Opinions Please

IMO, this story is a bunch of sappy nosense.

It is not a biblical illustration of the fall of mankind and the condition mankind is in prior to to the work of the Holy Spirit in regeneration.

Man did not start off in heaven and mankind does not desire to return to a fellowship with God, nor are they seeking God.

It is not a biblical illustration of what Christ did for us, because the older brother didn't die for their sins to appease the wrath of God.

Mankind doesn't seek God, they make gods in their own image, and worship to please themselves, not God. They say things like, "I wouldn't worship a god that did such and such", even if it is clearly presented in scripture, proving they make gods in their own image.

 

At first when I read this, it sounded good and it seemed like a prodigal son type story.

But then when you think about it, you see the points that jdcanady made -- we did not start off in heaven with God, for example. There is no death of a savior, just an older brother who loves and comes for the other brothers.

I agree with jdcanady - man does not seek the true God. They seek a god that makes them comfortable.

 

Actually, when I read the story, I thought more of the nation Israel in exile. Of course we were not in heaven to begin. However, mankind did begin in the garden in harmony with God. Of course there was no death, it was an allegorical parable, or a picture. In the parable of the prodigal son, there was also not a death of a savior, but the son did come home. It is true that man does not seek God. In fact, in the parable, the allegory presents the son as a picture of Christ who was sent by the father who is a picture of God to seek the wayward sons. Within that same parable, one son became comfortable in his sin and didn't want to go back, one son tried to work his way back in pride and arrogance, thus rejecting the grace and mercy that comes with forgiveness, and the last son went with the oldest brother.

Anyway, that is the way I read it. I am sure there are problems with the parable, but, I also think there is some truth to the point of the parable as well.

Joseph Botwinick