The Prodigal Fresh Expression: What Happened Next...

Option 1: The elder brother storms out thinking that his mother was being foolish.  He decided to wait for the younger brother to leave again.  The younger brother has no stick ability he would go away eventually and things would get back to how they were.  Until then he would simply ignore the son, make life difficult for him, and slowly grind him down.  Eventually he’ll crack and the institution will change back to how it should be.

Option 2: The younger brother walks up to the elder brother, winks at him, and whispers is his ear ‘I’m the favourite now – I’ve experimented with the resources and now I’m going to marginalise you. I think that you’ve failed in the task, you’re out of touch and dull.’

Option 3: The brothers walk to one another and embrace.  The older brother says to the younger one, this world has changed you have learnt much in the foreign land how can learn from you?  I love you and respect you.

The younger brother says to the older brother you have much to teach me, you wisdom is deep, you experience is vast I owe so much to you.  I thank you for you faithfulness to our mother, without you my mother would be weak.  I am forever in you debt.  I love you and respect you.

The mother wept with joy.  The brothers grew together and with it the mothers life was enriched beyond her wildest imagination.

Comments

[steve]

fascinating. I initially loved this, but am now a bit more uneasy ... still trying to work out why

steve

[Francis Rothery]

How about this version ?

My apologies if it is a bit raw and earthy-but it feels more like this.

The mother is an unfaithful, unloving whore-compromised by reliance on and a search to maintain money, status and political hierarchical power, bewailing her loss of prestige, power and influence and marginalisation. In a state of panic. Her end is coming-but she cannot face it nad will not admit it to herself or anyone else. She is just too proud.
In fact she is in a terminal state of decline-being in need of radical change -and needing to repent for her arrogance -in dust and ashes-yet not admitting any of this-but stoically maintaining rigid, inflexible self righteous false piety. Nothing has changed.

That's why the son left in the first place.

She does not repent-and the son cannot return.
She keeps calling him prodigal-yet all the while it is she who has been unfaithful with many other false iamges of power--and it is the son who has sought a more faithful way.
It is the mother who is prodigal--not the son.
The son has no money, power or political influence--but he has far more than this -he has a moral charismatic authority, rooted in a search for love and justice.
He had to leave to seek a more faithful way because she was so dominating and unrepentant. He saw that her ways were killing any real life he had.
Maintaining her status with others always meant more to her than loving her son and supporting him and seeing him flourish.

And maybe what happens -when finally stripped of all her money, buildings, intellect, status, structure, influence and unwise compromising alliances-she can finally see how truly desperate her state is -she will be able to run to the son,
being vulnarable, honest and contrite with him for the first time-

Maybe then, after her repentence-they will be able to weep for joy together. Truly.

Frank

[laurence keith]

woah Francis, thats a completely different story :)

How about option 4: the brothers eventually find time with each other at the bar after a hard day's conference and get to chatting as to why one stayed and why one went. Some things they value in each other, some they disagree on and some they get annoyed at, but like all brothers they just can't get away from the fact they are family.

And poor mum - weeping for the sadness of what could have been, for the world she dreamed her children would inhabit, and weeping for the joy they are talking again. But which ever path they choose, it will never be near what she dreamed of.

laul

[steve]

Frank,

can you unpack what you see the son doing while away from mother?

live haunted by unmet expectations? or simply get a mortgage, drink some red wine and whine about the church? or bring more of the Kingdom in missional living? or

steve

[Francis Rothery]

Hi Keith,

For reconciliation to occur-there has to be a clear statment of the wrong done.
(I am willing to admit this will be both sides).
The son has a responsibility to not be 'fudged'--but to clearly state the way he feels he has been sinned against. His mother has valued status/ money- damage limitation -more than the needs of her son. There needs to be complaint and lament-before a true meeting of hearts. Reconcilaition needs a clear statement of the facts.

There are real issues where wrong things have been valued-for the wrong reasons.
It is not just about different styles-there is power abuse. Or else why would the son be disenchanted?
He needs to be prized again by his mother-and valued for his contribution.
He needs her to change her ways -and stop being so concerned about her lost status and preservation-and start thinking about the future.

And that can only happen with clear communication.
To not do so will just lead to more compromise-which is what can happen in families-and it often happens in a more paternalistic or in this case maternalistic context.

Hi Steve,

-in the story the son is persuing love and justice
-while his mother is persuing money/status -in connection with her survival--in the state to which she has been accustomed
-the son is finding like minded friends wherever he can
-who the mother can bearly bring herself to have in the house
-or just doesn't care very much about
-at least in the way she organises her priorities
the son is;
-including others
-spending his energy on the challenge of community
-investing time, effort and work in what it will really take to make it happen
-in study-and in prayer
-counting the cost
-with or without mortgage
-spending his energy-pouring himself out like a drink offerring
-often without money -
-apostolic nobodies
-yet not without significance

much effort-yet she remains aloof

Frank

[Francis Rothery]

I just think it is not the son who is prodigal.
and the mother really would benefit fom some heartsearching.
the son might be the only one who can really help her do this.
if he has the guts to be honest about how he feels.

she needs to be saved.

Frank

[Matybigfro]

mnn what if there was more than one prodigal son
some haven't come home yet (maybe some are just waiting for mother and brothers to die so they can then come and get the rest of the inheritance),
maybe a few came home at the same time and have started squabling about who's home coming is more important to mother