Spiritually Hungry: A Look at The Prodigal God by Tim Keller
I just finished a little tome titled The Prodigal God by Timothy Keller. It’s a short little book, but has a profound message that I’ve never thought about before. It takes the parable of the Return of the Prodigal Son and turns it on its head. Rather than viewing the wayward son as the bad guy it shows how the older son who stays behind to do the right thing is not as angelic as he looks.
Growing up hearing this Bible story I always viewed the wayward son as the bad son. He was the one who leaves his family prematurely to go live it up and live the supposed good life (drinking, being with multiple women, staying up late every night, eating fine food, buying lots of nice possessions), and wasting away his inheritance. I never thought about the older son who stays behind and of course is furious when his younger brother returns. Daddy dearest of course welcomes his younger son back with open arms and even decides to throw a huge welcome back party for him. The older brother is not just ticked to see his little brother return groveling at their dad, but to see their dad want to lavish him a party and gifts too. How insulting to the one son who does what he is told, works hard to help and assist with the family business and not chose to throw away his inheritance.
I never thought the older son as being in the wrong too. I mean sure I’d be ticked and not want to go to my younger brother’s welcome back party if he’d just thrown away my father’s hard earned money. I can completely understand why he’d be hugely insulted. But I never saw how the anger and jealousy was just as wrong as the living it up. Rather than being understanding and thankful his brother returns home safe he refuses to come into the party.
Mr. Keller shows how the different paths these two brothers choose are the ways in which we can try to reach God.. We can attempt to be the lone spiritual Christian ranger and go live our own way thinking we know best, or we can be the spiritually correct one who follows the rules. Growing up I was the good girl. I always followed the rules, never questioned. Now I can see myself turning from the elder brother of feeling I’ve spiritually ‘arrived’ into the younger brother who wants to experience the world and examine life and my beliefs. Not that I’ve chucked my belief in God.
Reading how being the good little Christian girl can also, blind me to my real condition. I can have the sense that I’ve grown in my faith, gained Biblical knowledge, but not see the fat stinky plank in my own eye. It’s interesting how a well known Bible story can have deeper meaning than previously I thought.
Before I read this book I would never have seen myself as the elder brother whose inside bitter and arrogant but outwardly the model son in following the rules without complaint or question. It’s a real wake up call to see yourself in the mirror and see it’s not all rosy.
I have a long way to go in my Christian walk. This book opened my eyes to so many aspects of my faith and how I thought I was walking the good Christian path. It’s therapeutic to see that my path has lots of pot holes that need to be filled. It’s refreshing to be honest with myself.
