In
the parable of the prodigal son, Jesus teaches that God's love and mercy extend
to undeserving people. This idea collides with the Jewish belief that God's
love was reserved only for the Hebrew people. They made their theology fit into
a rigid social and religious belief system that could not be altered.
God revealed himself to the Jewish
people so they could be witnesses of his love to all humanity. God told them they
were indeed their brother's keeper and responsible to God for their attitudes
and behaviors. When the older brother in the parable witnessed his father
extend acceptance to his undeserving brother, it was more than he could manage.
Another teaching from this parable is,
never devote your life to what is transitory, for it cannot guarantee acceptance
into God's eternal presence. Jesus encourages us to store up treasures in
heaven where their value will never diminish. When kindness and love are given to those who
are undeserving, treasures accumulate into a heavenly account just for you.
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