THE PRODIGAL SON
Sermon by C. L. Franklin
C. L. Franklin was one of the most famous Afro-American preachers of the 20th century. Some of his sermons are now on youtube. This is part one of his sermon on the Parable of the Prodigal Son. The transcript of only this part of the sermon is below. Sermon by C. L. Franklin
Note that this parable is implicitly dispensationalist and succesionist: that is, the New Jew (the Christian in the Christian dispensation/time period) has replaced the Old Jew. Because of this allegorical reading (older brother=Jew, prodigal brother=Christian) some scholars question the authenticity of some verses, suggesting they came in a later period of the church, some decades after Jesus' death, when Jews and Christians were in conflict. Still, the Red Letter Bible (from the Jesus Seminar) voted either Red or Pink for most of this parable.
Besides preaching, C. L. Franklin also sang Gospel songs during his services, so the actual sermon begins at 1:38 of the video clip.
Besides being a great preacher, Franklin was also a lucky father. He sired a daughter named ARETHA FRANKLIN, who became probably the greatest Soul singer of the 20th century. As with so many other great Soul singers, Aretha (as she's fondly called) started out in Gospel, singing from a very young age in her father's church. The rest is history. Go here or play console below.
In all of the Bible or in any literature printed, be it secular or sacred, there isn't a greater love story than the story of the Prodigal Son. Jesus dramatically tells of God's love [amen] and God's patience and God's long suffering and God's concern about man in this passage. [yes]
He intended to show first of all the danger of self-righteousness in the characterization of the son that stayed at home. Although he stayed at home, although he did not go astray, although he did not engage in wild and riotous living, when his brother was redeemed, and was redeemed, he was too selfish to come in and join in the banquet and celebrate the recovery of his lost brother.
So that Jesus intends for us to learn in this that it is as dangerous to stay in the church and be selfish as it is to go out but finally come back. [yes, amen]
Now the theme of this passage is loss. And Jesus intended to show us that God is the god of the lost.
Now Jesus also said that God was not the God of the living, or rather of the dead, but a God of the living.
By that he did not mean that he turns his back on you when you die. But he rather meant that no man is dead with God.
And then know that we cannot escape to any land that God is not. If he went to the Heavens, if he went to the utmost parts of the earth, if he made his bed in hell, behold God is there.
So God is the God of the lost. [Amen] If you do not believe that he is the God of the lost make up your mind to come back to God. And like the father of the prodigal his arms will be wide open. And love will be waiting do you understand in his wide room of blessings.
Now I said the theme of this story is loss. Jesus in this chapter tells of two things that were lost. First he tells of lost sheep. [Yeah] Secondly he tells of lost money. Thirdly, he tells of a lost son.
In the case of the lost sheep the shepherd went back over his steps and over his traveling the day, the previous day and searched in every ravine, in every mountainside and in every valley until he had regained the sheep that was lost.
The woman who lost one of her coins swept in every corner and under every corner behind every door until she had found the lost coins. But then there's no word of anybody having gone out to look for this lost son.
You see in the case of the sheep we have the loss of property. In the case of the lost coin we have financial loss. In the case of the son we have human loss.
People go out looking to regain lost property. People work double shifts in order to regain lost money. But none of you people bother themselves to regain lost sons.
Lost dogs, lost husbands or lost wives, or even lost winnings.
This young man in the case of the Prodigal Son, why became restless according to the story, and became a little impatient and all-round regulation of his home. Possibly his brother led a life that was too dull. Possibly the iron rule of his father was a little irritating.
Yes he was young and the blood of youth was dancing for variety and excitement in his veins..
You understand, his heart had grown alien. Alien to his home. Alien to the traditional situation among his people. Alien to the things that were native to him.
The far country of excitement beckoned to him. And he went to his father and petitioned him, "Father give me all of the goods that fall to me."
His father did not hesitate. He immediately divided his living you understand and gave the young man his share.
And that midday he took his journey into that far country.
He didn't go out looking for the young man. For the young man was lost. Yes, he was lost.
I don't mean only so far as morals or so far as actually spiritual is concerned. I mean he was lost to himself. For the record is that when he found himself in the pigpen he came to himself. Which means that he was not like himself.
What are you here for? I wish I had someone here to pray with me.
You see, there are situations in life, let me put it this way, I think sometimes that adversity helps us to find ourselves. Some of the folks some of the folk who are sitting listen with me have gone through expenses and know that there are times in your life when you thought you knew it all. When you thought that you could impose your way and your will on everybody. And you thought that it was right to be selfish. But you see the first law of living may be self first, but the first law of grace is others first.
And it took a little adversity, it took a little sickness, or it took a little misfortune or it took a little shakeup in your life to help you to find yourself.
You see this young man. . . .
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