The Prodigal Son

Recently, I had the privilege of preaching at Arcadia Presbyterian Church, where we have been attending. On July 23rd, I preached on the Jesus' Parable of the Prodigal Son- Part 1, focusing on the younger son. On July 30th, I preached on the Jesus' Parable of the Prodigal Son- Part 2, focusing on the older son. You can listen to them here. While there are in the current queue, they should appear as "072306s_Returning Home" and "073006s_Come Celebrate". If they are not in the current queue, just click on the "+" sign by 2006, and then click on "July". I received many warm comments from an appreciative congregation. But man, those were two hot days!

One of the inspirations behind the sermons was the work of Dr. Kenneth Bailey. Bailey's book, Finding the Lost: Cultural Keys to Luke 15, really opened my eyes to the depth and richness of this amazing parable. Bailey has now written three books on this subject. The most recent is "The Cross & the Prodigal: Luke 15 Through the Eyes of Middle Eastern Peasants". He has also written "Jacob & the Prodigal: How Jesus Retold Israel's Story". In each of these, Bailey explores how the original audience would have heard this parable.

One of his great insights is that the older brother thinks that the party is being held in honor of his rascally younger brother. Bailey points out that when the shepherd throws a party after recovering the lost sheep, the guest of honor at the party is not the sheep, but the shepherd. Bailey also points out that when the woman throws a party after recovering the lost coin, the guest of honor at the party is not the coin, but the woman. Likewise, when the father throws a party after recovering the lost son, the guest of honor at the party is not the son, but the father! It is the father's joy in recovering his lost son that he invites the community to share in.

Another book that has been foundational for my understanding of this parable is the little book by German theologian and pastor, Helmut Thielicke, called "The Waiting Father." It is now out of print, but can be found in limited quantities here. Thielicke was the first person I had read who saw this parable in two parts, the younger son and the older son, and so Thielicke preached two sermons on it. The rest of the book is also quite good, and contains sermons on the parables of Jesus. Some of the German references are a bit obscure, and some of the language is dated, but Thielicke has powerful insights into Jesus' parables and how they address the human condition.

Finally, you may get a chuckle out of the church sign. I was not all that pleased by seeing my name prominently displayed with such a glaring typo. But what can you do?