"A Certain man had two sons: and the younger of them said to his father, Father, give me the portion of goods that falleth to me" (Luke 15:11, 12). Responding to the request, the father "divided unto them his living."
To the student of Christian Science seeking the profound spiritual intent of the Master's parable given in the presence of the publicans and sinners, who came willingly to hear and to learn from him, and of the Pharisees and scribes, whose purpose was to condemn his teachings and to discount his outstanding healings, the questions naturally come to thought: What was the nature and purpose of the father's gift? What was the lesson that Jesus was offering to his hearers? What was actually the nature of the father's gift which the Bible record defines as "his living"?
As Jesus developed this parable, he showed the futility, as well as the vicissitudes, of the younger son's journey into a far country, and his fruitless experiences which actually awakened him to what he had mistakenly claimed as his birthright. Mrs. Eddy's words in "The Cry of Christmas-tide" elucidate for us the profound purpose of the Master's theme. She says (Miscellaneous Writings, p. 369): "Meekly we kneel at our Master's feet, for even a crumb that falleth from his table. We are hungry for Love, for the white-winged charity that heals and saves." And then she adds with deep significance: "We are tired of theoretic husks,—as tired as was the prodigal son of the carobs which he shared with the swine, to whom he fed that wholesome but unattractive food. Like him, we would find our Father's house again—the perfect and eternal Principle of man. We thirst for inspiring wine from the vine which our Father tends. We crave the privilege of saying to the sick, when their feebleness calls for help, 'Rise and walk.' "
