The Prodigal God

Title: The Prodigal God

Author: Timothy Keller

Publisher: Dutton, 2008

Pages: 139

Begun: February 15

Completed: February 20

In keeping with Brian's post about John MacArthur's book on the prodigal son, I thought I'd write a few comments about this excellent and easy read by Tim Keller. It is also an exposition of the parable of the prodigal son.

Tim Keller is probably one of the best writers for unchurched people or unbelievers. His book (which I ought to finish ) on "The Reason for God" is an outstanding book that reminds one of C.S. Lewis in its lucid argumentation. Only he is a lot easier to read than Lewis.

This book was powerful. It tells the story of a "prodigal" God. "Prodigal" means "recklessly extravagant, having spent everything" and this describes the Loving Father. Jesus uses the two sons, says Keller, "to portray the two basic ways people try to find happiness and fulfillment: the way of moral conformity and the way of self-discovery." We are all either an elder or younger brother, and often both. 

One of the powerful insights of the book is when Keller reminds us that Christianity was the first non-religion. Expositing the parable, Keller shows that the older brother was not losing the father's love in spite of his goodness, but because of it. It is not his sins that create the barrier betwen him and his father, it's the pride he has in his moral record; it's not his wrongdoing but his righteousness that is keeping him from sharing in the feast for the father."

"It's a shocking message: Careful obedience to God's law may serve as a strategy for rebellion against God."  He illustrates this by quoting from a novel in which the author says of her character that "there was a deep, black, wordless conviction in him that the way to avoid Jesus was to avoid sin." Wow!  In other words, the hearts of the two brothers were the same: "Each one rebelled - but one did so by being very bad and the other by being extremely good."

"There are two ways to be your own Savior and Lord. One is by breaking all the moral laws and setting your own course, and one is by keeping all the moral laws and being, very, very good."

It's a gospel tract, really!

The last chapter is an appeal to sinners to come to the feast of the Father. Drawing from that metaphor, Keller makes these observations about the feast. 

1. Salvation is experiential. Quoting from Edwards (Keller sometimes reminds me more of Edwards than even Piper), he argues that you have to "feel" saved.

2. Salvation is material. The body matters. It will be resurrected.

3. Salvation is individual. And we must live the gospel daily. Quoting Luther, he says that even though we are converted we will go back to operating on other principles unless you deliberately, repeatedly set it to gospel-mode. In other words, quoting Luther again, we are naturally religious.

4. Salvation is communal. We have been saved as a people. 

A wonderful book. I highly recommend it. We are experiencing what I sometimes believe to be a quiet, but steady, revival here in our church and I am persuaded it is because the gospel. The gospel isn't just for the beginning of our Christian walk, but for the duration of it.