In his alienation and guilt, the prodigal is no longer capable of seeing his father as he really is. Instead of a parent abounding in love and care, he has substituted an overseer of exacting justice.
Finding the God Who is Love Read More »
The purpose of the parable isn’t to teach us that God will always welcome us home or to be a joyful rule follower. Rather, the heart of the parable, and indeed the very heart of the Gospel, is to teach us what it means to become the Father.
A Sermon on the Parable of the Prodigal Son Read More »
Salvation is not a change in location but a change in being. It is not about going to Heaven but becoming the Father in whose likeness we are to become.
The Return of the Prodigal Son, Conclusion, pt.2 Read More »
Fr. Nouwen posits that the ultimate lesson of the parable, and indeed the core message of the Gospel, is that we are to become like the Father. We are called to imitate the compassionate God that is disclosed to us as the compassionate father in the parable.
The Return of the Prodigal Son, Conclusion, pt.1 Read More »
At the end of each parable in Luke 15, the main character goes to their neighbors and says rejoice with me for that which was lost has been found. Think about how we, as the Church, are called to this rejoicing.
The Return of the Prodigal Son, Ch.7-9: The Father, pt.2 Read More »
In th epainting, look at the father’s hands. The father’s left hand is masculine and grasps the son tight, whereas the right hand is feminine and rests gently on the younger son to comfort him as only a mother can.
The Return of the Prodigal Son, Ch.7-9: The Father, pt.1 Read More »
What is the basis of the older son’s relationship with the Father? Is there any hope for the elder son?
The Return of the Prodigal Son, Ch.4-6: The Older Son, pt.2 Read More »
Nouwen calls the older son’s resentful conduct the “frozen anger among the saints.” This anger develops into a “pathology of darkness” from which the older brother cannot escape.
The Return of the Prodigal Son, Ch.4-6: The Older Son, pt.1 Read More »
Is repentance and reconciliation within the contemplation of the younger son? Does he anticipate any change in his relationship with the father? At this point in the story, has the younger son learned anything from his experience? Do you agree with Fr. Nouwen that Jesus himself can be seen as the younger son?
The Return of the Prodigal Son, Ch.3: The Younger Son Returns, pt.2 Read More »
In making his decision to return home, has anything really changed about the younger son? Is the younger son’s request simply driven by selfish desire or is he beginning to realize the true nature of his relationship with the father?
The Return of the Prodigal Son, Ch.3: The Younger Son Returns, pt.1 Read More »
