Jump Start # 1262

Luke 15:13 “And not many days later, the younger son gathered everything together and went on a journey into a distant country, and there he squandered his estate with loose living.”

Oh, the prodigal son. I never tire hearing this story. I have a whole collection of books devoted to this parable. I’m in the midst of a new book now. The story is rich with layers of lessons. We have a Jump Start book devoted to the prodigal son, so I will not spend much time writing about the background or the multiple lessons. There is one thought today—”there he squandered…”

The word for squandered or waste comes from farmers who would glean the wheat. They would toss the wheat up into the air, the wind would blow the chaff away and the heavier grain would fall into their baskets. The blowing chaff is the idea here. We use the expression, “He blew it,” and that’s so true. He let opportunity and resources fall through his fingers. He literally threw his life away.

What struck me about all of this was the drastic contrasts between the father and this wasteful son. The father had earned this wealth. He had protected it, grew it and it became something of value. The father was careful. The father was prudent. The father was responsible. It was his, given to him by God. The wealth represented years of labor. It was his life. Another interesting word illustrates this. The context of Luke 15 says that the father divided “his living” between the two sons. The word “living” is bios, the Greek word for life. We get our word “biology,” “biography”, words about life, from this word. The father literally handed over years of his life. He gave decades to his sons.

In contrast to the dedicated years of building up an estate, the younger son, who did not have the vested time, concern or interest in these things, threw it all way in a short time. It didn’t take the prodigal very long to fly through the years of money that the father had earned and saved up. The prodigal didn’t honor what his father had provided for him. He didn’t care. He misused it. He wasted it. He burned through it.

There is lessons here beyond just the obvious. The obvious, of course, is the sinful choices that led to the nightmare that crushed the prodigals dreams. His choices ruined the wealth, the reputation and the opportunities that were given to him. He was foolish, unwise and sinful. He ends up wanting to eat what the pigs were eating. Desperate, lonely and hopeless became his three constant companions. His only thought was returning to the one he ran away from. The only one who would help him was the one he turned his back on. The lesson is about the forgiving grace of God. The sinner is welcomed back home by our loving Father.

We should never tire of this story. It is our story. It is the reason for the cross. It is the hope of Heaven. It is the grace of God illustrated. That is the lesson of the prodigal.

But another layer, is the contrast between one generation and the next. One generation carefully maintains and saves things and the next generation wants to toss out those very things. We see this first in just material items. My generation is facing dealing with aging parents and family members. Many of them were pack rats. They saved. They saved papers. They saved articles. They saved bulletins. They saved and saved. Nightstands are stuffed full of stuff. These things were important to them. Along we come and we do not have the same feelings toward those things. Many of those things are about people we do not even know. The task becomes ours someday to go through it all and decide what to keep and what to toss. Most gets tossed. My kids will have to do that with my stuff someday. I have notebooks, covering more than three and half decades of church bulletins that I have written. I have file cabinets, a lot of file cabinets, that are already stuffed with sermons, articles and things I have felt were worth saving. These things have helped me. Someday my kids will have the lovely job of deciding what to keep and what to toss. Most will be tossed.

Greater than all of this, is the great spiritual contrasts between generations. This comes out very plainly in the study of church history in general, and in the history of specific congregations. Forefathers sacrificed greatly to get a congregation established. They literally poured hours into that effort. Many donated land and labor and supplies to put up a simple place to meet and worship. Those early saints did all that they could to hold things together. They were small and struggled. Every dollar was carefully spent. That little church grew and grew. In time, a larger church building was built. More people. More money. Decades later, some come along and they do not have the time, interest, devotion into the place as some of the early folks did. The call for change takes place. Some of the changes may not be necessary. Some may even be wrong. People without that dedication to the principles of God force changes. The good and the purpose seems to be wasted. Years of standing with God seems to be tossed out. New and bigger becomes the theme. Happy replaces holy. Contemporary and casual trump reverence. The place just doesn’t look the same any more. This is how congregations have shifted doctrinally through the years. This is how congregations have lost their identity and purpose through the years. What it took years and years to establish and build, can be thrown away in a short time.

In many places there is a sharp discord between the younger generation and the older generation. The older generation fears technology and change. The younger generation groans at tradition. As the older generation passes away, the younger voices outnumber the older ones. They generally get their wishes. In some ways there is nothing to fear. But in other ways, some may be throwing away “life.”

What is the answer? For some, impatience leads to dividing up the congregation. A split takes place. It generally falls down family and generational lines. That’s not the best move. Open discussion is the key. Appreciation for what has been done in the past and the hopes of keeping those godly principles in the future. Working together for the common good of God. Not tossing out things that are treasured. I was walking through the hallway of a hospital the other day. There was an wooden display case filled with old medical items. It was more than a museum piece, it was honoring those early doctors and nurses and staff that made it possible for that hospital to still be in business today. The past and the future intersected. As a church looks forward, it cannot forget those who helped them stay the course with God. Isn’t this what Hebrews 11 reminds us of? Those great heroes of faith that remind us, instruct us, and are examples for us, as we live in a modern world.

Some things in the past cannot be tossed, not if we want to continue walking with God. The beginning of a new year makes us reflect upon those who have passed away recently. Their lives helped us and shaped us in many, many ways. The pitiful prodigal never understood most of this. He simply wanted to run from the past and who he was. It was his father’s past that made it possible for him even to have an inheritance. Remembering who we are, where we came from, and what others have done for us to make it possible for us to worship God are valuable lessons.

Do you know your congregations history? You ought to find out. Do you know your family’s religious history? You ought to find that out as well. Great lessons. Great sacrifices. Some things to treasure and keep.

Roger