The Prodigal Son: A story of pride and humility

I am studying the book Humility: True Greatness with a group of ladies at my church. Of course the opposite of humility is pride. Pride is the root of sin; it is what Lucifer committed in his heart. It was the demise of mankind. When I started studying Biblical characters that were destroyed by pride I came up with several examples, however one has stuck with me. It is a story that gives us a full picture of pride and humility, The prodigal Son in Luke 15.

Rebellious Pride

The younger son who asks his father for his inheritance is showing his pride. He wants to be on his own he does not want to wait until his father is near death. He wants his money now and he wants to be on his own. We often see this type of pride manifest itself in rebellion in young children. From what we can tell from this story it seems as though the father is loving to his children. Yet he wants his independence. He wants to be footloose and fancy free. So his father grants his wish and the son leaves.

The young son goes out and the Bible tells us that he “squandered his property in reckless living.” This young man is enjoying the freedom to have lots of fun that instant wealth can bring. Yet when a famine strikes the land and all his money is gone he is left feeding pigs. This young man experienced the natural consequences of his rebellion. His pride and rebellion led him to destruction.

Repentance to Humility

So as the son is sitting with the pigs he begins to think of his father. His heart is softened by his circumstances and he decides to go home and beg his father to let him be a servant in his house. His father treats servants better than his is living now. He is broken and humbled. It takes humility to say you are wrong. It takes real humility to go back to the person you wronged and ask them for anything. A truly proud heart would stay in the pig pen where at least they were “on their own.” He knows he needs help and so he takes a chance at repentance to his father. He has been suffered because of his pride but once broken has changed his heart toward humility.

Real Humility

As the son comes home his father sees him from a distance. He runs to his son! This type of act for middle eastern men would have been unheard of. Most men would scorn their son which is why this young man was going with the intention of begging his father to let him be a slave. He expected resistance to his repentance but he was instead met with arms open wide. The father loves his son and is so thankful for his repentance. He does not put a stone wall up against the one he loves.

As the son begins to ask for forgiveness the father doesn’t even seem to hear, He simply calls for the best robe and a celebration to be held because his son has come home.

This father gives us a picture of what Christ did for us. He humbled himself and took suffered on the cross. He gave up His Glory to reach down to us. He runs to us when we come to us. He does not hold our wickedness against us forever. He banishes it as far as the east is from the west. He grants forgiveness. He allows us to spend eternity with Him. Heaven will be unbelieveable to our minds. He does not give this gift begrudgingly, He wants us to be with Him. Why else would He have humbled himself and come to earth? He did it because he wants our repentant and humble hearts.

We as sinners must are also sitting in the pig pen of our own sin. We must come to the Lord with humble and repentant hearts and believe on Him. Humility is something we cannot ignore.

So the party begins for the repentant and now humble younger son. Joy has filled this father’s heart. His son is home.

Repressed Pride

Everyone is not happy at the repentance and return of the young son. No, in fact anger is brewing in the heart of his older brother. This brother did everything right. He had stayed and done what he was supposed to do. His father should have liked him better. He should be having a party because he has been faithful to his father through his actions.

This son reminds me of Jonah, he doesn’t want the Ninevites to be saved he wants justice. That is what this older son wants for this younger son; justice. As Christians I think this type of pride is often our downfall. It is the pride that we deserve Christ because of our service to Him. we are serving him. When a “real sinner” comes back to Christ this type of pride manifests itself in an unforgiving spirit.

It seems from this passage that sometimes pride is not as flagrant as that of the younger son. The pride is present but we conceal it. This type of pride is buried deep within our hearts but just like the Bible tells us “as a man thinks in his heart so is he” is so true. You might be able to hide your pride from those around you but that doesn’t make it any less real. Eventually that sin will be exposed.

Reflections on humility

At the end of this I feel conviction. Often I’m a person with repressed pride. Since we know all people are sinners I think it is safe to say that we all struggle with pride in some form. What is necessary is to ask the Spirit to probe our hearts and point us toward repentance in areas where we are proud and don’t even realize it.

Once we are aware of pride in our own hearts we can ask the Spirit to help us change. We can then grow in humility.

Truly, we have nothing to be proud about in our own lives. It is because of Christ that we will live.