This was another favorite that didn’t make the record. In fact, it was one of the songs that led me to the title of this record, which I do not believe has yet been announced. So I guess I can’t explain too much more about that. So let’s just jump to the song.
The story of the prodigal son (Luke 15:11-32) has always been a favorite of mine. Obviously, I’ve already written one song from this text, Still Here Waiting from the Grace record. But I have grown much more fond of this parable after reading The Cross and the Prodigal by Kenneth Bailey. He is a scholar in Middle Eastern peasant culture, and so he reads the Bible with a different background than most. I really enjoyed his insights and it brought this story back to the forefront of my thinking.
The song specifically deals with three moments in the story: the son’s choice to return home, the son’s journey home, and the son’s arrival at home. In the first couple of verses, I dug into some of the thoughts that might have been going through his head, some of the feelings he might have experienced while deciding to go home and while traveling home. I tried to look at it through his eyes, but also through mine and yours since we have all walked this road of regret.
But today I want to look at one thing specifically. In the bridge, we get to one of the most powerful things I found in The Cross and The Prodigal. Dr. Bailey says this, “First century Jewish custom dictated that if a Jewish boy lost the family inheritance among the Gentiles and dared to return home, the community would break a large pot in front of him and cry out “so-in-so is cut off from his people.” It was called the Kezezah ceremony. The son had betrayed his family and his community by losing their wealth to others, specifically Gentile “others”. So when Jesus’ story happens to mention a pig farmer, he was very intentionally pointing out that the inheritance was lost among the Gentiles. So when the son returned home, he would be mocked, berated, abused, and publicly cast out, all before he ever actually got home. As soon as someone saw him, the village would turn out against him.
But the father is looking for his son. “But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion, and ran and embraced him and kissed him.” I don’t know how to phrase this delicately… have you ever seen an old man run? It’s usually not attractive. Especially when the old man is wearing robes and has to hike them up over his old wrinkly knees to run down the road. Shame was coming upon the son. The kezezah was coming. The village would cut him off. But before that could happen, the father shamed himself, running down the road, not acting respectably, not making the prodigal return in shame. The father ran down the road and embraced him. He declared him as a son, putting a robe on his back and a ring on his finger, before anyone could cut him off. The son deserved the shame, but the father shamed himself, so the son could return to the family. Such an amazing picture.
I’ve already moved on to other books by Dr. Bailey, but you should start with this one. And maybe you’ll even hear the song someday.
Prodigal
Long, so long have I wandered far from home
Hard, it’s so hard to lay my pride down and turn aroundBut You say You’re waiting for this prodigal son to come home
But I hesitate till I see You running down the road to meFar, so far have I fallen from where You are
Scared, I’m so scared that You won’t love me when I get thereBut You say You’re waiting for this prodigal son to come home
But I hesitate till I see You running down the road to meCalling out my name, taking all my shame
My humiliation turns to joy
The prodigal’s embraced, my excuses all erased
By an overwhelming, unrelenting love
Your loveAnd You say You’re waiting for this prodigal son to come home
But I hesitate till I see You running down the road to mec.2011 Ardent/Koala Music All rights reserved
The prodigal son story is so powerful – next time, double CD ;)))
Wow.. the pictures that came into my mind with what you wrote.. how you described the father running down the road… brought that to a better understanding even still.. thank you so much for sharing.. and the song lyrics… double CD might be a really good idea..
Just one more example of Jesus turning contemporary wisdom and traditions on their heads.
This is where I am in my life. The prodigal daughter coming back and Yes He is running to me.
I remember you singing this song in Paducah, KY shortly after you wrote it. Such a loss for it not to be on the new record because it’s a great song! Dr. Bailey’s book really opened my eyes to the deeper significance in the story of the Prodigal Son. I think it was him who suggested that the story should really be entitled The Prodigal Father because of his extravagant love (prodigal means extravagant or lavish) toward his son. To read about the way the father took the son’s shame on himself by going against the custom of that day just brings tears to my eyes.
I’m reading Dr. Bailey’s newest book, “Paul Through Mediterranean Eyes: Cultural Studies in 1 Corinthians” and am finding the answers to so many difficult questions about Paul’s writings. So many of the “religious” interpretations I’ve heard about Paul’s views on women and ministry never really made sense to me, but Dr. Bailey has explained (and vindicated) Paul’s writings as they would have been understood in that culture. Brilliant insight!
In the Prodigal Son story, many times the focus is on the sin of the son rather than the extravagance of the father. We miss so much of the glory and beauty of God when we shift our vision from him to ourselves and our failures. If we could just realize that He looks at us through loving eyes, not as an accusing judge, it would change everything–the way we look at ourselves in the mirror, the way we treat others, and the way we worship.
@Debby-I am so happy to hear that you’ve come home. May all of your tomorrows be blessed. Tess
Todd,
My daughter shared your Grace Like Rain CD with me. I was instantly hungry for more. I just bought your whole discography. I so love the interpretations that you have put on older songs and the freshness. What a powerful anointing! Love your passion, voice and musicality, but most of all your flat out honesty and love of Christ flowing thru it all.
Bless you!!!!
Cathy
As a huge fan of your ministry Todd, I’d like to own every song you ever record. Are you possibly going to be releasing this as part of”bonus songs” online, kinda like you did with NEED? That would be great. Reminds me of Keith Green, and the world needs more of these songs :).