The Prodigal Gospel

If you were asked to describe the Gospel in one word what word would you use?

Amazing! Perhaps?

That’s the way, at least, how John Newton who wrote the hymn, “Amazing Grace” described his encounter with the love of God.

Or maybe you’ll use the word Scandalous.

This is what some modern authors use to describe their impressions of how God showers His mercy: indiscriminate, seemingly random, totally without regards to human standards of honoring the first, the rich, the religious, the king, those who worked longer or harder  or even the faithful son.

Cool! Awesome!Rocks!Maybe used by kids today.

Someone even used the word really, as in Really Good News.

Of course we can use the word “life-changing” (that’s one word right?)

Power. Revolutionary. Dangerous.

Rest. Comforting. Inspiring.

Each one depending on the circumstances surrounding their first or life encounter with the gospel will use a different word.

And of course who will forget the word Love.

But I would use one more word, a word that has received a negative connotation.

So negative that believers don't want to be branded with it.

The word is Prodigal.

Prodigal is defined by any typical dictionaries as rashly or wastefully extravagant, given in abundance, lavish or profuse, recklessly spendthrift, extremely generous.

Prodigal, I would argue, leaves a bad taste because of its association with the wayward son in The Parable of the Prodigal Son. Maybe even perhaps because of the economic situations of so many people in the world throughout history.

Rightly so the word is branded negative from the story of the lost son who took his inheritance and wastefully spent it, “squandered his wealth in wild living (NIV)” with anything he thought will make him happy. Thus, the word prodigal was associated not only with wastefulness or irresponsible decisions but also with wild living and disobedience to God.

The economic reality of life made being thrifty, being careful with your OWN resources and thinking of your OWN  needs first as non-negotiable values. Wastefulness, irresponsible spending or not saving up for your OWN future first is looked down as simply stupid.

Nowadays some would use it even casually to mean someone who left home or disassociate himself from a group.

In this blog, we will capture the value of the word Prodigal as God lives it and as we believers should live it.

After all isn’t the Gospel a Prodigal Gospel?