Book Review: The Prodigal God

"Hello old friend, there's nothing really new to say. But the old, old story bears repeating, and the plain old truth grows dearer everyday," Rich Mullins sang about the gospel. Few books capture the essence of the gospel as well as The Prodigal God. The Ragamuffin Gospel by Manning and The Beloved by Nouwen are the only other ones that come to mind at the moment. In this volume by Timothy Keller, he unpacks the parable of "the prodigal son" to demonstrate that there were actually two lost sons, the real prodigal [having spent everything, extavegant] is the father, and Jesus is the true elder brother whom is missing from the story. Then Keller invites us to redefine hope and join the Father's Feast.

For the first time, I finally understand what Manning and Mullins have said about repenting of our righteousness. While we often see the waywardness of the younger son and recognize his repentance, rarely do we realize the elder son didn't go into the party. Both were trying to control their father, one through rebellion, one through good deeds. Often, this parable has defended cheap grace. But, Jesus' audience and his followership would indicate that this isn't about cheap grace at all, but about religious moralism that keeps "younger brothers" from coming to the Father.

It is the father who has spent everything, the first third to a rebellious son and the final portion to a son who is unwilling to give anything away. Keller points out that the father loses the older son by inviting the younger home again. Jesus is our true older brother who willingly gave up his inheritance so that we might be able to join our Father's party. He is the one who left home to find his wayward brothers and sisters by loving us first, by dying on the cross for us while we were still in the pigsty.

Hope is usually tied up in our sense of "home": a place when you have to go there, they don't turn you away. And home is fleeting for humans. But when we accept that Christ has found us, he gives us a home, a feast at the Father's. Curl up in your easy chair to read this one, but be prepared to move to the table for a feast!