The Prodigal Son - Now I get it!

It's amazing how opening yourself up to new people and new ideas can revolutionize your understanding of the world. See, I never quite understood the whole story of the Prodigal Son. One son takes the wealth his dad gives him and wanders off and blows it on wine, women and song, while the other son works hard, practices self-discipline and generally helps dad with anything he needs. Then, when the first son has burned through all of his cash, he comes home begging for more, and dad treats him like royalty while seeming to snub the son who stuck around and didn't give him any grief.

That doesn't seem fair, does it?

At least, that's how I always saw it. But Saturday I had a conversation with a friend that suddenly made me understand this whole parable. The key thing I learned? Timing is everything.

My friend had been given a message once upon a time, but at that point he/she was not in the frame of mind to accept or understand that message. Had the giver of that message tried to force it upon them it would have invoked the inverse response to what they desired; in other words, he/she would have gotten angry and said something 'stop telling me what to do', just as the first son in the parable would have done had dad tried to force him to tow the line. You can't make people do what you want, you can only motivate them to take action; whether they do or not is up to them.

But when they finally do decide to take action to change their life for the better, such as the first son in the parable, then you have to be ready to welcome them with open arms. No recriminations, no chastising, just joy that they have finally found what they needed. That's the lesson son #2 did not learn. He was resentful that his good behavior was not rewarded by his father, when that behavior is actually its own reward. He was living a great life and should have been thrilled by that. Instead, he was jealous of his brother.

It's amazing what talking to people can do for you, if you will only listen to what they are saying. My friend appears to have come to this same conclusion now, because now the time in their life seems to be right for them to hear it. It wasn't before, but now it is. If so, then bravo! I hope it is so, because the message has certainly made my life better.

But now that doesn't matter, because it was not only my friend who was changed, but me, too. Seeing them come around to understand what is being offered helped me come around to understand the Parable of the Prodigal Son, something I have puzzled over for decades. I have gained tremendous insight, an epiphany, if you will, so for me the discovery process continues unabated.