Di Son Wey Come Back Home

One old man dey stand for di edge of im land, e use hand cover im eye from sun, e dey look di road. E don dey do dis tin every day for long time. Today, from far, one thin person dey waka come im side.

Tax collectors and people wey get bad name dey gather around Jesus to listen to am. Some of di religious leaders no like am. “Dis man dey welcome sinners,” dem dey murmur, “and e even dey chop with dem.” So Jesus tell dem stories about tins wey lost. One sheep wey lost. One coin wey lost. And then one story about one papa wey get two sons.

Di younger son come meet im papa with one request. “Give me my share of your property. Now.” No be when you die. Now. Na shocking tin to ask. But di papa share im property between im sons. Some days after, di younger son pack everytin, sell am turn am to cash, and e comot go one far country. And for there e spend am. Everytin. For wild life.

Just as di money finish, one serious famine hit di land. Now e no get anytin. E get work with one farmer for there, wey send am go farm make e feed pigs. Hunger dey catch am so tey e wan chop di pods wey di pigs dey chop, and nobody give am anytin. Then, di story talk, e come back to im senses. “Di workers wey my papa dey pay get food pass dem need, and see me here, hunger dey kill me. I go go back. I go talk say, Papa, I don sin against heaven and against you. I no worthy again make you call me your son. Make me like one of your hired workers.” E practise di speech. And e begin waka.

But while e still dey far, im papa see am. And compassion full im heart. E run. E hug im son and kiss am. Di son begin im speech. “Papa, I don sin against heaven and against you. I no worthy again make you call me your son.” E no even reach di part about hired worker. Di papa don already dey call di servants. “Quick! Bring di best robe come put am for im body. Ring for im finger. Sandals for im leg. Kill di fat calf. Make we chop and celebrate! Dis my son bin don die, and now e don come alive again. E bin lost, and now we don find am.” And di party start.

As all dis one dey happen, di senior son dey for farm. As e dey come back house, e hear music and dancing. One servant tell am: your brother don come back, and your papa don kill di fat calf. Di senior brother vex, and e refuse to enter. So im papa comot come meet am too, and e beg am. “All dis years I don dey work for you like slave,” di son talk. “I never disobey you. You never give me even one small goat make I celebrate with my friends. But dis your son waste your money, come back house, and you kill di fat calf!” Di papa answer am gently. “My son, you dey with me always, and everytin wey I get na your own. But we must celebrate. Your brother bin don die, and e don come alive. E bin lost, and we don find am.” And di story end there. We no ever know whether di senior brother enter.

One detail for make Jesus listeners squeeze face. Under di law of Moses, pig na unclean animal. Jews wey dey faithful no dey chop am, and dem no dey rear am. So one young Jewish man wey dey feed pigs for one foreigner, and e dey even wish to chop dia food, don sink reach di lowest place wey Jesus listeners fit imagine. Na so far di papa welcome reach.

Di son wey come back home. You go find am for Luke chapter 15, verse 11 reach 32. Di papa comot go meet im two sons: one wey dey come back from far place, and one wey dey stand outside, vex. So see one tin to think about. Which son you resemble pass right now, and wetin di papa dey tell you?