I've always felt it was odd for the younger brother to ask for his share of the inheritance from his father. Who does that? Who asks for an advance on his inheritance? It takes a lot of nerve to do that, but, as we see in the story, the younger brother was very impulsive and not very good at keeping appropriate boundaries.
It's also odd that the father grants his request. When I get insulted, I get angry and perhaps argumentative. Not this father. He knows his son and decides that the best thing to do is to give him his share of the inheritance and let him go do with it what he wills.
There must have been great pain in the father's heart- both because of the insult from his son and because the relationship was, for all practical purposes, dead. The son was cutting himself off from the father, and they very likely may never see each other again.
Today's devotion reminds us of what sin is and does. Martin Luther defined sin as curving in upon oneself. That's what the son does, curves in on himself and brashly asks for his inheritance. And then sin breaks hearts, especially the heart of God. It's a sobering thought to think of the many ways over the course of my life I've broken God's heart. Thankfully, this parable does not end here. But it is a reminder of the serious effects that sin has on one another and on the One who made us and loves us.
We often compare God's love for us with our love for our children...yet I wonder how many of us would allow our children to learn their own, painful lessons. As you say, we would more likely be angry and take control. God takes great risks when he gives us our own choices and consequences. I truly value this perspective that we sometimes break God's heart. If we love Him completely, we will treat Him lovingly because we WANT to!
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