Today's Gospel, Prodigal Son is Apocalyptic, challenging ECF conception

[spauline]

Everybody knows that today’s parable of the Prodigal Son is actually apocalyptic: the first son in the Jews, the younger son is the Gentiles.

But evidently, the ECF tradition seems to support the notion that the RETURN of the prodigal son was fulfilled by the ***[FIRST] conversion of the Gentiles to Christ. ***But, by the analogy of TIME and the one son being younger, this doesn’t make sense? Why? Because one son is born LATER than the other! That is the clear meaning of being YOUNGER. But what does it mean to be BORN? To be BORN in COVENANT. For the COVENANT with Abraham and of circumcision was when the Hebrews were born. But the birth of the younger son, the Gentiles, does not then accordingly occur until Christ comes and the Gentiles convert the FIRST time. Hence, the conversion of pagan Rome to Catholicism can only be the BIRTH of the younger son, NOT his RETURN to the Father! That is, prior to Christ, the Gentiles were never a part of God’s Family.

Hence, the only way to make sense of the prodogal son is to say that the prodigal son’s DISOWNING of the Father prefigures a FUTURE apostasy of the Gentiles from the Catholic faith AFTER the first conversion, followed by a chastisement for its sin (the famine), followed by a RESTORATION to the New Covenant (the overwhelming Catholic prophecy of the restoration of humanity to the Church in the coming age of peace).

Hence, in the right analysis, the prodigal son parable far more supports the Catholic Private Revelation position that there will be an INTERMEDIATE apostasy of the Gentiles that is healed, rather than the pessimistic Augustinian denial that any such thing could occur prior to the [FINAL, GREAT] apostasy of the end.

for further elaboration on this, I have the following article:

The Prodigal Son and Eschatology

 

[trogiah]

The interpretations are somewhat interesting but I remain convinced that the first and most important point that Jesus was trying to make was that God forgives those who come asking for forgiveness with a humble heart.

Jim

 

[Todd_Easton]

Everybody knows that today’s parable of the Prodigal Son is actually apocalyptic: the first son in the Jews, the younger son is the Gentiles.

But evidently, the ECF tradition seems to support the notion that the RETURN of the prodigal son was fulfilled by the ***[FIRST] conversion of the Gentiles to Christ. ***But, by the analogy of TIME and the one son being younger, this doesn’t make sense?

It may be that strict chronology is not necessarily the criteria by which we should understand who is represented by the elder son and the younger son. The Jews may be represented as the elder son because they were chosen and blessed among all peoples of the world, as if they were the first-born of all peoples, because they were given the Law and the Prophets.

For instance, Exodus 4:22: “…Thus says the LORD, Israel is my first-born son…”

 

[puzzleannie]

Everybody knows that today’s parable of the Prodigal Son is actually apocalyptic: the first son in the Jews, the younger son is the Gentiles.

oh do they?
that is one possible interpretation
it is not the only one
also possible are the traditional exegeses on forgiveness, repentance, reconciliation, the Father’s love etc.

 

[Zooey]

I am with Annie…I was saying to someone just the other day, that I think of this story as the Loving Father…Neither of His sons is faithful to them, but He loves them all the same.
What a wonderful picture of God’s love & forgiveness…

 

[Eileen_T]

I used to think the elder son had a point in his complaint. Now I think he has a jealous “holier than thou” attitude. The prodigal son is welcomed back totally when he repents, that is how I would feel toward one of my prodigal children.

It is the Good Shepherd rejoicing over the one sheep lost than the 99 who never strayed.

 

[awalt]

Clearly there is a message about the second son as well - some commentaries compare him to the Pharisees - doing everything by the law, but not having God in his heart. Think of it, the older son loses nothing inheritance-wise (the father said “everything I have is yours”), yet he is mad that someone else is being saved!

The parable shows us TWO ways that we sin - rejecting God, and failure to love our neighbor and show compassion.

 

[eliasaph99]

Clearly there is a message about the second son as well - some commentaries compare him to the Pharisees - doing everything by the law, but not having God in his heart. Think of it, the older son loses nothing inheritance-wise (the father said “everything I have is yours”), yet he is mad that someone else is being saved!

The parable shows us TWO ways that we sin - rejecting God, and failure to love our neighbor and show compassion.

I also think that when the father says “everything I have is yours,” it is a soft rebuke to the older son. The older son has complained that the father has not given him so much as a goat to have a feast with, and the father’s reply basically amounts to “You never asked, ask and you can have.”

There’s a real lesson there also. Suppose we are faithful to the Church and Christ and stay with Him. Are we still feeding ourselves and rejoicing or are we denying ourselves the joy of being in God’s House because we’re waiting for God to deliver it to us on a silver platter?

 

[Eschato]

The interpretations are somewhat interesting but I remain convinced that the first and most important point that Jesus was trying to make was that God forgives those who come asking for forgiveness with a humble heart.

Jim

I’m sticking with Jim on this one. Plus, most of the parable is imperfect, especially the father and the younger son’s reasoning for going back to his father.

 

[spauline]

I’m sorry, I should have clarified: Scripture can [many times DOES] have MULTIPLE LAYERS of meaning all at same time.

So, OF COURSE, in a primary sense, the parable is simply about the love and mercy of God the Father. Of course! I’m saying, the ECFs introduce, as an additional layer that does not abrogate other layers of meaning, the meaning of the Jews and Gentiles. Hope this helps clarify.

Blessings to all!