the book that gets its own blog post

I love reading, and have been enjoying our library here on ship. Recently though I picked up a book from the boutique. The boutique is on deck 2, and it has items that other mercy shippers didn't need or donated before they left. You never know what you might find in there. Anyway, I was there one day a few weeks ago and a book caught my eye- I recognized it as one that several friends and family members had recommended: "The Prodigal God" by Tim Keller.

I finished it about a day and a half later, and since then have read it again. I can tell that the last person who had it appreciated it as well, because some especially poignant paragraphs were already underlined for me.

In the book, Tim Keller explores the meaning of the parable of the Prodigal Son, which he explains should really be called the parable of the Two Lost Sons.

Having grown up attending church and Sunday school and bible study etc., I am very familiar with the story of the prodigal son. I am very familiar with the story of how the loving, forgiving father welcomes back his once wayward and now repentant son- but I was not familiar with the way Keller presents the story of the older son.

Keller reminds the reader of the audience and the setting first- Jesus was preparing to eat and spend time with "sinners" and tax collectors, and the Pharisees (the teachers and abides of the Law) scoffed at his behavior. He answered them with this famous tale of two sons. Read Luke 15 if you aren't familiar with it.

 

The father represents God in this story, and the two sons represent two different, but equally lost, types of people. The younger, prodigal son is the more obviously lost one. He chooses to disgrace his father, turn his back on his family and go his own way, spending and living recklessly. After some time living in this way he comes to his senses and realizes that he wants and needs the mercy of his father. He returns and is welcomed home.

The older son is the one who lives by his father's rules. He goes through the motions of being near his father and living to please him, but his true motives for his obedience are exposed when the father rejoices in the return of the younger son. Rather than rejoice with him the older son is angry. He feels that he is owed more for his obedience.

Here is an excerpt from chapter 3:

...the brother's hearts, and the two ways of life they represent, are much more alike than they first appear.

What did the younger son want most in life? He chafed at having to partake of his family's assets under his father's supervision. He wanted to make his own decisions and have unfettered control of his portion of the wealth....

...What did the older son want? If we think about it he wanted the same thing as his brother. He was just as resentful of the father as was the younger son. He, too, wanted the father's goods rather than the father himself. However, while the younger brother went far away, the elder brother stayed close and "never disobeyed". That was his way to get control. His unspoken demand is, "I have never disobeyed you! Now you have to do things in my life the way I want them to be done."

The two hearts of the brothers were the same. Both sons resented their father's authority and sought ways of getting out from under it. They each wanted to get into a position in which they could tell the father what to do. Each one, in other words, rebelled- but one did so by being very bad and the other by being extremely good. Both were alienated from thier father's heart; both were lost sons....

....they both were using the father for their own self-centered ends rather than loving, enjoying and serving him for his own sake.

 

I think at times I can identify with either one of the sons. But, I pray that by the grace of God I would be a child of His that seeks Him for His own sake. I loved this book because it reminded me of some of the deepest truths- the ones that are a sturdy foundation and I hope are built into the core of my being:

-I have already been given the greatest reward, one that I could never earn by goodness or find on my own- and that reward is to know Christ. And It is in the pursuit of knowing and being near to him that I am filled up, and able to serve and love.

- He is all that I have that is lasting, and all that I need in this life.

- I already know who I am and Who I belong to- and my mission in this life is to follow Him whole heartedly.

So thank you, kind mercy shipper who left this book in the boutique. And if anyone else living on this vessel would like to read it, I would be happy to pass it along.

And because this is my blog and I can end this post however I like, I will end it with a song. Because it is a favorite of mine and it goes nicely with this post:

Hallelujah! All I have is Chirst!