Lausanne World Pulse – Contextualizing a Parable for Creative Teaching in Africa
By Suraja Raman
The First Principle: The Pastor/Teacher. The parable of the lost son teaches God’s forgiving and merciful attitude toward sinners and his yearning for the lost. The parable also describes the actions of the father, the younger son and the older son. The scene at home becomes a stirring moment when the father welcomes the younger son back.
The details in vv. 20-24 reveal the feelings of the father. The anxious father waited patiently for his son to return. The son’s return brought immediate happiness and forgiveness on the father’s part. The father’s desire is to bless his son; the agony, the waiting moments and the pain of separation are over. In each other’s presence there is joy, love, reconciliation and healing. They hear each other’s voice and experience each other’s presence.
An African pastor would teach the congregation the importance of respecting and obeying the father figure in the household. A biblical principle from Ephesians 6:1-4 is a strong injunction for “children to obey their parents” and for fathers to “bring (children) up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.” This would imply that the father should discipline his children. Therefore, the African father will not easily give in to the son’s demands for an early inheritance. The father must explain to the children that the family’s inheritance will be shared equally among them upon his death. A request for an inheritance prior to his death would indicate a curse and a desire that the father die early.
Another area of teaching imparted by the African pastor is that of the biblical concept of forgiveness on the part of the father toward the return of the prodigal son. A proverb from Burundi is a powerful teaching for all fathers: “Even the worst child rejected by society must be taken care of, whatever he has done, and he must be accepted as a son.” Christian fathers who have experienced the pain of a lost child are taught to accept their sons upon their return and to nurture them to become responsible adults in the home, church and society.
Apparently, the concept of celebration to welcome home a rebellious son is not within African culture or tradition. To receive one’s lost child back home is a major step for the father. Therefore, a feast of any nature is redundant. Instead, the father will be wise to utilize this time to counsel and guide the son in the way of the Lord. The following proverb from Rwanda reinforces the importance of teaching and reconciliation: “The one son who does not sit to listen to his father will not know what the grandfather had already said.”
Jesus did not conclude the story in v. 24; instead, he went on to describe the reactions of the older son (vv. 25-30). There was complaint because obedience and duty had become a burden. Service to the father and to the household was no longer a joy. His thinking was ungracious and judgmental. Could the older son be lost although he was home? What kind of act is portrayed here by the older son?
Jesus remarked to the Jewish leaders that an individual cannot rely on good works. The older son may have erroneously considered his own good works as a sufficient basis for inheriting his father’s property. The love and unmerited favor of God are for all sinners. We are redeemed by this grace and not by our own good works (Ephesians 2: 8-9).
In the African context, a believer may have one’s roots in tribalism or in a religion such as Islam. Comparing our heavenly Father to an earthly father may not be appropriate. Africans may have had experiences from childhood of fathers who did not relate to their children through outward expressions of affection. In some homes, the mother is often seen as the more intimate parent. Hence, the parable of the lost son may need some added explanation for the scriptural teachings to be relevant in the African context when taught in an African environment.
Pages: ALL Prev 1 2 3 Next