Notice...God did not call Abraham a "good obeyer"...EDITED

....I suppose Noah, Abel, etc. would be called "good obeyers", but Abraham was called upon to 'override' his LOVE for his son, so what Abraham did was deemed/seen by God as LOVE (and so God called Abraham THE friend of God, not "A" friend, but "THE" friend, maybe most who worshipped were just "good obeyers"???).

There seems to be two kinds of worshippers...

1) some are like the prodigal son's brother (arrogant/possessive in their love/righteousness, yet tremendously sincere and true by nature).

...and...

2) some need to learn the error of their way and TRUST the loving kindness of their loving father.

Out of His graciousness, God makes no distinction (or does He?...my snobbish arrogance challenges my humility,...I depend on God's spirit to deliver me...my "thorn"?).

The prodigal son "sinned against heaven" but justly recognized that a person was the victim (dad's gift was ruined) and the son had the "rivers of living water"/sorrow by confessing to his VICTIM who was wronged (sinned "before you").

The parables are not the 'source of wisdom' for all who pursue the "depths", but there are always lessons that can be learned from everything. The parable of the prodigal son is EXCEPTIONAL in showing how God reacts to us.

Luke 8:10
"he said, "To you it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of God; but for others they are in parables, so that seeing they may not see, and hearing they may not understand".

Because of pride/vanity, many have chosen to be 'scholars' and acheive academic excellence by studying/analyzing the parables.

It is only the rebellious who need to be a "good obeyer" (philosophically/conceptually, the just know of no other way than righteous,...God is LIGHT and in Him is NO DARKNESS to compare it to...no 'duality', no 'opposite').

Not all have the same understanding (we were each given a measure of faith), but, if you stop 'FEELING compelled' by the "LAW", you might notice that you have only been a 'mischievious' child of God and then you can free yourself to live under the law of liberty.

LOVE can only be freely given, not by "compulsion". Tweet