Based on Luke 15:11-24, 16:1-9 (New King James Version)
“Then He said: ‘A certain man had two sons. And the younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the portion of goods that falls to me.’ So he divided to them his livelihood. And not many days after, the younger son gathered all together, journeyed to a far country, and there wasted his possessions with prodigal living. But when he had spent all, there arose a severe famine in that land, and he began to be in want. Then he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country, and he sent him into his fields to feed swine. And he would gladly have filled his stomach with the pods that the swine ate, and no one gave him anything. ‘But when he came to himself, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger! I will arise and go to my father, and will say to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you, and I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Make me like one of your hired servants.’ ’ ‘And he arose and came to his father. But when he was still a great way off, his father saw him and had compassion, and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him. And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight, and am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ ‘But the father said to his servants, ‘Bring out the best robe and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet. And bring the fatted calf here and kill it, and let us eat and be merry; for this my son was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ And they began to be merry.’”
“He also said to His disciples: ‘There was a certain rich man who had a steward, and an accusation was brought to him that this man was wasting his goods. So he called him and said to him, ‘What is this I hear about you? Give an account of your stewardship, for you can no longer be steward.’ ‘Then the steward said within himself, ‘What shall I do? For my master is taking the stewardship away from me. I cannot dig; I am ashamed to beg. I have resolved what to do, that when I am put out of the stewardship, they may receive me into their houses.’ ‘So he called every one of his master’s debtors to him, and said to the first, ‘How much do you owe my master?’ And he said, ‘A hundred measures of oil.’ So he said to him, ‘Take your bill, and sit down quickly and write fifty.’ Then he said to another, ‘And how much do you owe?’ So he said, ‘A hundred measures of wheat.’ And he said to him, ‘Take your bill, and write eighty.’ So the master commended the unjust steward because he had dealt shrewdly. For the sons of this world are more shrewd in their generation than the sons of light. ‘And I say to you, make friends for yourselves by unrighteous mammon, that when you fail, they may receive you into an everlasting home.’”
Despite both parables being relatively different in its circumstances, there are identical things between them. The first thing we could see is possibly something so obvious that it is missed. Many times, there are such obvious things, and our focus is so limited, that we lose sight of learning essentials. This happens with almost everything that God does daily. People look for God’s personal manifestation and they lose sight of the obvious because of lacking faith and a sinful heart. God manifests Himself always, and He demonstrates His power and glory at every moment. Nothing in the universe moves without His will. There is an endless list of things, and all subject to the will of God. And they consist because of the Almighty’s presence. We see even what we call the most simple, and we take them for granted also, like the beating of our hearts, or the breathing of our lungs, or the functions of our brains, each thing happens within ourselves without making them consciously work, and each happen by the will of God, because those are sustained by God’s presence, as it is written: “For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist.” Colossians 1:16-17. The majority of times, because of our sin, we lose sight of the great and obvious, things that are too important, more important than the vanities and temporary things on which we are usually focusing on the most.
So then, what is obvious between both parables? In the one with the prodigal son, it’s simply that you should not waste or lose what God gives you. Don’t live in a lost manner doing things that have no gain, because if you lose them, they will never come back. The time that God gave you will never come back. The wealth that God gives never comes back. The health and youth that God allows for people to have never return. Whatever was spent or lost is gone forever. So then, why wait to be hungry? Why come to do and suffer things unnecessarily? And in the second parable, it’s the same thing. Be a good steward. Don’t waste the goods of the Lord. Don’t put yourself in a place where He will take your stewardship away, because that is what is going to happen if you don’t take care of what God gives you. Some may say, “What has God given me that I will need to give an account for?” Of everything you have, whether it be your health, your loved ones, your wealth, your talents and capacities, everything that you have was given to you by God. It’s not always about money and riches, although we will give an account for those also. Quite simply, it is not worth running unnecessary risks, and going through completely avoidable heartache. It is foolishness not to value what you have, and more so, because not only they can be lost, but because you will give an account someday. Each person will give an account for their life, especially those of us that have received the knowledge of God. For it is written: “For if we sin willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a certain fearful expectation of judgment, and fiery indignation which will devour the adversaries. Anyone who has rejected Moses’ law dies without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. Of how much worse punishment, do you suppose, will he be thought worthy who has trampled the Son of God underfoot, counted the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified a common thing, and insulted the Spirit of grace? For we know Him who said, ‘Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,’ says the Lord. And again, ‘The Lord will judge His people.’” Hebrews 10:26-30. So then, take care of what you have and use it to do the Father’s will.
Now then, what else do we see in these parables? That if we have done wrong, we can find grace before God if we do things that please Him. The prodigal son reasoned, and he went back to his father’s house, but with a humble and contrite heart, completely repented from all his wrong doings, and he looked for the one he harmed, his father. If we return repented from all of our sins with a contrite and humble heart to God the Father we have offended with our evil works, He is sufficiently good to forgive us through His Son Jesus Christ. In the same manner, if we do as the unjust steward did, of forgiving others their debt, of showing mercy to others, we will also be praised by the Lord, just as the Lord Himself prayed: “And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.” Matthew 6:12. We receive God’s forgiveness when we forgive others. Is it fair to forgive the wrong that was done to us? No. But also, was it fair for the Perfect and Holy Son of God to pay for sins He did not commit, for your sins and my sins? Absolutely not. God justified us through the most unfair thing in all of history, that the Innocent and Perfect paid for sinners. So then, do you value what God gives you? And if you have done wrong, do you look to do things that God commands so you can find His grace? Lord bless! John