Verse: Luke 15:31-32
31 And he said to him, ‘Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours. 32 It was fitting to celebrate and be glad, for this your brother was dead, and is alive; he was lost, and is found.’”
Devotional Thoughts:
I understand why some movies, especially big-named movies, do it, but I still don’t like the “to be continued.” I’m a big fan of the superhero movies that are popular nowadays, and if you are too, you likely saw the superhero blockbuster of the year – Avengers: Infinity War. It was a huge movie, one that the Marvel franchise had been hinting at for several years. But, after the 149 minute runtime, the movie ends unresolved. You’re left thinking, “This can’t be the end, right?” And you realize that it basically ended with a “to be continued,” and now we have to wait until next summer to see how it’s resolved!
One thing that is somewhat intriguing about the story of the prodigal son is that it just abruptly ends. Jesus had wrapped up the other two parables in Luke 15 nicely, but he doesn’t put a bow on this one. Is the younger son eventually going to be welcomed by the older son? Will the older son decide to come into the celebration? Will the older son recognize the younger son as his brother? How is the end of the story going to play out? There’s no resolution to the parable really. It just ends.
Jesus, as with everything, does this intentionally. His parable essentially ends with a “to be continued.” It ends at exactly the point that Jesus and his listeners were currently at. The younger brother in the story represents the “tax collectors and sinners” that Jesus was spending time and eating with. The older brother, on the other hand, represents the Pharisees and scribes that were upset and grumbling that Jesus was spending time with those sinners.
Points to Ponder:
It’s so incredible to see how, through this parable, Jesus is pleading with these Pharisees to come in and be a part of the celebration. The Pharisees, the ones who are eventually going to orchestrate the crucifixion, are the ones who Jesus is leaving the story open-ended for. How are they going to react? Will they follow Jesus? Will they change their mentality about the tax collectors and sinners Jesus is eating with?
This parable ends with a “to be continued” for us as well. How will we respond to this parable? Will we turn to Jesus and offer up our wayward, wandering hearts or maybe even our arrogant, egotistical hearts? Will we seek out both the younger brothers and the older brothers that need to be brought into the fold?
So, hearers of Jesus’ parable, and readers of this article, I’m going to leave this open-ended too. Will we strive to accomplish these things? I guess that’s to be continued…
