The Prodigal Son ~ Hey What About the Parents?

I was talking to a friend not long ago, sharing with her how crazy my love was for my children. I couldn't really explain the bond that existed and how God had built into parents this amazingly powerful desire to make make sure their kids were safe. My friend, who didn't have children, said, "I know exactly what you mean. I have a dog and I'm right there with ya!" Now, I have had dogs in the past and I have two dogs now but having a child is radically different. Having a dog run away is traumatic but having a child run away physically or emotionally can be crippling. So, for those of you who have children that are wayward or have grown children, what I'm about to say may hit close to home but for those who don't I hope it still has relevance in some other way. For all who have been kind enough to take the time to join me today, let's dive in and see what God has in store.

In Luke chapter fifteen, Jesus tells a parable about a wealthy man who had two sons. The story is often referred to as the "Parable of the Prodigal Son". You probably know how it goes so I'll give you the Reader's Digest version: The younger of the two sons asks his father for his share of the inheritance, the father gives him his half, the boy runs off and spends his cash on "prostitutes" and "wild living", the money runs dry, he finds a job feeding the pigs, he eats the pig's food because he is dirt poor, then he "comes to his senses" and decides to go home and ask his dad for work as a hired hand. Wow, that was a run-on sentence but you get the gist.

Now we usually hear this story from the aspect of God's grace. We usually hear it from the perspective of God's willingness to forgive us and restore us but today I want to provide a bit of wisdom from God's word to those who are the fathers or mothers of wayward children. Now I want to state right from the beginning that this is not meant to be trite or to fail to recognize the incredible pain, fear, sorrow, frustration, hurt, or disappointment that parents of prodigals must endure when their children wander away. I imagine that this father felt all of that but we weren't given a glimpse into his room when he and his wife cried themselves to sleep or maybe didn't sleep at all because they had no idea if their boy was dead or alive. But today I want to focus on the father's actions and his reactions and then make a few final points.

1) When the son asked for his part of the inheritance his father gave it to him. In essence the boy was saying, "I wish you were dead already because I really can't wait any longer for your money." But the dad knew that forcing his son into staying or into doing what was right was no longer possible. That was fine when his boy was a child but now he was a man and he had to give him into the hands of God. If your child is grown then likely it's time to release him back to God. That doesn't mean we stop loving, praying, and caring but it might mean letting go.

2) The father likely never gave up hope and had his eyes focused on the distant horizon in anticipation of his son's return. The bible says it this way, "But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him." Don't lose hope because with God all things are possible.

3) Remember that God desires your child even more than you do (hard to fathom but true) so pray for God's hand in directing your child because God has a way of humbling even the hardest of hearts (Just ask me!) Even though I don't want my children to feel pain or to suffer, this may be part of their growing nearer to God and to you. In other words, if they need to spend a little time in the sty with the pigs then so be it.

4) We weren't told how long the young man was gone. Likely it wasn't just a few days or weeks so I imagine the father had many long nights. It might be a long road but hang tough. It's likely that the boy who was finally humbled and then shown grace was a son who loved his father better in the long run. Think of it like this: would it have been better for the boy who obviously had a hardened heart to stay around and go through the motions or did he have to come to understand the gift of his father's love in his own journey with God? I think that latter. Much easier in retrospect to see this but only time will make this healing possible.

I know this is far from answering all the questions that the parent of a prodigal son or daughter might have but I hope it helps a bit. I do know this one thing: The all-knowing, all-powerful, God of the universe knows where your child's heart is so I pray for your faith, your patience, your peace, and your continued grace so that when the prodigal returns you can say, as the young man's father said, "Let's have a feast and celebrate. For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found."

Please feel free to drop me a comment or an email if you have any questions or need prayer, whether you are the prodigal or the parent.

Peace in Christ,

David and the I-61 Project