24 Paul & the Prodigal Son …
Jesus: “There was a man who had two sons. The younger one said to his father, ‘Father, give me my share of the estate.’ So he divided his property between them. Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living. After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he began to be in need. So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs. He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything. When he came to his senses, … he got up and returned to his father. And, WHILE HE WAS STILL FAR OFF, his father saw him and was filled with compassion; then he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.” (the Parable of the Prodigal Son, Luke 15:11-20)
Paul: “Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; … Love bears all things … Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.” (1 Corinthians 13:4-7 + Ephesians 4:31-32)
Jesus: “Well said, my friend … and Happy Father’s Day!”*
(*While he apparently had no children on his own, Paul remains the father of the modern-day Christian church; not Jesus’ favorite institution, but still …)
NOTE #01: While most scholars are in agreement that Ephesians was not written by Paul, it WAS written by a follower of Paul who directly copied most of Colossians, in all likelihood the last Biblical epistle Paul ever penned.
NOTE #02: Please attend to probably the most important part of the Parable of the Prodigal Son — namely, that the father forgave the sinning son, accepted him completely, and even celebrated his return — all BEFORE the son repented!
For the Christian believer, of course, the “return” in this parable is claiming Jesus Christ as his/her only Lord & Savior. For Jesus and those who follow his Way, however, the “return” in the story is simply our deaths — every “death” of our ego whenever we sacrifice ourselves for another, and ultimately the physical death of our bodies, whereafter the life essence of EVERYONE (regardless of deeds done or beliefs claimed while alive) is “welcomed Home” by the “Cosmic Father” — the quantum Source from whence that Spirit originally sprang forth.
NOTE #03: While Paul would probably stress that the forgiveness mentioned in Ephesians 4:31-32 pertains only to Christian “believers”, the Parable of the Prodigal Son (indeed, Jesus’ entire ministry) would seem to say otherwise …
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