Are Calamities Acts Of God?

Are Calamities Acts Of God?

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A Tale of Two Sons by John Macarthur (Book Review)

A Tale of Two Sons

by John Macarthur

(Thomas Nelson; 2008, soft cover, 221 pages)

Available at OMF Literature, Inc., Philippines

PHP400.00; (Kabayan card holders entitled to 10% discount / 20 for 10 card holders entitled to 20% discount)

While John Macarthur is a known critic of the charismatic movement, many charismatics like me still read his works. Davao City’s Pastor Jurem Ramos, in his popular radio show aired over DZAS, generously quotes John Macarthur’s works even as his church practises the gifts of the Spirit. So, why do charismatics continue to love Macarthur? They do because his insights and study are based on the Word and not on some fad or scheme that is designed to tickle the fancy of the crowd.

The parable of the prodigal son is a story we all heard in Sunday school. We already know the story and we already know the moral of the story. Yet, A Tale of Two Sons still arrests the attention of the reader with the author’s diligent study of the Scripture where the story is recorded (Luke 15:11-32). Macarthur neither diluted the story nor refurbished it with elements of pop culture to make it hip and trendy for the contemporary audience. Rather, consistent with his motto of “Unleashing God’s Truth, One Verse at a Time,” John Macarthur thoroughly explained the story, verse by verse. Oftentimes, he explained the Greek words used in the original which we could verify in the Strong’s Dictionary. Until I read the book, I didn’t know that the word “fatted” in “fatted calf” used in v.23 meant “grain-fed” in the Greek (siteutos) which sufficiently described the meat used for the “coming home” party-- expensive, tender and delicious-- like the grain-fed cattle still raised today for expensive steaks.

John Macarthur also explained the socio-cultural, religious and even the legal backgrounds of the parable in order to help the reader appreciate the nuances of the story. Like a true scholar, Macarthur expressly cited the works of other authors where he borrowed other insights in the analysis of Luke 15 without feeling any diminution of prestige.

Early on in the book, Macarthur stated and emphasized the “single central theme” of the story: “the celebratory joy that fills heaven over the repentance of sinners.” (page 20). Lest the reader’s mind be unduly entangled by the details, or be scattered to the realm of subjectivity, Macarthur made sure that the reader is grounded on the main point. The author pointed out that the theme in the Parable of the Prodigal Son is identical to that of the two earlier parables cited in Luke 15. This is evident in the joy experienced by the shepherd in the Parable of the Lost Sheep (v. 5-7), by the woman in the Parable of the Lost Coin (v. 9-10) and the father in the Parable of the Prodigal Son (v. 22-32).

Unlike in the parables of the Lost Sheep and Lost Coin, however, the other characters in the Parable of the Prodigal Son are human beings-- sons.

In the Parable of the Prodigal Son, Macarthur made an in depth study on the character, response and feelings not only of the Father but also of both the younger son and the elder son. The younger son, the prodigal, was sinful and rebellious, and his character was exposed to everybody. The elder son, on the other hand, was also sinful and rebellious, but his character was cleverly wrapped by his outward compliance with rules. One must read the book as the author brilliantly unveiled the nature of the Father and of both the elder son and the younger son using the text of the Scripture. The Father, like God, is merciful and forgiving. (Macarthur’s study convincingly points out, however, that the Father is actually Jesus Christ. This is not a problem as Jesus is God and is the Father). The younger son, who represented the outwardly sinful, responded with repentance and humility. The elder son, who represented the religious hypocrites of that time (and of all times) responded with resentment and pride. The author was right when he wrote that we see ourselves in the image of either the elder son or the younger son, or in both.

One peculiar feature of the Parable of the Prodigal Son is its lack of a traditional ending. It seemed to have abruptly ended when the father said, “It was right that we should make merry and be glad, for your brother was dead and is alive again, and was lost and is found”. (v. 32, NKJ). But what really happened to the elder son? The Parable, according to John Macarthur, succeeded as a device which brought the hearers of the story into the story itself—in particular, the religious leaders of the day who were accurately represented by the elder son. John Macarthur wrote that the story ended with murder—the elder son murdered his father. Oh, please read the book. You’ll be blessed by the discussion.