Unit Four:
and he said, “A certain man had two sons. The younger son told his father, ‘I want my share of your estate now before you die.’ So his father agreed to divide his wealth between his sons. “A few days later this younger son packed all his belongings and moved to a distant land, and there he wasted all his money in wild living. About the time his money ran out, a great famine swept over the land, and he began to starve. He persuaded a local farmer to hire him, and the man sent him into his fields to feed the pigs. The young man became so hungry that even the pods he was feeding the pigs looked good to him. But no one gave him anything. “When he finally came to his senses, he said to himself, ‘At home even the hired servants have food enough to spare, and here I am dying of hunger! I will go home to my father and say, “Father, I have sinned against both heaven and you, and I am no longer worthy of being called your son. Please take me on as a hired servant.”‘ “So he returned home to his father. And while he was still a long way off, his father saw him coming. Filled with love and compassion, he ran to his son, embraced him, and kissed him. His son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against both heaven and you, and I am no longer worthy of being called your son.’ “But his father said to the servants, ‘Quick! Bring the finest robe in the house and put it on him. Get a ring for his finger and sandals for his feet. And kill the calf we have been fattening. We must celebrate with a feast, for this son of mine was dead and has now returned to life. He was lost, but now he is found.’ So the party began. “Meanwhile, the older son was in the fields working. When he returned home, he heard music and dancing in the house, and he asked one of the servants what was going on. ‘Your brother is back,’ he was told, ‘and your father has killed the fattened calf. We are celebrating because of his safe return.’ “The older brother was angry and wouldn’t go in. His father came out and begged him, but he replied, ‘All these years I’ve slaved for you and never once refused to do a single thing you told me to. And in all that time you never gave me even one young goat for a feast with my friends. Yet when this son of yours comes back after squandering your money on prostitutes, you celebrate by killing the fattened calf!’ “His father said to him, ‘Look, dear son, you have always stayed by me, and everything I have is yours. We had to celebrate this happy day. For your brother was dead and has come back to life! He was lost, but now he is found!'”
Luke 15:11-32
Did you see anything that shocked you or you thought would have shocked the audience at the time? I have highlighted some of them for you.
- A reprobate son asks for his inheritance while the father still lives
- The father divides his wealth between them
- A Jewish boy feeding the pigs and tempted by the pig food
- The father ran
- The robe, the ring, and the sandals
- Kill the fattened calf
This story goes from bad to worse and I have haven’t yet listed the final shock. I am saving that for the punchline at the end. Imagine the stories that went around in the village, with the latest news that came to hand.
“Samuel, did you hear what I heard? I heard that Shlomo’s son asked for his inheritance while his father is still living. Can you believe it? A Jewish boy asking for his inheritance while his dad is still living. In other words effectively saying, I wish you were dead because I want my inheritance now.”
“Ya, I heard that too Simeon. The news is all over the village. They won’t keep this one quiet. But do you know what else I heard? The kid left a few days later with his inheritance and has gone off who knows where. Good riddance I say.”
“Ya, I agree with you. Best thing he could and should have done, after doing such a shocking thing as that. But do you know what else?”
“No, what?”
“Ben David told me, the other brother got his inheritance too. Mr Shlomo gave BOTH boys their inheritance.”
“Oh, you’re kidding me. Well, I hope he turned it down and told his father he wouldn’t take it because he honoured his dad too much to do such a thing.”
“NO, that’s the point! He took the money and said nothing. And what’s worse, he is living here, still in the village under his father’s roof, with his inheritance. How insensitive and crass is that?”
“Has the boy no shame?”
Some time later:
“Hey Samuel, wanna know the latest on Shlomo’s youngest? He is feeding pigs in a village over the boarder in another country. And the person who told me, has just come back from there. He said that he was on the point of eating pigs’ food cos he was so hungry. Can you believe it? How low can you go?”
“Well, that is what you can expect Ben David, when a boy does what he did. He will keep going lower, I reckon. The kid’s a reprobate. So unlike his dad, Shlomo, who is so highly respected around here.”
“Yeah, but do you know what? The eldest child is still using the inheritance and living under the father’s roof. I think that is even worse than what the younger kid did. How could such shame come to our village? It is not just shameful to Shlomo. It’s shameful to all of us. I am so glad we pronounced Kezezah over the younger one. I think we should have pronounced it over the older one too. That’s my opinion.”
“Indeed, just let the younger one try to come back here again after he has be a recipient of Kezezah! He is considered dead to us of us in the village now. Like he didn’t exist. But interesting how much we still talk about him, isn’t it?”
“Let him try to come back here, Samuel. There will be a “welcoming committee” for him on the edge of the village, that’s for sure.” Just like we broke the pot during Kezezah, we’ll break him. Relationship in the village with him has ended. We’ll give him what for if he dares to come back.”
On the return of the younger son to the village, the word has gone out that he has dared to come back. A crowd is now waiting for him to run the gauntlet of angry people, as he tries to enter the village. Suddenly, the father comes running. It is a strong cultural taboo for important, honoured men to run. Men with status don’t run. Aristotle is reported to have said, “Big men don’t run; it’s not proper.” This father comes running. He is the only one who can escort his son through the crowd who are set on punishing him. Only the father, who was the prime one who was wronged and disrespected, can be the one to offer the “olive branch”.
Not only does he run and shame himself doing it, but he orders the staff to kill the fatted calf and offers the robe, the ring and the sandals to the boy. Have you found out what those things symbolise? I will add to your understanding in the next Gem, by telling you what these things signify and the details of what Kezezah is all about. The story just keeps getting more interesting as it unfolds and we haven’t got to the end yet.
This story would have been the talk of the village for years. It is filled with scandalous things heaped one upon another. It would have been whispered about for years. I believe they are going to turn it into a long running TV series.
A critic of a church & a servant in a church both see the same problem but respond differently. One goes online & the other goes to work!
Rick Godwin
A person of integrity (a) Instead of talking, prays about it; (b) Instead of criticising, looks for something good; (c) Instead of showing anger, shows grace.
Bob Gass
Leaders are self-critical. Losers are critical of others.
Rick Warren
Don’t listen to critics — do what has to be done. Neither your critics nor your competitors should determine the standards you set for yourself.
Ian Vail
Today will you complain or contribute? Compete or cooperate? Criticize or compliment? Crush or create? Curse or cheer?
Anon