Luke 15:11-12

Posted by DJL on Nov 4, 2013 in Daily Bread | 0 comments

Then Jesus said, “There was a man who had two sons. The younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the share of the property that will belong to me.’ So he divided his property between them.

We already know this father is something of a fool.

Two brief details about life in the ancient world will help explain what I mean.

First, inheritance was only conferred upon death. Which means that this younger son was not asking his father for an advance or even the full amount of wealth which he would eventually have received. No, he was declaring his desire that his father were dead. If you were dead, dear old Dad, he snarls, I could go do what I want. But you’re not, so can we just act like you are? His request is no simple request; it is an insult hurled from some place of hurt and rage and flung at his father with as much hope of harm as material gain.

Second, landowners didn’t keep their wealth in banks; rather, their wealth was tied up in land and livestock. Which means that the father could not simply liquidate the trust fund he had set up when his son was born in order to provide him now with the wealth he covets. Rather, in order to satisfy his son’s request he must divide and dispose of property, terminate longstanding relationships, and sell livestock and more.

And he does.

He does. He takes the immense insult of his son, swallows it whole, and then goes out and makes the sales, endures the disruptions, all in order to set this angry and ungrateful son free.

Which is why I think these first few verses demonstrate the foolishness of this father. For only a fool would tolerate such insolence and provide such indulgence. To state things most baldly: no father in his right mind would have done this.

And, as we’ll see, this father is hardly in his right mind.

Prayer: Dear God, invite us to dwell deeply in your Word that we may come to know your character more clearly and your love more fully. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

 

Post image: “The Parable of the Prodigal Son: Receiving His Portion” by Luca Giordano