This week, Eric discussed the younger son in the prodigal son parable. The parable of the Prodigal Son has been called The Evangelium in Evangelio which means the Gospel within the Gospel. It is as if in Jesus’ parable we have a
microcosm of the cosmic gospel. All the elements are there – a lavish Father, rebellion, repentance, and a homecoming. Along with the Good Samaritan, this is, no doubt, one of the most well-known parables of Jesus in the world. Ralph Waldo Emerson called the Prodigal Son the greatest Biblical story.
This sermon series is loosely based on Tim Keller's book, The Prodigal God. Many people have issues that the book, and the sermon series is titled this way because of the term "prodigal." We associate "prodigal" negatively, but the truth is that there are different understandings of the word.
Prodigal can mean "wasteful" or "reckless," like the story of the younger son in Luke 15. Prodigal can also mean "lavishly abundant" as it does in the context of God and His grace.Our God has lavished His grace on us in a sense that is reckless. That doesn't mean He doesn't call more out us and change us, but it does mean that He welcomes home all of us that have been wasteful of the life He has given us as He shapes us into the children we were always meant to be.
