The Four Levels of
Happiness
The Prodigal Son
(A Parable about Happiness Level 4)
Jesus told many parables, stories to teach us about God. One of the parables is the Prodigal Son ("Prodigal" means to not care about the consequences; to be reckless and uncontrolled.) When you read this story, keep in mind that the father in the story represents God, our Father. The sons represent us -- you and me. Sometimes we are like the older son, and sometimes we are like the younger son.
Once upon a time there were two boys who lived with their wealthy father on a farm. But after a while, the younger son got bored with farm life.
"Pop," he said to his father, "I'm leaving and heading for the big city. People out here in the middle of nowhere don't know how to have any fun. All we do is dig in the dirt, feed the chickens, herd the goats, and milk the cows. I want to go to city, to party all night long, go dancing, and listen to loud music."
The father said to his young son, "I really need you here. We've got such a wonderful farm, we're together as a family, and I was hoping you'd stay."
But the younger son replied, "Oh Pop, don't be such a stick in the mud. You can live your life and I'm going off to live mine. All I really want from you is my share of the inheritance. No lectures, just give me the money!"
So the father gave his younger son his share of the inheritance, kissed him goodbye, and said he would wait for him to come home. The son left for the big city. From time to time, travellers coming back from the big city would stop at the farm to get a cold drink of water. They delighted in telling the father about all the bad things his younger son was doing -- about how he was always drinking wine, flirting with women, and gambling his money away.
"Some father you turned out to be, raising a son like that!" they sneered at him. But the father loved his son very much, and waited for him to come home.
The younger son, who was indeed drinking, gambling, and flirting with women, spent all of his inheritance and ran out of money. He could no longer afford to party all night long. In fact, he could no longer even afford to eat. So he took a job cleaning up after the pigs on a foreigner's farm. Stinky, unclean pigs! In fact, he was so very, very hungry that he even started eating the slops and garbage out of the pig trough.
The younger son remembered how much his father loved him and remembered how happy they all were on the farm, and grew even more ashamed. He remembered how his father's workers had plenty to eat, and at last he decided to go back home. As he walked home, he kept thinking about all the things he had done wrong. He practiced a speech to tell his father -- 'Don't take me back as your son, take me back as a hired hand; I'm not worthy to be your son.' You see, he wasn't sure how or if his father would take him back.
But as he was walking down the road, the father saw his son coming home and ran out to meet him, to hug him, to welcome him home. The younger son tried to tell his father how sorry he was, but the father just hugged him closer and told him "You're home and that's all I wanted."
The father called out to the hired hands, "Get out the rings and the robes, and the sandals. Kill the fatted calf. Don't forget the music-makers. My son is home and we're going to have a party to end all parties."
Now, the older son, the one who had stayed home with the father all those years, had been working in the fields all day. As he came home, he heard all the commotion and asked one of the hired hands what was going on. "Your kid brother came home."
"My brother?"
"Yup, your little brother is home and we're having a big party for him."
The older son became indignant. "That's it, I've had it!" he shouted. "Tell my father that I'm not going into that house. I will not put a foot in the door as long as that bratty brother of mine is there."
When he heard this, the father came outside and asked his older son, "What is it? What's the matter?"
"What is it - you must be kidding. Look at my face. I'm the one who stayed here; look at these callouses on my hands - see those? They're from working this farm. I was here the night he left; I was here when he told you he'd had it with the chickens and cows. I was here when he walked down the road with his inheritance in a big bag. He didn't even look over his shoulder at you. I was here! I was here when the people came in from the town and told you all the things he was doing in the city. I was here and heard you cry in your bed at night - and I knew what you were crying about him."
"Now," continued the older son, "your son comes home because he's hungry. He ran out of money and ran out of friends and ran out of food, so he came home. All he wants is to get more from you. And you're giving it to him, this wonderful party, the new sandals and robes, the whole works. He did nothing, and you're giving him a party. I stayed here and did everything you asked me to do, but you never gave a party for me or my friends. That's just not fair!"
The father said, "Son, if you ever want a party for your friends, you can have it. You can have anything I have. I'll share everything I have with you, but there's one thing I want you to understand. Can you just imagine what goes on in the heart of a father, when his child comes home. Do you have any idea? The joy in the heart of a father when he thinks his child is lost and he finds him; when he thinks his child is dead, and he comes home alive.
- Based on Luke 15:11-32
Life Principles Lesson: Level 4 Happiness is the highest (best) level there is – because it's all about God. God is love. Love is His nature, it's what He is all about. Everything else that God is, relates to Him BEING love. His love is the only thing that can make us completely happy, forever.
The parable of The Prodigal Son shows us how much God loves us. The younger son, having squandered everything of value (both literally and symbolically) comes home not expecting to be forgiven, not expecting to be restored to his father because he felt unworthy. But while he may have "felt" unworthy, his father considered him to be of great worth, and welcomes him home. His forgiveness was total and complete. It was not based on anything good the son had done and in spite of everything bad.
The older son doesn't think that's fair. But God holds nothing back from us (remember the father in the story said "you can have anything I have"), so why should we complain when God is generous with others? The Older Son has been living with his father, but really needs to start living LIKE his father.
And that is the amazing message of this parable: God is patient and loving with all of His children. He is willing to welcome each of us home into His loving and forgiving arms.
Go to our Learn About It section to find out about the other types of happiness.