To - Words of Hazrat Isa - Index

The Unforgiving Brother

BACK

There was a man who had two sons. Now the younger one said to his father, "Father, give me my portion of the inheritance." So the father divided between them his livelihood.

A few days later, the younger son gathered everything together and went off to a distant country, where he squandered his wealth in debauchery.

Now when he had spent up, that country experienced a severe famine and he became destitute. Having become the servant of a citizen of that country; he was sent into his fields to feed pigs. He desperately felt like filling his stomach with the pods that the pigs ate, as nobody would help him.

Coming to his senses, he said, "My father’s many hired servants have more food than they need and here I am, perishing with hunger! When I get up I will go to my father, and will say to him, 'Father, I sinned - against heaven, even in your presence, and I am no longer fit to be called your son, make me like one of your hired servants'."

So when he got up he set off to go to his father. Now when he was still a long way off, his father seeing him, moved with compassion, ran, flung his arms around his neck, and kissed him.

The son said to him, "Father, I sinned - against heaven - even in front of you, and I am no longer fit to be called your son" but the father said to his servants, "Get the best robe, and put it on him; and give him a ring for his hand, sandals for his feet - and when you've got the fattened calf, kill it so we can rejoice whilst eating it. Because this boy my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found." So they began to rejoice.

Now his older son was in the field. On his way back, as he approached the house, he heard music and dancing. He called one of the young men asking him what it was all about. He said to him "Your brother has returned home and your father has killed the fattened calf, because he hath received him back safe and sound."

The older son was so angry that he would not go in. So his father, having come out, appealed to him, but his response to his father was, "Look! for many years I've served you, neither did I at any time disobey your instructions, but you never gave me a baby goat so that I might rejoice with my friends. But as soon as this man - your son - returns, who has squandered your livelihood, with prostitutes, for him you kill the fattened calf."

The Father replied, "My dear Son, you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. We had to rejoice and welcome him, because this man - your brother - was dead, and is alive again; and was lost, and is found."

[Luke 15:11-32]

To - Words of Hazrat Isa - Index

Enquiries

BACK