and he said, “A certain man had two sons. The younger son told his father, ‘I want my share of your estate now before you die.’ So his father agreed to divide his wealth between his sons. “A few days later this younger son packed all his belongings and moved to a distant land, and there he wasted all his money in wild living. About the time his money ran out, a great famine swept over the land, and he began to starve. He persuaded a local farmer to hire him, and the man sent him into his fields to feed the pigs. The young man became so hungry that even the pods he was feeding the pigs looked good to him. But no one gave him anything. “When he finally came to his senses, he said to himself, ‘At home even the hired servants have food enough to spare, and here I am dying of hunger! I will go home to my father and say, “Father, I have sinned against both heaven and you, and I am no longer worthy of being called your son. Please take me on as a hired servant.”‘ “So he returned home to his father. And while he was still a long way off, his father saw him coming. Filled with love and compassion, he ran to his son, embraced him, and kissed him. His son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against both heaven and you, and I am no longer worthy of being called your son.’ “But his father said to the servants, ‘Quick! Bring the finest robe in the house and put it on him. Get a ring for his finger and sandals for his feet. And kill the calf we have been fattening. We must celebrate with a feast, for this son of mine was dead and has now returned to life. He was lost, but now he is found.’ So the party began. “Meanwhile, the older son was in the fields working. When he returned home, he heard music and dancing in the house, and he asked one of the servants what was going on. ‘Your brother is back,’ he was told, ‘and your father has killed the fattened calf. We are celebrating because of his safe return.’ “The older brother was angry and wouldn’t go in. His father came out and begged him, but he replied, ‘All these years I’ve slaved for you and never once refused to do a single thing you told me to. And in all that time you never gave me even one young goat for a feast with my friends. Yet when this son of yours comes back after squandering your money on prostitutes, you celebrate by killing the fattened calf!’ “His father said to him, ‘Look, dear son, you have always stayed by me, and everything I have is yours. We had to celebrate this happy day. For your brother was dead and has come back to life! He was lost, but now he is found!'”
Luke 15:11-32
How did you get on in finding out who this “certain man” is, and finding the links between the stories?
How many links have you found? Well, I guess you had to ascertain who the certain man is, don’t you?
It’s Isaac, the father of Jacob and Esau. Did you discover that much?
Did you see the links I emboldened in the verses I gave you over the previous days? I put those clues into Gem 1033 at the beginning. So you have had them for a week at least. I wonder how many of you noticed them.
- man had two sons.
- Inheritance
- the younger son went away to a distant country
- I will go to my father, and I will say to him
- fell on his neck and fervently kissed him
- Bring out the best robe
- so many years I served you
- all of my things are yours
So are there eight allusions Ian? Have you given us the answer now? That’s good, I don’t have to do any more. NO, there are many more than these! Jesus left the Pharisees in no doubt as to what He was referring to. Yes, it was very clear to them that Jesus was alluding to the Jacob story. This was the Pharisees’ favourite story. They had learned this story by heart. There is no way they would have missed the links. This is the story of when Jacob became Israel. The Pharisees often referred to themselves as the elder brothers in their role as keepers of the Law.
See how many similarities and links you can find.
And on the matter of why I changed Tennyson’s 600 to read 6,000 – There are currently about 6,000 getting the Gems each day. Yes, it was deliberate. There was another allusion there.
Got the idea? This is what the House of Allusion (Beth Midrash) is all about. The Rabbis taught the students of the Torah, to pay careful attention to the allusions that were present in the text of the Bible. These Pharisees knew exactly what He was doing. They couldn’t have missed it. It was too pointed.
When you fail at any skill you’re trying to master, just keep practicing! Every master was first a disaster.
Rick Warren
The more you prepare yourself, the more opportunities God will give you.
Bob Gass
In the 1st half, you think LIFE is all about achievement, but at the end you realise it’s all about relationship.
Rick Warren