We learn from the story of the prodigal son that love takes a variety of routes in its expression, and that there are several directions of learning from and about love. We are reminded that love is the only factor that was named by all cultures in which a study of values was made, and polling carefully done. No other factor, including wealth, happiness, peace and the like, gained total response. Love is universally valued. With so great perception of a specific factor, one wonders why our education does not accent more an analysis, and attending meanings: for effective living; for development of persons and families; and, for the contributions to peace and relief in human contextual living. Our problem is that most persons appear to assume love. To assume too much about even good things may become presumption and loss.
The story of the prodigal presents a complex lesson in the three main characters. In the father we find selfless love, in the prodigal we find redemptive love, and in the faithful brother we find self-love. Any one of the three can be distorted, can be treated differently, and all need to be included in our information banks. No matter what happens to his property, or the attitudes of the sons toward him, the father loves them both. No matter what happens in the process, the prodigal sees life as a stew that permits him (in self focus) to do whatever he likes until he recognizes the way out is to return to the point of separation and start over. In the faithful son, we find that even in faithfulness there is loss, if love does not motivate personal belief and action. His faithfulness is not based on love, but on his functioning so to please the father, and ultimately benefit from his own faithfulness. He pays his dues, and earns his reward. He does not understand that love gives award, work offers reward. Love awards. Work earns reward.
This begins to make sense when we learn that love is in God’s nature (1 John 4:6). We may begin the study of the image of God in mankind by studying the love of God. That is revealed in part, in Scripture. The giant lesson of God’s love, we discover at the end of the study, is that love has its origin and expression in the loving person. It is not dependent on nature, the character, the performance, the variables found in the ones loved. Love may be the breath of God, so the soul of mankind receives respiration in spiritual love – God breathed. Not only is this part of God’s image, but gives an objective for reaching toward the nature of God which is to love because it becomes the nature of being. Without that functioning we are on nature’s common grace respirator until the close of life. With love, in the Fruit of the Spirit, the Christian has the combination to Gates of Splendor. Discussion of any omission belongs to another time, as such discussion seems almost irreverent to the purpose here. Pure love has no origin other than in God’s nature.
One of the most poignant memories of my life occurred many decades ago. One of my children, always loving and respectful, always counted for success in expectations, suddenly became negative, responding to my wife curtly, leaving the room abruptly in the middle of something, and showing other evidences of inner rebellion. I decided to take my beloved child with me on a speaking engagement. I addressed the issue on the return trip. I learned there was a reaction to the amount of time given to a sibling who had just been seriously hurt in an accident. A lovable truant to order was getting attention. I explained the situation, and assured our child of our love. The warmth toward mother returned. I learned a new lesson from the prodigal’s brother that a performance can be so excellent and repetitive that it becomes ordinary. I wish we had the story of what happened following the feast for the returned son. Did each of the persons discover what had happened and what should happen? My child had never required any serious discipline or punishment, and mother and father had not openly noticed. (We should have.) I held strong private appreciation for her. What a gift she was to us, and an effective example to all. Those who love need to communicate that love, and those who are loved need to communicate appreciation for the gift given. Had father left something out? In the decades following that exchange between a loving child and parent, I have told my family members each day I see them that I love them. I do. I do! If I . . . knew everything about everything, but didn’t love others, what good would it do? (1 Corinthians 13 – TLNT) *Mark W. Lee, Sr. — 2016, 2020