This morning I am continuing my reflection on identity and will delve deeper into that subject through Jesus' great parable about the prodigal son. I think that first and foremost this story is about identity, the rejecting of identity and the receiving back one's true identity. Jesus was telling this story to a people and culture who focused on individual's as they related to the father. For a couple of quick examples we have Bartimaeus which means son of Timaeus; we have Simon bar Jonas (son of Jonas), James and John the sons of Zebedee; Luke 3:21-38 recounts the genealogy of Jesus, and it is all based on the paternal relationship; almost the entire first chapter of Matthew's Gospel is devoted to Jesus' genealogy. I believe we can conjecture that one's identity was closely tied to one's father, and his father and so on.
I will look at the story and then break it down as it refers to identity. Here is the story as recounted in Luke 15:11-24 NIV:
[11] "Jesus continued: “There was a man who had two sons. [12] The younger one said to his father, 'Father, give me my share of the estate.' So he divided his property between them."
[13] “Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living. [14] After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he began to be in need. [15] So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs. [16] He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything.
[17] “When he came to his senses, he said, 'How many of my father's hired servants have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! [18] I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. [19] I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired servants.' [20] So he got up and went to his father. “But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.
[21] “The son said to him, 'Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.'
[22] “But the father said to his servants, 'Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. [23] Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let's have a feast and celebrate. [24] For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.' So they began to celebrate."
What an awesome story demonstrating the Father's heart, and His desire to restore us to our true identity!
Let me break down the story as I understand it. One of the things that is somewhat overlooked, in our present culture, is the statement the younger son was making in asking for His inheritance, His share of the estate. He was basically saying to the Father, I wish you were dead, I want nothing to do with you any more, I want out. I want my name set free, and I want everything that goes with that to go with me as well. It is important to note that this is the younger son, and often the oldest son inherited the land, but a good father always provided for all his sons and lent his name and authority and reputation to all his sons.
This son had decided he didn't need any of that help or relationship, so he moved to a distant land where it would just be him and whatever name he could make for himself. Unfortunately, left to his own identity he stumbled quickly and made bad decision after bad decision and ended up with nothing. Truthfully he ended up with less than nothing for he wasn't treated even as well as the pigs, and no one helped him. The truth is no one knew him, he had no family and no friends, for those he had developed were only friends because of his money, and when that ran out, so did they.
While he was in this depressed state he came to his senses, and realized that even the servants in His father's house were treated better than he was being treated. The fact that this is what he realized when he came to his senses, means that he hadn't seen this before, and previously had not been in his right mind. He had totally misunderstood who he was and what relationship with his father provided himself, as well as all the others, even the servants.
He immediately decided to head back home, but knew what he had said to his father in parting, and how deeply that would have wounded him, but figured he would ask to be a servant, just so he could eat and have shelter. He thought he had given up his identity, and now could only relate to his father as a hired hand or servant.
I love the father's response, as described by Jesus and it is important for us to note, for clearly this is a parable describing our Heavenly Father and us. The Father never revoked the son's identity, and never withdrew his love, or desire for relationship. In fact, every day he waited scanning the horizon to see if his son was returning to Him. As soon as He saw the son He ran to him and embraced him! Notice the son didn't run to the father for he was likely ashamed of his behavior and worried about what he last said to Him.
The father was overjoyed to see the son and was busy embracing him, and the son just couldn't even go there in his mind. Instead he still thought his only relationship with his father would be as servant, and so he tries to explain that to his father. His father, however, will have nothing to do with that type of thinking and immediately calls for public restoration of identity (sandals), authority (ring) and relationship (robe). One thing I just was researching was the significance of giving the son back his sandals. Here is a quote I found referring to the significance of shoes:
"Then the biblical tradition took a further step. The ‘lifting up of the foot’ became more concrete and real with the ‘pulling off of the shoe.’” [26] This act before witnesses was a legal attestation [27] that the party divesting itself of a particular piece of property was doing so willingly—and had formally and officially relinquished all future claims to that particular piece of property. [28] The removal of the sandal, slipper, or shoe at the end of the rite signified that the transaction was completed and that the ritual was legally binding." Full article may be found at : https://rsc-dev.byu.edu/archived/our-rites-worship-latter-day-saint-views-ritual-history-scripture-and-practice/ceremony
In other words, the giving back of the son's shoes was returning him to that which he left, namely his true identity as son of the father! What had been legally divested (his inheritance) was now legally restored! It was as if he had never left and all rights and relationship were fully restored! Wow!
It is almost as if he never left, never sinned, never failed, never made stupid decision after stupid decision - and that is exactly the point Jesus is making! This is how the Father loves us, how He treats us, how He desires us to understand our true identity! There is no second class son or daughter! He is waiting for us all to return to Him, to fully embrace our identity, to live in the fullness of what He has for us! This is true for everyone of us, no matter what we have done, or how far we have run away! He has never stopped loving us, never stopped waiting or us to return to Him, never crossed our name off His list of sons and daughters!
Any thoughts or ideas to the contrary are not coming from the Lord. These are lies that have been broadcast by the enemy, trying to convince us that the Father can't be that good, that we have sinned too much, that we have irreversibly damaged our identity and relationship with the Father. They are lies, and Jesus came to set us straight!
This morning I am just greatly encouraged by the mercy and grace the Father has for me! I am encouraged to step into my identity, and to look at any ways that I have not been in my right mind or listened to the lies of the enemy concerning the Father and His love for me!
Amen!
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