CHAPTER XIX

THE PRODIGAL SON IN RAGS=

_Objects: A collection of rags in many colors_

THE PRODIGAL SON IN RAGS

THIS is the story of the Prodigal son told in rags. Have a common rag bag brought in, and its contents emptied on a table. This will make quite a display of rags. Heap them up a little so the audience will see them all. The ragman's bag is going to preach a sermon. Among these rags is a bunch of rags fastened together with a pin to keep them separated from the others, which you will not use in this lesson. Take out the pin. Spread out these rags which you have thus kept together and arrange them in their proper order. Now say, "I will tell you the story of the Prodigal son as the ragman sees him. I will tell the story of the _LOST SON IN RAGS._" Now put up a rope across the back of the pulpit, or before the meeting have one put there, and from the pile of rags place upon this line the following:

I--_A yellow cloth,_ a square piece of cloth as the Prodigal has not yet come to rags. The yellow stands for the home he left,--the land of plenty. Yellow stands for the rich grain fields, and is also the color of the bread he found on his Father's table. Full and plenty and for the fields, ripe for harvest. How often he had sung the harvester's song in the field when working with his dear old father when they lived together on the good old farm. Now from the rag table pick up

II--_A piece of red._ This should be cut in the shape of a heart. Red stands for love and the heart of red for the loving heart of his father. It should not be forgotten that the big point of this parable is "The Loving Father," not the wayward son. It teaches how kind is the great heart of the loving heavenly Father and how sweet is His welcome to the wanderers who seek His face and favor. The son in rags knew this and no matter how far he got away from God, he never got away from the memory of the fond old father at home, yet he left it all for rags. Now pick up

III--_A blue piece of cloth._ This stands for the dissatisfied heart of the boy. He had "the blues." Tired of home; longed for excitement; unhappy in his father's house. So he thought of the big town where he thought he would be happy, and told his father so; he asked for his share of the estate because he wanted money. He must have money to be happy. So his father granted his request. Now pick up

IV--_Gray cloth._ The color gray was the color of the silver coins which his father gave him. (Make this cloth crooked.) This was a crooked step. He was crowning his own will. He was turning from the wisdom of his father. That alone was crooked. The misuse of money is often the first crooked step the youth takes. So often they leave home for larger wages, not because of the privilege of saving, but the sin of spending. After the estate is settled, the youth, with his new inheritance, gets the crooked foot, forgets God and His counsels. In one of our great high schools a prize essay was to be written. This was the subject: "If you had ten thousands dollars, what would you do with it?" In discussing this question, most of the boys had selfish answers. One would spend a year in traveling, another would make investments which yielded large returns quickly, etc. One lad said he would give it to his parents to save for him. This boy won the prize; he would never be a prodigal because of the misuse of money. The Prodigal wanted it for self use, and he got a handful of rags in return. Now pick up

V--_A gay rag of several colors,_ or a cluster of gray colored ones (cut crooked). This represents the gaieties of the far off country into which he had plunged. The sins of the far-away country seemed tipped with gold; he fell for it at once. Satan whispered here is joy, let loose; you are away from home; no one knows you; plunge in; and he did. Here pick up from the table

VI--_Short pieces of gay ribbons tied together in various lengths._ This represents the kind of friends he had found. Some long, some short, some were his for a few days, others for longer time; all tied together, representing friendship. They were purchased friends. They were his so long as his purse was long and full. When he had spent all they all left him. No man gave to him, not even the friends to whom he had given. Now he was poor, down and out and under. A man down in the world,--a Prodigal son in rags.

VII--Now pick up _the gay cloth of colors in rags._ This represents the Prodigal poor and forsaken, ragged and dejected. This is the product of sinful companionship. This piece of rag should be the same pattern as the one used representing his home garment but torn in strips. A famine strikes the country. He is in need of bread. "The way of the transgressor is hard," and the end thereof is harder still. He has but one last resort. A tender of swine.

VIII--Here pick up _brown rag._ This represents the color of the brown earth and the dried husks which he used as his only food. As a Jew, this was bad business. It was the only business left. Satan drives us to the bad. This is what happened to the Prodigal. Satan clothes us in purple and fine linen, then tears it to shreds, and we cannot help ourselves. Sin has a swift descent. There are no brakes for this decline. Bad, worse, and then some more. That describes this man in rags.

IX--Now pick up _yellow cloth._ This should be of the same shade as used in the first story as he now thinks of the bread in the father's house. Misfortune stirs up memory and we think; this is just what he did. He thinks of home, of bread, of servants in the old house and land of plenty. Sometimes we think of the better life too late. We cannot retrace our steps and begin over again, but that God does: When we repent and come to God, we may begin all over again.

X--Here pick up _purple cloth._ Make this a perfect square. This color stands for repentance. It is the penitential color in the church world. So he said, "I will arise and go to my Father, and say unto him, 'I have sinned.'" This is the quick way home. It is a short cut to God. The forgiving father is at the end of this road. So he goes back in his rags. That is the way to go home. This is coming "Just as I am, without one plea." Don't take off your rags. The Father alone must do this and He will.

XI--Here pick up _red cloth._ This represents the long love of the loving father. Red stands for love, a flaming love which causes the father to run to meet him. This is the only time when God is said "to run," and He does it every time when he sees the sinner coming.

XII--Here pick up _a striped cloth._ This represents the new robe just like the first robe used when he went to the far country. He now looks just like he looked when he left home. The past is all covered up with Father's forgiveness, and when the neighbors come in, they don't see rags but the garment beautiful. Perhaps they don't know of his misfortune. They only know he was lost and found and lost so long to the Father that they thought him dead, but he is alive again, and they began to be merry.

XIII-Here pick up _green cloth._ This represents the jealous anger of the elder brother who knows all about his downfall, and stayed outside and grumbled about the past sins of his brother, and the fact that never was a fatted calf slain for him that he might make merry with his friends also. His Father pleads with him, and since we hear nothing about this elder brother again, we would conclude that he went in and joined in the festivities of his brother's return. The Father's love had conquered both of his sons.

XIV--Here take _red cloth,_ and cover the green with it for the Father's love (red) had conquered the jealousy (green) of his son's heart.34

XV--Here pick up _white cloth_--the white stands for peace, which was now in the dear old home. Peace which we believe was also in the elder brother's heart. Peace which we know was in the Father's heart, and in the heart of the Prodigal, who had exchanged his rags for the glad robe of eternal salvation. As they all hang upon the line, remember the lesson, and ask the class to tell you what each rag stands for. You can, if you so desire, in place of hanging them on a line, place them on the furniture of the pulpit. The matter of using cloth, muslin or silk or any other substance, is left to the convenience and judgment of the teacher. Even colored papers can be used in place of the rags. In that case name the lesson "The Prodigal Son in Scraps of Paper." Place these scraps in a waste basket and from that place of cast-off things, produce them as you desire.

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