ipl-logo

David Brooks The Parable Of The Prodigal Sons

775 Words4 Pages

The Parable of the Prodigal Sons is one of the most controversial stories known worldwide as recorded by Luke in Luke 12:11-32 of the Bible. The central theme of this story is one that can be applied many ways. Because of this, many religions have different meanings of this story in their religious text. The parable expresses a father’s love for his children as he always accepts them no matter what they have done. Moreover, the parable describes the father as a man that will receive his children with open arms and rejoice because “they were once lost, but now are found”. Although the Parable conveys a religious message, David Brooks (New York Times author) translates the Parable into a message in which he stresses the vitally important part forgiveness plays. I defend Brooks as he sides with the father while he emphasizes that forgiveness enables an individual’s improvement, flaws are within all individuals and that forgiveness does not only aid troubled individuals but society as well. Forgiveness ameliorates the quality …show more content…

As the older son in the parable worked hard and obeyed his father faithfully he also faced problems within that was made known through Brooks translation as he states that the elder brother “wasn’t really working to honor his father, [rather] he was working for material reward and out of a fear based moralism” further going on to recognize that “the line between good and evil doesn’t run between people or classes, it runs straight through every human heart”. Despite the fact that the older son was portrayed as one that was righteous and obedient he wasn’t working with his whole heart rather working in hopes of receiving his father inheritance further proving my point that flaws are found within all individuals no matter their personal strengths nor intellectual

Show More
Related

  • Resilience In Unbroken

    746 Words  | 3 Pages

    Often, different individuals are more prone to resilience not only by their forgiveness and their social surroundings but also their prior experiences, leading to the finding of peace. The ability to forgive can alter the way a person endures tribulation. For example, in Unbroken, Louis is able to extenuate his hatred toward the

    Read More

  • Scarlet Letter Sinner Quotes

    381 Words  | 2 Pages

    Thou shalt forgive!’” (Hawthorne 133). Trying to redeem their conflict made it easier for them to live, but still not as well as a

    Read More

  • Scarlet Ibis Short Story Theme

    817 Words  | 4 Pages

    Selfishness of a child is represented as a negativity in Brother’s life when he starts to cry after presenting a walking Doodle to his loved ones. “Doodle told them it was I who had taught him to walk, so everyone wanted to hug me, and I began to cry… They did not know that I did it for myself; that pride, whose slave I was, spoke to me louder than all of their voices; and that Doodle walked only because I was ashamed of having a crippled brother,” (347). At the time, Brother doesn’twant to be known as the boy with the crippled brother, so he does whatever he can to teach Doodle to walk. He cries due to the fact that his family’s glee is only present at the time due to him ashamed.

    Read More

  • Analysis Of Left To Tell By Immaculée Ilibagiza

    576 Words  | 3 Pages

    Throughout the book, the recurring message that Immaculée shares with her readers is that anyone can learn to forgive no matter how much they have suffered in the past as long as they put their whole-hearted self in God’s

    Read More

  • The Journey In Wes Moore's Life

    704 Words  | 3 Pages

    Each one has learned many lessons from their courses in life which established their personal morality. In particular, the author, Wes Moore, was driven by positive outcomes from his negative conditions resulting from him a successful person in his adulthood. As a result, the inspiring story of the author, Wes Moore, could be described in three themes: Peer, Parent, and Family Support; Loss and Redemption; and Decision Making.

    Read More

  • Greek Godspell Analysis

    1704 Words  | 7 Pages

    In the New Testament, the parable begins with an explanation of the relationships between a father and his two sons as well as the relationship between the sons. The parable involves the younger son asking his father for his inheritance, and then transitions to the younger son wasting away his money because he hoped to live luxuriously. The younger son eventually returns home to his father, whom he asks for forgiveness. The father accepts him with open arms, while his brother appears stunned concerning the events that transpired. The father celebrates his lost son’s return, and the brother refuses to participate in the festivities.

    Read More

  • The Seventh Man Theme

    484 Words  | 2 Pages

    For instance, you make someone feel bad about themselves by calling them mean names or doing something rude, then later on you feel bad about it but you can’t forgive yourself? This is the same thing the narrator is feeling, but he can’t forgive himself about something he couldn’t control. "You're happy that you're alive, but then again, you're sad because you know certain people died, you know children died. You wish, you know, why not me instead of them?

    Read More

  • The Sunflower By Simon Wiesenthal

    887 Words  | 4 Pages

    However, while forgiveness requires immense strength, those who simply cannot forgive should not be considered weak; everyone processes grief in different ways, and one way of thinking is not an all-encompassing guide for every scenario. Most things are not easily forgiven, and no person is at liberty to criticize Simon for his choice of action; they will never know what they would have done had they been the person to whom these experiences happened. Still, withholding forgiveness ultimately offers more power towards the perpetrator and less peace to the victim, and a society without forgiveness is one in which hostility would

    Read More

  • The Kite Runner Persuasive Essay

    627 Words  | 3 Pages

    Redemption is possible. “Come. There is a way to be good again” (Hosseini 192). In Khaled Hosseini’s The Kite Runner, the reader is introduced to the theme of ‘redemption’.

    Read More

  • Amir Should Not Be Forgiven In The Kite Runner

    907 Words  | 4 Pages

    Everyone has heard the saying “nobody is perfect” and it is true we are all humans, we all make mistakes sometimes, but to what extent does someone stop forgiving when they have endured all the hardship a person gives them after they have been forgiven several times. There is a certain point in life when some people do not deserve to be forgiven because every time that person is forgiven, that person takes advantage it because that person knows they will be forgiven. There is one very prominent character in a story who fits the reason of why some people do not deserve forgiveness, especially when they've been given multiple chances to do the right thing. That person is Amir from the book the Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini.

    Read More

  • Forgiveness In The Sunflower

    894 Words  | 4 Pages

    Forgive, not because they deserve forgives, but because you deserve peace. It’s not easy to stop blaming someone’s fault, especially for someone who do wrong to us. In the book The Sunflower written by Simon Wiesenthal, a survivor of the Holocaust during World War II, he described his conflict with Karl, a dying Nazi soldier who killed many innocent Jews and begging for forgiveness for his outrageous crime at the end of his life. At the end of this sad and tragic episode, Simon did not response to Karl’s request directly; instead he left us a tough question: “What should you have done?” Based on what Karl had done during World War II and his repentance, each person might have their own point of view about where should we draw the line of forgiveness.

    Read More

  • Examples Of Prospero's Response For The Great Gatsby

    821 Words  | 4 Pages

    While the actions of the Buchanans were extremely dishonorable, I believe that instead of being disrupted by the fact they got away with their actions you should choose to forgive them. This is in no way for their benefit. It is strictly so you don’t have to carry the burden of the harsh sequence of events that took place. By releasing the resentment towards them, you will no longer be haunted by the violent commotion Daisy caused. “Researchers have studied whether training in forgiveness results in improved well-being.

    Read More

  • Examples Of Forgiveness In Unbroken

    903 Words  | 4 Pages

    Christ said, “Forgive your enemies and pray for them” (Hillenbrand 405). Through this forgiveness, Louie was able to accept what had happened to him in the POW camps, and forgive his most prominent oppressor. For many people, forgiveness is a major part to a happy, peaceful life. Without forgiveness, many people would dwell on specific details in their life, and would not be able to move on.

    Read More

  • Comparing Views On The Relationship Between Son And Religion

    571 Words  | 3 Pages

    The elder brother's error was nothing else but Religion. He was upgrading himself; outlining all he had been doing for his father, expecting a reward. He wasn't doing all that because he loved his father but he was expecting a gift. In that case, he was doing all that as a servant, rather than a SON.

    Read More

  • Character Analysis: The Prodigal Son

    1259 Words  | 6 Pages

    Forgiveness is the action or process of forgiving or being forgiven. (Hawkins, 1994, P. 206) My personal understanding of the parable ‘The Prodigal Son” is that it portrays the importance of reasoning and forgiveness. The main characters in the parable are two sons and a betrayed father. The father remains constant throughout the parable, although he has being betrayed by his younger son.

    Read More

More about David Brooks The Parable Of The Prodigal Sons

Open Document