THE PRODIGAL SONS

[MIRIAM JACOB]

THE PRODIGAL SONS

Luke 15:11-32

The prodigal son was willful,
Determined to do his own thing;
The father allowed his rebellion,
Shame on His name to bring.

The father did not deter him
From taking a destructive road;
Neither did He pursue him,
Though he was under a heavy load.

He gave him his inheritance,
Though squander it he would;
The Father’s heart knew that
It was for his ultimate good!

He had to lose his dependence
On all that he possessed;
When it was all exhausted,
His plight could be assessed!

The Father paid no visit
To him in his new digs,
But allowed him to profit
While feeding dirty pigs!

When he came to himself
And had no place to turn,
There was a valuable lesson
That he was bound to learn!

He made a key decision,
The best since he left home!
He must return to his Father;
No longer would he roam!


The Father’s outstretched arms
Waited to embrace him,
With full restoration as a son
Though his hopes had been most dim!


Rejoicing was the order of the day,
With everyone at home invited;
While he was in the far country,
The Father’s love was unrequited!

The elder brother was not so glad,
Since his flesh was unforgiving!
His true colors began to show,
Though he was with the father living.

The father ignored his rebellion
And received the younger safe and sound;
With his return so long awaited
There were bounteous blessings all around!

His son had been as dead,
But now had returned to life;
He was restored to his Father’s bosom,
With peace to replace his strife!


© Dr. C. R. Solomon

[MIRIAM JACOB]

THE ELDER PRODIGAL

Luke 15:11-32

The elder son of scripture (Luke 15:25)
Is to a great extent ignored;
His seeming unfair treatment
Is by many to be deplored.

When his brother makes it home
With his inheritance bereft,
The elder’s proximity to the father
Is the same as when he left!

Though bleeding hearts give pity
Saying the elder was neglected,
The remaining estate was his
So he was in no way rejected!

Though it all belonged to him (Lk. 15:31)
He pleaded for something more;
‘Just a goat to have a party’, (Lk. 15:29b)
His father he did implore.

But when his brother returned,
He referred to him as “Thy Son”! (Lk. 15:30a)
Upon being invited to the party,
His dirty work was done!

Though his father bade him enter (Lk. 15:28)
He bowed his neck and departed;
His father ignored his rebellion
And got the party started. (Lk. 15:23)

Complaining about his treatment (Lk. 15:29)
And being denied his rights,
His father rightly told him
He owned everything in sight!

Despite his stiff-necked actions
The father’s love was undeterred;
Though his ‘pig pen’ was within,
No censure was ever heard!



The younger allowed his pig pen
To complete its dirty work
And admitted his rebellion; (Lk. 15:18)
His exposed flesh he did not shirk!

The elder’s internal ‘pig pen’
Was by scripture left intact,
But despite his display of flesh (Lk. 15:21)
His inheritance remained a fact.

But his brother lost his life (Lk. 15:24a)
And with his father did know union,
Because he had resurrection life (Lk. 15:24a)
And with his father sweet communion!

The elder brother went his way, (Lk. 15:28)
His self-righteous flesh his thorn;
Though his father’s wealth was his,
His poverty he did mourn!

Each of us has his own ‘pig pen’, (Rom. 7:18)
Be it without or within;
And the source is the same—(Rom. 7:20)
The power of indwelling sin.

And the answer is the same (Rom. 6:3-11)
That we must lose our life; (Lk. 9:24)
And the power of the resurrection (Gal. 2:20)
Will rid us of our strife. (Gal. 5:17)

With which prodigal do you identify?

© Dr. C. R. Solomon