Luke 15:31
“And he said unto him, Son, thou art ever with me, and all that I have is thine.”
One of the most famous parables in the Scriptures is the parable of the prodigal son. It is a heartwarming story about a boy who rebelled against his father and after wasting all of his living, came to himself and went back home to his father. Any parent who has a child who has gone wayward holds to this parable as their hope that their child will return.
However, there was another child who stayed home and was faithful to his father. The one who stayed home didn’t shame his father’s name. But, when the prodigal returned home, the father threw a party for him. When the son who had been faithful to his father came home and saw the party, he was angry because he couldn’t believe his father would make such ado about the prodigal coming home.
I can certainly see both sides of this story. I can understand a father being overjoyed about his prodigal son coming home, but I would like to caution this father not to overdo the reception of the prodigal coming home. There is a side of me that completely understands the son who was faithful to his father. I can understand how he looks in amazement at his father throwing a big party for the prodigal, when he stood by his father throughout the years and had not shamed the family name.
We must be careful about not forgetting to honor the one who stayed home. Though the story of the prodigal is a more glamorous story to tell, the best part of the story is the son who stayed home and didn’t shame his family name. No, the story about the son who was faithful to his father won’t fill the seats when someone talks about it, but that son should receive the greater honor. That son should be the one who we honor over the one who left and came back home.
Preachers must be careful about overdoing the people who rebelled, and came back home. Throughout the years, the person who turned on God and came back home seems to be the one who we like to put in front of our youth. I understand we want the youth to hear about the horrors of sin, but maybe you should put those who lived a wholesome life in front of them and make them the heroes. I would much rather my daughter hear the stories of those who lived right than the stories of those who came back to God. Don’t get me wrong, I think both stories are important to hear, but let’s be careful about overdoing the focus on those who rebelled and came back home.
Moreover, let’s also be careful to promote the one’s who have been faithful to stand by the old-time religion. I have watched over the years that preachers will use men who left the old-time religion and came back over those who stayed in it all the time. I’m not against it, but it is wiser to use the man who has stood and never wavered on our national platforms over the one who didn’t have the discernment to stand when compromise was popular.
Finally, let me warn the parent not to forget to honor the child who is faithful and does right. If you have a child who has gone wayward, don’t forget to give attention to the one who has done right. If all your attention is on the one who has gone wayward, then you are showing to the rest of your children that the only way they can get your attention is by going to the world. Be careful to give the children who have been faithful the greater attention. Certainly, all of your children deserve the same amount of love, but be sure to give attention to the faithful child.
Simply put, let’s not overdo the honoring to the wayward. Love them, but don’t overdo it.