Written by Uyoyou Christiana Charles-Iyoha
The Prodigal Son and His Father – Luke
Chapter 15 verses 11 to 32
The prodigal son is an interesting case study of some
mothers do have them! Generally, sons and daughters and whoever inherits after
the demise of their parents or benefactors. But the prodigal son chose to have
his inheritance even when his father was still alive. He went to his father and
requested for his inheritance. His father obliged him and not quite long he
lost everything to riotous living and began to live in penury. Close to eating
pods - what he served to pigs as their meal, he did a rethink. He had lived
wrongly and had wronged his father. He did a u-turn and returned home.
Fortunately for him, his father lovingly accepted him back. The relationship
between father and son was restored through repentance, forgiveness and
acceptance.
Realization and acknowledgement of sin, repentance,
forgiveness and acceptance culminate in the healing process and restoration of
relationships. Relationships are very central to God. That explains why the
Bible gives a number of instances of relationships that went awry and how God
intervened and the relationships were restored. Beginning with Adam and Eve,
through Sarah and Hagar, Jacob and Esau, Joseph and his brothers, the prodigal
son and his father, John Mark and the
Apostle Paul, the Apostles Paul and Peter, God and us, the people of Israel,
David. Manasseh.
To ensure the restoration of relationships, God gave believers
principles for managing relationships. They are in the Bible. Forgiveness is one
of them and very key – we are to forgive as many times as people hurt us, sin
against us; we are also to ask forgiveness of other people when we offend them;
we are to acknowledge our sins and repent of them, we are to tolerate one
another in love, speak up and rebuke one another in love rather than bottle up
and live in anger, resentment, bitterness and unforgiveness. We are to share
information that transforms rather than gossip and we are to pray for one
another rather than project ill will. That way, we will have wholesome
individuals, communities and nations.
