The Return of the Prodigal Son: A Story of Homecoming (1992)

I'm surprised to say I really liked this book. I have always disliked this parable, simply because I always believed that the elder brother was right to feel the way he did, and that the father's actions were a betrayal to the elder son's devotion to his father all those years. However, for the first time, after reading through this book, I am able to see how, perhaps, the full intent behind this story in the first place, was for us to be able to see ourselves in each character, and view it as a metaphor for the life journey that we all must make. As much as we might not want to admit it, we all have had moments where we have acted more like the wayward son, straying from our parents' expectations and desires, to act on our own whims. Likewise, as mentioned above, we have also most likely experienced feeling bitterness & resentment toward those who seemed to get good things handed to them although we feel them to be undeserving. We go back & forth between each of these extremes throughout our lives, but eventually we must move toward viewing ourselves as the father in the story. As the father tried to explain to the elder son in the story, his love for both his sons is the same. Just because he is celebrating one son's return does not diminish his love for the other. The elder son has always had access to all his father had to give, and never had to learn of the suffering that goes along with losing everything due to one's own stupidity. The younger son had to learn that lesson the hard way. We start out on our journey having to learn from both our successes and failures, and eventually, we should be able to see and understand the full scope of a parent's love for all his children as we move into that role toward the end of our journey. ( )

Open leadership father and two different kinds of responses of the sons. You'll see the Rembrandt painting never the same again after reading the book.

I read this book the first time over a decade ago and recently reread it. This is vintage Nouwen. In this book, Nouwen reflects on Rembrandt's painting The Return of the Prodigal Son and uses it as a window to look deeper into Jesus's favorite parable. Nouwen helps us examine in the lost younger son, in the judgmental older son, and in the loving embrace of the father. Each of the sons are recapitulated in Jesus--the true younger son who leaves his home with the Father to welcome us back; and the true elder brother who loves and welcomes his wayward sibling. Ultimately we are called to be like the Father.
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Rated: A-

Prologue: Encounter with a Painting - The Painting
• … (Rembrandt) painted father and son, God and humanity, compassion and misery, in one circle of love.
6: The Elder Son’s Return – A Possible Conversion
• The Father’s love does not force itself on the beloved. Although he wants to heal us of all our inner darkness, we are still free to make our own choice to stay in the darkness or to step into the light of God’s love. God is there. God’s light is there. God’s forgiveness is there. God’s boundless love is there. What is so clear is that God is always there, always ready to give and forgive, absolutely independent of our response. God’s love does not depend on our repentance or our inner or outer changes.
6: The Elder Son’s Return – Letting God of Rivalry
• “In the house of my father there are many places to live,” Jesus says. Each child of God has there his or her unique place, all of them places of God.
6: The Elder Son’s Return – Through Trust and Gratitude
• Resentment and gratitude cannot coexist, since resentment blocks the perception and experience of life as a gift.
8: The Father Welcomes Home – No More or Less
• God loves with a divine love, a love that cedes to all women and men their uniqueness without ever comparing.
8: The Father Welcomes Home – The Heart of God
• … I no longer think of God as hiding out and making it as difficult as possible for me to find him, but, instead, as the one who is looking for me while I am doing the hiding.
9: The Father Calls for a Celebration – Giving the Very Best
• … spontaneous forgiveness ...
9: The Father Calls for a Celebration – An Invitation to Joy
• “Rejoice with me,” the shepherd says, “I have found my sheep that was lost.” “Rejoice with me,” the woman says, “I have found the drachma I lost.” “Rejoice with me,” the father says, “This son of mine was lost and is found.” … God rejoices because one of his children who was lost has been found.
10: Conclusion: Becoming the Father – A Lonely Step
• “Be compassionate as your Father is compassionate.” (Luke 6:36, CEB) … The return to the Father is ultimately the challenge to become the Father. ( )

This was required reading for my Religion and Literature class. The primary focus of our material was the parable of the prodigal son. Nouwen put an amazing personal spin on understanding Rembrant's painting, but also in the journey from younger son, elder son, and finally the father figure. ( )