Why Muslims Need To Hear The Story Of The Prodigal Son
The Parable of the Prodigal Son is found in the Bible in Luke 15:11-32.
I highly recommend opening your Bible and reading along with me (from the Christian Standard Bible translation) as I read in this episode. Here are the highlights:
A wealthy father had two sons.
The younger (“prodigal”) one demanded his inheritance early and ran off to pursue foolish living.
The prodigal ran out of money, fell into abject poverty and realized how much better he had it back home. Maybe he could return as a servant?
The father saw him far off and ran to greet him. He clothed him, had the fattened calf slaughtered and held a celebration.
The older son grew indignant at how his son had been welcomed back.
The Meaning Of The Story
The Father is God. The two sons are you and me.
Some of us take God’s blessings and run from him to chase pleasure, saying, “Thanks, now I don’t need you.” Others think we have earned God’s blessings because of our goodness. We say, “See how good I am! You owe me blessings, and how dare you give them to anyone else!”
The father’s response tells the Good News (the Gospel or Injil)
The father could have rebuked and punished one son for disobedience and the other for pride. Instead, he lovingly humbles himself, running to meet the younger son, and telling the older son, “Everything I have is yours.” Then he unites them both together and celebrates. In the process he sacrifices his prize calf.
In the Gospel, God “runs to meet us” by sending his Son, Jesus, who humbled himself even by dying to save sinners. When we turn from sin, to God, through faith in Jesus, God celebrates!
This story resonates deeply with those who come from more of an honor-shame culture, which is less like what we have in the West, and more like what exists in the Middle East. The story of the Prodigal Son (or “Lost Sons” as I say in this episode is one of a gracious father willingly bearing the shame of his son’s foolishness in order to rescue his son. He humbly(!) treats both his sons with compassion—not because they have earned it, but because they are his sons!