The Prodigal that Roamed & the Prodigal at Home Part 2

 

Everyone was happy except the other son,

He sought to find out the reason for this fun,

When he heard that his brother had returned

His heart with envy and jealousy burned.

So there was great rejoicing all except one,

Nothing but anger from the prodigal at home

Who selfishly thought it was particularly unfair

That his brother should then suddenly reappear.

“He took all that was for him and left this place

Lived his life wretchedly and our name disgraced,

Now he has returned you have ordered a feast

Left to me all this rejoicing would suddenly cease.

All these years I have faithfully served you,

I have never disobeyed and you know that is true,

I have always been here at your beck and call

And all I ask Father is that you be fair; that’s all.

 

 

My brother left here and went his own way

Now he has returned there is celebration today,

Clearly there is more going for the son that strays

Than the one that serves faithfully and at home stays.” 

His father tried to placate him but to no avail,

He tried and tried but his efforts just failed,

While the return of the son the others regaled

This for the son at home was a sorrowful tale.

And so it is with some church people

Especially at the coming home of a prodigal,

They fret and grumble and show great distaste

As though that prodigal has taken their place.

  

Why all this fuss?  He is not going to last,

Very soon this church will be a thing of the past,

Well that’s not you and certainly it’s not me,

No such persons in this place; that we all can see.

I entreat us all to be careful with our attitude

And let us be balanced concerning our latitude,

Condemnation is not the spirit with which we must judge

And compromise not, hold to God’s word, don’t budge.

 

Whether prodigals at home or prodigals who roam

Both need God’s salvation; that should be known,

Whether lost in the church or lost out in the world

Both are lost and this truth needs to be heard.

The Pharisees run the synagogue yet they did not heed

When Jesus apprised them of their spiritual need,

They were faithful to Abraham or so they thought

Yet rejected the Saviour who their salvation brought.

Jesus was sharp in his assessment of their plight

They were sticklers for the law but refused the light,

Void of compassion, self-inclined and aloof

They neither came to nor led others to the truth.

They refused to meet the requirements to be forgiven,

More than that they shut up the kingdom of heaven

And barred men and women from going in there at;

Jesus called them hypocrites and that’s a biblical fact.

They compassed land and sea to make one proselyte

And made him a child of hell in this spiritual fight,

They paid tithe of mint and anise and cumin

But the weightier matters of the law meant nothing.

 

So take note regarding the prodigals that roam

You are really no better if you are a prodigal at home,

Time to stop the condemnation and the useless pretense

Like them you too need the born again experience.

Salvation cannot be achieved by a person’s merit

Neither is it accomplished keeping the law as a habit,

The price of our salvation is to the Saviour’s credit

And to the grace of God regarding which there is no limit.

Stewart Russell © 2016