I thought this was an interesting quote from a video I recently watched:
“They didn’t come to look at the Mona Lisa. They came in order to have seen it. There is a crucial distinction…”
Refusing the waters of Shiloah
Isaiah’s words make me think about the times when I refuse to do what will bring me greater long-term happiness, and instead do something that is fun for the moment, but results in a much more stressful life over time.
In my case, one thing I could improve is getting enough sleep. If I went to bed earlier, on a regular basis, I would have time to exercise in the morning. If I went to bed earlier, I wouldn’t feel as tired during the rest of the next day. I would be up earlier, and it would be easier to get to work earlier. So many benefits, but do I choose them? Rarely. That stress is totally avoidable, but I choose to stay up late and reap the consequences.
Isaiah 8:6
6 Forasmuch as this people refuseth the waters of Shiloah that go softly, and rejoice in Rezin and Remaliah’s son;7 Now therefore, behold, the Lord bringeth up upon them the waters of the river, strong and many, even the king of Assyria, and all his glory: and he shall come up over all his channels, and go over all his banks:
8 And he shall pass through Judah; he shall overflow and go over, he shall reach even to the neck; and the stretching out of his wings shall fill the breadth of thy land, O Immanuel.
The parable of the prodigal son is about two wayward sons
Most of my favorite parables are in Luke. I like how the parable seems to focus on the son who was lost, but eventually the emphasis rests on the son who stayed home.
The son who went astray had a temporary problem. He was humbled, then recognized the need for his father, and returned a changed man. The son who stayed home had a more permanent problem. He felt no need to change anything about himself. He felt entitled to what his father had, but he didn’t value what his father valued: his father’s son.
The father’s money had been squandered by the wayward son, and yet the father came running to greet him on his return. His son was worth more than the money. The son who stayed home had lost nothing of his own, and yet he was offended that his father should rejoice over his brother.
This parable, and several others, were the response Jesus gave to the Pharisees and scribes when He was criticized for eating with publicans and sinners. Those sinners had found the kingdom while the blind Pharisees had been leading the blind.
I hope to always identify with the lost sheep seeking a Shepherd and the humbled son returning to his Father. To identify with the son who stayed home would be to misunderstand the parable.