Through the years of following Messiah, it's easy to see that I was very clearly, once a prodigal child. I've also been, on occasion, the elder brother in some situations, and for sure, I've been a prodigal parent. I've been so hopeful at times, I've served up the fatted calf, only to be mocked. In all of my humanness, I've realized something I'd never before considered. Since Messiah was able to be tempted, that means, He could have chosen to be either one of those brothers in that parable.
Luke 15:11 And he said, A certain man had two sons: 12 And the younger of them said to his father, Father, give me the portion of goods that falleth to me. And he divided unto them his living. 13 And not many days after the younger son gathered all together, and took his journey into a far country, and there wasted his substance with riotous living. 14 And when he had spent all, there arose a mighty famine in that land; and he began to be in want. 15 And he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country; and he sent him into his fields to feed swine. 16 And he would fain have filled his belly with the husks that the swine did eat: and no man gave unto him. 17 And when he came to himself, he said, How many hired servants of my father's have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger! COF MH-COM 18 I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before thee, 19 And am no more worthy to be called thy son: make me as one of thy hired servants. 20 And he arose, and came to his father. But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him. 21 And the son said unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in thy sight, and am no more worthy to be called thy son. 22 But the father said to his servants, Bring forth the best robe, and put it on him; and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet: 23 And bring hither the fatted calf, and kill it; and let us eat, and be merry: 24 For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found. And they began to be merry. 25 Now his elder son was in the field: and as he came and drew nigh to the house, he heard music and dancing. 26 And he called one of the servants, and asked what these things meant. 27 And he said unto him, Thy brother is come; and thy father hath killed the fatted calf, because he hath received him safe and sound. 28 And he was angry, and would not go in: therefore came his father out, and entreated him. 29 And he answering said to his father, Lo, these many years do I serve thee, neither transgressed I at any time thy commandment: and yet thou never gavest me a kid, that I might make merry with my friends: 30 But as soon as this thy son was come, which hath devoured thy living with harlots, thou hast killed for him the fatted calf. 31 And he said unto him, Son, thou art ever with me, and all that I have is thine. 32 It was meet that we should make merry, and be glad: for this thy brother was dead, and is alive again; and was lost, and is found.
What if Messiah, who was already with the Father, and had been since the first of Creation, simply said He didn't want to us to share in His inheritance? Scripture says by His atoning blood, we are joint-heirs with Messiah. Not only is He sharing the inheritance, He bought it with His own blood. He could have been the elder brother and simply said, "they chose the pigpen!" He could have said, "I've not squandered the time they have. I've been a loyal son, always."
On the other hand, once He got to earth, and was tempted . . . He could have yielded like the younger son in the parable. We don't know that yielding would have cost Him, eternal punishment, only that He could not have bought ours. That had to be a real possibility, otherwise the temptation in the wilderness was a mere superfluous formality . . . He could have left heaven, gotten wild and crazy with the pleasures of this world, and not bought our redemption.
As I think of the price He paid, by the horrible death He suffered, I'm so grateful. When I think of the years He lived perfectly, without yielding to the various things I still struggle in, I am so thankful for forgiveness. When I read that I am joint-heirs with Him, I'm humbled beyond words. He could have been either brother in that parable and still been the Son of The Almighty. It is we, who would have lost and been lost forever.
Never thought of it like that! Wow! It ties in with a teaching I just heard from Ray Vander Laan, we was sharing that Yeshua changed a contemporary parable that the other rabbis were teaching. In the original parable, the father turns his son away because his son had rejected the laws of the community, and so in changing the parable Yeshua showed the true character of the Father -- but here you have expanded upon that to show the character of the Son as well :)
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