful?
Who is prodigal, wasteful?
*** Slide: Rembrandt’s interpretation gives us a clue to another character’s view. In the light in this image stand the father and his wayward son. In the background, in the shadows to the right, stands the son who has never left. Even his body language shows his utter displeasure with what’s happening here. He recoils in disgust.
Then he became angry and refused to go in. His father came out and began to plead with him.
But he answered his father, ‘Listen! For all these years I have been working like a slave for you, and I have never disobeyed your command; yet you have never given me even a young goat so that I might celebrate with my friends.
But when this son of yours came back, who has devoured your property with prostitutes, you killed the fatted calf for him!’
The older brother: Dad is the prodigal
The older brother: Dad is the prodigal
Wastefully extravagant with his love
Lavish in his kindness, willingness to reconcile
***Slide: In the older son’s telling of the story, the father may well be the prodigal. He’s generous too generous with his love. He’s prepared to forgive, too prepared to forgive. He’s ready to restore he son, too ready to restore his son.
***No slide: 2 responses.
Then the father said to him, ‘Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours.
But we had to celebrate and rejoice, because this brother of yours was dead and has come to life; he was lost and has been found.’ ”
The Father’s prodigal love
The Father’s prodigal love
1 John 3:1 (NRSV)
See what love the Father has given us, that we should be called children of God; and that is what we are...
You are more important that the disappointment
You are more important that the disappointment