The Madisonian. (Richmond, Ky.) 1913-1914, 1914-04-28
LESSON FOR MAY 8
THE PRoDIeAL SON.

LESSON FOR MAY 8
THE PRoDIGAL SON.
LESSON TEXT-Luke l5:11-32.
GOLDEN TEXT will arise and go
! to my father, and will say unto him.
Father, have sinned against heaven, and
in thy sight" Luke 1913.
The parallels Of Jesus are marvels
Of unity and condensation, yet no nee
essary detail is omitted This, per-
haps his most famous, is no excep-
ton even though it does carry a dou-
Bile lesson. Who thinks of the older
brother when this story is mentioned?
Though designated the STORY of the
Prodigal," we need to remind our
selves that the word "prodigal" never
once occurs in the story. The open
Ing sentence speaks of father and
of two sons. 1t is really the parable
of perfect father, the unwilling Of
the true heart of God Against that
| background is set off a self-centered
! son lacking in natural affection. Also
alongside the hayward son is the mis-
| erly, selfish one who lacked all the
good qualities of his brother, but who
was truly wanderer and out of har-
mony with God the Father. In the
background we see the citizens of
| the far country who helped this young
Jew to his place of want, famine and
degradation. Remember, it is our
Lord speaking to Jews. When the
Gentiles of the far country sent him
to feed swine they insulted him by
compelling him to get his living
through an occupation instinctively
repulsive.
First Fruit of Sin.
The father makes equar partition
divided unto them" (V 12) though
neither son had a right to demand a
partition of his estate. At the bot,
tom of the sons request was a desire
to have his own way-to be independ-
ent of God. He did not go away from
home at once, though his heart was
already in the far country"
|. Into the Far Country, w. 1916.
Fun is the first fruit of sin, and that
money lasted (Heb. 1888. But the
consequences followed closely on its
trail, for when he had spent ALL he
began to be in want" There are
many attractive things about this
young man, but those qualities were
perverted, they lacked control, they
were good servants but bad task
or ic OH
temporal want that comes to the sin
ner, there are deeper and more in
tense longings-soul want and soul
hunger. These always come to the
soul away from God Being in want
does not mean that mans will has
been subdued Some prodigals in the
most abject temporal need are as
| proud as Lucifer, and boast of their
rebellion. So he "joined himself to q
citizen of the country" He did not
| belong there-the citizen did. He was
set to the most degrading ask i'm
aginable for a feeding swine.
Like Lost Sheep.
II. The Home Coming, w. 1924.
The first step was for the son to stop
and really think. That is where sal
walton always begins-in thinking. He
! knew he was lost, e. g., out of adjust
ment, in the wrong place, out Of his
! element and like the lost sheep,
1 ready to die" He saw his condi-
ton, money gone, friends gone, hogs
for companions, no food for his sus-
| tenance. He saw his value. He was
more important than the servants OF
his fathers home. He saw his faith
er's love, already manifested in what
had been given him and we fain would
| believe that when he left home he
had the fathers urgent plea to re-
turn. He saw way to escape from
his present position. All Of this after
he "came to himself" Before that.
impenitent, he was morally insane,
! now he has reasoned. lisa. rs. With
his reasoning also came the deter
mination to make a full confession
IT will say unto him." not alone con
fess his need but the fact that he had
sinned. This is the only way for a
sinner to come to God, Ps. 1878
John 1:9; Luke 18:11-14. He die
not stop with resolving but The arose
and came to his father" " 20. He ex
i pected to apply for a servants posi-
ton, but never had the opportunity
for the father saw him "a great way
off" and ran and fell on his neck and
kissed him." Notice the kiss of recon
Citation was given before he even hat
a chance to confess. In his comics
sion his first thought is that he hat
sinned against God and then agains
his earthly father. The father hat
not once forgotten him; he chad com
passion" even though the son was un
merciful to himself and to all of his
loved ones. The father kissed hin
before he was washed or otherwis,
made presentable.
Neither of the sons are perfect bu
he who uttered the parable was him
self the true son of the father. HI
never departed from his father
wasted his fathers substance, no
brought discredit upon his name
4 Jesus was in full sympathy with hi
fathers heart for he welcomed tn,
wandering pubiicans and sinners Il
himself, took the journey into the ia
country to find the wanderers and t,
bring them home Christ's mission
was to bring many "sons to glory
(Heb. 2:10), which means restorini
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