More thoughts (again?) from The Return of The Prodigal Son. Here’s what Nouwen says about the younger son.
The younger son sinned in a way we can easily identify. His lostness is quite obvious. He misused his money, his time, his friends, his own body. What he did was wrong; not only his family and friends knew it, but he himself as well. He rebelled against morality and allowed himself to be swept away by his own lust and greed. There is something very clear-cut about his misbehavior.
The rebellion of the younger son is laid bare on the table for all to see. By contrast, the other son’s rebellion runs deep underneath the surface.
The lostness of the elder son, however, is much harder to identify. After all, he did all the right things. He was obedient, dutiful, law-abiding, and hardworking. People respected him, admired him, praised him, and likely considered him a model son. Outwardly, the elder son was faultless. But when confronted by his father’s joy at the return of his younger brother, a dark power erupts in him and boils to the surface. Suddenly, there becomes glaringly visible a resentful, proud, unkind, selfish person, one that had remained deeply hidden, even though it had been growing stronger and more powerful over the years.
Steve, blogged about this a month or so ago and made some great observations from this particular quote that I agree with. I also agree with Nouwen’s portrayal of the heart condition of both sons.
Most of us grow up thinking how glamorous it must be to experience the lostness of the younger. To sow the wild oats and have a chance to come back and be forgiven is certainly an attractive prospect. Most of us have been living, all the while, the lostness of the older son.
I have to admit, however, I’m having some difficulty with a few of Nouwen’s interpretations. He makes some leaps and stretches from a painting of a fictional story. I’m especially having difficulty with who he claims the older son to be, as portrayed in the painting. Here’s a picture of the painting.
You tell me, based on the story, who most resembles the older son and why. I’ll add more thoughts to the comments later.
