Evening star., 1924-11-01
THE PRODIGAL SON.-Luke,
xv.11-24.
Golden Text will arise and
go to my father.-Luke xv18.

This para bile has been taken out of
( its chronological order to furnish US
! the lesson for the Worlds Temper
| ance Sunday. Its applications for
| that purpose are SO obvious that we
will study it without regard to it's
| temperance message. If we are to
understand this priceless and i'm
mortal parable, that is clearly the
| finest one ever spoken by the Lord,
/ it will be necessary for US to remem-
| Der the circumstances under which
| Jesus spoke the group of parallels
| that have touched the heart of hu-
! manity with its message Of Gods
! love for the lost.
! Christ's attitude toward sinners and
publicans has been the object of criti-
| cism. The pharisees especially had
| censured Him for His fellowship with
| the social outcasts. Jesus accepted
| Invitations to become the guest of
! the publicans, who were considered
| national renegades and traitors to
their race. They appreciated His
/ friendship. and responded by giving
| the Master their confidence and af-
| fection, which served to widen the
breach between the Lord and His
critics, the scribes and pharisees,
| whose criticism He met by the group
| of parallels that revealed the love Of
| God for the lost and His desire to
win them back.
| Gods concern for those who despise
| Him and have gone into evil ways
| was illustrated by the para bles of the
lost sheep. coin and son. His love
for the lost was revealed in the first
Of the three, and the naturalness OF
| Jehovah to take pains to recover the
| lost in the second. In the parable
| that We are called upon to study
| there is revealed the Fathers LONG
| suffering due to the "prodigals" de-
parture from home and His rejoicing
| over His return. The message is sc
| clear that there is no need of an ex-
| position Of it's meaning. Let US turn
| to it to see in Christ's defense oi
! His attitude toward the lost His Dor
| trait Of God, that has touched the
/ hearts of humanity because it shows
| the abiding interest of Jehovah in us
! at AL times.
The ProdigaTs Departure.
The prodigars determination 10 &c
into the far country was due 10 q
desire to have his own way He hac
chafed under the restraints Of home
The absence of any reference tc
mother is suggestive that he may
have been deprived of her loving care
He despised his fathers love, espe
cially when il interfered with his de.
started when lie determined to use hi:
fathers property as his own By
rudely demanding that his father
share his wealth with him.
Refusing to heed his fathers advic.
and determined to make his own way
in the world and live his own life, he
took what his generous father gave
to him. In letting the young mar
have his own way, there is an indica
ton that he had been having hi,
own way for some time. IT was no
long before the resources were spent
He had squandered them in seeking
a new thrill and wasted them in the
far country.
We are apt to forget that "lfv;n
which does not outrage prophecies
may be riotous all the same: for al
conduct which ignores God and as.
serts self as supreme is fagrantly
against the very nature of man, anc
is reckless waste" The prodigar:
rejection Of the fathers control i:
suggestive OF the real root of mans
departure from the ways of righteous
ness today by rejection of God anc