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  • Writer's pictureKaitlyn Harville

The Worth of a Prodigal

Updated: Mar 19, 2020


Luke 15

11 Then Jesus said, “There was a man who had two sons. 12 The younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the share of the property that will belong to me.’ So he divided his property between them. 13 A few days later the younger son gathered all he had and traveled to a distant country, and there he squandered his property in dissolute living. 14 When he had spent everything, a severe famine took place throughout that country, and he began to be in need. 15 So he went and hired himself out to one of the citizens of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed the pigs. 16 He would gladly have filled himself with the pods that the pigs were eating; and no one gave him anything. 17 But when he came to himself he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired hands have bread enough and to spare, but here I am dying of hunger! 18 I will get up and go to my father, and I will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you; 19 I am no longer worthy to be called your son; treat me like one of your hired hands.”’ 20 So he set off and went to his father. But while he was still far off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion; he ran and put his arms around him and kissed him. 21 Then the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you; I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ 22 But the father said to his slaves, ‘Quickly, bring out a robe—the best one—and put it on him; put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. 23 And get the fatted calf and kill it, and let us eat and celebrate; 24 for this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found!’ And they began to celebrate.


25 “Now his elder son was in the field; and when he came and approached the house, he heard music and dancing. 26 He called one of the slaves and asked what was going on. 27 He replied, ‘Your brother has come, and your father has killed the fatted calf, because he has got him back safe and sound.’ 28 Then he became angry and refused to go in. His father came out and began to plead with him. 29 But he answered his father, ‘Listen! For all these years I have been working like a slave for you, and I have never disobeyed your command; yet you have never given me even a young goat so that I might celebrate with my friends. 30 But when this son of yours came back, who has devoured your property with prostitutes, you killed the fatted calf for him!’ 31 Then the father said to him, ‘Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours. 32 But we had to celebrate and rejoice, because this brother of yours was dead and has come to life; he was lost and has been found.’”

 

What am I worth?


I mentioned in my last post that my new word of the year is worth. And I mentioned that this word is central to me this year because of questions surrounding my own self-worth. I also told you the story about my Velcro Grandpa telling me that I wasn't special and how that has been a comfort to me as I begin this new journey into 2020 with worth as my key word. Some of you commented on that last post, and raised some questions for me to consider about that concept. Namely, are none of us special? Or, are all of special? And, if all of us are special, does that make us all unspecial again?


I spent a lot of time thinking about this, and the above parable kept coming to mind.


The Parable of the Lost Son. It's one of the most famous parables in Scripture. It's often focused on that the younger son squanders his possessions and then returns to the father, who in spite of everything, welcomes him back with open arms. This is a beautiful example of how we are all welcomed back into the arms of our God. However, I think there is something to be said about self-worth and self-image in this story as well.


I want to draw your attention to the speech that the younger son prepares to give to his father. He says, "I am no longer worthy to be called your son." No longer worthy. It's the assumption that he once was worthy, but can't say that anymore.


It seems to me that the younger son has done something that I know I have done myself. He views his worth as based on his actions. He was worthy to be a son so long as he was in the father's household doing the father's will. But when he left, when he squandered all he had, then he was no longer worthy. Another way of looking at this may be to say that he no longer thinks his father sees him as anything special.


But the father in this story turns the expectation of the younger son on its head. He not only accepts his son back, but welcomes him with wild and extravagant openness and love. Notice that he completely ignores the speech of the younger son? He doesn't even engage this assertion of unworthiness. He simply acts on the worth that he has given to the younger son freely. He views him as a son no matter what; he views him as someone special to him regardless of the previous hurt.


So what does this all mean for our specialness and our self-worth? I think what I'm coming to believe is this. All of us are special. And yet, none of us are special. Let me explain...


All of us are special. All of us are given that wild and extravagant kind of love that the father in this story gives. All of us are considered daughters and sons. All of us, no matter what, are special in the eyes of our God. And when we find our way back to God's embrace, there is celebration and warmth and joy.


None of us are special. We are not specially loved. This is where I want to bring up the rest of the story. The story of the elder son. This son believed the same thing as the younger son: that his actions equated his worth. And because he was still "slaving" for his father, he should have been worth more than the younger son. Why didn't his father see that?


I think the reason is because both his sons were special to him. Both were called "Son" dearly. But neither son was special in the way their father loved. Note what the father said to the elder son. "All that is mine is yours." He gives lavishly on behalf of both sons.


There is indeed nothing special about the sons that makes them more or less worthy. They can't earn their worthiness based on their own actions. They are both given to, both loved, both called "Son." Neither son seems to understand that the father ascribes worth to them, the father makes them special, in that he loves them.


So, my answer. Are we all special? Yes. We are so special in God's eyes because we are so loved. We are ascribed infinite worth in God. So does that mean none of us are special? Yes. No one is above their sister or brother. We are all worthy of love and extravagant joy.


Thanks, friends, for engaging this topic with me. I look forward to this year of continued discovery of worth.

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