Reconciliation after a disagreement can be difficult, for most of us feel aggrieved despite there being two wronged persons.

Can two walk together, except they be agreed?~Amos 3:3

As children we expect adults to solve our troubles, and provide us with all our needs sufficiently to guarantee a full stomach, and a comfortable life. That's why our parents are important for they are the providers, and the children the recipients of our parents indulgence.

There comes a time when each of sets off on our merry way along the yellow brick road learning that we must take responsibility for those matters that once upon time were our parents obligation.

A parent never ceases to love their children, even when the children choose to leave home, and squander their parents savings on reckless living.

The Prodigal Son would soon learn that his self indulgence, and irresponsible choices would impoverish him...leading him home to his loving father...joyful that his son had returned home.

The Prodigal returned to his dad not because he wanted to return home, but because he was penniless, and starving leaving him no choice.

His dad understood that his son had been self destructive...but welcomed him with open arms, celebrating with a party the homecoming of his much beloved son.

Feelings of remorse the result of having behaved badly should not prevent us from reconciling with our Heavenly Father whose love for all His children never waivers.

“You never depart from us, but yet, only with difficulties do we return to You.” ― Augustine of Hippo, Confessions

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... a contemporary audience hearing that story would have been scandalised by the actions of the father. To take back a son who, effectively, wished his father dead was, in itself, subversive of the social order.

Hi Faz,

I agree...nevertheless, Jesus' story demonstrates that the father's love for his child, includes continuing to care for his son's welfare, excluding any thought that his son deserves further punishment... for his son's self inflicted injuries was sufficient punishment.

--Previous Message--
: ... a contemporary audience hearing that story
: would have been scandalised by the actions
: of the father. To take back a son who,
: effectively, wished his father dead was, in
: itself, subversive of the social order.
:

Where are you getting that the son wished his father dead?

Hi Pete,

In demanding his share of his dad's estate, The Prodigal deemed his father...dead...there being an awareness that one doesn't inherit the property of ones parents until death of the parent.

: The Prodigal returned to his dad not because
: he wanted to return home, but because he was
: penniless, and starving leaving him no
: choice.

I don't agree, Alex, and I think the distinction matters.

He had a choice, he could have continued down the gurgler and perished.

But his predicament brought into relief the plenitude of his father's love (even servants had food to spare) and he wished to be reconciled to him so to live in this love.

From von Balthasar's Love Alone Is Credible:

Once a person learns to read the signs of love and thus to believe it, love leads him into the open field wherein he himself can love. If the prodigal son had not believed that the father’s love was already there waiting for him, he would not have been able to make the journey home – even if his father’s love welcomes him in a way he never would have dreamed of. The decisive thing is that the sinner has heard of a love that could be, and really is, there for him; he is not the one who has to bring himself in line with God; God has always already seen in him, the loveless sinner, the loveless sinner, a beloved child and has looked upon him and conferred dignity upon him in the light of this love.

No one can resolve this mystery into dry concepts and explain how it is that God no longer sees my guilt in me, but only in his beloved Son, who bears it for me; or how God sees this guilt transformed through the suffering of love and loves me because I am the one for whom his Son has suffered in love. But the way God, the lover, sees us is in fact the way we are in reality – for God, this is the absolute and irrevocable truth.

Hi Tony M,

That the Prodigal left home with his share of his dad's estate indicates that his decision to leave his father having demanded his share of his dad's estate in advance of the death of his father evidenced no great respect, or love for his dad's feelings for his much beloved son.

That in self imposed exile the Prodigal's choice was starvation leading to a premature death, or returning to his dad's home to live a full, and rewarding life would appear to me to be an acceptance by the son that he had no other choice...that is, for the sane human person seeking nourishment, and shelter.

I like to believe that the Prodigal reconciled with his dad, not to repeat his earlier self destructive decision to leave his father's side, where he enjoyed his dad's loving protection. In this sense it can be argued that the son's loving relationship was restored by the dad's free choice not to scold his son, but to welcome him home with a big embrace, and a celebration.

The hero in this story is the father, who despite the selfish behaviour of his son, welcomes him back into his home with joy overflowing, and with no wish to add to the son's self imposed punishment for having rejected his dad's love, and abundance.

The listener to Jesus' story also learns that Our Father welcomes all His children back into his tender, loving care when ever we make the decision to return, for whatever reason...for Our Father never hesitates to forget all our self inflicted injuries.

I quote the words of Pope Francis:

http://www.lastampa.it/2016/09/11/vaticaninsider/eng/the-vatican/no-one-is-a-lost-cause-god-awaits-us-with-open-arms-DjKDAmDVuppcTrbsxFC5rJ/pagina.html

“The most moving parable is the one about the father who embraces his long-lost son, because it illustrates God’s limitless love.” What touches us most, the Pope says, is not so much the sad story of a young man who takes the wrong path but his crucial words: “I will get up and go to my father.” The way home, Francis Said, “is the path of hope which leads to a new life: “God waits with open arms for us to resume our journey, he awaits us patiently, he sees us when we are still a long way away, he runs towards us, he embraces us, he kisses us, he forgives us. And his forgiveness erases the past and regenerates us through love.” Jesus himself says: “There will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous ones who do not need to repent.”



end

Beautifully expressed by the pope.

The father's joy doesn't derive from any desperate, practical expedience on the part of the son but from his loving act of reconciliation.

As Balthasar says, the father sees the son as he really is, having elected him in Christ before the foundation of the world. And once again and for now, at least, the son is acting like one.

The story gives me some light on what it means to be co-heir by participation in Christ.

Christ's love was complete in the utter desolation and abandonment of Calvary, freely undertaken.
Ours, while subject to sinfulness and dependant on grace, can only be commensurate after having similarly passed through the crucible of suffering and abandonment, even if self-imposed.

Suffering and joy are two ends of the same stick.

: Where are you getting that the son wished
: his father dead?

I guess Alex has it covered, Pete, but in the context of social expectations, the son wasn't just asking for a loan so that he could go off and 'find himself', he was asking for his share of his inheritance, something he would only be entitled to if his father was dead.

It is a pointed and brutal rejection of his Father's love which, in the end, makes the son's metanoia all the more compelling.

Such a simple story ... with so many lessons!

That seems like sound reasoning. Thanks for the clarification and have a nice day.

Pete


--Previous Message--
: Where are you getting that the son wished
: his father dead?
:
: I guess Alex has it covered, Pete, but in
: the context of social expectations, the son
: wasn't just asking for a loan so that he
: could go off and 'find himself', he was
: asking for his share of his inheritance,
: something he would only be entitled to if
: his father was dead.
:
: It is a pointed and brutal rejection of his
: Father's love which, in the end, makes the
: son's metanoia all the more compelling.
:
: Such a simple story ... with so many
: lessons!
: