Summary of the book "The Prodigal God" - By Timothy Keller

Key Concepts in his book:

1. The prodigal son parable is an old story about family alienation.
2. There are numerous ways to sin.
3. In the story, the older brother is in poorer spiritual form than his younger sibling.
4. Jesus died on the cross in order for us to return to God.
5. The biblical feasts represent the sensual, worldly world that God is so concerned about.

Who can benefit the most from this book:

• Christians who’ve become alienated from the church but still believe in the gospel.
• Anyone who feels like their faith is dead in spite of all their devotional efforts.
• Bible lovers looking for an original interpretation of a classic parable.

What am I getting out of it? Discover a new perspective on what it means to be a Christian.

Jesus Christ was not a member of any organization. He never built powerful networks or joined advisory committees in order to dictate how people should practice their faith. Instead, he travelled the globe, meeting with society's most vulnerable people: the destitute, refugees, and sex workers.

Christianity was unmistakably non-institutional when it initially arose as a religion. To become a Christian, there were no priests, sacrifices, or hoops to jump through. That's no longer the case. People who declare themselves to be morally righteous and thus competent to instruct others how to follow their faith now control religion. Gossip and judgment abound in religious societies. Regular church attendance has been confused with a genuine relationship with God.

This summary demonstrates how to detach the Christian faith from institutional gatekeepers and forge our own joyful relationship with God.

• You'll learn why moral righteousness is so perilous. 
• Yow the younger son in the parable was able to repent after hitting rock bottom.
• And why feasts and parties are so essential in the Bible in this summary.

1. The prodigal son parable is an old story about family alienation.

Anyone who has read the Bible understands that Jesus was not prejudiced. He fed everyone, including kings and Pharisees, sinners, immigrants, sex workers, and the poorest of the destitute. At the time, that viewpoint drew a lot of ire: how could sinners be treated the same as people who followed God's rules to the letter?

As a result, Jesus confronted the religious authorities and told them a story. The narrative of the prodigal son is based on a compelling parable found in Luke 15:11.

The main point is this: The prodigal son parable is an old story about family alienation.

A wealthy man with two sons is the subject of the parable. One day, he's confronted by his youngest son, who demands his inheritance right now! This was an unusual and impolite request to make of a strong Middle Eastern patriarch at the time. Essentially, the son was expressing his desire to be free of his father and spend his fortune immediately rather than waiting for him to die. A conventional parent could have thrown him out of the house, leaving him with nothing but the clothes on his back. However, this father gives up and sells enough of his estate to pay the younger son his portion of the inheritance.

The money is taken by the son, who embarks on a spending binge, frequenting brothels and partying until he runs out of money. He's become so impoverished that he can't even afford to eat. He ends himself working in a pigsty because he is so hungry that he envies the pigs' food. He repents for his prior deeds after reflecting on what he's done and decides to seek forgiveness from his father.

His father wraps his arms around his younger son as soon as he sees him. He hugs and loves him and directs his staff to dress him in the most luxurious robes they can locate. Then he tells them to arrange a feast to commemorate the son's return, ordering them to slaughter the fattest calf for everyone to eat.

When the older son learns of all of this, he becomes enraged. "All these years, I've been here for you, following your every rule," he says. "And you didn't even give me a scrawny goat to butcher." After years of living in sin, my younger brother returns and is received as an honoured guest?" Despite his father's pleadings, he refuses to join the party.

2. There are numerous ways to sin.

Have you ever tried bargaining with God, promising him that if he merely fulfils your inner wish to become wealthy, acquire a new job, or rescue your sick child, you'll pray every day, give up an affair, or otherwise delight him?

If that's the case, you have a transactional relationship with God. I'll give you something if you give me something. In Jesus' tale, the older brother addressed his father in the same manner.

We've all been taught to blame the younger son for running away with his inheritance and squandering it. Surely the obedient older son isn't to blame? After all, he's been by his father's side for years, serving him. What might it be that he's doing wrong?

The main point here is that there are multiple ways to sin.

Yes, the activities of the older son are without blame. That is until he erupts in wrath and shuns his father for reuniting him with his younger brother.

The oldest son's rage indicates that he, too, desired control over his father. He didn't claim his inheritance with the bravado of his younger brother. Instead, he went through the motions of being a responsible son, knowing that the reward would be tremendous wealth and the power of one day taking his father's place. As a result, he didn't serve his father only for the sake of serving him. He did it for the sake of getting something in return. When he didn't obtain what he desired, he lost all pretence of filial piety.

The father is a metaphor for God in the tale. In saying it, Jesus is implying that we are all immoral, that we all act inappropriately in our connection with God. The obvious sinners are the world's younger sons who prioritize personal freedom over obligation and live by their own rules. However, the older brothers among us – regular churchgoers who see themselves as moral leaders – are also sinners. They begin to believe that they are superior to others and that God will reward them for their good deeds. They have hidden agendas that impede them from simply being with God and doing his work out of love. They want to gain power by their good deeds, power that is not theirs.

As a result, we are all sinners. Some of us commit sin by breaking the rules, while others do it for the wrong reasons.

3. In the story, the older brother is in poorer spiritual form than his younger sibling.

Consider the following scenario: two patients. Everyone is aware that she is ill. She is able to see a doctor and receive the treatment she requires to recover from her illness. The second patient is completely symptom-free. He doesn't realize anything is wrong with him until it's too late, and he dies.

In this story, the second patient is clearly the loser. He has no idea what's going on with him, so he can't do anything about it.

This second patient is similar to the older brother. He believes he is doing everything correctly and that he does not need to alter. As a result, he lacks the humility to forgive his younger brother or recognize his father's mistreatment.

On the other hand, the younger brother has reached rock bottom. He recognizes that he has acted inappropriately and is able to view his own acts clearly enough to beg forgiveness. From the outside, his life appears to be a complete disaster. However, he is in a better spiritual position than his older sibling.

The main point is that the older brother in the story is in poorer spiritual condition than the younger sibling.

Moral superiority and righteousness are harmful. You lose your humility and ability to connect with others when you believe you are better. On a personal level, this might manifest as an unwillingness to forgive someone who fails to meet your high moral standards, as well as an inability to put yourself in their place.

Self-righteousness and moral superiority are the drivers of racism and classicism on a societal level, fueling violence and discrimination. It's a recipe for disaster when entire groups of people believe they are particularly blessed by God because of how they practice their faith or because of their innate superiority.

In the tale, the older brother is devout, but his faith is motivated by fear. While fear can push us for a short period of time, it does not provide a solid foundation for a life of commitment. It also takes away our delight. You'll feel the exquisite closeness of that relationship when you're worshipping God for the joy of it, with no strings attached. No matter what's going on in your life, you'll be completely fulfilled because you're staying true to yourself and your religion.

There are a variety of ways to lose touch with God. But if you can admit that something is wrong, you can always find your way back.

4. Jesus died on the cross in order for us to return to God.

Do you get homesick from time to time? Or do you feel as if you don't belong anywhere? Do you feel like something – or someone – is missing from your life?

The concept of exile — of losing one's home – runs through the Bible's narrative. It all begins in Genesis with the expulsion of Adam and Eve from their initial home in God's garden. And, as we see with the Israelites enslaved in Egypt, we see people being displaced and yearning for their homeland.

The main message is that Jesus died on the cross so that we could return to God.

The prodigal son narrative is also about two brothers who have lost their way. One who left home to pursue his own path and ended up in debt with no one to support him. The other, who stayed at home but turned down his closest family.

However, the story also demonstrates something crucial: there is always a way back. When the younger son returns home, his father – who represents God – rushes to meet him and greet him. When the older boy throws a tantrum, his father goes outside to calmly speak with him. God's love is limitless and unfailing. He doesn't make either brother beg for forgiveness or grovel. He generously gives His love.

The older brother was furious since his younger brother's reappearance in his life would cost him a lot of money. Even though his brother had already spent his portion of the money, he'd have to divide it with him. In the story, the older brother was more concerned with his fortune than with his younger sibling. Many of us think in materialistic terms as well.

We only need to look at our ultimate big brother, Jesus Christ, to understand how to be generous and how to model ourselves in the image of God. Jesus Christ possessed tremendous strength. But, rather than benefitting from his authority, Jesus sacrificed it all for us. He let himself be humiliated and stripped bare. For us, Christ died on the cross.

In essence, Jesus gave up his life so that we could return home to the God who is always waiting to welcome us back.

5. The biblical feasts represent the sensual, worldly world that God is so concerned about.

The transformation of water into wine was one of Jesus' first miracles. He'd arrived at a wedding to find that all the alcohol had been consumed. As a result, he used his abilities to generate more and keep the party alive.

That may appear to be a flimsy reason for a miracle. Why wasn't his first act curing a terminally ill person or something as significant?

The truth is that the Bible is not a fan of partying. There are numerous descriptions of "party-feasts," which are lavish dinners with filled tables and "aged wine." It's no surprise that the prodigal son's narrative closes with a feast featuring the scrumptious fattened calf. That meal was the ultimate manifestation of God's mercy and kindness.

The main point is that the biblical feasts represent the sensual, material world that God is so concerned about.

It's a common misconception that God wants us to give up all sensuous pleasures. But, if that were the case, why did he create such a stunningly beautiful world, full of sights, fragrances, and tastes that offer us so much pleasure? No, God intends for us to go through all of that. And as a result, you'll be able to feel his love and compassion.

He doesn't want our religious ideas to be purely theoretical and abstract. He desires for us to be able to sense, feel, and taste the richness of our faith. Instead of constructing our belief on the basis of fear and worry, we might do so on the basis of embodied delight.

But simply believing in God isn't enough. We must put our spiritual values into practice. Examine how you spend your money and how you treat your loved ones, as well as the work you do in the world. Are your beliefs and behaviours in sync?

We must also share our faith with others. Only in the company of other Christians can our faith truly blossom. C.S. Lewis, a novelist, once said that we can only know one part of another person. We need a community to draw out all of the varied sides of a person in order to know them completely. The same can be said of God. We learn to know him and Jesus Christ more thoroughly when we worship him in the community.

The feast has been extended to you. Will you enter the room and take a seat at the table?

The main point of this summary is that the well-known prodigal son tale has been misconstrued. It's not about forgiving sinners like the younger brother. Rather, it is an attempt to teach the "elder brothers" among us that living a pious life can also be wicked. Following the commandments in order to gain God's love results in spiritual death. It is founded on fear, not love. We can establish a faith-based on love rather than fear by acknowledging that we are all sinners and learning from Jesus' ultimate charity.