Loving Prodigals
In praying for people one dislikes, I find it helpful to remember that one is joining in Christ’s prayer for them. – C.S. Lewis
There is no indication that the father in Jesus' parable of the prodigal son approved of his son's reckless lifestyle or that he wasn't disappointed with his son's decisions. My guess is that the son knew his father wouldn't approve and would be disappointed. That's most likely why he "took a journey to a far country" to live his own way and not have to daily face his father's disapproval and disappointment.
When the son decided to return, he didn't come demanding his father's approval of all he had done. On the contrary, the son came to accept that his father's disapproval, disappointment, and possibly disowning were warranted.
The son came to disapprove of himself. "Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you and am no longer worthy to be called your son." (Luke 15.21)
The father took his son back, not because he approved of his son's reckless lifestyle, but because he approved of the son's abandonment of that lifestyle and his return to the father's side.
The air that we breathe these days says that love equals,
not just acceptance, but positive affirmation or approval.
If you don't approve, people say, then you must hate.
But this is patently false, even in our own experience.
Love can disapprove the beloved and continue to be love.
Love can be disappointed in the beloved and continue to be love.
Love can believe the beloved to be completely in the wrong and yet continue to be love.
Love can be angry with the beloved and continue to be love.
Love can rebuke and correct the beloved and continue to be love.
Love can even part ways with the beloved and yet continue to be love.
What love can't do is rejoice in a lie. Love rejoices with the truth.
Love can't say that evil is good, that wrongdoing is right.
But love can love the wrongdoer in his wrongdoing without accepting or approving the wrongdoing.
Otherwise we would be unable to love our enemies.
Or prodigal children.
There is no indication that the father in Jesus' parable of the prodigal son approved of his son's reckless lifestyle or that he wasn't disappointed with his son's decisions. My guess is that the son knew his father wouldn't approve and would be disappointed. That's most likely why he "took a journey to a far country" to live his own way and not have to daily face his father's disapproval and disappointment.
When the son decided to return, he didn't come demanding his father's approval of all he had done. On the contrary, the son came to accept that his father's disapproval, disappointment, and possibly disowning were warranted.
The son came to disapprove of himself. "Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you and am no longer worthy to be called your son." (Luke 15.21)
The father took his son back, not because he approved of his son's reckless lifestyle, but because he approved of the son's abandonment of that lifestyle and his return to the father's side.
The air that we breathe these days says that love equals,
not just acceptance, but positive affirmation or approval.
If you don't approve, people say, then you must hate.
But this is patently false, even in our own experience.
Love can disapprove the beloved and continue to be love.
Love can be disappointed in the beloved and continue to be love.
Love can believe the beloved to be completely in the wrong and yet continue to be love.
Love can be angry with the beloved and continue to be love.
Love can rebuke and correct the beloved and continue to be love.
Love can even part ways with the beloved and yet continue to be love.
What love can't do is rejoice in a lie. Love rejoices with the truth.
Love can't say that evil is good, that wrongdoing is right.
But love can love the wrongdoer in his wrongdoing without accepting or approving the wrongdoing.
Otherwise we would be unable to love our enemies.
Or prodigal children.