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The Bible story is about a man with two sons. All three characters are critical to the story, but it is, obviously, important to note who is telling the story--Jesus--and who He is telling it to. The intended audience, the people with the front row seats, were not the buddies of the younger son. Jesus did not preach this sermon in a honky-tonk. The primary audience was made up of Pharisees, the ones who were like the older brother.
The Prodigal, according to Tim Keller, was not the young guy who spent all his inheritance on wine, women, and song. The Prodigal was the father in the story.
Keller writes,
The word "prodigal" does not mean "wayward" but, according to Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary, "recklessly spendthrift." It means to spend until you have nothing left. The term is therefore as appropriate for describing the father in the story as the younger son. The father's welcome to the repentant son was literally reckless, because he refused to "reckon" or count his sin against him or demand repayment....In this story the father represents the Heavenly Father Jesus knew so well....Jesus is showing us the God of Great Expenditure, who is nothing if not prodigal toward us, his children. God's reckless grace is our greatest hope, a life-changing experience, and the subject of this book.I have come to appreciate and profit from Tim Keller's books. King's Cross is a great study of the life of Christ as seen through the Gospel of Mark and The Meaning of Marriage is a great study as well. But The Prodigal God is, perhaps, the best place to begin reading and meditating on a familiar parable seen and unpacked (exegeted) in greater fullness.
If there are those who want to order copies of the book, let me know.
Note: The Tuesday night study for men (of all ages) is studying and discussing The Prodigal God.
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