The Parable of the Prodigal Son is probably the most graphic expression of God's grace in the New Testament. It points, as powerfully as possible, to the fact that grace cannot be earned or gained by human effort but has been a gift from God in the innermost moment of our great failure. The parable, by the action of the father in the story, sets a model where God shows grace unconditionally that He always receives us back in communion with Himself regardless of our mistakes. Contemplating upon this story, I feel that this parable sets up a model for divine grace in both restorative and transformative manners, underlining that God's love outdoes human failing, while repentance is rewarded with mercy and reconciliation.
The journey of the younger son is a striking example of human weakness and the search for mistaken freedom. Having early received his heritage, he "gathered all he had and took a journey into a far country, and there he squandered his property in reckless living".1This part of the story really hits home in our own lives because it tells how, in the name of independence, we often step away from God and find ourselves being directed along a path of spiritual emptiness. The son's wild spending and eventual destitution are symbolic of the emptiness that results from trying to fill our lives with things that will not sustain us. Indeed, when I have wandered away from God's leading in my life, I too have felt spiritual bankruptcy. Yet, the turning point in the parable is not just a realization on the part of the son of his plight but the decision to return to his father. This act of humility and repentance is necessary but by no means in and of itself a means of earning the Father's grace. Rather, the father's response makes plain that grace is given gratuitously, without regard for the son's action. "But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion, and ran and embraced him and kissed him".1This verse epitomizes the unconditional nature of God's grace. He runs to the son; this is an undignified pose for any father to take, showing God is not passive in His love but actively pursues our restoration as we turn towards Him in repentance.
I often put myself in the place of the prodigal son, who wanted his independence and made bad choices, only to recognize later that he needed God's mercy. The father ran to the son, immediately embracing him in tenderness, mirroring much of the grace that I have been given in my own life. Even at times when I fail, even at times when I sin, God's grace always greets me with love and forgiveness, never condemnation. That element of the parable does bring out that merit plays no role in this aspect of grace: it is an act of divine generosity, changing us in ways we can never manage for ourselves.
The reaction of the elder son to his brother's return introduces another dimension of grace. The elder brother is angry and resentful in the face of the father's celebration of his younger son's homecoming; at the very least, he feels his faithfulness and hard work should count for something. Immediately, his complaint betrays the fallacy that grace is something that may be earned, a product of moral righteousness or of obedience, for instance. His father's response to him, "Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours",1reminds us that grace is available to all, regardless of position or past action. This section of the story reproves those of us who may have struggled with entitlement, much like the older son. This evidence that the grace of God is not limited to human notions of fair play, but is part of a divine economy in which forgiveness and mercy are extended to all. The whole parable urges me to reflect upon my approach toward God's grace in my life. I often feel like the prodigal son, who is not worthy of forgiveness; yet, the extravagant welcome of the father shows that grace is never about worthiness but about God's infinite love. The struggle of the elder son with grace serves to remind me to beware of my own self-righteousness, knowing in those places I am in just as great a need of God's mercy. This response by the father toward both of the sons, each worthy in a different way of his failings and virtues, testifies to the nature of grace; unlimited, grace which restores relationships and renews life. The Parable of the Prodigal Son gives us quite a reflection on the nature of God's grace. It reminds us of the fact that grace is neither earned nor deserved but is a gift from a loving and merciful God who seeks to restore us, no matter how far we have strayed. It is in the actions of the Father that we find an example of divine grace: not only does he forgive but transforms us by calling us back into a relationship with God, inviting us to live full in His love.
